Testing... one two... one two...

Ever heard a mic sound test.  You'll almost certainly hear something along the lines of testing "one, two, one two".  For many it's just what's always used, often to set the volume.  But there's another good reason behind this too.

It's not usual to assume that it's a very unimaginative and short test.  In fact it's a very specific test.  Firstly it's short for convenience and subtlety  but most importantly, it's testing the sounds that microphones struggle most with to reproduce well.    It's the "w" of one and the "t" of two which are the especially tricky sounds and so important to to test out in more discerning situation.  In these situations, it;s not just about setting the level or volume but tweaking the equalisation - the high, middle and low frequencies to  get the right balance for the venue.

Bare in mind that microphones are hugely variable in their quality and price too.. having seen new mic for sale at staggering 99p!  More expensive, to certain limit, does tend to give a better sound, but some much is down to all the other factors at play and especially the tone of the voice being amplified too.