The What: Point Source Audio (PSA) has launched Mic Finder, an interactive web-based tool designed to help sound teams pinpoint specific mic elements and mic styles to suit specific applications from corporate presenters to rock ‘n’ roll musicals, to violin miking.
The What Else: Expanding beyond traditional lavalier and headset style microphones, recent advances in the company’s approach to body-worn mics include the patent-pending Confidence Collection microphones highlighting built-in redundancy, and the EMBRACE Collection of concealable microphones that are twice patented. The company emphasizes that these additions present a world of fresh possibilities when sound teams are challenged with unique requisites—from facial hair to drop hoop earrings—when fitting mics on actors or speakers.
“What we’ve learned in working closely with our customers is that no two miking situations are the same; the smallest variable can make one mic selection perfect in one situation, and a disaster in another,” said Yvonne Ho, sales and marketing VP for Point Source Audio.
Users looking for the right microphone simply select the relevant application with various considerations from Mic Finder’s menu settings. Product recommendations are then presented along with customer use cases including:
- Mics that hide
- Mics that survive heavy water/sweat
- Mics for fast-moving musical theatre
- Mics for preaching
- Mics that fight feedback
- Mics that shape and bend
- Mics that accept custom color
- Mics for bearded performers
- Mics that backup themselves
Besides finding the right microphone performance features, sound teams must also battle variables such as costuming, concealment, venue size, loudspeaker placement, vocal projection, and more. Ho explained with examples: “We get questions routinely on how to head mic an actor with no hair, or one who sweats heavily, or sometimes both at the same time.”
The novice sound person can learn about mic choice with consideration for speaking or singing, whereas those new to Point Source Audio mics can discover unconventional miking possibilities including how EMBRACE microphones can be used for violinists or boom headsets for flutists doubling on several instruments in one performance.
The Bottom Line: The Mic Finder web tool is accessible online via desktop, tablet, and mobile devices. The tool presents a series of questions to narrow microphone choice and shares successful experiences from real-world examples that best match the users’ needs.
