Volume level for Microphone

[hypersonics]

Hi All,

I'm from Australia and this is my very first post in this community.

I picked up a Bose S1 Pro two days back for my wife as we were looking for a starter PA system and, my wife is into vocal singing. The S1 Pro is now paired with a Rode M1 dynamic cardioid microphone on the first input.

My question is, for getting decent vocal sound how high the volume should be? Currently, we have set the volume knob to 70% and we hear good spacious vocals, but it's not loud. In contrast, when we play a backing track on the Bluetooth at a volume level of 50% for instance, the sound is louder than the vocals.

Is there a way to find out if the Rode M1 is picking the voice properly?

Thanks in advance.

[ST - Pro]

Hi, hypersonics.

@hypersonics posted:

Hi All,

I'm from Australia and this is my very first post in this community.

Welcome!

I picked up a Bose S1 Pro two days back for my wife as we were looking for a starter PA system and, my wife is into vocal singing. 

Congratulations.

The S1 Pro is now paired with a Rode M1 dynamic cardioid microphone on the first input.

My question is, for getting decent vocal sound how high the volume should be? Currently, we have set the volume knob to 70% and we hear good spacious vocals, but it's not loud. In contrast, when we play a backing track on the Bluetooth at a volume level of 50% for instance, the sound is louder than the vocals.

Is there a way to find out if the Rode M1 is picking the voice properly?

The Rode M1 has a relatively low input sensitivity. (1.6 mV/Pa). See this table here for comparisons.

You may well have to turn the channel volume well above 70% to get the volume closer to the Bluetooth signal.

You can safely turn up the microphone channel volume until you see solid red when singing. Even 100% is okay.

Thanks in advance.

If you find the Rode M1 is not loud enough, you might want to consider getting a different microphone.

ST

[ChetDude]

I find that the S1 Pro volume overall with a dynamic microphone (especially low output ones like an SM58) plugged into an input channel, even when the "volume" is all the way up, is not nearly as loud as plugging the same microphone into a mixer and then plugging the mixer into the S1.

In other words, the S1 can get much louder with higher gain inputs coming into it without distortion than it can just plugging in a microphone.  The input stage of the S1 can handle much higher signal levels than dynamic microphones can provide.

I've run 2 S1s on stands to fill a 1/4 acre Farmers Market with two guitars and two vocals fed by a QSC Touchmix 16 mixer with the mixer output set at about 10-12dB down on the meters running XLR out from the mixer to XLR INPUTS on the S1s (with tonematch set off). 

[Busker Pete]

Hi @hypersonicshypersonics - I also have a similar experience to Chet. Using an SM58 straight into the Bose S1 was disappointing even at 100%.

I currently busk using a small Swamp UM-66 mixer which is USB powered by a powerbank battery. Vocals are panned left, guitar panned right and I then run two XLR cables to the XLR jacks in the S1. The S1 volume knobs are set about 50% and I balance the vocals and guitar on the mixer. The mixer has a master Output which is very handy - I just use this to control the volume depending on where I’m playing on the day.

By all means try the Tonematch, but I also have this set to OFF. Overall, I find the S1 is superb - great sound and 12 plus hours of battery life. The mixer powerbank lasts over 12 hrs as well.

Pete the Busker (Sydney, Australia)

[ChetDude]

FYI - I found the guitar tonematch setting to be wonderful with my Gibson SG Standard electric guitar.  I usually run my acoustics without tonematch though.

I also occasionally use a real nice little Behringer 1002b battery powered mixer panned as you suggest (vocals left, guitars right - into two channels of S1s) that also has phantom power and I've done 3 - 4 hour gigs with plenty of battery power left at the end.

[hypersonics]

@ST posted:

Hi, hypersonics.

Welcome!

Congratulations.

The Rode M1 has a relatively low input sensitivity. (1.6 mV/Pa). See this table here for comparisons.

Thanks to @ST for noting this.

[hypersonics]

@Chet posted:

I've run 2 S1s on stands to fill a 1/4 acre Farmers Market with two guitars and two vocals fed by a QSC Touchmix 16 mixer with the mixer output set at about 10-12dB down on the meters running XLR out from the mixer to XLR INPUTS on the S1s (with tonematch set off). 

Thanks @Chet. Any mixer that you would recommend?

[hypersonics]

@Pete The Busker posted:

Hi @hypersonicshypersonics - I also have a similar experience to Chet. Using an SM58 straight into the Bose S1 was disappointing even at 100%.

I currently busk using a small Swamp UM-66 mixer which is USB powered by a powerbank battery. Vocals are panned left, guitar panned right and I then run two XLR cables to the XLR jacks in the S1. The S1 volume knobs are set about 50% and I balance the vocals and guitar on the mixer. The mixer has a master Output which is very handy - I just use this to control the volume depending on where I’m playing on the day.

By all means try the Tonematch, but I also have this set to OFF. Overall, I find the S1 is superb - great sound and 12 plus hours of battery life. The mixer powerbank lasts over 12 hrs as well.

Pete the Busker (Sydney, Australia)

@Pete The Busker. Thanks, mate. I'm also thinking of getting a mixer. I tried the Tonematch, but the vocals sound a bit different but doesn't amplify. Are there any recommended mixers for the S1Pro?

[CityFolk]

Like Chet, I use a Behringer 1200B mixer which can be run on batteries (2 or 3, 9 volt batteries). The mixer has mic preamps and gain controls to allow you to bolster any weak signal from mics (or other input sources) that may have a rather weak output. 

I run my acoustic duo (2 vocals, 2 guitars) through it into 1 or 2 S1s depending on the size of the venue. The 1200B lets me be completely unplugged from power which  gives us maximum flexibility to setup anywhere. So it’s a great companion to the S1 and it’s battery capability.

Furthermore, since it is a stereo mixer, I run my guitars panned right, vocals panned left and connect the main out left and right into the 2 separate channels in the S1. This way I can set the ToneMatch to mic for the combined mic inputs, ToneMatch to guitar for the guitar inputs from the mixer. I can then set a different mix of reverb for guitars vs vocals. It just gives finer degree of control. Not totally necessary, but I’ve found it helpful. Note, the 1200B does not have any onboard effects like reverb.

I typically set the S1 EQ to flat and do fine adjustment of EQ on the mixer. With this setup, I’ve never needed to go much beyond 50% volume on the S1s. I’ve played outdoor venues with this setup and it has been plenty loud for us. 

Hope this helps.

[ChetDude]

@hypersonics posted:

Thanks @Chet. Any mixer that you would recommend?

What our good friend CityFolk said!  For all battery/cord free gigs and a nice little mixer around $150, I'm happy with my Behringer 1002b as well.

Note: my bad above the Mixer is the 1002b -- my subwoofers are 1200d...

And thanks to a quirk in that mixer, you can input up to 8 signals with separate gain for each (5 XLR and 3 1/4") as long as the paired channels can live with the same EQ and panning -- kinda neat feature to have at times.

I also have a QSC Touchmix 16 that isn't a whole lot bigger (but a LOT more expensive) and is better for the gigs I do with bigger bands and groups that I've "dialed in" and saved as scenes in the mixer for immediate recall.  It adds up to four additional effects units and of course, a few more input channels as well as the ability to record everything to a VERY fast disk as individual tracks which can be edited later in Cubase or whatever.