"Axtman" <daxtATpacifierDOTcom> wrote in message
news:kcWdnRXulebO54LVnZ2dnUVZ_qmlnZ2d@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>I am in a church praise band where some of the singers have a problem.
Let
>me back up by saying that their is usually a core group of musicians but
>the singers rotate in and out depending on availability. So we may have
2,
>3 or up to 7 singers. Another thing is that we constantly change up the
>music. So we only do a few of the same songs every Sunday.
>
> Okay so here is the problem. Since most of the singers have to look
down
> at their music to read/sing the music, their throats are constricted and
> it does not give them the ability to really belt it out. Also their
> microphones are pointed down and not directly towards their mouths.
>
> Any suggestions?
>
> DA
>
I have a similar situation in my church - variable quantity and quality of
singers. Its very tough to keep untrained singers on their mics,
especially
the shy ones. With a small stage, the mics are already picking up the band
as well, so increasing mic gain is not a good solution. Head worn mics of
any quality are often too expensive for churches, and many women don't
want
to wear them at all.
If you have decent mics with low handling noise, make them hold their mic.
It tends to stay closer to their mouths than when on a stand, and they
can
keep it pointed reasonably well at their mouths. You should train them to
keep about 2-4" from their lips to avoid proximity effects and distortion
(and spit buildup). I also tell them to hold it lower than their mouth
(chin-level) so their lips are visible to the congregation. For the
"belters", show them how to increase distance when they get loud, so their
voice remains balanced among the whole group - that will make your job
easier.
Holding mics gives singers something to do with their hands, and they can
still move around a bit. Warn them not to clap against the mic, especially
if you are recording the service. They may not hear the thumps but the
recording will. When they are not singing, or when arranging their music,
teach them not to point mics at monitors. I have them drop the mic to
chest/stomach level and keep it pointed up. If you can get them all doing
this in synchronization, it makes them look more polished.
You will need to mute the channels while they are going into and out of
the
mic stands. I have group mutes that I use for this purpose. If you can't
mute them easily, I've found Radio Shack spring-clamp mic clips are less
noisy than many slide-ins because it takes two hands to open the clip, and
the mic doesn't have to slide at all. But they are cheap clips, so buy
some
spares.
And if you have cheap mics that are too noisy, invest in better mics. More
directionality and better isolation are worth it.
For those who really have a hard time holding a mic, I use a boom or a
stand
with a 12-15" gooseneck. I position it between them and their music stand,
but off to the side so they can read the music without looking around the
mic. They should raise their stand so that the top of the stand doesn't
block their view of the audience, but high enough to keep the mic out of
their way for reading. Round base stands can be positioned closer without
tripping them, if you use a gooseneck. But you need to continually remind
them about their head position until it becomes a habit for them to stay
on
the mic.
My 2 cents...
Steve
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