How to Mic a Choir: What to Use and How to Use It

If you’ve ever tried miking a choir and ended up with a mess of feedback, overpowering solos, or a flat, lifeless sound—you're not alone. Getting a choir to sound as good live as it does in rehearsal can feel like wrangling cats... in an echo chamber.

Author

Jonathan Wells
April 01, 2025

What if you had a simple framework to follow—one that walks you through exactly what matters, when it matters, and why?

That's what this five-level process of choir miking does. And once you grasp it, you’ll approach choir sound with more clarity and confidence.

1. Avoiding Bad Things

This foundational level is all about preventing distortion, feedback, and harshness.

  • Microphone Selection: Choose mics made for choir use (like the Earthworks mics).

  • Placement: Keep mics away from feedback-prone spots and excessive bleed zones.

  • Gain Staging: Set levels to avoid clipping.

  • Initial Signal Processing: Use basic EQ and compression to fix any harshness or balance issues.

Without this process, nothing else works. You’re just polishing a bad sound.

2. Maintaining Control

Now that you’ve avoided disaster, it’s time to create a balanced mix.

  • Mic Placement: Capture even coverage across all singers.

  • Signal Processing: Apply EQ and compression to shape the overall sound without overprocessing.

This level ensures consistency and control across your choir.

3. Intelligibility

People want to understand the words!

  • Focus on articulation and clarity.

  • Blend harmonies without letting individuals overpower.

Here, mic technique and EQ choices become even more critical.

4. Presence

This is where the sound becomes immersive.

  • The choir should feel bigger, but not louder.

  • Seamlessly blend acoustic and PA elements to create a natural presence in the room.

It’s about emotion and spatial clarity.

5. Emphasizing Art and Creativity

With the basics covered, you can now enhance your mix artistically.

  • Subtle EQ tweaks to highlight warmth or sparkle

  • Creative spatial effects or stereo imaging

It’s the icing on the cake—and it’s only effective if you’ve nailed the fundamentals.

🎙 Mic Spotlight: Earthworks C30 vs. P30 vs. FW730

  • Mounting: Hanging, with 30' integrated quad cable

  • Ideal Use: Permanent choir installations

Earthworks P30

  • Mounting: XLR, for stand mounting

  • Ideal Use: More versatile—can be used for podiums, instruments, etc.

Feature

C30

P30

Mounting

Hanging, integrated cable

XLR, stand-mounted

Flexibility

Choir-focused

Multi-use flexibility

Earthworks FW730 (our favorite)

  • Omnidirectional Pickup: Captures a wider angle for a more natural blend

  • Natural Sound: Helps voices blend, minimizing standout vocals

  • Reduced Comb Filtering: Cleaner sound across the frequency spectrum

  • Integrated Boom Stand: Easy placement without compromising angle

The FW730 shines in unifying sound across larger groups.

Final Thoughts

Choir miking doesn’t have to be mysterious. With this five-level framework, you’ll not only solve the usual problems—you’ll unlock creative options that make your choir soar.

Which level do you find yourself stuck on most often?

👇 Drop your experiences or questions in the comments—we’d love to hear from you!

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