High gain has another face. To explain it, I have to remind you of the famous MIDAS Pro slogan: "Gain before Feedback." Did you ever stop to think why the digital MIDAS desks were launched with exactly that line? First, a caveat: don't take the slogan too literally — there's a bit of clever sleight of hand in it, built on a few real factors. But don't read this as me trash-talking. MIDAS is actually describing something quite true. In fact, the slogan reveals how experienced the engineer who understands it really is. Among our colleagues, how many can truly fill in what that sentence means? Remember: as gain rises, the mic's field of perception widens. As it widens, it isn't only room reflections that increase — the probability of feedback climbs too, because the mic becomes sensitive to the returns coming back from the monitors and the PA. Look at that sensitive region by frequency, and you'll see the mid-mids come forward — they create the densest perception. So the mic catches feedback earlier. In short: the more gain, the higher the chance of feedback.
That's exactly why MIDAS set out with "Gain before Feedback" — and aimed it at the experienced engineers who already knew this. The slogan works; knowing why it works is worth more than using it. (Why it's also a bit of a deception, I'll open up later, with latency and the Haas effect.)
Do you read "Gain before Feedback" as a marketing line, or as a real engineering observation?