Sydney Microphone Hire

Some of the most frequently asked questions we get form our hirers, have to do with microphones. All the PA systems we hire come with a mic of your choice. In the section below, you'll get an idea on how to choose the best mic for your needs and how to use them.
Here are the daily rental prices of some of the microphones we have in stock. They can be used as part of a sound system, or you can hire them by themselves to connect to your own. They all come with XLR cables and power supplies if required.

There are 2 types of microphone technologies in practical, everyday use:
- Dynamic
- Condenser
Dynamic Microphones: This are the most popular types of handheld mics. They are relatively inexpensive and offer great feedback rejection patterns (in other words, it picks up the sounds directly in front and rejects the "spill over" sounds which can cause the annoying, screechy feedback from the speaker). Dynamic mics are frequently used in live situations. In fact the Shure SM58 has been the industry standard for over 30 years. Most dynamics are unidirectional, ie they pick up the sound only from the front of the

Condenser Microphones: These are the next most common type of mic. They require and external power source, which is usually supplied from the audio mixer via the XLR cable. Condensers are more sensitive and in most cases more expensive than dynamic handheld mics. Pretty much all studio and lapel microphones use this technology. Condensers come in both unidirectional and omnidirectional versions. Some studio condensers can cost over $20,000 (sorry, we don't hire those:). Are they worth it? Well, we've heard them and they are brilliant, but nowhere near 100 times better than a $200 mic (which we do hire:)

As always, there are advantages and disadvantages to everything. The obvious plus of a cordless microphone is freedom of movement and no wires to trip over. The down side is that they are more complicated and therefore more expensive and harder to set up. If you have a look at the stage setup of most rock concert today, you'll see that wired microphones dominate. Naturally, headset and lavalier microphones are all cordless. In a nutshell, if the microphone is going to stay on the stand for the entire event, then choose a wired mic, otherwise cordless is the way to go.

While on the subject of wireless mics, as of the first of January 2015 the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has introduced new frequencies for wireless devices. Specifically, only frequency range of 520-694 MHz is legal for wireless microphones. Most older units have operated in the higher spectrum and are now prone to interference, but more importantly, they are illegal to use. We bit the bullet in late 2014 and replaced all our cordless mics in order to comply with the new rules. We know for a fact that many of our competitors have not. It's worth asking the question if you hiring from somebody else.

How to hold a microphone: Well that actually depends on whether you are using it for singing or for speaking. The optimal holding position for a dynamic handheld microphone is illustrated in the photo on the right. This grip ensures that the sound goes directly into the element of the mic. Many singers move the microphone closer when they are singing lower notes and further away for louder higher notes. Most of our clients rent mics for speaking, in which case it's better to hold it to your chin. This ensured that it's near enough to your mouth and you get a reference point by touching your chin. Avoid over-handling the mic as it will make undesired noises. When doing a microphone check, it's best to say "yeah, yeah". This gives a better idea of sound levels than the usual "one, two, check!". Never tap a mic to check if it's on, as this may damage the sensitive diaphragm.

Microphone Switches: We are often asked why some mics have on/off switches and others don't, in particular, why the more expensive ones, such as the Shure SM58 don't have one. It's simple really... When you're singing or speaking on stage, the audio engineer takes control of the sound. They are able to change the volume and fade it in and out. In fact it's quite "dangerous" to allow performers to switch a mic on an off - once it's off, there is nothing the technician can do about it from the control position other than go up on stage and switch it back on. Just a note on wireless and beltpack mic switches: These often have 3 positions: "Off", "Mute" and "On". Why "Mute"? This is really just a test position to see if there is a radio signal at the receiver end, but there will be no sound in this position. From an operator's point of view, the mute (which is between the On and OFF position) should be skipped.