Lifted from
Sweetwater's Wireless Microphone: Buying GuideChoosing A Wireless Mic For Live Performance:
When choosing a wireless mic for live performance, there are a number of factors to consider. Naturally, good sound quality goes without saying, but there are other equally important factors as well:
The mic should be rugged and reliable in order to hold up to the rigors of nightly live performance and travel.
It should be comfortable and easy to hold while performing.
It should have good resistance to feedback.
It should be able to handle high SPL (Sound Pressure Levels).
Of the characteristics mentioned above, the mic's ability to resist feedback requires a little more in-depth discussion. Resistance to feedback is where the mic's polar pattern comes into play. The polar pattern determines the "listening area" of the mic. A cardioid or super-cardioid pattern tends to be more directional, picking up sounds from in front of the mic and rejecting sounds from behind (such as stage noise from monitors, amps, etc.). This will typically increase gain before feedback, which makes either pattern more desirable for live use. One mic with good sound and incredible gain before feedback, is the Shure Beta 58.
Generally, the mic of choice for stage has been dynamic mics like the Shure SM58 or the Sennheiser MD835 (go for the Senn
) , because they're rugged and can handle high SPLs (and ravenous roadies) since the diaphragm is more rigid than that of a condenser mic. The trade-off is slightly less response to transients resulting in a less detailed sound than with studio condenser vocal mics. Hoping to combine the best of both worlds by offering studio-quality sound in a hand held stage mic, a number of manufacturers have introduced a new generation of road-worthy condenser mics.
