Crown CM-200A User guide

128114-1
6/00
Crown International, Inc
P.O. Box 1000, Elkhart, Indiana 46515-1000
[phone] Fax [phone]
www.crownaudio.com
PZM, PCC, SASS, GLM, LM, and CM
© 2000 Crown International, All rights reserved.
PZM
® , PCC®, SASS® and DIFFEROID®,are registered trademarks of
Crown International, Inc. Also exported as Amcron
®

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MICROPHONEAPPLICTIONGUIDEFORSCHOOLS
Does the sound in your school need an upgrade?
Maybethesoundneedstobelouder,clearer,ormore
natural.Ifso,check out thisguide.It covers Crown
microphones and how they can solve your audio
problems. And it offers miking tips for four school
applications:stage,lectern,musicalgroups,andath-
letic events.
First,it’simportanttousehigh-qualitymicrophones,
which help you hear speech clearly. This aids com-
munication and learning. Quality sound also helps
people enjoy events such as athletic games, plays
and musicals, and special events. The more people
enjoytheseevents, the moretheyattend them, and
this means greater revenues for the school.
It’salsoimportanttousehigh-qualityspeakers,and
place them as close to the audience as practical,
aiming at the audience. No mic sounds good
through a poorly located speaker system.
Some microphones can help preventfeedback.This
isthesquealingsoundyouhearwhenthemicspick
up the PA speakers. Most Crown microphones are
designed to reject feedback, so you can turn them
up loud enough for everyone to hear.
Crown mics are also designed to sound clear so
thatspeechwillbeeasy tounderstand.Crownmics
soundnaturalandtrue-to-life,ratherthan“canned”
or muffled.
Let’s look at a variety of audio setups around the
school. In each case, we’ll suggest how to choose
the right mic and how to use it effectively.
THEATER STAGE
Plays and musicals in the school auditorium are a
real challenge to pick up and amplify well. One rea-
son: unlike professional actors, child actors do not
project.This makesthe jobmuch harder,so agood
sound system is very important.
First, try to solve the problem at its source. The di-
rector should ask the performers to speak loudly
andclearly.Ifthemusicdrownsouttheactors,tact-
fully ask the musical director to have the pit or-
chestra play quieter.
Good microphones can help, too.Three types of
micsforstagemikingarefloormics,hangingmics,
and miniature wireless mics.
Floor Mics
The Crown PCC-160®is a stage-floor microphone
for miking drama (Figure 1). You place it on the
stage floor, near the footlights. It’s the industry-
standardstagemiconBroadway, andhasbeenex-
tensively field-tested in schools.
Fig. 1 – Crown PCC-160 stage mic.
The PCC-160 sounds clear and natural, and can be
turned up loud enough for everyone to hear the
performance and understand the words. It’s rug-
ged enough to withstand kicks by dancers and can
be stepped on without damage.
You might wonder if the mic picks up footsteps,
since it’s on the floor. The PCC-160 is not sensitive
tofloorvibrations,butitdoeshearfootstepsacous-
tically, like your ears. Normally this is not a prob-
lem because the audience sees and hears the ac-
tors walking across the stage.
The PCC-160 picks up sound from the front, but it
rejects sound from the rear. That is, it picks up the
actors, but not so much of the pit orchestra or P.A.

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Fig. 2 – PCC placement (overhead view).
speakers. Also, the PCC-160 rejects feed back. It
will feed back, like any mic, but you can turn it up
louder without feedback than most other mics.
Inappearance,thePCC-160is nearlyinvisible,soit
doesnotdistractfromtheset.Itreducesstagefright.
Young actors talk more naturally because they’re
not talking into a microphone.
How do you use them? Typically you evenly space
three PCC’s near the edge of the stage (Figure 2).
Place them as close as possible toward the actors.
OneortwoPCCsmightbeenoughforasmallstage.
The more mics that are on, the muddier the sound,
and the more feedback you have. To aid clarity and
reduce feedback, turn up as few mics as possible.
For example, suppose an actor walks across the
stage from left to right while talking. First turn up
just the left mic, then turn it down while turning up
the center mic. Then turn it down while turning up
theright mic.Follow cuesin thescript soyou know
when to turn up various microphones.
Stage—Hanging Mics
Typically the PCC-160 can “reach” about 30 feet.
But if you have trouble hearing actors farther up-
stage, hang one to three mics near them.
Crown makes a miniature hanging microphone
calledtheCM-30(Figure3).Itsoundsclearandnatu-
ral.Itpicksupfromthefrontandrejectssoundfrom
rear, which helps reject feedback.
Fig. 3 – Hanging mic for upstage pickup.
Youhangitfromthe ceiling.Itcomesintwo parts-
microphoneandelectronicsmodule.Theelectronic
module mounts in a standard electrical outlet box.
In another Crown model, CM-31, the electronics
moduleisinatube,whichyouplugintoamiccable.
Stage—Mini Wireless Mics
Another way to pick up the main actors on stage is
withaminiature wirelessmic.Crown makes amin-
iature mic called the, for use with various wireless
tranmitters. It’s about as big as a small paper clip.
You can clip it on clothing (Figure 4), or hang it
over the actor’s forehead with the cable running
through the hair. To prevent sweat damage, you
might want to cover the mic in a thin plastic sand-
wich bag. You plug the mic into a belt-pack trans-
mitter of your choice.
Fig. 4 – Mini mic clipped on clothing.

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Sincethemicisvery closetotheactor,thesoundis
louder and clearer than you get with a floor mic. If
budgetpermits,useminiwirelessmicsforthemain
actors, and PCC-160 floor mics for group pickup.
When you use a wireless mic, put the receiver on
stageandrun a cableback to yourmixer.Since this
keeps the path short between transmitter and re-
ceiver, it prevents dropouts and noise. If you want
to monitor the receiver’s performance, put it back
at the mixer. But make sure the transmitter has a
line of sight to the receiver.
Always use alkaline batteries in the transmitter and
change them before each performance.
Adjust the audio trim pot in the transmitter as high
as possible without any distortion. Here’s how:
1. Turnupthe audiotrimpot alltheway (fullclock-
wise).
2. Havesomeonetalkloudlywhiletransmittingover
the wireless mic.
3. Listentothereproducedsound.Ifitsoundsgritty
or fuzzy, it is distorted. Turn down the trim pot a
little at a time until the distortion stops. Note:
Use a plastic screwdriver to avoid detuning the
transmitter.
Using an Equalize to Prevent Feedback
Aneffectiveway toreduce feedbackisto useaone-
third-octave graphic equalizer (Figure 5). This is an
electronic device with a row of knobs. Each knob
controls a specific band of frequencies.The knobs
toward the left control the low frequencies or bass,
while the knobs toward the right control the high
frequencies or treble.
Here’showto use thegraphicequalizer. Connect it
betweenyourmixeroutputandpower-amplifierin-
put. Start with all the controls at their center or
“flat” position.
Turn the mixer’s master volume controls about ¾
up (to 0, or the shaded portion of fader travel). On
themixer,slowlyturnupthevolumecontrol(fader)
for one microphone until the sound system starts
to ring or feed back. The ringing will occur at a
certain frequency or note. On the graphic equal-
izer,pushdown eachknobin turn,thenreturn itto
0 or flat. You’ll find one knob that stops the feed-
back.Push itdownjusttothe pointwherethering-
ing stops.
Nowturnupthemic alittlemoreonthemixeruntil
feedbackstarts again.It mightbe ata differentfre-
quency. Find the equalizer knob that reduces the
feedback,andpushitdown untiltheringingstops.
Keeprepeating thisprocedure untilthe soundsys-
tem is loud enough.
There are devices that control feedback automati-
cally. They detect feedback, and then turn down
the correct frequency all by itself. Ask your dealer
for details.
Fig. 5 – Graphic equalizer.

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RECORDING THE SCHOOL BAND, ORCHESTRA,
ANDCHOIR
To record musical ensembles, try a stereo micro-
phonesuch astheSASS-PMKII®(Figure 6).SASS
stands for Stereo Ambient Sampling System. The
SASS has two ear-spaced microphones separated
by a foam baffle. Since it picks up sound the same
wayyouhearit,theSASSgivesverynaturalstereo.
You can tell exactly where each instrument is lo-
cated.
Fig. 6 – SASS stereo microphone.
Also, the SASS is a high fidelity microphone. It’s
used by recording studios and by engineers who
record classical music. The SASS picks up every-
thing from the deep booms of bass drum to crisp
percussionandcymbals.Alltheinstrumentssound
very natural. Recordings made with the SASS are
good enough to use to make cassettes or compact
discs.
Figure 7 shows a typical SASS placement. You can
use a mic stand with booms, or a photographic
stand. You might want to hang it permanently in
the bandroom or over stage during concerts.
Fig. 7 – SASS placement.
LECTERNS
If you want to pick up speeches at a lectern in an
auditorium,therearefourways:usingagooseneck
mic, a clip-on mini mic, a PCC-160, or a handheld
mic on a boom.
Gooseneck Mic
TheLM-300Agooseneck mic(Figure 8)hasa slim,
elegant design that does not detract from the per-
son speaking. Its dual goosenecks adjust silently.
ThemicrophoneplugsintoafemaleXLR-typechas-
sis mount connector in your lectern. Or it can be
installed in the suppied shock mount to reduce lec-
tern thumps. In this case, the mic plugs into a fe-
male XLR cable connector.
Fig. 8 – Gooseneck mic placement.

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Another model, the LM-300AL, is 3 inches longer.
The model LM-301Ascrewsonto a micstandor an
Atlas AD-11 flange. Its cable can exit down or out
the side.
Needextraruggedness?TrytheLM-201,whichhas
aball-and-socketswivelinsteadofagooseneck.The
swivel operates silently. The mic is shock mounted
to reduce lectern thumps.
All the Crown LMmics sound natural and articu-
late. They are made to reject feedback.To use a
gooseneck mic, talk about 8’ away, over the mic to
prevent breath pops (as in Figure 8).
Lectern—Clip-on Mini Mic
If the person talking wanders around while speak-
ing, you’ll need to clip a miniature mic onto their
clothing. Figure 4 shows a Crown in this applica-
tion.
Lectern—PCC-160
Anothermic touse onalecternisaPCC-160.Layit
ontopofthe lectern asinFigure9. Since themicis
relatively far from the talker, the talker can move
around more without getting off-mic. The gain-be-
fore-feedback is not as good as with a gooseneck
mic because the PCC is farther from the person
speaking. So try the PCC-160 in your system first
before settling on it.
Lectern—Boom Mic
For a temporary setup, use a handheld mic on a
boom (Figure 11). A Crown mic for this purpose is
the CM-200A and CM-700. They are designed to
sound articulate and reduce feedback. Put the mic
about8’awayfromthetalker.Putthesuppliedfoam
windscreen on the mic to prevent breath pops. To
pick up someone who is not using a lectern, place
the mic on a regular mic stand (Figure 11).
Fig. 9 – Lectern miking with a surface mic.
Fig.10–Temporarylecternmikingwithamicstand.
Fig. 11 – Microphone on a mic stand.

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Suppose you have a temporary PA setup, such as
theprincipaltalkingtoparentssittinginthegym,in
the bleachers. Obtain two PA loudspeakers, each
containing one or two woofers and a horn. Put the
PA speakers on either side of the mic, behind the
mic toward the audience. The speakers can go ei-
ther on the floor angled up, or on top of speaker
stands (Figure 12).
Fig. 12 – Temporary P.A. setup.
Fig. 13 – CM-310A noise-canceling mic.
ATHLETIC ANNOUNCEMENTS
Forathletic events,youneedamic thatpicksupthe
announcerwithoutpickingupthecrowdnoise.You
need a noise cancelling mic. Crown’s is called the
Differoid®,orCM-310A(Figure13). Ithasthemost
gain-before-feedback,andthemostisolation,ofany
mic. You can turn it up very loud without feedback.
It must be used close up as shown below. Model
CM-310ASWhas anon-offswitch.ModelCM-311A
is headworn.
The Differoid is used at the Indianapolis 500 Race-
way. An announcer sits in the stands with the audi-
ence. Even with the track speakers blaring at him,
there is no feedback.
UNDERSTANDINGSPECS
The specs in microphone data sheets can be con-
fusing.Let’sexplainwhateachspecificationmeans.
Transducer Type or Element: This spec describes
how the mic converts sound into electricity. The
three main types are condenser, dynamic, and rib-
bon. All Crown mics are the condenser type, which
generally provide the highest sound quality.
Powering: Condenser mics need a power supply
to operate. All Crown mics can be powered by a
phantom power supply, which provides power to
the mic along the mic cable. Phantom power is 48
voltsDC onpins2and3withrespect topin1ofthe
mic-cable connector. Most modern mixers have
phantom power built in.
If your mixer lacks phantom power, you can use an
external phantom supply made by Crown. Use ei-
ther the model PH-4B (4 channels, AC powered) or
model PH-1A (one channel, battery or AC adapter
powered). Model PH-4B is shown in Figure 14.
Fig. 14 – A phantom power supply.

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Frequency response: Thisisthe rangeoffrequen-
cies that the mic reproduces at an equal level, usu-
ally within a tolerance (such as +/- 3 dB). A fre-
quency response of 80 Hz to 12 kHz is good, 60 Hz
to15kHzisbetter,and40Hzto 20kHz isexcellent.
Note, however, that 80 Hz to 12 kHz is more than
adequate for speech.
Polar pattern: This spec describes the directional
pickup pattern of a microphone—how it picks up
sounds from various directions. Figure 15 shows
various polar patterns.
Fig. 15 – Polar patterns.
Anomni-directional mic picksupsound equallywell
fromalldirections.Thispatterncancausefeedback
in a PA system unless the mic is clipped onto the
person speaking.
A bi-directional mic picks up sound best from two
directions—in front of and behind the mic.
A uni-directionalmic picksup soundbest fromone
direction—in front of the microphone. It reduces
sound pickup from the rear. Three types of uni-di-
rectional patterns are cardioid, super-cardioid, and
hyper-cardioid. They have progressively more re-
jection of sounds from the side.
Impedance: This is an electrical characteristic of a
microphone. All Crown microphones are low im-
pedance (less than 600 ohms). This lets you run
long mic cables without picking up hum or losing
clarity.
Crown has other microphone application guides,
freefromyourCrowndealerordirectlyfromCrown.
Mic techniques are covered for all sorts of situa-
tions, such as music, teleconferencing, video, and
churches.
We hope this guide will help you get better sound
in your school. Whatever your audio application,
Crown makes a microphone designed for it.

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CROWN MICROPHONES FOR SCHOOL
APPLICATIONS
CM-31
Miniature supercardioid condenser mic for incon-
spicuousoverheadmikingofchoirs,orchestrasec-
tions, theater stages, conference tables, audience
reaction. With cylindrical power module and XLR
connector.
PCC-160
Supercardioidsurface-mountedmicrophonefor
stagefloors andlecterns.Increasesgain-before-
feedbackandrejectssoundstotherear. XLRcon-
nector on 15-foot cable. Black or white.
SASS-P MKII
PZMstereomicrophone.Excellentforstereorecord-
ing of school band, choir, orchestra. Easy to use.
Works on battery or phantom power. 20 Hz – 18
kHz.
LM-300A
Economical and elegant gooseneck mic.
Supercardioidpattern forless feedback;condenser
type for extra clarity and small size. XLR output.
Low-cutswitchreducesrumblefromtrucksandair
conditioning.OptionalLM-SMshockmountreduces
lectern thumps.
CM-700
Cardioid condenser mic for temporary lectern
miking,high-qualityrecordingandsoundreinforce-
ment. 30 Hz – 20 kHz. XLR output, bass rolloff
switch.

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PH-4B
48-volt phantom power supply for condenser mi-
crophones.XLRconnectorsforup tofourmics.12’
x 7” x 1.75”. Ears available for rack mounting. Op-
erates on 120 or 240 VAC.
CM-200A
Handheld cardioid condenser mic for stage vocals/
instruments. Warm, smooth, and articulate sound.
Very low handling noise and pop. XLR output.
CM-310A Differoid
Handheldnoise-cancellingcondensermicforstage
vocals or sports announcing. Cardioid pattern re-
jects feedback. Warm, crisp sound. Extremely high
gain-before-feedback. XLR output.