The use of a suspended microphone in the church environment is not uncommon. It’s a handy tool to capture a pastor’s voice, a choir singing, or ambiance from the congregation. But because they are permanently installed, there can be drawbacks – little or no ability to re-position, the need for different polar pickup patterns to meet different applications (i.e., a single person speaking versus a choir), and so on.
Astatic Commercial Audio has recently introduced two new mics that might represent a breakthrough solution in overcoming these limitations.
John F. McJunkin provides a product review of the new Astatic VP1600 and VP1700 continuously-variable pattern overhead microphones in the September, 2009 issue of Church Production magazine. They offer variable polar pattern with remote control that allows users to precisely adjust the shape of the pick-up pattern to provide the best gain before feedback from a remote location, along with other useful features.
How does this technology work? What are the advantages (and potential downsides) for your church sound system? Click here to check out John’s insights and explanations.
Also, be sure to have a look at the roster of online articles from the September, 2009 issue of Church Production.
Other recent Church Production reviews:
Aviom Network Audio Systems
Peavey Sanctuary S-32 Console
DiGiCo SD8 Digital Console
Sony UWP Wireless System
JBL EON 515 Loudspeaker
Audio-Technica AT2020USB Microphone