In the church audio world, we have churches that are small, big, contemplative, charismatic, Baptist, Evangelical, etc. And let's be honest, there are more differences than similarities. However, two similarities come to mind immediately. Foremost, we all believe that Christ is the Son of God and died on the cross to pay for our sins. Second, all of us most likely have had a choir in one shape or form sing on Sunday morning.
Researching microphones that accurately and evenly pick up each choir member, without feedback, can be an arduous and time-consuming task. Enter the AKG WMS450 Wireless Choir Microphone System.
For decades AKG has been known to both live and studio engineers as one of the best manufacturers of quality microphones. Whether it's the C414, D112, C451, C1000 or the C3000, AKG has produced high quality microphones at a reasonable price point when compared to their quality and features. The WMS450 choir system does not stray from this heritage.
The Complete WMS450
Choir System Package
With the WMS450 Choir System, AKG introduces a complete package including the option to attach a wireless transmitter and receiver to the already feature-rich gooseneck microphone series. Although many churches have dedicated choir lofts or risers with microphone lines easily accessible, this package offers the flexibility to place the microphone anywhere within range of the receiver as well as plugging it into a traditional stage input box. This can be a great asset to have in your back pocket when your worship pastor asks if the choir can stand in the one place you don't have an XLR nearby. In our case, we needed to move the microphones out of the way of camera shots during a service. The absence of XLR cables made it a much cleaner and easier transition.
Out of the box, the AKG WMS450 Choir System is a very well-made unit consisting of a height-adjustable floor stand (from seven to nine feet tall) with an integrated gooseneck. When put together, the whole system has a very low center of gravity due to the heavy base. It would be difficult to knock over, even if an overly enthusiastic choir member bumped into the stand. It also has a very low profile design that renders it nearly invisible for churches who use IMAG.
The wireless body pack transmitter sports a mini-XLR input to attach the microphone, a small display to show the name or frequency of the pack, and is encased in a plastic shell that is lightweight compared to other high-end wireless transmitters. You also have the option of a mute safe plug. Just insert the 1/8th-inch adaptor and no one can accidentally mute the transmitter-a welcome addition. It uses only one AA battery and is rated for six full hours. The system comes with a pretty nifty clamp that attaches the wireless body pack securely to the stand. This clamp allows you to move the entire unit quickly, without the fear of dropping anything and accidentally snapping cables in the process.
The wireless receiver is of half-rack size and comes with all the necessary brackets and screws to mount two receivers into a one-rack-space, dual-channel unit.
The receiver's menu is relatively easy to navigate when working with the device. The front panel consists of a power button, a backlit LCD display and three navigational buttons. To set a basic configuration with the preset groups and channels, it takes just a few button pushes, then a few more to name your receiver. In many wireless-heavy auditoriums, it may be necessary to use specific frequencies in a chosen band. By holding the two arrow buttons for three to five seconds, you will be taken to the advanced portion of the menu where you can select the correct frequency needed in your environment. I admit, I had to get out the manual to figure that out. (Don't worry, I revoked and handed in my "man card" voluntarily.) Once you have zeroed in on the frequency you want to use, and have named the receiver, you can use the "iR Data Uplink" to transmit frequency and naming properties to a belt pack. This part is an absolute time saver and in my opinion "must" in the ever-changing world of wireless microphones.
Evaluating the CK 31
and CK 47 Capsules
I tested the CK 31 cardioid capsule and the CK 47 hypercardioid capsule. These microphone capsules are not included and need to be purchased separately with your specific application in mind.
The CK 31 cardioid capsule is a good general-purpose microphone at home in many situations. It has good rear rejection to alleviate some of the feedback from an unstable monitor. It also reproduces the choir's overall tone with surprising warmth. However, I would have liked to hear a little more of an even pickup of the spread of singers. I could individually hear the one or two singers standing more directly in front of the microphone a bit more than I would have liked.
As with many cardioid choir microphones, if you have a stage with uncontrolled P.A. reflections or background noise (i.e. a drum kit or loud guitars nearby), I would carefully choose placement of the microphone or consider a different capsule. The microphone picks up everything in front of it. If your choir cannot overcome the stage volume around their position, you may end up battling the mix all service.
Overall, in the right situation and at a price of roughly $100 (capsule only) the CK 31 capsule microphone could be a great addition to you choir setup.
The CK 47 is the hypercardioid capsule option for the choir system. Unlike the wide cardioid pattern of the CK 31, the CK 47 can isolate your choir into smaller sections and subdue a lot of the background and monitor spill noise that the CK 31 picks up. Your choir also does not need to have the volume that the CK 31 needs in order to get above the background noise. However, this also means that, if you have a large choir, you will need a higher number of the CK 47 microphones to evenly pick up the entire choir. We found that a pair of CK 47s did a great job of capturing a 20-member choir with an even and accurate sound placed five feet away. Based on our experience, a choir with 40 members will need three or four WMS450 units fitted with CK 47s to evenly reproduce the choir at the same distance.
Like the CK 31, the CK 47 has a very appreciable full, warm sound. In our tests, it was such a high-quality warmness that I needed a bump of a couple db at 5k to pull out a bit more intelligibility.
With both of these capsules, I did notice a moderate amount of foot traffic tends to transmit up the stand. This can be easily corrected with a high pass filter, but you will start to lose a bit of that warmth I praised earlier. Since this happened with both capsules, it makes me think it was more the lack of a shock mount in the gooseneck arm rather than the capsules themselves. In applications with raised and/or hollow stages you would want to consider some sort of isolation between the base of the stand and the stage floor.
All in all, the WMS450 Choir System is a very good product. Adding wireless as an option creates a very valuable asset. If you need a wireless choir microphone for your specific application and can justify the $1,400 price tag for a single channel, you have found a product that you should research and test in your space. It could be a perfect fit for a portable church application.
However, if you are in a fixed installation, and don't need the wireless option consider the wired version (GN 155) using the CK 31 and CK 47 capsules and save over $500. Wired or wireless, this system has the potential to be a great addition to your church's sound system.
