Part 1 of a 5 part blog that will talk about:
- Microphones
- P.A. Systems
- Lighting
- Transport
- Leaning how to use your sound reinforcement tools.
As a performer you need to make sure that you can turn up at any venue and have everything you need to make a show. That includes a microphone, P.A. (Public address system - the thing that makes you and the music louder) and lighting.
Part 1
Choosing your microphone.
There are literally hundreds of microphones on the market and they all claim to do different jobs better that their rivals, but choosing a microphone is a very individual choice. I could write a whole book on choosing microphones and I could go in to great technical details but at the end of the day it's what sounds good to you.
There are two basic types of microphone for live use:
Dynamic - Uses the pressure waves of your voice to drive the coil in the microphone. One of the most popular hard-wired dynamic microphones for the live performances is the Sure SM58 dynamic microphone. It's been used as an industry standard work-horse for over 50 years and is an almost indestructible microphone which can take quite a beating and still work perfectly. I always carry a spare SM58 in case my main wireless microphone decides not to play.
Check out more information, specs and pricing about the Shure SM58 by clicking the link below:
Check out more information, specs and pricing about the Shure SM58 by clicking the link below:
Condenser - Uses the same principle as a dynamic microphone but electronically enhances signal and the frequency range to give a cleaner crisper signal. Using a condenser microphone will require a mixing desk with a phantom power facility to power the microphone - I'll talk more about this later. I used a wireless Senheisser condenser microphone for seven years and recently switched to the relatively new Shure Beta 87C (as used by Michael Buble). My reason for choosing a condenser microphone was that I quite often perform at venues where I don't need to be belting my voice out and a microphone with greater sensitivity allows me to sing quite quietly and still get a good level of voice through my P.A.
Check out more information, specs and pricing about the Shure Beta 87A by clicking the link below:
Check out more information, specs and pricing about the Shure Beta 87A by clicking the link below:
Choosing a microphone is only something you can do. People will recommend all sorts of makes, types and models, but what you need to do is go into a music shop and ask to try out as many different microphones as possible and listen to what suits your voice. Remember this is an important purchase. Find the right microphone and it will last you a lifetime.
If you're not used to using a microphone then you need to start practising now with your P.A. You need to be able to use the microphone as a tool to make your voice heard.
Remember: Garbage in - Garbage out. If you're not a good singer, using a microphone will make sure that the whole room knows it. You're microphone is your friend, it's there to get your voice running through the P.A. and sounding sweet. If you hold it too close, shout or sing too loud, or hold it too far away from your mouth - then it will sound awful. So get used to working with it. Don't be afraid of it, it's there to help you. One final point, you may have seen singers who 'pull' the microphone away from their mouths when they hit the high notes. This is a 'Houstin-ism' (named after Whitney Houstin). Don't do it. It looks bloody stupid. Correct microphone technique doesn't require you to be waving the microphone all over the shop. Keep it simple stupid!
Next time: Pa's big or small?
Hi Aubrey,
ReplyDeletewhat about pulling the mic away as you belt out a note (rather than a high note) and then move it in as your breath fades to produce an even volume? Would the mic not overlode and distort the sound too close and at high volume. Is this a bad thing as well? Seen Engelbert do it a fair bit! Do you keep the mic at an even distance regardless of the power of the note? Perhaps you could clarify. It's all good info. Cheers.
Hi Phil,
ReplyDeletePerhaps I was a little overzealous with my demands for people never to 'pull' their mics.
It's a pet hate of mine when I see people doing it all the time when it's not needed. However I still stand by the fact that some singers use the technique all the time and it is not necessary. As you pointed out (it's common sense) that the only time you should 'pull' the mic is if you are about to hit a very loud note. The rest of the time you should have your mic set up at a sensible level which should allow you to sing into it at a distance of around 10-15cms. You don't need to shout into a microphone, it's there to amplify your voice so shouting will make you sound like a very shouty singer! You need to learn how to control your voice to work with it. Obviously if you are a 'screamer' singer all that goes out the window. However some people take it beyond silliness and end up looking like they are trying to pleasure a large invisible horse rather than sing a song! They also end up sounding awful because they don't get the technique right. I've also seen singers using the technique when they know they are not going to hit a high note - so when they pull the mic the note isn't heard. Now that's blimmin cheating in my book!