3 feedback Busters
for your sound system
Feedback in your sound system is one of the most frustrating things for sound technicians, musicians and congregations alike. So how do we stop it?
First, we need to understand what Feedback is. It is when a microphone hears sound coming from a speaker and then sends it through the sound system again and again until it becomes the despised high pitched squeal that we all know. Here are a few quick techniques that you can try to eliminate feedback.
1. Shhhhhhhhh….
Turning the volume down on a particular channel should be the immediate reaction to feedback in your service. It will be the channel that is lit up like a Christmas tree on the desk.
2. Placement
When you are experiencing feedback there may be a microphone or speaker that needs to be moved. Look at your physical set up and see if there are any microphones in front of speakers. If there are, then move the microphone and the speaker away from each other.
Another tip is to place the microphones closer to the source of the sound they are trying to pick up. This eliminates sounds that you don’t want the microphone to pick up and gives clearer amplification to the source you want to hear.
3. EQ
Even though EQ can be a very involved process, simple EQ can change how “ringy” a system sounds. Employing a High Pass Filter will assist in cutting out some frequencies that can be problematic . Most feedback will start in the low frequencies of sound that we use only for kick drum mics or bass guitars, so try and eliminate them from your mix as much as possible.
There are different options if you have a graphic equalizer, or just your parametric equalizer on your sound board, but finding problem frequencies and eliminating them will help reduce the noises that distract a congregation from worship. While a singer uses a microphone, slowly turn up the level until feedback occurs. Reduce the volume again and adjust your EQ settings, turning down the problem EQ. Repeat this process to check that you have reduced the correct frequency. This approach should be done in small increments.