How to get the most out of a mic

[Delmont]

My band members complain that I don't sing loudly enough. I usually use something like an SM-58, which should be fine. But when I put my mouth right up to it, my P's pop. When I back off, my voice gets lost.

 

I don't get it. I used to work in radio station, and the mics worked fine from a couple of feet away. When we had live artists on air, a single mic could handle two singers and two guitars. Yes, I know those mics were different than a 58, but I'm wondering what to do to be heard.

 

It's also true that I'm not a strong singer. Here's a page of tunes I did the singing on, using one of Audix's OM Series mics: Tales of the Enchanted Mesa

 

I do some blues shouting when we play live, and I can be heard just fine then. But when I'm trying to sing a ballad, no one can hear me.

 

Are there stage mics that could solve it? Or are there some techniques I should learn?

 

I've been thinking of buying a Shure Beta 57A for my dobro. Would that help my vocals, as well? Or could using the Audix on stage help?

 

Thanks!

 

Del

www.thefullertons.net

[Comoxsam]

You might want to try a Beta 58A. It made my vocals cut thru.

[Axisplayer]

No microphone you buy will fix bad technique. Some are a little better off axis than others, but mic technique is a skill that is learned like anything else. It is practice. Your studio mic generally has the same issues, except it doesn't have to overcome a live band. Practice is the only magic bullet.

 

There are lots of links if you search for "microphone technique". Here are a few of them…..

 

http://www.vocalist.org.uk/microphone_techniques.html

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microphone_practice

 

http://musicconnection.com/improve-live-vocals/

[Drummer44]

I seem to get better pick-up from my condenser mic, but it's also a headmic so distance is more constant... and it also comes with it's own issues anyway. I don't know if that "better pick-up" part can be generalized to all condenser mics, or whether that's just a feature of the one I use.

 

-D44

 

[WynnD]

And throw a foam sock on the mic. That will get rid of most of the popping. Also, make sure that your mic channel on the mixer has a high pass filter set about 100 htz. Most people never get that low unless they are a BASS singer. And mic pops and drops and kicked mic stands are usually in the low frequencies and you'll want them out of the mic anyway. Then you can crawl right up to the mic. And foam socks are easy to wash and sterilize.

[agedhorse]

The reason why it works in the studio is because it's an open loop application, meaning that there is no amplified sound that makes its way back to the mic to cause feedback and other artifacts. That's not going to work in a live closed loop situation.

 

You need to use a high pass filter on your mic, or back off a little and singe a bit louder. IMO, voice lessons might be the biggest help of all, by getting more out of your voice you get more into and out of your mic.

[Audiopile]

I'll suggest one possibility (possibility) would be to employ a compressor as a leveler... to "get the most out of a mic". The method is to insert the compressor on the vocal channel, then continue to increase the gain of the mic until the vocals are clearly "loud enough" when the vocalist is delivering the "weakest" signal while simultaneously adjusting the threshold and gain reduction on the compressor to "level" the vocalist's gain when the vocalist is delivering a stronger signal. Achieving "loud enough" will likely be dependent on the stage volume of the band and on the system's capacity for gain before feedback which is dependent on a combination of the gear, mic & speaker positioning, environment, system settings, etc...

[DanCostello]

voice lessons might be the biggest help of all, by getting more out of your voice you get more into and out of your mic.

 

This.

 

[wesg]

You can also soften your popping Ps ("plosives") by changing how you pronounce the P, sort of opening your mouth more vertically to throw less air toward the mic, and pronounce something like the letter B. For example, when I sing "Roxanne", I almost say, "You don't have to boot out the red light". It sounds right through the PA and doesn't pop.

 

I also use light compression on stage, but you have to be careful about using too much..feedback city. The reason I use a compressor is because I play several keyboards and can't always quite get my head in place.

 

As for the ballad thing - sounds like you need to learn how to project a lot better.

 

Wes

[dboomer]

All Mics lose level very quickly as you back off. Every time you double the distance from your mic you cut the mic's output by a factor of 4. So if you go from 1inch to 2 inches the mic puts out 1/4 of the level it did at 2 inches. So stay up on the mic.

 

 

 

You Might also try inserting a BBE sonic maximizer in your mic channel. This is a perfect application for it as it will bring your vocal to the front of the mix without actually increasing the level.

[Delmont]

Thanks, gang, that all helps a lot! I haven't used mics often enough, and I confess they're intimidating. Voice lessons might be a good idea, and more mic practice will help. I think I'll also start using my well-socked Audix mic, which runs a little hotter than a 57 or 58.

 

Someone also suggested the EV N/D267a, a neo-dyn 58-type mic with some virtues.

 

Glad I asked.

 

Del

www.thefullertons.net

[Audiopile]

There are diminished points of return concerning what technology can do. Once the threshold has been passed of employing "the tool for the job" under normal circumstances, going beyond gets exponentially expensive compared to the results.

 

As an example: A couple weekends ago I did a show where I brought along better monitors than our band usually uses... because the situation warranted it. All members of the band noticed and expressed their preference for the better monitors... clearly "better" according to all the members... "cleaner, punchier, more natural sounding, smoother, etc... "Why don't you bring these all the time?" was the universal quarry. "Because", I answered, "these" cost approx. 10 times more than what we usually use, and cost much more to fix if something bad happens...but if you folks would like to pay me what I usually get for rent on these to have them here for your use, I can make that happen. Daily rent on those 4 monitors is more than the band makes per gig... end of conversation... sort of.

 

Sort of (concerning the "end of the conversation"): Our lead man, who's a bicycling enthusiast... he completed the "tour the divide" trip last summer at the age of 60... the monitor discussion morphed into a bicycle discussion, concerning the diminished point of returns on lightweight bicycles... where diminishing bicycle weight while retaining or improving performance, the costs go up fast after a certain point... shaving off the first pounds might only cost tens of dollars... after the easy pounds are reduced, further reducing ounces might cost hundreds of dollars, and shaving grams off the weight of a bicycle might cost thousands of dollars... and at some point concerning paying money for technology to make it better, eating less, in-other words dealing with the human side of the situation, might be a clearly more cost effective plan.

[Dogoth]

Sage advice from all so far. I don't think anyone mentioned simply "get closer to the mic". When you're singing those ballads, eat the mic. Yes you might get some plosives due to proximity effect but at least you're being heard (as mentioned, some small technique change and a high pass filter will help with the popping "P's").

 

As Agedhorse pointed out, in a studio open loop environment you have no feedback issues and fewer isolation issues. Also you are probably already going through multiple stages of compression/limiting down stream that you aren't even aware of (most radio studios have a compressor set on everything that goes out and there's probably a limiter at the transmitter as well). If set properly this makes for a nice even dynamic at the listeners ears. you don't get this live. FWIW this added dynamics range is what makes live music........well.......Live :-).

 

hope this helps

[StratGuy22]

There's a couple songs I sing with some "p"'s in them, when I sing those I turn my head slightly so I'm singing the "p's" kinda past the mic instead of right into the mic.

 

 

 

Works pretty good.

[Telecruiser]

Do you consider your voice to be loud, average or soft? If you have a soft voice and trying to compete with loud guitars and drums you might have a problem. If you have what you would consider an average or loud voice when singing and can't get over the rest of the band then your problem may not lie with you.

 

But as mentioned earlier, mic technique is the most important. The microphone is no different than any other instrument in the band in as much as it has to be learned and skill developed to get the most from it. JMHO

[Delmont]

Sage advice from all so far. I don't think anyone mentioned simply "get closer to the mic".

 

If I got any closer, it would be behind me.

 

[Delmont]

Do you consider your voice to be loud, average or soft? If you have a soft voice and trying to compete with loud guitars and drums you might have a problem. If you have what you would consider an average or loud voice when singing and can't get over the rest of the band then your problem may not lie with you.

 

But as mentioned earlier, mic technique is the most important. The microphone is no different than any other instrument in the band in as much as it has to be learned and skill developed to get the most from it. JMHO

 

Yes.

 

When I'm shouting, it's loud. On tunes like "Midnight Shift," "Stranger Blues," "Twist and Shout," or "Going Back to Tennessee," I sound fine. But shouting isn't singing. When I'm singing, which calls for some vocal control, it's soft - like singing stuff like "Ripple," "Down In the Boondocks" or "Mexican Divorce," there's nothing there, even with my lips rubbing the foam thing.

 

So - get rid of the foam thing? But my P's pop.

 

I got a used Sennheiser e945, which helps a little but doesn't solve it.

 

The compressor idea above is interesting. I hate the sound of compression generally - never use it for guitar - but I'll think about it.

[Axisplayer]

As Aged mentioned, the loop is a big part of this issue. You can work on the loop part also. IEMs for the entire band can make a big difference. It opens the loop containing your voice. You voice doesn't come back at you, so your mic can be set to a higher volume. Not a cheap solution, and subject to diminishing returns. However, it brings other benefits to the table, so they can be useful tools if you (the band) can learn to work with them.