Echo problem

[stevegb13]

Hi all,

I record a weekly podcast at a scout hut. Since beginning the main hall has been full of equipment etc but now it is cleared have found it very difficult to eliminate an echo from our recording. We are using a mixer with 5 mics.

Are there any tips in regard to how far apart the mics should be and also where to position the we sit round?

The hall is about 20 feet by 50 feet with arched ceilings, chip board walls and floors!

Any tips would be welcomed.

 

[buzzard bass]

Sounds like you're sitting in an echo chamber, not sure if changing the mic position will do much of anything.

 

[Seidy]

What mic's are you using? Changing to dynamic mics could help a bit. Another room would be better solution though.

 

[stevegb13]

Clarification

Hi,

What I mean about mic placement is that is there any benefit point to the open room rather than a corner?

Also, we normally have quite a live sound by placing our dynamic mics about 12" away from the speaker. Would chewing the mics help to reduce an echo that is picked up.

Also, with so many mics would the non-speakers mics be picking up the echo anyway?

Thanks for your input so far

 

[NYMorningstar]

Sound bounces off walls, floors and ceilings like light bounces off a mirror. To get rid of the echo you need to treat the room with absorbtion material. In a pinch set up some insulation material behind you. You can cover it with black cloth so it doesn't look so bad. For a permanent solution, well that's a whole other story.

 

[Armistice]

Lure some scouts back inside and tell them to be vewy vewy quiet. Fat ones work better...

 

[mixsit]

Hi,

What I mean about mic placement is that is there any benefit point to the open room rather than a corner?

Also, we normally have quite a live sound by placing our dynamic mics about 12" away from the speaker. Would chewing the mics help to reduce an echo that is picked up.

Also, with so many mics would the non-speakers mics be picking up the echo anyway?

I would think away from the walls would be best -unless you want to deaden a section and make that part of a smaller sectioned off area with soft partitions.
Regarding mics, yes the un-used ones at any given time still contribute to the unwanted noise. The least mics the better in that regard, and also closer to the speakers improves the good signal-to echo ratio.
So now comes the question of how many people gathered to speak, vs the best balance of how many mics to be used.
Also some mics may be passed from one speaker to the next, which could be a way to both minimize the number of open mics and keep the mic distance down.
You might want to try cutting that 12" in half if it can be worked out (just a guess. Going so far as 'eating the mics might not sound as good.

They still teach you how to shoot in Scouts these days?
Cheers