From Church Production Magazine

by Kurt Gibson

One could argue that there are two prevailing philosophies when it comes to amplifying and recording sound. The first accepts or even embraces the unique “coloration” (or distortion) individual pieces of equipment bring to the sound, especially microphones. Desirable distortion is sought out and accentuated, while unwanted distortion is compensated for with equalization, effects or the complementary distortions of another piece of gear.

The other approach seeks to capture sound with absolute purity and a minimum of coloration, again starting with the microphone. Tonal changes are made as required, usually for aesthetic purposes, instead being made to make up for a deficiency somewhere in the signal chain.

Earthworks is a company that falls solidly in the latter camp. Founded by the late David Blackmer (the inventor of dbx noise reduction and several other innovations), Earthworks offers a range of microphones, preamps and speakers designed to impart minimal distortion to the signal. Though probably best known for their ultra-flat studio mics, the last few years have seen Earthworks emerge as an innovative player in the live sound market.

The FM “Flex” series of microphones brings the Earthworks philosophy to a whole new class of microphones—the gooseneck. FM mics are available in three different lengths: 28 inches, 19 inches and 13 inches. All have a smalldiaphragm condenser element, rubberclad flexible neck and removable foam windscreen. They also share the same list price of $400.

The Flex Series mics offer a cardioid pickup pattern that rejects sounds coming from behind. A directional microphone usually requires a little larger head assembly than a nondirectional design; the Flex Series gooseneck terminates in a mic head roughly ½-inch in diameter and three inches long. That’s on the large size for a lectern mic, but not so large as to be obtrusive in most installations.

With a very flat response from 50 Hz to beyond 20 kHz, the Flex Series mics are suitable for several applications in church sound. Beyond the obvious podium use, Earthworks encourages their use for choirs, drums, acoustic guitar, piano and other instruments.

From Podium…

Based on their physical shape, the Flex Series mics will likely be thought of primarily as podium mics. They fit into a standard lectern mount with XLR connector, and the three available goosenecks allow a church to buy the right length for their particular podium arrangement.

In a podium application, the Flex Series mic turns in a very good performance. The mic’s flat response makes for a very natural sound, free from the frequency bumps or dips that can change the tone of the voice. Top-end clarity is excellent, even without the high-frequency boost engineered into many other mics.

Because of proximity effect (the rising low frequency response most directional mics exhibit when moved closer to the sound source), the Earthworks mic offers its flattest response when positioned about six inches from the mouth. Placed closer to the presenter, the Flex Series mic delivers a fuller sound; move it farther away, and bass response drops off.

Six inches from the mouth is closer than the mic will end up in most situations. At a more usual working distance of 12-18 inches, the Flex Series mic’s low-frequency response is noticeably reduced. Coupled with the mic’s un-hyped top-end response, the result is a somewhat thinner sound than may be desired. I found a 3-dB to 4- dB boost around 100 Hz on the EQ to be effective at filling out the speaking voice, while a small 2-dB treble boost added in some nice sparkle and “air.”

The Flex Series mic is quite susceptible to blasts of air from such letters as “p” and “b,” even when placed about 24 inches from the mouth. Without the foam windscreen in place, such plosives cause a thunderous burst of noise. With the windscreen, plosive noise is greatly diminished but still audible. Wind also plays havoc with the Earthworks mic.

Directional, small-diaphragm mics like the Flex Series often struggle with wind and pop resistance, which is why many podium mics have built-in lowfrequency filters to reduce bass response. The Earthworks mic has no such filter, which means a little extra tweaking at the mixer. An even better solution is to position the mic a few inches off-axis from the mouth to avoid pops altogether.

…To Guitar Amp

Though podium use is the obvious choice, the Flex Series’ usefulness goes far beyond the spoken word. I found this mic’s honest, open sound to be very good on acoustic guitar, electric guitar amp, drums, percussion, solo and group vocal, and more. In many cases, the sound from this versatile mic was as good (or better) than that of a more traditional “studio” recording microphone.

When used within a few inches of the sound source, the Flex Series mic’s sound is full and rich. Tucked in close to a guitar amp, floor tom or snare drum, the Flex Series mic sounds as big as a studio condenser. A few inches away from a solo vocalist (with a studio-style pop filter), the Flex Series mic can capture a studio-style vocal sound.

Back the mic off from the sound source in increments, and you can tailor the low-frequency response to taste. Placed 8 to 12 inches from an acoustic guitar’s sound hole, the Earthwork’s sound is nicely balanced. Pull it back further, and the guitar’s mid and upper harmonics begin to predominate.

Beyond a foot or two, a stronger midrange character takes over and some EQ may be required to “warm up” the sound. In a choir miking application, the Flex Series mic may not deliver the full, rich sound of larger condenser mic designs. But the Earthworks mic’s clarity is excellent, a characteristic that’s arguably more important in choir miking and recording.

A Flexible Mic

I think Earthworks chose a good name for this mic line, since the word “Flex” implies functional versatility as well as the capacity to bend the gooseneck into different shapes and directions. While you can find podium mics that are cheaper and more forgiving where wind and plosive noises are concerned, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more versatile gooseneck mic at any price.