need HELP with live on-site recording

[gitar2000]

I record medical conferencees with 20-30 doctors around a u-shaped table. When I put the mics around the table (one for every 2 people around table), I need to increase the gain on my mixers preamp because the doctors do not speak directly into the mics. When I do this, I am getting a lot of noise to the digital recorder. Is there anything that will help reduce that noise? btw..I use sm-58's into a Yamaha 24 channel mixer with a mono 1/4 " out into one channel of a digital recorder.
Thanks

 

[ermghoti]

I think the 58's are hurting you. They are not sensitive enough, that causes you to crank the gain, building up 10-15 channels of hiss. Get omnidirectional condensors, and things should improve in a hurry. You'd probably be able to use fewer as well.

 

[witzendoz]

Try some PZM microphones, you may only need 6 or so to do the whole thing.

http://www.mediacollege.com/audio/microphones/pzm.html


Cheers

Alan

 

[Treeline]

PZM rules for this. You might need only five or six.