OT speaker feedback

Nov 06, 2006 9 Replies
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Anyone know about electronics? I have built a full size Dalek. For the voice I made a little kit with a mic plugged in so it sounds like a Dalek. Its not very loud though. I have tried two differant amps, a 45w and a 7w one. Both suffer from terrible feedback. How do I stop feedback, apart from having the gain up too much? Thanks Richard V8 90 V8 Discovery

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You need to stop the sound from the speakers getting back into the microphone, which is what causes feedback. Short of complicated electronics, you need a microphone that is less sensitive but is closer to the sound you want to pick up, or to try to direct the sound away from the microphone (quite hard). A more directional microphone can help a lot, they have to be pointed at the sound they are supposed to be picking up, ones used for singing on-stage are usually of this type.

Frequency shifter.

Or make your mike much more directional -stop the pickup.

Steve

No guarantees, but try here for useful audio stuff.

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Steve

Thanks for the reply. The mic I'm using is a PC type one with headset and mic. The mic is almost in my sons mouth! lol

Richard

Those ARE fairly directional. What happens if you try and shield it with your hands ?

Steve

I'd guess he sounds like a Dalek! ;-)

Lee D

Try also to make the speakers directional, at least put them away from the mike and point them away.

In message , Lee_D writes

I'd look at the speaker and how and where it's mounted. As far away from the mic as possible, not mechanically coupled to any part of the woodwork, and pointed away from the mic.

Then try different mics.

The frequency shifter mentioned above would also be a thing to try if you can find or build one. With that in use the feedback happens much later and has a whooping sound.

Possibly try some sort of graphic equaliser between the mic and the amp.

Decouple the speaker from the Dalek body. How's it mounted? Is it in it's own enclosure? It should be. Position it away from the alien's... sorry, your son's mouth. And point it away. It is on the *outside* of the Dalek, isn't it? Otherwise you've created a perfect feedback chamber.

IME the cheaper headset mics are omnidirectional, not uni- and that won't help. Ensure it's uni. Happy exterminating.

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