One of the most overlooked processes for vocalists is Mic Control. Very few vocalists practice mic technique enough. This I can lead to all sorts of bad results including poor performance to making really a really bad habit much worse. It’s has been the downfall of more than one fledgling singer.
Not to worry you can unlearn all of your bad habits and get some excellent new ones.
Here’s what you should do in your next practice session.
- Put your lips right on the mic and hold it parallel to the ground.
- Sing until you have a good feel for the sound dynamics and
- Rotate the mic to a 45 degree angle with your lips still right up on the mic.
Get comfortable with that and hear the difference.
Then move the mic down perpendicular with the ground.
You’ll notice a significant difference between the 3 positions.
Now do the same thing but this time, hold the mic 1 inch away from your mouth. Hear that difference? Now do the exercise one last time but this time have the mic 2" away.
Any one of those 9 positions is within the zone. But just as no 2 sets of ears are the same, no mouth is the same either. You have to find what works best for you. You have to find your sweet spot.
And once you do, you’ll experience a completely different level of control and confidence. That will lead to you singing with much more ease and with much less strain. This confidence is what leads to less vocal fatigue.
When you hear the difference in your performance and your sound you will be really happy if not totally amazed. And understand that everyone else will hear that as well. It goes without saying, but the cleaner the sound is in your mic, the better you will sound to the room through the PA. Plus, you will have a constant level—a baseline—that your engineer will be able to depend on and work with. Your output won’t fluctuate and when it does, it will be your choice based on how you are controlling the mic.
This installation of the Ultimate Ears University was developed over a series of interviews with Jason Batuyong, Freelance Monitor Mixer. Jason is an expert in the field and to the best of our knowledge, the first and only person on the Internet to discuss mic techniques as they relate to in-ear monitors. Thank you Jason.
