Lavs on cheeks, use HF-boosting cap or just EQ up?

S

Simon Eves

Sophomore
May 12, 2013
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I have some Sennheiser MKE2 and some Countryman B6 omni lavs, both of which have optional longer caps which apparently boost the high frequencies.

For musical theatre use, with the mic taped to the cheekbone, the sound with the stock caps is of course quite dull by default.

However, is it better to use the HD-boosting caps or just EQ up on the mixer?

With perfect source and transmission mechanism, there shouldn't be any difference (other than that mixer EQ is variable, whereas the cap effect is fixed) but I can imagine that doing with the cap avoids boosting any other HF content that may get added post-mic (such as RF hiss).

What do you guys usually do?

Any other tricks for cheek-mounted mics that anyone is willing to share, please, that minimize the dullness?
 
Re: Lavs on cheeks, use HF-boosting cap or just EQ up?

Hi Simon,

It's certainly worth trying the middle caps (the ones Countryman described as 'crisp response'). The 'very crisp' caps will almost certainly be too bright - they're designed for increasing presence if you've got it mounted in a lapel position. Sennheiser only supply 2 sizes with the MKE2 anyway.

As you say, the advantage of using the caps is brightening without increasing the noise floor, but that's a declining problem these days anyway with decent RF kit.

I've never found the MKE2s dull in the cheek position to be honest. They're about 3db up around 6-10k anyway. I assume you've checked they're clear of sweat and make-up if they're old capsules? Is there a reason why you're mounting them on the cheek in the first place? Are you struggling with feedback?
 
Re: Lavs on cheeks, use HF-boosting cap or just EQ up?

Daniel McAllister said:
As you say, the advantage of using the caps is brightening without increasing the noise floor, but that's a declining problem these days anyway with decent RF kit.
Click to expand...

Since the caps can't create HF that isn't there to begin with, I figure they must actually attenuate the LF.. so I think the S/N ratio would be the same either way no?

Jason
 
Re: Lavs on cheeks, use HF-boosting cap or just EQ up?

Jason Lavoie said:
Since the caps can't create HF that isn't there to begin with, I figure they must actually attenuate the LF.. so I think the S/N ratio would be the same either way no?

Jason
Click to expand...

The caps affect the way the air behaves in the chamber between the capsule and the end of the cap, attenuating the HF without the need for any electronic trickery. Because this is done before the RF or Preamp stages, it saves the slight increase in noise floor you'd get from doing it via EQ at the channel strip.
 
Re: Lavs on cheeks, use HF-boosting cap or just EQ up?

Daniel McAllister said:
It's certainly worth trying the middle caps (the ones Countryman described as 'crisp response'). The 'very crisp' caps will almost certainly be too bright - they're designed for increasing presence if you've got it mounted in a lapel position. Sennheiser only supply 2 sizes with the MKE2 anyway.

As you say, the advantage of using the caps is brightening without increasing the noise floor, but that's a declining problem these days anyway with decent RF kit.

I've never found the MKE2s dull in the cheek position to be honest. They're about 3db up around 6-10k anyway. I assume you've checked they're clear of sweat and make-up if they're old capsules? Is there a reason why you're mounting them on the cheek in the first place? Are you struggling with feedback?
Click to expand...

I'm about to do a loud show in a fairly small hard-walled space, and initial testing the other night showed more feedback than I would like with a hairline/toupee-clip mount, and we don't even have the band in yet, and we might even change the speakers before the show. I'll hopefully have time for another go once we're in tech with everything in place, but I'll have other things to worry about then.

All of my MKE2s were obtained used, and certainly some are brighter than others. There's no obvious contamination of the heads. I've blown out sweat with an air-can, and I keep the outside of the heads and cables clean with Goo-Gone and IPA, but I haven't dared try anything else in terms of deeper cleaning in case I melt something... :\

The B6s were bought new a couple of years ago, and I'd like to use them if I can since they're much smaller (especially on the cheek) but I only have four (and it's a six-person show) and I don't really want to mix. On the other hand, I only have a couple of long MKE2 caps too (I had to buy those separately, since some of the mics came without).

The wireless kit is Sennheiser EW100 G3. Not the best, but I've never found the noise level objectionable assuming the RF is strong.

Do even the regular shorter caps on the MKE2 affect their response? To be honest, I usually run those without caps at all, as I've found them to be more susceptible to sweat-outs *with* the caps (the mesh seems to catch the sweat) but maybe that's a mistake?

I know this is all stuff I could probably determine myself with more testing. I just never seem to have the time to do that... :(
 
Re: Lavs on cheeks, use HF-boosting cap or just EQ up?

That's a shame, they always seem to sound much more natural in the hairline.

If you ever come across a particular bad mic in terms of sweat, you can always tie it up in a polythene food bag with one of those silica gel packets inside to draw out the moisture.

I'm normally scared to use the B6s on our shows, because they're just so tiny and the cable always seems like it could easily get destroyed by a stray hairpin. I'm sure they're much more robust than they look though! I think it's generally considered that the MKE2s sound nicer, but that the B3 & B6s are less susceptible to sweat. The MKE2 Gold series is much better in that respect than the original generation.

The standard protective caps do supposedly affect the frequency response, but I've not personally run one without a cap anyway, so I'm not sure how much difference it makes in practice.

Make sure you keep the gain down on the packs if you've got the gray or red-banded B6s, because the signal will be fairly hot if you put them on the cheek.
 
Re: Lavs on cheeks, use HF-boosting cap or just EQ up?

Daniel McAllister said:
That's a shame, they always seem to sound much more natural in the hairline.

If you ever come across a particular bad mic in terms of sweat, you can always tie it up in a polythene food bag with one of those silica gel packets inside to draw out the moisture.

I'm normally scared to use the B6s on our shows, because they're just so tiny and the cable always seems like it could easily get destroyed by a stray hairpin. I'm sure they're much more robust than they look though! I think it's generally considered that the MKE2s sound nicer, but that the B3 & B6s are less susceptible to sweat. The MKE2 Gold series is much better in that respect than the original generation.

The standard protective caps do supposedly affect the frequency response, but I've not personally run one without a cap anyway, so I'm not sure how much difference it makes in practice.

Make sure you keep the gain down on the packs if you've got the gray or red-banded B6s, because the signal will be fairly hot if you put them on the cheek.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tips, Daniel :)

I'm not sure what generation my MKE2s are. They all look the same, and those with the original cables have the little gold plastic tag on the cable (some of them had short cables when I got them, presumably from having been used in wigs, and I had them extended). I'll try them with the caps, as if even the short ones make them a little brighter then they would be worth using.

The B6s are red-band ones, and seem to have about the same sensitivity as the MKE2s. I usually put the transmitters at about -30 for average-volume actors, maybe -39/-42 for loud ones! The cables are supposed to be pretty strong, although I did have one break last year (Countryman repaired it for a nominal fee) and I agree they do *look* fragile... :)

I'll try hairline mounting again once we're in tech, with the band, and the new speakers, and I get a chance to actually ring out the room.
 
Re: Lavs on cheeks, use HF-boosting cap or just EQ up?

I just finished a musical with sixteen actors with B6's on their cheeks, necessary because the band was very loud acoustically. I used the mics without the caps, and the channel EQ, because each actor needed a different amount of high boost according to the sound of their voice.

I never even had to think about feedback or noise floor, I had gain for days.

Mick Berg.
 
Re: Lavs on cheeks, use HF-boosting cap or just EQ up?

I have said it before – I like to put like mics in their own subgroup and then EQ that subgroup for best gain before feedback. And then save the channel EQ for what I may need to do to the individual mics. I have a trick to do this with SMAART.
 
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