Live Sound Advice

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We've been playing our for about three years, and we've often had the complaint that people can't hear our lead singer. He has a great voice actually, but it's in the lower range and not exactly booming, so it tends to get lost in the mix. A good soundman is usually able to deal with it, but those are rare. Our singer says he already feels like he's singing as loud as he can without belting.

Part of the problem may be a feedback issue, since he uses an acoustic guitar through an amp and we play pretty loud sometimes.

Any advice? Is there something we can tell the soundman? Should we get our own spcial mic for him? Should he get vocal coaching?

― Hurting (Hurting), Sunday, 2 January 2005 17:29 (twenty-one years ago)

maybe have everyone in the band turn down a bit? like one or two notches on the amps, and see if the drummer can play a bit softer.

thats usually the best fix.

― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Sunday, 2 January 2005 17:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Gosh, you're always so helpful.

I think you're probably right, though I have mixed feelings because when the stage volume gets too low it lowers the energy.

― Hurting (Hurting), Sunday, 2 January 2005 17:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Having seen us, do you personally find it to be a problem -- the singing I mean?

― Hurting (Hurting), Sunday, 2 January 2005 17:58 (twenty-one years ago)

i dont see the singing to be an issue, i think you guys sound great but if your singer is straining himself, then yes, there is a problem. you should make it very clear to the engineer that the vocals are very important to the overall sound and that you would not be bothered by taking the instruments down a notch.

another solution to the vocal issue might be eq-related. even though your singer has a lower register, that doesnt mean it has to come across as muddy sounding over the PA.

i always recommend that bands invest in a couple good vocal mics which they can bring along to shows. if you wont rely on house instruments, why should you take the same approach with mics?

― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Sunday, 2 January 2005 18:06 (twenty-one years ago)

It could also be an arrangement issue. I know nothing about your band but if for example he has a low, baritone voice and you have a couple of guitar players playing muddy chords around the same frequency range as his voice then you'll have a problem which may be impossible to fix in the mix. If you're having this problem with every soundman you work with then maybe you should take a closer look at what kind of space you're actually leaving for his voice.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Sunday, 2 January 2005 19:04 (twenty-one years ago)

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