Educational Articles

Explore these educational articles and expand your knowledge for how to get the most out of your equipment.

 

 

Antenna Set-Up for Wireless Systems
These recommendations are useful guidelines to help achieve satisfactory performance from wireless audio systems.
 
Audio For Distance Learning
Discusses the specific problems which affect interactive audio between classrooms, including hollow sound, feedback and echo. Also covers the effects of room acoustics, microphone placement, and the use of automatic mixers.

 

Audio Systems Guide for Houses of Worship
Comprehensive review of microphones, wireless microphone systems and mixers for church sound applications. Specific sections covering miking techniques for altar, lectern and choir.


Audio Systems Guide to Meeting Facilities
Covers the selection and application of wired microphones, wireless microphones, and microphone mixers for meeting facility sound systems.

Audio Systems Guide for Music Educators

This guide covers everything from recording to live sound reinforcement and will help you choose equipment for a variety of applications.
 
Audio Systems Guide for Theater Production
The purpose of this booklet is to provide useful tips, practical advice, and a general knowledge of microphones and other audio tools – all with the clear intent of making theater productions as understandable, clear, and impressive as possible.
 
Audio Systems Guide for Video Production
This booklet is intended to help anyone involved with video projects improve the audio quality of their productions. It is not intended as a comprehensive study of the subject of audio. Its real goal is to provide helpful tips, practical advice, and a general knowledge of audio tools – all with the express purpose of making video productions as clear, understandable, and impressive as possible.

Audio Transformers
Expains transformers in relation to wired microphones and audio usage.
 
The Basics of Equalization and Feedback
How to effectively approach equaliztion and avoid feedback.

Cleaning Microphones
This document provides several simple yet effective techniques for cleaning microphones.
 
Connecting Professional Microphones to Computer Sound Cards
Because interconnection procedures in the computer world differ from those used in professional audio, it is not always easy to make a professional microphone work with a computer. This Shure Application Bulletin will help.
 
Connecting Your Devices to a Shure Mixer
The variety of connectors on audio equipment sometimes leads to confusion in wiring. The diagrams in this booklet provide wiring recommendations for most common cables.
 
Critical Distance and Microphone Placement
Audio and acoustic principles involved in finding the critical distance where the direct speech and the reflected (or reverberant) speech are equal in intensity.

Gain Changes Based on Mic Placement and Number of Open Mics
Formulas based on microphone placement and the number of open microphones.
 
Guide to Personal Monitors

Divided into two sections, the first section gives a short history of monitoring, the rise of personal monitors, and describes in detail the benefits of using them. Section two provides specific information on choosing the proper system to meet your needs, and the various ways personal monitor systems can be configured.

Impedance Matching for Microphones - Is it necessary?
This bulletin answers questions such as "What happens when a high impedance microphone is connected to a low impedance input?"

Interfacing Shure Computer Microphones to Computer Soundcards
This document contains recommendations that will help, but it is not a substitute for the installation instructions that came with the sound card.
 
Introduction to Wireless Microphone Systems
Basic review of how wireless microphones work: written for the non-technical or first-time user.

KSM32 - Transformerless Design
The KSM32 uses transformer-less circuit design. Shure has developed a balanced solid-state preamplifier circuit that has virtually all the benefits of a high-quality transformed design without the drawbacks associated with smaller, cost effective transformers.
 
Microphone Sensitivity Ratings: What Does it all mean?
Common questions regarding microphone sensitivity ratings and dB SPL input levels.

Microphone Techniques for Drums
Some suggestions to follow when miking musical instruments and drums for sound reinforcement.

Microphone Techniques for Music - Sound Reinforcement

Recommended microphone type and placement for a large variety of vocal and instrument situations.

Microphone Techniques for Music - Studio Recording

In this guide, Shure Application Engineers describe particular microphone techniques and placement: techniques to pick up a natural tonal balance, techniques to help reject unwanted sounds, and even techniques to create special effects.

Microphones And Multitracks

Essential steps to quality recording using a microphone and multitrack recorder.

Microphones On The Ceiling? Shure Strongly Advises "NO"!
Shure feels strongly about not placing microphones on a ceiling. If you decide to install ceiling microphones, you need to address the problems in this technical bulletin.

MP3: Getting Your Music from the Garage to the Web
Short and to the point, this booklet addresses everything MP3, from "What is it?" to "How do I do it?"
 
The Myth of Microphone Reach
Shure is often asked "How far away will my microphone pick up?" or "Which microphone has the best reach?" Both questions are based on a misunderstanding of how microphones work. This bulletin attempts to debunk the myth of microphone reach.

Phantom Power and Bias Voltage - Is there a difference?
This bulletin explains the differences between phantom power and bias voltage, and addresses common misconceptions.

Predicting Speech to Background Noise Ratio at the Microphone
Help in determining what are acceptable speech to noise ratios and how to predict if speech will be intelligible at the microphone location.
 
Remote Antennas for UHF Wireless Systems
For good performance, these guidelines should be observed when remote mounting antennas.
 
Selection and Operation of Audio Signal Processors

For any sound system, the primary goal is good sound. What, however, constitutes "good" sound?

Selection and Operation of Wireless Microphone Systems

Continuing where "Introduction to Wireless Microphone Systems" leaves off, this comprehensive booklet provides the reader with a more in-depth understanding and knowledge of wireless systems and their operation.
 
Traveling VHF Frequencies for Wireless Microphones - No Longer A Trouble-free Solution
Frequency selection is then a matter of choosing compatible frequencies that do not fall within the range of a locally active TV channel.


Understanding Sound System Design and Feedback Using (Ugh!) Math

Explains how to use the Potential Acoustic Gain equation to estimate the amount of gain (volume) that a sound reinforcement system can produce before feedback occurs.


Unique Directional Properties of Dual-Diaphragm Microphones
A detailed primer on the distinctions between single and dual diaphragm microphones by the KSM44 product team.
 
Using Radio Frequency Scanners to Troubleshoot Wireless Microphone Systems
As the available radio frequency spectrum continues to get increasingly crowded, the potential for interference in wireless microphone systems also increases, causing headaches for the end userm the sound system installerm and the audio consultant.
 
VU and PPM Audio Meters: An Elementary Explanation
Meters which monitor audio levels are typically one of two varieties: VU (Volume Unit) or PPM (Peak Program Meters). Though both perform the same function, they accomplish the function in very different manners.
 
What DTV Means to Wireless Microphone Users
The introduction of Digital Television (DTV) service in the U.S. will result in more intensive use of all TV spectrum, both VHF and UHF, as new digital signals come on the air. In addition, the FCC has reallocated four UHF TV channels for use by Public Safety stations.
 
Why Use Shure Automatic Mixers?
High quality audio becomes progressively more difficult to achieve as the number of open microphones increases. All audio systems face the same problems whenever multiple open microphones are needed.


Release 16