TruSource Technology DL2 Integrated Digital Mixer

TIP JAR
By Jeannie Deva
Improve Your
Live
Vocals!
11 Mic Tips and Tricks
All the time and effort you spend on practicing exercises to
develop breath control, tone, range and stamina to achieve an
emotion-responsive voice is important and should be done.
However, much of it can be undone the moment you sing through
a mic and your intrinsically acoustic voice becomes an electric
instrument. Even with good voice technique a singer needs to adapt
to the electronics of mics or suffer loss of the vocal quality they
actually have.
1. Think of the mic as part of your voice: And think of the monitors as an
extension of your ears. Don’t push your voice out, but rather, think of the mic
as reaching toward you to receive and amplify your voice.
2. Choose a mic that fits your sound and style: Which model you use will
either enhance or detract from the sound of your voice. Mics are designed
with their own sound personality. If the mic doesn’t fit the personality of
your voice, you can unconsciously tense up throat muscles in an attempt to
compensate for the electronic alteration.
A high-pitched vocal tone such as that of DeAndre Brackensick (Top 8 of
American Idol Season 11) needs a mic that will reproduce but not accentuate
the treble in his voice while adding warmth via the mid and lower tones.
A deep, darker voice such as Jermaine Jones (Top 13 of American Idol
Season 11) will commonly need a mic designed to accentuate upper mid
and treble sparkle so as to eliminate muddiness and help the voice project
over the other instruments. Additionally, some mics have more power than
others and are best designed for loud bands while others are more sensitive
and appropriate for acoustic music or intimate settings.
3. Know how to angle the mic: If you sing into a mic from a wrong angle,
your voice will be only partially amplified. Important tonal characteristics will
be lost resulting in an inferior sound. Sing into the center of the nose of your
mic––not the side or across the top of it. This may take practice, but it pays
off in a fuller more present vocal tone.
4. Hold the shaft of the mic, not the head: While some may think it looks
cool, holding the head of the mic can muffle the sound of your voice and risk
a feedback squeal through the PA. Good mic technique includes holding the
shaft of the mic.
5. Work with the Proximity Effect: Mics respond differently depending
upon how close or far they are from your mouth when singing loudly or
softly. In many cases, a mic will pick up the full quality of your voice best
when your mouth is one half to one inch away from it. If you increase your
volume drastically, turn your head slightly to the left or right of the mic, or
pull the mic slightly farther away and then closer again when you decrease
your volume.
6. Don’t be a drifter: Your audience wants to understand what you’re
singing. If you move your head away as you taper the volume at the end of
your phrase, your voice will drop out of the mix. Keep your mouth directed to
the mic through the end of each phrase you sing.
7. Back-off the consonants: Emphasizing most consonants will cause
disruptive pops and hisses. Think of your consonants as needing the same
amount of air as their accompanying vowel sounds. Vowels ARE the sounds
of your voice, consonants are the rhythmic articulators.
The next four tips don’t affect your vocal sound, but are performance tips
related to mics and stands:
8. Don’t block your face: Lots of finger tapping on the shaft of your mic
while singing is distracting and may cause unwanted, extraneous sounds.
Additionally, holding the mic straight in front of your mouth blocks your face
and your facial expressions. Instead, angle the shaft of the mic slightly below
with the nose pointing up to your mouth.
9. Master your mic stand: Consider your mic stand as a stage prop. You
can tilt it, raise it up defiantly or drag it across the stage if that’s appropriate
to the emotion of what you’re singing. If you take the mic off, simultaneously
move the stand with your other hand so it doesn’t obstruct the audience’s
view of you.
10. Release your mic: Your choice of whether to keep the mic on the stand
or hold it in your hand can add drama to your performance. When singing
with the mic on the stand, feel free to move your arms and hands to enhance
visual expression. Hanging onto the mic throughout a song may hamper
performance dynamics. An intimately sung line can be expressed physically
by touching the mic or simply letting
your arms hang by your sides.
When singing a more dynamic
section of a song, let go of the mic
and use your arms for expression.
11. Unwind your mic cord: I’ve
seen singers grab the mic off the
stand only to have it, along with
the mic, topple to the floor. This
embarrassing calamity was due to
the mic cord being wound around
the stand. At band set-up, live
sound engineers often wind cables
around mic stands. If you like taking
your wired mic off the stand, don’t
forget to unwind the cable from the
stand before you start your set so
it’s a fast and seamless transition
from stand to hand.
miniBIO: Jeannie Deva is recognized internationally as a top celebrity
voice and performance coach. Her private studios are in Brentwood
and Los Angeles, CA. As a recording studio vocal specialist, she’s
been endorsed by producers and engineers for Aerosmith, Elton John,
Fleetwood Mac and the Rolling Stones. Her latest book is Singer’s Guide
to Powerful Performances. Visit http://jeanniedeva.comhttp://facebook.
com/jeanniedeva@JeannieDeva
70 September 2012 www.musicconnection.com