Unfolding "Testing 1-2-3"

This post is a continuation of our series on "Getting to Know Your Microphone."
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Ever hear that in the old movies? “Testing 1-2-3, Testing 1-2-3”. Or maybe you’ve heard some sound guys saying that repeatedly into every single microphone they could find. Why did they do that?



Well, this can be very practical for us as church musicians since this simple little phrase, uttered into a live microphone will provide volumes of information on the sound system.   How?



Is it on? This is the easy one, but can’t be discounted. There are so many connections, knobs, and switch settings, something could easily be in error, yielding little to no volume.

Treble. As it is spoken into the microphone, listen to the ‘s’ in ‘Testing’. The hissing sound in this consonant is made mostly with treble (higher) sounds. If the treble is set too high, the ‘s’ sound jumps right out of the speakers. If it is set to low, it is barely heard. Sufferin’ succotash, Sylvester!

Bass. The ‘t’ sounds in ‘Testing’ and ‘Two’ give the hint here. If the bass is set high, the ‘t’ will be accompanied with a dull thud-like sound.

Volume Level. It is best to utter ‘Testing 123’ in a normal speaking voice. Most singing is done at this sound level. So at this level an evaluation of the sound system volume settings can be made.



Compression. If compression is added to the sound system, a quick estimation of its settings can be made. Repeat ‘Testing 123’ at three levels, soft, speaking, and emphatic. The compression is perfect if all three levels are comfortably heard from the sound system.

Reverb. This simple little phrase also yields an estimation of the church’s acoustics. Ever had trouble listening to the introductions at a high school basketball game? Even though the sound system is loud enough, clarity is lost in the endless jumble of sound reflections off the concrete walls, and hardwood floor. This varies greatly from church to church. Small churches with carpeted floors, and many big curtains will have the most clarity (least reverb). On the other hand big churches with stone floors and concrete walls will challenge all Sunday Musicians. Only the few sitting up front will understand the lyrics. For these churches, the simplest song arrangements are best. But that is a subject for another post!

Overall sound. Overall, how does the ‘Testing 123’ sound? Listen carefully. Does it sound like an accurate replication of your voice? Or is something missing? Or added?

And so on. There you have it.  Testing 123. It is a powerful little phrase, no? Powerful, but I have no idea where it comes from.  Does anyone know its origins?

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Microphone in Music Ministry: Technique of Angle

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