FlexWand User`s Manual
Contents
1. Earthworks d Flexwan HIGH DEFINITION MICROPHONE SYSTEM USER S A Microphone MANUAL Boom and Stand FW730 in a Single Unit FW730 HC FW730 TPB FW730 HC TPB High Definition Microphone System Earthworks Made in the USA HIGH DEFINITION MICROPHONES Guidelines for Positioning FW730 FlexWands on Choir Earthworks near perfect polar response may require some elements of your mike placement to be done differently Please read the manual to gain a full under standing of the pick up characteristics of Earthworks cardioid microphones Microphone Placement Distance and Height Place microphones as dose as 3 feet in front of choir and no lower than the heads of the highest singers Figure 1 Microphone head posi tioned perpendicular to the floor Figure 3 Incorrect poor isolation from the orchestra Figure 4 Correct maximum isolation from the Figure 2 Microphone head posi tioned at an angle to the floor Near perfect polar response will allow placing the microphones closer to the choir as close as 2 feet from the front row or even closer The height of the microphone should be in line with the head of the highest singer in the choir When miking choirs with an orchestra or band in front of the choir the microphone head should be perpendicu lar to the floor to provide the greatest amount of isolation from the orchestra or band2. Unit Weights Stand 2 Ibs 9 kg Cast Iron Base 12 6 Ibs 5 7kg Tripod Base 1 6 Ibs 0 73kg FWIS0C FWT30MC Polar Pattern Polar Pattern FW730 C FW730 HC Impulse Response 17 Earthworks HIGH DEFINITION MICROPHONES Made in U S A Earthworks Inc 37 Wilton Rd Milford NH 03055 603 854 6427 ext 14 www earthworksaudio com email sales earthworksaudio com Printed in U S A
3. Figure 3 shows the way not to position the micro phones Figure 4 shows the correct way to position the micro phones Ifyou do not have an or chestra or band positioning the microphones as shown in Figure 4 will also provide greater isolation from loud speakers located behind the microphone as well as reduce pick up of unwanted sounds from the audience Congratulations on your purchase of the innovative Earthworks Flex Wand High Definition Microphone System We know you will be thrilled with the results you achieve using the FlexWand System for both live performance and recording Enclosed with your Earthworks FW730 FlexWand System FlexWand Models FW730 amp FW730 HC with cast iron base or FW730TPB amp FW730 HC TPB with tripod base 1 FlexWand stand wand section 1 Microphone windscreen 1 Base for stand wand section either cast iron metal or tripod base depending on model 1 Users Manual for FlexWand System 17 you purchased a matched pair of Flex Wands you will receive two each of the items indicated above with an asterisk FOR ASSEMBLY INFORMATION SEE PAGES 11 16 THE FLEXWAND SYSTEM You have just purchased an Earthworks High Definition Microphone that is incorporated in the FlexWand System The FlexWand System is a totally new concept in microphones It is a combination of a High Definition Micro phone and a low profile microphone
4. 0kHz Howev er making a High Definition Microphone involves far more than extending the frequency response Impulse response diaphragm settling time and pris tine low distortion high current electronics are also key elements Earthworks founder David Blackmer foresaw the need for higher quality microphones Earthworks has been offering High Definition Microphones with extended frequency response beyond 40kHz since 1996 Earthworks High Definition Microphones have an extremely clean natural on axis pickup and smooth uncolored off axis response due to their near perfect polar patterns Cardioid models of High Definition Microphones provide high front to back rejec tion that makes them superb for a wide range of applications including sound reinforcement broadcast in addition to recording of voice and musical in struments You will hear exceptional sound quality that is extremely accurate detailed open and crystal clear even on 16 bit 44 1kHz recording systems as well as analog or digital sound systems that are limited to a 15kHz or 20kHz bandwidth You will hear a remarkable improvement in sound quality on near ly all audio systems when using Earthworks High Definition Microphones EXTENDED FREQUENCY RESPONSE The FlexWand System incorporates a High Definition Microphone with a 30kHz high frequency response that enables it to pick up high frequency over tones that conventional microphones miss In addition it s extr
5. a clean sleek look that will not visually impair or detract from the musical or theatrical performance The quality construction of the FlexWand will provide you with years of exceptional service If you have any questions please contact Earthworks Customer Service Department at 603 654 6427 ext 19 FIFTEEN YEAR WARRANTY Earthworks products excluding accessories carry a fifteen year limited warranty parts and labor If you have any problems with your Earthworks prod ucts please contact our warranty repair department by email at returns earthworksaudio com or by telephone at 603 654 6427 ext 19 FW730 FLEXWAND SPECIFICATIONS FW730 Cardioid amp FW730 HC Hypercardioid with cast iron base FW730TPB Cardioid amp FW730 HC TPB Hypercardioid with tripod base Frequency Response 30Hz to 30kHz 2dB 1 foot 30cm Polar Pattern Cardioid or Hypercardioid Sensitivity 10mV Pa 40dBV Pa Power requirements 48V Phantom 10mA Max Acoustic Input 145dB SPL Output Connector Female XLR 3 pin 2 Min Output Load 600 ohms between pins 2 amp 3 Noise 22dB SPL equivalent A weighted Positioning Range From 1 5 ft 46m to 6 5 ft 1 98m above floor level Dimensions Stand 7 ft 2 in long 1 32m Cast Iron Base 12 30 48cm in diam eter 1 1 27cm high Tripod Base 23 0 58m footprint 6 15 2cm high Color Stand flex amp wand black cast iron base dark gray tripod base black
6. area from 90 180 to 270 the dead zone of an Earthworks cardioid microphone as illustrated in Figure 10 Figure 10 Rear Polar Response of an Earthworks Cardioid Microphone When miking choirs with an orchestra or band in front of the choir the rear rejection of sounds from an Earthworks Flex Wand can be real benefit When positioning the Earthworks FlexWand make sure that the rear of the capsule is facing the direction of the orchestra or band as shown in Figure 11 Correct microphone head perpendicular to floor for maximum isolation from the orchestra or band Figure 11 Proper Positioning of an Earthworks FlexWand with an Orchestra or Band behind the Microphone Incorrect microphone head at an angle to floor causes poor isolation from the orchestra or band Figure 12 Improper Positioning of an Earthworks FlexWand with an Orchestra or Band behind the Microphone Notice in Figure 12 what happens if the rear of the Earthworks FlexWand is not positioned toward the orchestra or band OBTAINING A GREATER UNDERSTANDING THE FLEXWAND As you have just read the near perfect polar response of the FlexWand provides you with many advantages over conventional microphones not to mention the dramatic increase of fidelity with a High Definition Microphone You can easily place the FlexWand two or three feet in front of a choir or vocal group and achieve outstanding results with incredible sound qua
7. attern is on a conventional cardioid microphone In comparison notice how much wider the pickup pattern is on the Earthworks cardioid microphone Figure 3b Keep in mind that the shaded areas in these figures indicate the area where you can obtain the full frequency re sponse of the microphone without a significant loss of high frequencies Conventional microphones Figure 2b only provide a narrow window or area in which they can pick up sounds with full frequency response Figure 4 below shows an 80 voice choir miked with conventional microphones It takes 6 conventional microphones placed 6 feet in front of the choir to adequately cover the choir with the full frequency response of the microphones 0009000000000 90000000 000000000 000000 00000 Figure 4 An 80voice choir miked with 6 conventional microphones at 6 feet In contrast the near perfect polar response of Earthworks cardioid microphones provide a wider pickup pattern or area where you can obtain the full frequency response of the microphones Figure 5 on the following page is the same 80 voice choir is covered using only 3 Earthworks cardioid microphones 00000000000000000000 00000000000000000000 00000000000000000000 00000000000000000000 nel 3 Figure 5 An 80 voice choir miked with 3 Earthworks microphones at 6 feet Closer Miking Provides Additional Gain Before Feedback Seasoned sound engineers know that placing a microphone closer to the sound sourc
8. careful that the microphone head does not bang into something during this process USING THE FLEXWAND AT MAXIMUM HEIGHT When using the Flex Wand for large choirs or vocal groups you would probably want to have the FlexWand at its maximum height o 7 feet This is easily achieved by pointing the wand straight up and then loosen the clutch and slide the sleeve up until it mates into the sleeve mating coupler Make sure it is all the way up and firmly seated over the mating coupler see Figure 17 This will insure that the FlexWand is perfectly straight up and down from all directions Then position the microphone head to any po sion that you desire with the mini flex at zt the end of the wand see Figure 18 Figure 17 Seating the Sleeve with the FlexWand at ver the Mating Coupler Maximum Height ZA p Figure 18 Positioning the Microphone Haad USING THE FLEXWAND AS A BOOM In the boom mode the FlexWand can mike anything just like a convention al microphone on a boom stand This can be used when you want the FlexWand microphone lower for such applications as small vocal groups or vocal solos see Figures 20 amp 21 When using the boom mode the clutch should be loosened and the sleeve should be slid down so it only covers about half of the large flex then tighten the clutch By doing this the flex section will be much more rigid than if the sleeve were slid a
9. e will result in additional gain before feedback Figure 6 below shows the same 80 voice choir miked with 3 Earthworks cardioid microphones however notice that the microphones are placed 3 feet in front of the choir rather than at 6 feet as indicated in Figures 4 and 5 00000000000000000000 o00000000000000000000 000000000 00000000000 0000900000 00000000000 i Figure 6 An 80voice choir miked with 3 Earthworks microphones at 3 feet In contrast Figure 7 shows the same choir miked with 6 conventional cardioid mi crophones placed 3 feet in front of the choir Notice the blank coverage spots in the pick up area This illustrates that placing conventional microphones 3 feet in front of the choir would require even more microphones to adequately cover the choir 9000960 000 00000000 iore 0000 00000000000000000000 00000000000000000000 m 1 Figure 7 An 80 voice choir miked with 6 conventional microphones at 3 feet Figure 8 below shows that it would actually take 12 conventional cardioid micro phones to provide the same coverage as 3 Earthworks cardioid microphones when placed 3 feet in front of the choir OCeeeeeenenenneneoe e 010 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0j 020 0 0 0 0 0 Figure 8 An 80 voice choir miked with 12 conventional microphones at 3 feet Three characteristics of Earthworks microphones will provide more gain before feedback 1 Smooth off axis response 2 picking up far less sound from the
10. emely fast impulse response that allows it to pick up transients far more accurately The exceptionally short diaphragm settling time will enable you to hear subtle details that conven tional microphones mask The audible difference between an Earthworks High Definition Microphone and conventional microphones is as dramatic as the dif ference you see when comparing conventional video and high definition video It is most impressive We again urge you to carefully read the next 8 pages to gain a greater understanding of how fully utilize the FlexWand System Utilizing Earthworks Near perfect Polar Response Near perfect Polar Response Conventional cardioid microphones typically have poor polar response They will have a relatively uniform ie flat frequency response at the front of the microphone on axis or 0 degrees meaning they will uniformly reproduce high frequencies mid frequencies and low frequencies with a uniform level However if you move to either side of the microphone 90 or 270 degrees there will a dramatic loss in high frequency response Perhaps the most telling demonstra tion of this is attempting to place three singers on a single conventional cardioid microphone one at the front and the other two singers on the sides The singers on the sides of the microphone will sound muddled and undefined due to the loss of high frequencies at the sides of the microphone off axis In figure 1 you will see a perfect cardi
11. ipod Base has a metal sleeve stored inside the tripod base as shown in Fig 14 Loosen the set screw and remove the metal sleeve from inside the tripod base Figure 14a Remove the metal sleeve from inside the tripod base as shown in Fig 14b 4 Figure 14b Connecting the Tripod Base to the FW730TPB Figure 15 Connecting the tripod base to the FW730TPB metal sleeve Hole in Tripod Base a a CLA Festina Stand Section j No XLR Section To assemble the FW730TPB first screw the metal sleeve C onto the threads on the bottom of the FlexWand until the metal sleeve is screwed on tight Then pick up the FlexWand by holding the stand section A or the XLR section B and insert the metal sleeve into the hole on the tripod base D Push the sleeve all the way down and then tighten the setscrew E Connecting the Cast Iron Base to the FW730 Figure 16 Connecting the cast ron base to the FW730 A Flex Wand M Stand Section Hole in Cast Iron Base NN When screwing the FW730 in the cast iron base first place the cast iron base on the floor Then by holding the stand section A carefully rotate FlexWand into the threaded hole C in the cast iron base at least 2 full turns Next wrap your hand around the XLR connector section B pick up the com bined FlexWand and base then spin the base until it is snug Do not over tighten Be
12. lity and a substantial increase in gain before feedback It is suggested that when miking choirs that you use a high pass filter low cut on your console and set it somewhere in the 120Hz range This will increase your gain before feedback even more You can also achieve more gain before feedback by boosting the FlexWand with EQ at 1 5kHz and 5kHz If this starts to sound too thin you can boost at 500 to add some warmth and bottom end The information in this manual should provide you with a good basic understanding of the FlexWand and it s unique technology As you continue to use the FlexWand you will find additional ways to improve your results in using this unique microphone system IDENTIFICATION OF THE FLEXWAND ELEMENTS In this manual we will refer to the various elements of the FlexWand System In Figure 13 all of the elements of the FlexWand System are identified Please review this information on the following page Mini Flex x yf Microphone head Figure 13 The FW730 Series FlexWand Elements N Sleeve Mating Coupler Large Flex Diameter FW730TPB with Tripod Base Microphone image not shown to scale Electronics Section XLR Connector FW730 with Base Patent Pending 121b 1 The FW730 FlexWand Comes in Two Versions The FW730 comes with a 12 Ib cast iron base and the FW730TPB comes with a collapsible tripod base The FW730TPB with a Tr
13. ll the way down You might want to experience this for yourself by first loosening the clutch and sliding the sleeve all the way down tighten the clutch and then position the wand at a 45 degree angle see Figure 221 Now position the wand at several angles greater and less than 45 degrees and see how it feels wall Then 1 the clutch again and cover only half of the large flex then tighten the clutch see Fig ure 22b Now position the wand at several angles HD at greater and less than 45 degrees to see how much more rigid the large flex is see Figure 23 Figure 23 Using the Wand as a boom Figure 22 a Sleeve the way down 22 b Sleeve hallway up 22 Sleeve three fourths of the way up 15 16 The large flex can be made even more rigid by sliding the sleeve up to cover three fourths of the large flex see Figure 22c These adjustments are ideal when you want to position the wand at any position between straight up to a 90 degree angle If you want to go more than 90 degrees you will need to re position the sleeve to uncover more or all of the large flex thereby allowing it to be positioned between 90 degrees to nearly 180 degrees The highly versatile FlexWand High Definition Microphone System is a uniquely creative tool that will provide outstanding sonic results for virtually any recording or live sound application It s low profile with no visible wires above floor level provides
14. n 16kHz and 20kHz This shows that the typical conventional microphone in Figure 9b will be somewhat less sensitive at the rear of the micro phone but by only about 10dB in the frequency range between 500Hz and 4kHz Looking at the Earthworks cardioid polar response in Figure 9c shows that it has far more rejection in 500Hz to 4kHz frequency range at the rear than the conventional microphone shown in Figure 9b In Figure 9c see that IkHz is down by 30dB more while 500Hz and 4kHz are down 15dB Also notice that 16kHz and 20kHz are only down 5dB to 10dB But remember that these high frequencies are far less audible than those between 500Hz and 4kHz What we have reviewed so far is technical information shown on charts and graphs Now lets look at what happens in the actual use and application of these two types of cardioid microphones If you were to take the typical conventional cardioid microphone in your hand and talk into the front of the mic and while you are talk ing rotate the microphone 180 degrees and talk into the rear of the microphone you would notice some reduction in the audible level of your voice In contrast if you were to do the same exercise with an Earthworks cardioid microphone when you started talking into the rear of the microphone your voice would be nearly inaudible This practical demonstration shows how dead the Earthworks cardioid microphones are at the rear As a general guideline you can consider the coverage
15. ncy information Figure 2a Typical pick up area with full frequency Figure 2b Typical polar pattern with full frequency response of a conventional cardioid microphone response of a conventional cardioid microphone indicated by extending arms In contrast if one were asked to spread their arms to indicate the width of the pick up pattern of an Earthworks cardioid microphone they would indicate something like shown in Figure 3a The actual polar response of an Earthworks cardioid microphone with fall frequency response i e no loss of high frequencies is illustrated in Figure 3b Again notice that the shaded areas in Figures 3a and 3b are virtually the same Notice on the Earthworks microphone Figure 3b that even outside the shaded area there is a very minimal change or loss in the level of high frequency information kap NC MO MESI Sn pa go teeny Fee pe tno es indicated by extending arms How Earthworks Near perfect Polar Response Can Benefit You There are several ways near perfect polar response can benefit you 1 Use of fewer microphones 2 Ability to place microphones closer to the sound source for more gain before feedback 3 No spotlighting or highlighting More rejection of sounds from the rear of the microphone 5 Singers on the sides of the microphone enjoy the same quality as those in front of the microphone Fewer Microphones Required Referring to Figure 2b notice how narrow the pick up p
16. oid polar pattern which will pick up all frequencies uniformly at the front and the sides of the microphone Figure 1b shows the polar response of a typical conventional cardioid microphone Notice the severe loss of high frequencies at the sides of the microphone Figure 1c is the near perfect polar response of an Earthworks microphone The Earthworks microphone has a uniform frequency response at the sides of the microphone that is within 3db of the on axis response at any frequency 1b Conventional Cardioid Microphone Earthworks Cardioid Microphone Figure 1 Differences Between a Perfect Conventional and an Earthworks Cardioid Microphone The Earthworks cardioid microphones will pick up sounds with nearly the same fidelity at the front and the sides of the microphone This is a remarkable technical achievement and one that will provide incredible results for you Conventional Polar Response vs Near perfect Polar Response Before reading this information if you were asked to spread your arms to indicate the width ofthe pick up pattern ofa conventional cardioid microphone you would probably indicate something like shown in Figure 2a The actual polar response of a typical conventional microphone with full frequency response no loss of high frequencies is illustrated in Figure 2b Notice that the shaded area in Figures 2a and 2b is virtually the same Outside of the shaded area there will be a substantial loss of high freque
17. rear of the microphone and 3 wider usable polar response that allows microphones to be placed closer to the source Each of these characteristics will provide more gain before feedback however when you have all 3 it is somewhat remarkable The near perfect polar response provides a smooth off axis response in addition to a much wider pick up pattern with the fall frequency response of the microphone With a wider pick up pattern the microphone can be moved closer to the source in this case singers and obtain even more gain before feedback Spotlighting Conventional microphones typically have problems with highlighting or spotlight ing when used on choirs This is caused by the significant changes in frequency response of sounds that are picked up off axis This phenomenon will cause singers in a given frequency range to sound louder than others not in that frequency range This causes certain singers to stick out above the rest making it difficult to achieve good balance between all of the voices in the choir In contrast the uniform off axis response of Earthworks microphones greatly reduces this phenomenon allowing a uniform balance of choir voices to be achieved much easier Rejection of Sounds Behind the Microphone A textbook perfect cardioid microphone will pick up sounds uniformly at the front and sides of the microphone However the level in dB on the sides of the micro phone will be slightly less as much as 6dB Even though
18. stand and boom as a single unit It allows the microphone head to be positioned as high as 7 feet and as low as 1 5 feet from the floor or anywhere in between Best of all there are no visible wires or cables above floor level Visually it is low profile smooth sleek and clean The FlexWand is the ideal solution for applications where the utmost in sound quality and a low profile is required The FlexWand is ideal for miking a variety of applications such as large choir small vocal ensembles and vocal solos Now you don t have to find a microphone attach the mic clip to the stand and then dress the ca ble around the stand Just pick up the FlexWand position it and plug the mic cable into the base You are done Best of all it is neat and clean visu ally with no unsightly microphone cable wrapped around the stand and boom And it sounds spectacular Version 4 July 7 2011 THE UNIQUE TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED IN THE FLEXWAND WILL PROVIDE EXCEPTIONAL RESULTS HOWEVER THESE MICRO PHONES DO NOT WORK LIKE CONVENTIONAL MICROPHONES SO TO ACHIEVE THE GREATEST RESULTS PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO READ THE NEXT FEW PAGES ABOUT HIGH DEFINITION MICROPHONES During the last decade it has become commonplace for sound recording and broadcast equipment to accommodate extended frequency responses up to and beyond 100kHz With few exceptions even the very best of conventional pro fessional microphones do not offer frequency responses above 2
19. the level at the sides of the microphone may be lower the frequency response should remain uniform i e no loss of high frequencies The textbook perfect cardioid microphone is very dead at the rear of the microphone The polar response of a perfect cardioid microphone is shown in Figure 9a Notice that at 180 degrees the level is down 30 dB or more This is what provides the directional characteristics of a cardioid microphone in that it will pick up at the front and the sides and picks up far less at the rear there fore making the microphone directional However this is textbook theory This is much different in practice with real imperfect microphones used in the real world 96 Conventional Cardioid Microphone 90 Earthworks Cardioid Micro Figure 9 Differences in the Rear Polar Response Between a Perfect Conventional and an Earthworks Cardioid Microphone Figure 9b shows the polar response of a typical conventional cardioid microphone Notice at 500Hz 1kHz and 4kHz the pick up pattern is almost an omni pattern however these three frequencies are down 10dB in level in reference to their level at the front of the microphone 0 degrees In contrast 16kHz and 20kHz are down 15dB at the rear of the microphone We need to look at one important fact Which frequencies are most audible 500Hz to 4kHz or 16kHz to 20kHz Without question the frequencies between 500Hz and 4kHz are vastly more audible or predominant than those betwee
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