The are two major types of microphone - dynamic and condenser. While it’s true to say the speaker or singer should keep his mouth as close to a dynamic microphone as possible, condenser microphones are much more sensitive and close proximity to the source of sound may course over vibration, resulting in popping sound. Consult the on-site operator or technician on how should it be used.
Microphones do not magically make the speaker’s voice louder, when the operator increases the amplification to pick up a soft voice, the microphone picks up more of the background noise as well, which raises the risks of acoustic feedback (i.e. microphone picking up sound from the loudspeakers). Speakers projecting their voices on stage do not only make the life of sound operators easier but also better entertain the audience with a more energetic atmosphere.
Grasping the head of the microphone will muffle the sound, which is undesirable in most circumstances except beat boxing. Muffling the sound may force the operator to tune up the volume to compensate for the loss of sound level, which in turn increases the risk of acoustic feedback when the head of the microphone was unmuffled. The tail of most wireless microphones are usually fitted with transmitter antenna inside, covering it up may make the wireless signal weaker, inducing unwanted interface signal.
Speakers are generally assumed to remain on stage, and sound testing are done with such assumption. The acoustic response of the whole PA system could be totally different when one of the microphones are taken off-stage, risking unwanted acoustic feedback, particularly when the microphones pass right in front of the loudspeakers. Always inform the technician or operator in advance if the microphones are meant to be used off stage.
Tapping on a microphone are generally not harmful to the microphone (particularly dynamic microphone), however, it is simply annoying to the audience. The habit of tapping originates from “carbon microphones” that were the norm before 1920s. The carbon microphone contains granules of carbon inside, which required some tapping to even them out after it was left unused for a long period of time. Such microphones are rarely seen nowadays. The speaker should simply say “test” to test the microphone.
While it’s true to say the sound level of some instruments maybe loud enough to match the sound level of PA system, tuning a balance among the instruments and miss will definitely be a major challenge to the operator. Moreover, although the live sound may not require a certain sound source to be miked, a microphone may still be required for other purposes like broadcasting to other venues or recording.
Real drums look better when performing live, better engages the audience, generally sound better and are more sensitive to how hard the drummer is playing. However, they are very loud almost in any circumstances and poses a challenge to the operator in tuning an overall balance for the band. The other band members must have equally good equipment to mach the sound level of the real drums. Electronic drums will help achieiving a better balance in small venues.
Dual microphones are usually placed in front of the same source the purpose of backup or redundancy. Two simultaneous signals from the two microphones combine along the sound signal path can cancel out certain frequencies due to “microphone interference” or “acoustic phase cancellation”. A professional sound operator turns one of them on only.
Although wiring up the PA system appears to be straight forward as it’s the profession of any technicians and operators, it takes time for them to do the testing after all the wirings which is rather essential as the same equipment could behave quite differently in different environments. It also takes time for the operators to communicate well with the users and speakers on their needs and expectations. As general rule of thumb, reserve more time for better sound.
While it appears that last-minute addition of another equipment for playback or another microphone might requires one or two more cables only, additional elements disrupt the original settings which alter the frequency response of the system, thus increasing the risks of acoustic feedback. Advance well planning is the key to success of any events whether from a general or technical perspective.
While many have experiences in a university lecture theatre or a hotel meeting that the built-in PA system works perfectly without any technicians or operators controlling the equipment, such are only possible in a stable and controlled environment with the same usage over time, at the expense of general sound quality. In a one-day PA system setup of a dynamic nature, the sound operator will be pivotal in ensuring the overall sound quality in midst of the variables.
While it’s true to say digital mixers offer a lot more functions and options than their analog counterparts of similar sizes, with greater flexibility that brings convenience to the operator, such are largely irrelevant to the end user except the technicians moving and setting less equipment. Some digital microphones use the 2.4GHz band which is the same as Wifi and Bluetooth, which makes them susceptible to interference from more devices.
PA System Smart Quotation System
Quoting PA System in plain language
Citi Private Bank Mid-Year Global Outlook Media Briefing PA Rental
21 June 2018
Grand Hyatt Hotel
Soundbox
Providing soundbox for the high-profile media briefing
Pui Ching Middle School Graduation Dinner PA Retnal
19 June 2018
The Mira Hong Kong
PA Rental
Musical Instruments
Providing PA equipment and musical instruments for the graduation dinner of a famous school.
Zero Carbon Building Busking PA Rental
16 June 2018
Zero Carbon Building
PA Rental
High-quality busking equipment (PA and Musical Instrument) for The 440 Band.
HKBU Business School Alumni Night PA Rental
2018年6月14日
Pacific Place
PA Rental
PA system deployed for HKBU Business School Alumni Night
The Big Splash Summer Party Media Briefing PA Rental
14 Juen 2018
Taikoo Shing
PA Rental
Blending a PA system perfectly into The Big Splash Summer Party for the media briefing.
Willis Towers Watsons Hong Kong HQ Opening PA Rental
13 June 2018
Lee Gardens Three
PA Rental
PA system blended into the opening of a mutli-national corporation's office.
紅蓮體育會嘅花炮會 PA Rental
10 June 2018
Hung Kee Seafood Restaurant
PA Rental
PA system deployed into an old seafood restaurant.
Jump10 PA Rental
9 June 2018
Southorn Playground
PA Rental
PA system with portable batteries supplied for JUMP10 basketball competition.
Hong Kong Elite Athletes Association Annual Meeting Musical Instrument Retnal
7 June 2018
Paramount Banqeut Hall
Musical Instrument Rental
Arranging an acoustic drumset, 4 cajons and two 10-inch snare drums for the meaningful event.
Toyota Car Show PA Rental
2-3 June 2018
Metro City
PA Rental
Another round of PA system supplied to support the sales of Toyota car show.
Boardwalk Hong Kong PA Rental
2018年5月27日
Central Pier
PA Rental
Battery-operated
Battery-operated speakers with wireless microphones supplied for Broadwalk Hong Kong
CGSE Snooker Championship PA Rental
26 May 2018
Youth Billiard Club (TST)
PA Rental
PA system supplied for CGSE Snooker Championship
HKIE Eco-car Battle
26 May 2018
PolyU
PA Rental
PA system deployed for HKIE Eco Car Battle.
「美麗的香港」填色/寫作/短片創作比賽
18 May 2018
Fortune Metropolis
PA Rental
Deploying PA system in the same mall we are based at.
HKBU Entrepreneur Day PA Rental
18 May 2018
Hong Kong Baptist University
PA Rental
Battery-operated
A battery-operated PA system deployed in 15 mins for the meaningful event.
HKIE Gas and Energy Division AGM and Dinner PA Rental
8 May 2018
YMCA
PA Rental
PA system deployed for HKIE Gas and Energy Division AGM and Dinner, their TECH band comprises of members from Towngas, EMSD, CLP and Hong Kong Electric.
Katie and Stanely Wedding PA and Musical Instrument Rental
6 May 2018
The Mira Hong Kong
PA Rental
Musical Instrument
Fitting a bunch of equipment onto a stage with limited space.
Busienss Octopus App PA and Lighting Rental
3 May 2018
Megabox
PA Rental
Lighting
Soundbox
Soundbox, tie-clip mics, wireless handheld mics and speakers deployed for the high-profile press conference.
Shake Shack Opening PA and Musical Instrument Rental
1 May 2018
IFC Mall
PA Rental
Musical Instrument
Battery-operated
Deploying battery-operated PA system and arranging Fiesta Brass to perform
藝韻盃初賽及決賽 PA Rental
1, 22 May 2018
Shatin Town Hall
PA Rental
PA system supplied for the initial-judging and finals.
樂Teen嘉年華 PA Rental
21 April 2018
Tin Yuet Plaza, Tin Shui Wai
PA Rental
High-qualited deployed for the performance of WAO! Singers at the Leo Club Hong Kong (Host) event.
CMHK Flagship Store Press Conference Press Conference PA Rental
19 April 2018
CMHK Flagship Store
PA Rental
Deploying 3 PA systems for the opening of the CMHK Flagship store
Toyota Discovery Park PA Rental
14-15 April 2018
Discovery Park
PA Rental
Supporting the Toyota car show at Discovery Park with our simple PA system.
TEDxCUHK Lost nor Found PA Rental
7 April 2018
Lee Siu Kei Building, CUHK
PA Rental
PA system deployed for TEDxCUHK “Lost nor Found” with tie-clips and handhelds
Business Octopus App Press Conference PA Rental
28 March 2018
Palace Wedding Banquet (Mongkok)
PA Rental
29-channel soundbox with speakers and mics deployed for the press conference of Business Octopus App.
HKU Malaysian Cultural Night 2018 PA Rental
20 March 2018
HKU Global Lounge
PA Rental
Musical Instruments
PA system deployed for the Malaysians of HKU
CUHK SHHO Night PA Rental
19 March 2018
SHHO College, CUHK
PA Rental
Lighting
High-quality equipment supplied for SHHO Night at CUHK
Luk Tei Tong Tsuen Spring Dinner PA Rental Musical Instrument Rental
17 March 2018
Luk Tei Tong Tsuen
PA Rental
Musical Instrument
PA system deployed with muscial instrument for the spring dinner in Lantau Island
AIA MCV Forum PA Rental
12 March 2018
Rotunda 2, KITEC
PA Rental
A multiple-point source system was deployed at the round-shaped venue to tackle the acoustic issues.
TEDxHKPolyU PA Rental
10 March 2018
PolyU
PA Rental
Headset and wireless mics deployed for TEDxHKPolyU
Joannie & Alex Wedding PA Rental
10 March 2018
Sha Tin Assembly of God Church
PA Rental
15-inch speakers and subwoofer deployed for an epic wedding
Sogo Annual Dinner 2018 PA Rental
5 March 2018
East Point Center
Musical Instrument
Deploying YAMAHA DGX660 Digital Piano, Gigmaker Drumset, and HARTKE A25 Bass Combo for the band show of Sogo Annual Dinner 2018
Inchcape Commercial Car Show PA Rental
4 March 2018
Toyota Flagship Store, Kowloon Bay
PA Rental
PA system deployed for the commercial car show. We are using Ford Transit, too!!
Methodist Vocal Competition PA Rental
3 March 2018
Methodist Center
PA Rental
PA system deployed for Methodist Vocal Competition.
Kehilat Zion Party PA Rental
1 March 2018
Kehilat Zion
PA Rental
The fun party utilised our PA system to foster better moods.
Fusion Quartet CNY Show PA Rental
Jan - Feb 2018
Pacific Place
Musical Instrument
Providing musical instruments for the show of Fusion Quartet.
Tsuen Wan Coast Music Festival
9-11 February 2018
Central Plaza, Tsuen Wan Park
PA Retnal
Lighting
Stage
Mobile Power
Music Stand
Chair
Mill Barrier
Full-fledge service for the 3-night event.
SIU2 CNY Show PA and Musical Instrument Rental
3-4 February 2018
Pacific Place
PA System
Musical Instrument
The PA system managed to reach audience as high as three floors above
Project Concern Hong Kong Dental Day PA Retnal PA Rental
27 January 2018
New Town Plaza, Shatin
PA System
PA system deployed under a coach.
Architectural Services Department Annual Party Musical Instrument Rental
19 January 2018
Laguna Palace Restaurant
Musical Instrument Rental
Providing the same set of instruments for ASD Band for both their rehearsals and performance.
Hawley and Hazel Annual Dinner PA and Musical Instrument Rental
17 January 2018
Regal HongKong Hotel
PA Rental
Musical Instrument
Small-format PA system deployed in the relatively small space.
China Star Light Charity Foundation Banquet
6 January 2018
B.P. International
Gordon Wu Hall
PA Rental
Providng PA system for the 40-table banquet of China Star Light Charity Foundation.
Metapella Christmas Acapella Flash Mob
23-24 December 2017
Various Pricerite stores
PA System
Battery-operated
Metappella is a newly formed acapella group in 2017, in which all members have >10 years of singing/vocal experience. Their flash mob performances in various Pricerite stores have utilized the full potential of our battery-operated PA system.
Eclipse Christmas Promotion Event
23 December 2017
Causeway Bay
Open-top Sightseeing Bus
PA System
Battery-operated
Battery-operated PA System deployed to support pop-star "Shine" singing their famous songs.
Joint School Christmas Ball Rencontre PA and Lighting Rental
22 December 2017
Joint School Christmas Ball
Kai Tak Community Hall
PA System
Lighting System
Provding PA and lighting equipment for the Joint Christmas Ball 'Rencontre' organised by St. Mark's School, St. Stephen's College, Our Lady of the Rosary College and Maryknoll Fathers' School
Ngai Lam College 35th Anniversary Chrismtas Carnival
17 December 2017
Christmas Carnival
Fortune City One
PA System
Providing PA system for the Djembe, Flute and Violin performances of Ngai Lam College 35th Anniversary Chrismtas Carnival.
CUHK SH HO College Ho Tim Hall Disco Party
20 November 2017
Disco Party
CUHK
PA System
Lighting System
Brining warth to a cool autumn night for the Disco Party of CUHK SH Ho College Ho Tim Hall with a bunch of PA and lighting equipment.
Tracy and Andrew Wedding
18 November 2017
Wedding
Renaissance Harbour View Hotel
PA System
Music Instrument
Enabling the newly weds to deliver a remarkable performance on their wedding with Mackie ProDX8, Roland BA330 and Shure SLX Wireless Handheld microphones.
Snidel Miramar Mall Branch Opening
11 November 2017
Snidel
Miramar Mall
PA System
Providing PA system for Snidel Miramar Mall Branch opening
OK Hong Kong Flagship Store Opening
30 October 2017
OK Hong Kong
PA System
Providing PA system for the opening of OK Hong Kong Flagship Store
Hysan Place All is Joyful, All is Bright: Christmas at LEE GARDENS PA Rental
20 October 2017
Seasons by Olivier E.
Lee Gardens
PA Rental
Providing PA system for Supper Moment, Kathy Chow, Joyce Cheng, Janet Chow in the Christmas launch event.
Social Enterprise Summit@Central and Western District: X-Gen Combo!
14 October 2017
Yu Lok Lane, Sai Ying Pun
PA Rental
Battery-operated
Providing a battery-operated PA system for the performance of Michael Lai, Dorothy Yuen, etc.
Interface Product Launch
13 September 2017
Interface Hong Kong Showroom
PA System
Providing PA System for the launch party of a famous carpet supplier Interface
IET Hong Kong Younger Members Section Annual General Meeting 2017
10 September 2017
Cordis Hotel, Hong Kong
Backdrop design
Annual Report
Name Badges
PA System
A full-fledged service provided for the AGM of an engineering organsiation.
QATAR Airways Product Launch
31 August 2017
Pivo Czech Bar
PA Rental
Projector
PA System, projecto and technical support provided for the product launch of QATAR Airways.
CORUM Product Launch Dinner
27 July 2017
La Bombance
PA Rental
Laptop
Providing PA system and laptop for CORUM Product Launch dinner.
Xinchang Residents Association PA Rental
6 May 2017
Maxim's Palace, Tsuen Wan
PA Rental
Providing PA system for the music performance of Xinchang Residents Association
TEDxCUHK PA Rental
1 April 2017
Cheng Yu Tung Building, CUHK
PA Rental
Providing a PA system for TED Talk and their acpella guest performers.
Joyce & Yung Wedding PA Rental
5 March 2017
La Terraza
PA System
Band Instruments
Sound system deployed with band instruments for the band performance of a wedding banquet.
The 440 Studio Guzheng x iPad Band PA Rental
21-22, 30-31 January 2017
Wonderful Worlds of Whampoa
PA Rental
Battery-operated
Providing a battery-operated PA system for the Guzheng x iPad performance of The 440 Studio.
AXA HONG KONG STREETATHON @kowloon 2017 PA Rental
8 January 2017
Kowloon East
PA Rental
Battery-operated
Providng 3 battery-operated PA systems simultaneously for music performances of AXA HONG KONG STREETATHON @kowloon 2017
Subyub Lee Concert PA Rental
26 December 2016
HOW Lounge
PA Rental
Multi-track Recording
Providng PA System with mutli-track recording service for Subyub Lee's concert.
The 440 iPad
24-27 December 2016
Discovery Bay North Plaza & D'Deck
PA Rental
Battery-operated
Providing battery-operated PA system for the performance of The 440 iPad Band@Discovery Bay North Plaza & D'Deck.
O'Blue Acapella Performance@Oliver's
15 December 2016
Oliver's The Delicatessen
PA Rental
Battery-operated
Providing battery-operated PA system for O'Blue Acapella christmas performance@Oliver's The Delicatessen.
Engineering & Construction Evangelical Fellowship
13 December 2016
E.F.C.C SPRING CHURCH
PA Rental
Battery-operated
Providing battery-operated PA system for The 440 iPad Band singpiration@Engineering & Construction Evangelical Fellowship
Joint Society Christmas Party
9 December 2016
Virgo Bar and Restaurant
PA Rental
Providing PA system for the joint christmas party of several engineering societies.
HOW Lounge Launch Event
8 December 2016
HOW Lounge
PA Rental
PA system deployed at HOW Lounge for the performances of Panther Chan and Subyub Lee.
CORUM Product Launch Dinner
6 December 2016
ON Dining Kitchen & Lounge
PA System
Laptop
PA system deployed for a high-class event: CORUM Product Launch Dinner
Hong Kong Dog Rescue - Peak to Fong 2016
13 November 2016
Lan Kwai Fong
PA System
Band Instruments
PA system and instruments deployed for the after-party of a Charity event.
Electrolux Product Launch
14 October 2016
Ulferts - Tin Hau
PA System
PA system deployed for the product launch event of a famous brand.
Busking Performance
25 September 2016
Star Ferry, Tsim Sha Tsui
Busking Equipment
Band Instruments
PA system and band instruments that are usually seen on stage deployed for a busking performance.
IET Hong Kong Younger Members Section Annual General Meeting 2016
10 September 2016
Eaton Smart Hotel
Backdrop Banner
Booklet
Name Badge
PA System
Full-range service for the AGM of an engineering association.
Islands Youth Camp 2016 Band Show
25 July 2016
Y.W.C.A. Sydney Leong Holiday Lodge
PA System
Band Instruments
Sound system and band instruemnts deployed for a hyper band show of a youth summer camp.
Yasmin and Richard Wedding
23 July 2016
Cordis Hotel at Langham Place
PA System
Sound system deployed for a professional guitar and vocal performance to make a remarkable and unforgettable wedding.
Busking Performance
3 July 2016
Star Ferry, Tsim Sha Tsui
Busking Equipment
Mobile PA system deployed for a busking performance.
IET Hong Kong President's Address 2016
18 April 2016
Regal Kowlooon Hotel
PA System
Sound equipment for a band show and speech in an engineering event.
Swire Beverages 2016 Annual Dinneer
3 March 2016
Aberdeen Marina Club
PA System
Musical Instruments
Full-set equipment for a band show with an award-winning professional singer.
IET Younger Members Section Annual General Meeting 2015
12 September 2015
Eaton Smart Hotel
Backdrop Banner
Booklet
Standee
Name Badge
PA System
Full-range service for the AGM of an engineering association.
JCI Lantau (Provisional) Charter Night
19 April 2015
PA System
PA System for the inauguration of a new organisation.
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