Checklist to find the right professional audio gear

Whether you are a budding musician recording engineer filmmaker or a hobbyist keen to max your audio setup picking the right gear is crucial And what better time to take a crash course than when the Palm Expo is in town Touted as Indiarsquos largest professional audio gear and lighting expo the event will have Indian and international audio brands and custom gear makers showcasing their best lineup of products Prashant Govindan audiophile and senior director Professional Division at HARMAN India shares tips to pick the right audio gearLoudspeakersldquoThe best way to pick the right speakers is to audition them yourself Play your favourite track and listen If it sounds good to your ears itrsquos will sound good to others toordquo says GovindanIdeal power for speakers Numerous parameters measure the power of speakers such as RMS Root Mean Square the ambiguous Peak Power and the often misused PMPO Peak Music Power Output However most modern sound designers rely on Sound Pressure Level SPL also referred to as sensitivity measured in decibel dB which tells the total and loudest sound that a speaker can play ldquoFor outdoor usage you need speakers with higher SPL whereas for indoors you need speakers with lower SPL because there are more reflective surfacesrdquo he saysCorrect frequency However one loudspeaker canrsquot play all frequencies and therefore the most advance speaker systems have either a twoway two speakers or a threeway three speakers setup ldquoUsually a twoway setup is sufficient but a threeway adds to the effect However anything more than that is a waste of resourcesrdquo he says adding that over half of speaker systems in the world have a twoway setupHeadphonesldquoThe most important factor while buying headphones is comfort If it suits you itrsquos perfectrdquo says Govindan There are three types of head phones inear it goes inside your ears onear that sits on your ears and over the ear it completely covers your ears Inear headphones help keep the ambient noise out and are great for use in loud environments The onear are the most common commercial headphones but not recommended for professional setups especially in studios since sound can spill out into nearby mics Overear headphones are available in two forms open back where sound spills out and close back with no sound spillage ldquoThe overear headphones are most complicated to build The close back are bestsuited for professional studios as they block ambient noise as well as prevent sound from your headphones to spill outrdquo shares Govindan As with loudspeakers SPL can be used to measure the sensitivity level of headphones Users should also check the frequency measured in Hz range of headphones before purchasing Again the real test however is playing your favourite music and listening to itMicrophonesA good audio gear is incomplete without a set of mics and knowing which are ideal for your audio needs will not only give you better performance but also save money There are three types of mics dynamic which have a revolving magnet inside and are rugged to use condensor uses a capacitator are more efficient and sensitive to sound but very delicate to use and piezoelectric lightweight most commonly used to make wearable mics Govindan says the right choice depends on the application whether itrsquos for vocals instruments or during a speech technology and finally usageldquoA dynamic mic is suited for outdoor events where the risk of accidental falls is also high A condensor mic on the other hand is ideal for sensitive recordings where you want to pick every sound mostly studios whereas a piezoelectric one is suited in consumer electronics as they are cheaper to manufacture Piezoelectric mics are also used to make wearable mics which are recommended for stage perfrrmances as they are light and can be easily hiddenrdquo he informsThe other factors to consider while picking up mics is the frequency range and orientation omnidirectional mics record sound from all directions whereas cardioid or unidirectional mics are designed to record sound approaching from only one direction ldquoBut eventually you should rely upon what works for yourdquo he concludes