OT: headset mic recommendations and XLR versus pin plugs

["Rick Walker/Loop.pooL" <looppool@cruzio.com>]

Hi Phil,
You asked about headset mic recommendations and the difference between XLR
cables and pin cables for microphones.    Here's what I know:

XLR have three connectors and are 'balanced'  chords which means that they
throw one chord out in phase and one chord out out of phase which means 
that
any signals recieved on the wire (and all chords are just antennaes for
radio waves remember) are put out of phase.

consequently, one can run a very very long XLR chord without picking up a
ton of noise and radio waves.

Normal pin or 1/4 connectors are un balanced because they only have two
connectors.............they, consequently, cannot be very long and pick up 
a
lot more noise the longer they are.

Whether or no, make sure not to run any mic chords paralell to any AC 
chords
or chords that are attached to lighting........................it is most
preferable to run such chords exactly perpendicular to avoid hum and noise.

good luck with everything...........by the way.............stay away from
the shure headset mics, their frequency response sucks............the AKGs
are great, though and worth spending the extra dough for.

Remember that when you use a headset microphone that you give up all the
advantages of
the use of proximity effect (especially with dynamic microphones) which is
the effect that radically rolls on bass response as you get closer to the
microphone.

Most vocalists really use the trick of pulling away from the microphone as
they go into a very loud passage or scream.

conversely many cool bass drum sounds can be made in beatboxing (of which
there was  a lot in this last
Y2K3 Live Looping Festival) by using the proximity effect while hi hat  and
shaker-esque sounds are much more effective if you move away from the
microphone................none of which can be done with a headset
microphone.

this being said and done, the convenience of a headset mic is great.

I also found it very useful as a multi-percussionist to have an on/off
footswitch wired to my headset mic
to avoid breathing and grunting noises (I tend to sing bass lines when I
drum, unconciously which let to one rather embarrassing drum solo where the
cruel mixer cranked my vocal mic because he thought it was funny
that I was grunting tunelessly during the solo.   Needless to say, I heard
the mix and he didn't get rehired (humorless me).

yours,  Rick Walker