Re: Garage/Punk Band Live Vocal Mic Recommendation

Posted by Rob Burgess on July 31, 2002 at 20:41:51:

In Reply to: Garage/Punk Band Live Vocal Mic Recommendation posted by Kevin Murphy on July 31, 2002 at 04:51:46:

: Hey everybody, I will try to be as specific as possible so I apologize for any wordiness. Thanks. My band is a garage/punk trio, we're just getting started, but of the few shows we've played, the crowd always tells us after the vocals weren't clear, or muddy sounding. We are using the house PA and house soundman. Certain songs are more hardcore where I'm shouting into the mic and everything is loud and fast, and others have more dynamics. I have a midrange tenor type of vocal when I sing and am using a Fender Hot Rod Deville with the Master volume on about the lowest it can go and get a good tone. The venues we play are smaller rooms and could hold 200 people roughly. I am unsure what mic's they use, but one had a big dent in the grill last show! I'm guessing it was an (abused) SM 58. Also, typically there are no floor monitors.

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Hi Kevin,
I'm going to join those who are telling you that it ain't the mic.

You mention that typically there are no floor monitors. Right away this suggests that you are playing places with small PA's. If they can't afford monitors then they probably didn't buy much of a system to start with. No mic on earth will cut through a punk band playing through an underpowered PA. As much as I laud your attempt at getting a better vocal sound, you're chasing ghosts. If the vocals aren't cutting through the mix then it's irrelevant how good the mic is.

Things to work on would be getting the band to play quieter (hard to do), getting the sound tech to mix the band properly in the first place (also hard to do - if he/she sucks then there isn't much you can do short of hiring someone else), or start playing places with better PA's. It does eventually get better but the first few steps hurt the most.

Good luck
--
Rob

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Comments:
: : Hey everybody, I will try to be as specific as possible so I apologize for any wordiness. Thanks. My band is a garage/punk trio, we're just getting started, but of the few shows we've played, the crowd always tells us after the vocals weren't clear, or muddy sounding. We are using the house PA and house soundman. Certain songs are more hardcore where I'm shouting into the mic and everything is loud and fast, and others have more dynamics. I have a midrange tenor type of vocal when I sing and am using a Fender Hot Rod Deville with the Master volume on about the lowest it can go and get a good tone. The venues we play are smaller rooms and could hold 200 people roughly. I am unsure what mic's they use, but one had a big dent in  the grill last show! I'm guessing it was an (abused) SM 58. Also, typically there are no floor monitors. 

: --------------------------------------

: Hi Kevin,
: I'm going to join those who are telling you that it ain't the mic.

: You mention that typically there are no floor monitors.  Right away this suggests that you are playing places with small PA's.  If they can't afford monitors then they probably didn't buy much of a system to start with.  No mic on earth will cut through a punk band playing through an underpowered PA.  As much as I laud your attempt at getting a better vocal sound, you're chasing ghosts.  If the vocals aren't cutting through the mix then it's irrelevant how good the mic is.

: Things to work on would be getting the band to play quieter (hard to do), getting the sound tech to mix the band properly in the first place (also hard to do - if he/she sucks then there isn't much you can do short of hiring someone else), or start playing places with better PA's.  It does eventually get better but the first few steps hurt the most.

: Good luck
: -- 
: Rob



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