Church Microphones for Pulpit, Choir and Worship Team

Buying the wrong microphone is an expensive way to learn that a church has more than one kind of voice.

The pastor walks and gestures. The choir stands in rows and needs to be heard as one sound. The worship leader sings close to the microphone, with a monitor at their feet. Each of these needs a different tool, and the right answer for one is often wrong for the next.

This guide explains the choices that matter, using the manufacturers' own guidance: dynamic versus condenser, which pattern to pick, what to use for the pulpit, the choir and the worship team, and what to check before buying wireless.

Key takeaways

• A dynamic microphone is rugged and handles loud sources. A condenser is more sensitive and detailed, but needs power and is more delicate.
• For a pastor who moves, Shure calls the headworn microphone by far the most popular choice. A podium microphone is enough if they stay behind it.
• One well-placed cardioid condenser can cover roughly 15 to 20 singers in a section about 10 ft wide and three rows deep.
• Wireless microphones are regulated. In the United States, microphones in the 600 MHz service band had to stop operating by 13 July 2020.

Dynamic or condenser

This is the first choice, and it is about how the microphone makes its signal.

Dynamic microphones use a diaphragm, a voice coil and a magnet. Shure's guide describes them as relatively simple, economical and rugged. They are not affected by extremes of temperature or humidity, and they can handle very loud sound without overloading. The trade-off is that their frequency response and sensitivity are somewhat limited, particularly at high frequencies, and they cannot be made very small without losing sensitivity. They are the type most widely used in general sound reinforcement.

Condenser microphones use a charged diaphragm and backplate. They can be made more sensitive, with a smoother response, especially at high frequencies, and they can be made very small. Their limits come from the electronics:

• They need power, either from batteries or phantom power on the mixer.
• They add a little noise, and have a maximum sound level before distorting.
• They are more delicate. Shure notes that they may be affected by extremes of temperature and humidity.

Two practical points from Shure. Phantom power does not affect a balanced dynamic microphone, so connecting one to a phantom-powered input is generally fine. But phantom power applied to a ribbon microphone could be harmful, so check before you switch it on.

Polar pattern in one paragraph

The pattern is the shape of the area where the microphone listens. Omnidirectional microphones pick up from all directions. Cardioid microphones are least sensitive to sound from the rear. Supercardioid microphones are tighter at the front and have their best rejection at about 120 degrees from the front. In a church, the pattern is part of your feedback plan: the quiet side should face the monitor or speaker.

Directional microphones also boost bass when used very close. Shure says cardioid microphones boost bass frequencies by 6 to 10 dB below 100 Hz when about 6 mm (a quarter of an inch) from the source. That proximity effect can add warmth, and it can also add boom.

The pastor

The right microphone depends on how the pastor preaches.

Moves around: headworn

Shure calls the headworn microphone by far the most popular choice for preachers. It sits close to the mouth, it keeps the pastor's hands free and it moves with the head, so the level and tone stay consistent. Shure says gain before feedback is much better because the microphone is right next to the speaker's mouth.

Its advice for shared teams is practical: reserve one headset for the pastor and do not let anyone else use it.

Wants to be invisible: lavalier

A lavalier clips to clothing. Shure says the placement should be as close to the mouth as practical, and for an omnidirectional lavalier it suggests 5 to 8 inches (12 to 20 cm) below the mouth. Small changes in position change the tone noticeably. Clothing and jewellery rubbing against it make noise.

Stays behind a pulpit: podium microphone

If the pastor stands still, Shure says there may be no need for a lavalier or headset, because a podium or gooseneck microphone will do the job.

Likes to hold it: handheld

A handheld lets a speaker control volume by moving the microphone closer or farther. Shure notes it limits gestures, because one hand is always tied up.

The choir

Choirs are the place where more microphones usually makes things worse.

• Use a condenser with a cardioid or supercardioid pattern. Shure says this is the type most often used. These patterns reject feedback and still cover several singers.
• Use as few as possible. Shure's answer to how many is "as few as possible". A correctly placed cardioid will cover 15 to 20 singers in a rectangular or wedge-shaped section about 10 ft wide and three rows deep.
• Place them 2 to 3 ft in front of the front row. Shure suggests this. For height, it says there is no hard rule: some professionals suggest the height of the tallest back-row singer, others add another 2 to 3 ft. Audio-Technica says that the distance to the rearmost singer should be no more than twice the distance to the front one, to keep a balance between rows.
• Use the 3:1 rule for several microphones. If a microphone is 3 ft from the front row, put the next one 9 ft away. Audio-Technica says the same: microphones should not be closer together laterally than three times their distance to the front source.
• Avoid overlapping coverage. Shure's guide says each section of a choir loft should be covered by only one microphone.

Hanging microphones are common. So are tall stands, if the choir position changes.

The worship team

Vocals on a worship stage are usually a handheld microphone close to the mouth, with a stage monitor or in-ear mix.

• Dynamic, cardioid or supercardioid are the usual choices because they tolerate loud stages and reject sound from behind.
• Aim the quiet side at the monitor. For a supercardioid, Shure's guidance is to place the monitor at the angle of best rejection, not directly behind.
• Sing close. Distance is the biggest lever on feedback. Halving the distance between mouth and microphone adds 6 dB of gain before feedback.
• Use fewer open channels. Every doubling of open microphones costs 3 dB.
• Consider in-ear monitors. They take the wedge out of the microphone's path. Our guide to in-ear mixes covers how to set that up.

Wireless: check the rules before you buy

A wireless microphone is a radio transmitter, and the rules are national.

In the United States, the FCC says that microphones operating in the 600 MHz service band, 617 to 652 MHz and 663 to 698 MHz, had to stop no later than 13 July 2020. Spectrum remains available on TV channels 2 to 36 (below 608 MHz) and on some other bands, including parts of the 600 MHz guard band and duplex gap. Licensed users can use 653 to 657 MHz. Unlicensed users can use 614 to 616 MHz and 657 to 663 MHz. If you are buying second-hand equipment, this matters: an older system in the retired band is no longer legal to use there.

In other countries, the rules and the frequencies differ. Check your regulator's guidance, and ask the seller which band the equipment covers.

A short buying checklist

1. List the sources: pastor, handhelds, choir, instruments.
2. Choose the pattern and type for each from the sections above.
3. Count how many microphones can be open at once, and buy for that number.
4. Check your mixer's phantom power if you want condensers.
5. Check the wireless band is legal where you are.
6. Test in your room, with the person who will use it.

How Planify can help

Good microphones still need someone to set them up, label them and put the right headset on the pastor.

• A position for each role. Create sound, stage and wireless positions in the media department so each has a coordinator.
• Confirmation by tap. Volunteers confirm or decline on WhatsApp, and you know early if the person who sets up the stage cannot come.
• Cover from the same position. If someone declines, Planify can ask colleagues who cover that position.
• Announcements. Send a short note to a department or position, for example when the microphone plan changes.

Which features you get depends on your plan.

Read next: media team scheduling: why sound, cameras and slides can't be swapped.

FAQ

What type of microphone is best for a church?

It depends on the source. Dynamic microphones suit handheld vocals and loud stages. Condensers suit choirs. Headworn microphones suit pastors who move.

How many microphones does a choir need?

As few as possible. Shure says one correctly placed cardioid will cover 15 to 20 singers in a section about 10 ft wide and three rows deep. Use the 3:1 rule if you need more.

Are headset or lavalier microphones better for a pastor?

Shure says headworn microphones are by far the most popular, because they stay close to the mouth, free the hands and give better gain before feedback. A lavalier suits a speaker who wants the microphone hidden.

Is it legal to use any wireless microphone in church?

No. Wireless microphones are regulated by country. In the United States, the 600 MHz service band is no longer allowed for them. Check your regulator's rules and the frequency range of any equipment you buy.