Mic control?

Hey,

Im using a SM58 mic. I want to know how most of you guys controll your mic? I have the gain set a little past half. What I do is have the mic almost touching my lips when im diong more breathy, parts of the song (verse). And then when I belt I get about 8-12" away from the mic. Im just woundering how you all do it?

Every gig I go to, I see the lead singer with the mic in his throat all the time.

I’ve wondered this too…I assume people singing live (on Idol and such, for example) have their mic gains up quite high to be heard over the band and audience and when they do soft notes, etc…but then they seem to constantly have the mic RIGHT squashed up into their mouths, and yet…you never hear any PP or TT sounds, you know? I wonder why this is…

I think your technique is fairly normal…it’s good you hold it close for soft notes and further away for loud ones…kd Lang holds the mic down around her chest and outward when she belts notes. She doesn’t need a mic at all! lol

The lower you can keep the gain on the mic, the easier it is to control feedback on stage. You crank it up too high, and you're running the risk of howling feedback as the monitor and the room sound interact.

I find it better to eat the mic most of the show, and pull it away only when absolutely necessary - when I'm hitting really loud notes.

I think the trick is knowing how far to pull away to keep your levels appropriate.

I could be mistaken, but 8-12" seems like a REALLY far distance for an SM58. For me it's more like 4-6", tops. Most of the time I'm right on the mic.

Good luck!

Brian V.

I believe that most mics designed for live performance have built-in pop filters, which allow singers to eat the mic during shows without worrying about plosives (the pp or tt sounds). Large-diaphragm studio condenser mics normally do need an external pop filter.

Also, many singers get up close to the mic to take advantage of the proximity effect, which deepens low-end response, making the vocal more resonant as the sound source moves nearer. Movement toward and away from the mic allows the vocalist to adjust EQ on the fly--intensifying or attenuating bass frequencies. Of course, too much promixity efect can make a vocal muddy.

A little bit of compression/limiting can do wonders so that you don't have to "work the mic" quite so much in terms of eating it for quiet parts and holding it in the outfield for loud parts.

That said, I prefer to NOT eat the mic, even a dynamic mic like a 58. A little less than an inch distance from my lips is usually about right to get the proximity effect without over-blowing it. I also sometimes turn the mic slightly off-axis if I know a lot of plosives are coming up. I know 58s and similar mics have wind screens, but excessive pops can still get though if you don't watch it.

A lot of this is just knowing your voice and getting experience regarding what sounds good for YOU in terms of levels, etc.

Awsome replys guys.

I'll put the gain down and eat the mic.

I am running a compressor. Love it