Omnidirectional headworn mic: worthwhile for theater use? (A-T BP892)

[DMahalko]

Does anyone know if the Audio-Technica BP892 microphone is really worth the expense for theater applications? It costs something like US$300 from most stores.


http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/r...re/b338f8523af0e41c/0001_0162_01_bp892_ss.pdf

In general I assume it is omnidirectional by design, since the microphone and ear mount are permanently fused together, so the mic can't be flipped over 180-degrees when worn on the other side of the face.

And so instead, the omnidirectional field results in equal voice pickup ability when worn on the left or right side of the face.



But, it seems like an omnidirectional mic would be a lousy choice for theater applications, since the omni pickup would result in the mic also picking up noises originating from other nearby actors and objects moving around in the scene.

The omni might be fine for business presentations or studios where people don't move around very much, but with rustling clothes and people walking around on a stage it seems like audio quality from an omni may be poor for theater.



So with this in mind, it seems like it'd be better to have this with a cardoid or supercardoid design with designated left-side / right-side versions, in order to reject noises off to the side of the performer.

And besides, if you're already forking out a fortune for a professional headworn mic, who cares if you also need separate left-side / right-side versions for the best possible on-stage sound quality?

 

[themuzicman]

Omni's are the standard for theatrical applications. I use head-mounted DPA 4060's or Sennheiser MKE-2's on a daily basis and they are both omnidirectional.

 

[FMEng]

The Countryman E6 seems to be the standard bearer for headworn mics. So much so that Shure puts it in their catalog. (If you can't beat them join them?) I have been using the E6 on several Pastors and like it pretty well. On our new Pastor though, we struggled with getting it to fit comfortably without it moving around too much. I didn't want to drive him crazy fiddling with it, but I also could not live with bad sound when the mic moved under his chin.

After seeing some good reviews, I bought a DPA d:fine. In my opinion, the d:fine is better than the E6 in all respects! It is easy to fit and put on with very little bending. It stays put on everyone except those with unusually small ears. The E6 is a good sounding mic, but the d:fine is better. The thing is as smooth and natural sounding as can be, and I'm used to listening to Neumanns every day. The d:fine cable does not need to be custom wired for the beltpack type. Instead, it uses an adapter that screws onto the cable. I think DPA just rewrote the standard for headworn mics. Yes they are expensive, and worth every penny.

 

[FMEng]

I should comment on the original question. Every directional mic, be it cardiod, hypercardioid, bi, is much more prone to plosives, air turbulance, and handling noise. Every omni mic is inherently immune to those problems. Omni mics have no proximity effect and have smoother frequency response compared to any directional mic. These differences apply regardless of whether the mic is a handheld, lav, or headworn mic. It's just the physics of directionalizing a mic.

Directional mics are made with all kinds of measures to reduce these problems, often very effectively, but it gets harder to do as the mic gets smaller. A headworn cardioid needs a foam windscreen, where an omni usually doesn't (except for sweat protection).

Another consideration is that a directional mic on the face is kind of a misnomer. The face is a reflector which reduces any gain before feedback improvement from the mic pattern. A headworn mic almost acts as a boundary mic. Where it gets a big advantage is a very, very short distance to the source (mouth), which helps us get more volume without feedback. If you really think you want a cardioid headworn mic, I suggest comparing it side by side with the omni version of the same mic.

 

[TimmyP1955]

We have E6 and (MM Audio - The Next Generation of Pro Audio Equipment). The E6 are much easier to fit than the standard MM (The MM need to be ordered by phone so you can request the extra stiff ear loops.) Sound wise, the MM are surprisingly close given the price difference, and they may hold better than the E6. If you have bucks, DPA is the ticket, but I don't know how they hold up.

 

[BNBSound]

I like the Shure WL93 element myself. It doesn't come with any rigging other than a tie clip which I usually throw out and use bobby pins to put in the actors' hair. I see people use these all the time and try to tape them to the actors' faces because they've seen the Countryman before. The Shure works great in the hair above the forehead, or if costume doesn't allow (hat) or there's not enough hair you can loop it over the ear and tape it just below the jaw. Very little to be seen, lots to be heard.