In this guide: The short answer · Hanging, stand or boundary · How many mics · Placement · Worked example · Gain before feedback · Phantom power and cabling · Mics compared · Churches, schools, theatres · Popular picks · FAQ

The short answer

For most church, school and amateur choirs, use a small number of cardioid condenser mics placed in front of and above the choir, aimed between the front and back rows. Shure’s guidance is that one well-placed cardioid choir mic covers 15 to 20 singers, so a choir of 30 to 45 voices should need no more than two or three. Use as few mics as do the job: every extra open mic adds feedback risk and colouration.

Whether those mics hang or sit on stands is mostly about the room. Hanging mics such as the Audio-Technica PRO45 are permanent and invisible; small-diaphragm condensers on stands, such as the sE Electronics sE8, can be moved for each service or show. Boundary mics suit altars, lecterns and stage floors more than choirs.

Be realistic about level. Choir mics are distant mics. They reinforce a choir in a quiet room well, but they cannot make a choir as loud as a band, and no choir mic will fix loud monitors. Dynamic versus condenser in general is covered in choosing microphones for live sound.

Hanging, stand or boundary: which type

Hanging (overhead) condensers

Audio-Technica describes its miniature hanging mics as made to hang inconspicuously above a choir by their own cable, with a wire hanger to aim them. The PRO45 (also in white as the PRO45W) is the simpler option: its electronics are built in and its 7.6m cable ends in an XLR. The U853R (and white U853RW) is the step up, with a wider 30 to 20,000 Hz response, RF shielding and an in-line power module with an 80 Hz high-pass filter. The U853RU uses A-T’s narrower UniLine pattern (90° acceptance angle against 120° for cardioid) where you need more rejection. Its narrower pattern changes the spacing maths: A-T’s U853RU data sheet gives a pickup width of about 1.5 times the distance to the nearest singer, with additional mics at least 1.5 times that distance apart, rather than the three times used for cardioids below.

Hanging mics keep stands off the floor and out of sight lines, and they stay set once placed. The catch is that height and position are fixed. Where and how an overhead mic is fixed to the building is a job for a competent installer: we do not give suspension or fixing advice.

Small-diaphragm condensers on stands

A pencil condenser on a tall stand does the same job as a hanging mic but can be moved, raised or taken away, which suits shared halls and touring choirs. Options we stock include the sE8 (cardioid, with switchable pads and 80 or 160 Hz low-cut), the Shure SM81 (cardioid, with a three-position low-frequency switch and 10 dB pad), the Sennheiser e914 (cardioid, with switchable bass roll-off and sensitivity) and the Audio-Technica AT4053B, whose hypercardioid pattern A-T says reduces pickup from the sides and rear.

The U853R can also go on a stand: A-T supplies it with the AT8438 5/8" stand adapter. For thread sizes, see mic stand threads and adaptors.

Boundary mics

A boundary mic lies on a flat surface. Audio-Technica says a unidirectional boundary mic picks up over roughly 120° horizontally and 60° vertically above the surface, that the source should not be below the mounting plane, and that boundary mics suit tables and altars, and in drama can go on hard props or the stage floor "when feedback is not a factor". That last point is why they are rarely the main choir solution: they sit low, so the back rows are far away and the gain needed is high.

Where a boundary mic is right, the choice includes the Audio-Technica PRO44 (half-cardioid), the U851Rb (cardioid, interchangeable elements), the omni U841R, the Shure CVB-B/C (cardioid electret condenser) and the sE Electronics BL8, which sE lists for speech and stage-floor use among others.

How many mics: what the manufacturers say

The three sources agree on the principle (as few as possible) but put numbers on it differently.

• Shure: one correctly placed cardioid choir mic covers 15 to 20 singers in a section about 10 ft (3m) wide and three rows deep. A choir of 30 to 45 voices should need no more than two or three mics.
• Audio-Technica: the width a hanging cardioid covers is roughly three times its distance to the nearest singer, so a mic further out covers a wider section.
• DPA: the closer the mic to the singer, the less gain is needed, and one mic per singer works under almost all conditions. Two singers per mic may work. More singers per mic only works when the acoustics are well controlled and the loudspeakers are some distance away and pointing away from the singers.

In practice, that means: start from Shure’s one mic per section of 15 to 20 voices for a typical church or school choir, and only move towards more, closer mics (or one per small group) where the room or the PA forces you to.

Placement: distance, height and aim

Guidance from all three manufacturers, converted to metric where they quote feet:

There is a trade-off in height. A-T notes that a higher mic evens out the levels between rows but picks up more of the room’s reverberation and background noise. Find the lowest height that still lets the back row through.

Worked example: a 36-voice church choir

Thirty-six singers in three rows, about 6m wide. Applying the published rules:

1. Count. At 15 to 20 voices per mic, Shure’s guidance gives two mics, each covering a section about 3m wide.
2. Distance. Place each mic about 0.8m in front of the front row, inside Shure’s 0.6 to 0.9m range.
3. Spacing. 3:1 says at least 3 x 0.8 = 2.4m between the mics. Centring each in its own 3m section puts them about 3m apart, which passes. DPA’s stricter version, measured to the back row, would put them further apart still.
4. Height and aim. Start at about the height of the tallest back-row singer, aim between the front and back rows, then raise in small steps until the back row comes through.
5. Check. Listen to each mic on its own, then together. If the sound goes thin or hollow with both open, increase the spacing.

A 60-voice choir in a wider arc would follow the same steps with three or four mics. Resist adding a centre mic between two that already cover the choir.

Gain before feedback: the real limit

A choir mic sits about a metre from the nearest singer and further from the rest, so it needs far more gain than a handheld vocal mic and runs out of headroom first. What the manufacturers advise:

• Keep speakers away from and pointing away from the choir. DPA makes this the condition for having several singers per mic.
• Monitors change everything. Writing about group and area miking, Audio-Technica notes that if stage monitors are used, or high levels are needed, individual close miking is normally required.
• Use stereo to your advantage. On a left-right PA, DPA suggests panning alternate choir mics to opposite sides for several dB more gain before feedback.
• Use the minimum number of mics. One of Shure’s seven simple rules for choirs, along with turning down unused mics.

Our own addition: mute the choir mics whenever the choir is not singing. If a soloist needs to be heard over the choir, give them their own handheld or headset mic rather than pushing the choir mics; see microphone technique for handheld, headset and lapel. For EQ, monitor placement and ringing out, read how to stop feedback.

One more thing for churches and theatres with a hearing loop: DPA warns that choir mic cabling run near the loop can pick up its field and cause feedback even with the speakers turned down, and recommends condenser mics with cables kept away from the loop. See our hearing loop guide.

Phantom power and cabling

Every mic in the comparison table below is a condenser that runs on phantom power from the mixer or stagebox. The ranges differ, and the 48V most mixers supply is within all of them. The AT4053B, sE8 and e914 call for 48V specifically, while the PRO45 and PRO44 accept 9 to 52V. How phantom power works is explained in phantom power and DI boxes.

Two cabling points catch people out with hanging mics:

• The cable is part of the mic. On both the PRO45 and the U853R the 7.6m cable is permanently attached. Extend it with a standard XLR cable.
• The U853R needs its power module. Its cable ends in a small TA3F connector that plugs into the supplied AT8538 in-line power module, which gives an XLR output and carries the high-pass filter. Do not lose it. The PRO45 has its electronics built in and needs no module.

Spares are worth keeping: the AT8451 wire hanger fits both the PRO45 and the U853, and the AT8146 windscreen fits the PRO45. Both come with the mic.

Choir and area mics we stock, compared

All figures are from the manufacturers’ published specifications.

A wider frequency response is not automatically better for a choir. A-T specifies the PRO45 at 70 to 16,000 Hz and still positions it for speech, theatre, orchestra and choir reinforcement, and a high-pass filter (built into the U853R’s module, switchable on the AT4053B, sE8, SM81 and e914) helps keep stage rumble and air-handling noise out.

For recording rather than amplifying, DPA notes that feedback is no longer the constraint and the task becomes balancing the choir against the room, usually with a stereo pair. A matched pair such as the sE8 matched pair is the natural starting point.

Churches, schools and theatres

Churches

A fixed choir position suits hanging mics, installed once by a competent installer. Long reverberation is common, so keep the mics no higher than the back row needs, and keep the speakers firing at the congregation rather than back at the choir stalls. For lectern, altar and wireless choices, see the church AV upgrade guide.

Schools

School halls host assemblies one day and concerts the next, so stand-mounted condensers that can be packed away often make more sense than hanging mics. More on hall systems in the school AV guide.

Theatres and drama

For ensemble numbers and area pickup, Audio-Technica suggests miking the area as you would a choir with suspended mics, or a mic on a floor stand where hanging is impractical. Boundary mics on the stage floor or on props work when feedback is not a factor. Once there is a band, loud monitors or the need for real level, A-T’s advice is individual close miking: in practice, radio mics on the principals, with overhead or stand mics only filling in the ensemble.

Popular picks from the shop

Frequently asked questions

What is the best microphone for a choir?

A cardioid condenser placed in front of and above the choir. For a permanent install, a hanging mic such as the Audio-Technica PRO45 or U853R; for a space that changes use, a small-diaphragm condenser on a stand such as the sE8 or Shure SM81. Placement and mic count matter more than the model.

How many microphones do I need for a choir?

Shure’s rule of thumb is one well-placed cardioid mic per 15 to 20 singers, so two or three for a choir of 30 to 45. Space them at least three times their distance from the front row, and use no more than you need.

How high should choir mics be?

Shure says there is no hard and fast rule: some recommend the height of the tallest singer in the back row, others that height plus 2 to 3 ft (0.6 to 0.9m). It suggests 2 to 3 ft in front of the first row. Aim between the front and back rows. Going higher evens out the rows but picks up more room sound.

Can I use boundary mics for a choir?

They work for small groups, drama and altars, but they sit below the singers, so the back rows are distant and more gain is needed. Audio-Technica recommends them for floors and props where feedback is not a factor. For a full choir, hanging or stand mics are the better choice.

Why does my choir sound hollow through the PA?

Usually too many mics too close together, so the same voices arrive at two mics at different times. Follow the 3:1 rule, remove any mic that is not needed and mute choir mics when the choir is not singing.

Do hanging choir mics need phantom power?

Yes. The PRO45 runs on 9 to 52V phantom and the U853R on 11 to 52V through its supplied AT8538 power module, so standard 48V phantom from the mixer covers both.