Ever had a bad gig not because your group sounded bad, but because the sound engineer had the levels all tweaked out? Or there was ongoing low frequency feedback? How about when your duet mic is three times louder than the solo mic?
Let me guess, you can probably think of ten other scenarios right now where a good performance was compromised because of some kind of sound amplification problem.
One of the challenges facing small to medium size non-professional a cappella groups is being able to consistently present the best sound possible across a variety of venues on a shoe-string budget. Below are some common pitfalls and ways to simplify making the experience consistently better for both your singers and your audience.
4 common pitfalls when dealing with sound equipment
1.) Too many mics. Often the types of venues at which small to medium-size contemporary a cappella groups perform vary widely, and come with their own sound people, who may or may not be very skilled or interested in what they do. In the case of a venue with an inept sound person, multiple mics just means more opportunity for feedback and poor leveling—or equally as bad, I’ve seen a distracted sound person completely miss the entrance of a soloist, or even the entire solo.
2.) Too many mic stands. Ever felt like you were running the gauntlet trying to get to the front of the stage to sing your solo? Ever tripped over one of the sometimes many cords or stands on the way? ‘Nuff said.
3.) Leveling problems due to clustering on mics. So, you have a group of fourteen members. You have four mics. Have you ever tried to get twelve to fourteen hobbyist or semi-professional singers to stand strategically in groups of three or four around standard single-direction soloist mics that have very poor pick-up from more than a few inches away, while they are still trying to look at and engage the audience, and also listen to the monitor too (assuming it’s working) to make sure they personally are heard, but not too strong in the mix. Uh, yeah… Go ahead and laugh out loud if you feel the urge, or cry—whichever you prefer. Even when the director tells certain people to step up or back, they inevitable just… don’t.
4.) Inappropriate or poor equipment. Broken, damaged or just inferior quality mics may lead to fuzzy or tinny sound. Also, most venues will have single-direction dynamic mics as their house mics. These mics are designed for singers to be practically touching and directly in front of the mic head with a pick-up range up to about 6-7 inches off. Singing to one side or turning the mic off-axis should only be done by regularly performing soloists who like to “affect” their performances. And that is arguable. However, that kind of manipulation is obviously not the desired intention when trying to have multiple people singing supposedly equally into a single microphone. But unfortunately, when using uni-directional mics for clusters of multiple singers you are going to get some of this effect whether it is intended or not, most often not to the benefit of the performance.
How to overcome these basic pitfalls
1.) Sing acoustic when possible. Many a cappella groups sound best in un-mic’d performances because they can most effectively listen to themselves in an acoustic environment and adjust accordingly to self-balance, blend and tune. It’s when sound equipment is introduced and the group is no longer in control of the end product that things most often go awry, from mixing to monitor problems that end up in poor intonation. So unless you are aiming for an edgy rock sound that must use sound equipment or you are singing in a venue where amplification is absolutely required, sing acoustically. The audience will better hear the intricacies of your performance and will get a better flavor for your natural sound.
2.) Buy your own mics. If you have to have amplification, you are going to get a more stable and predictable sound if you are working with consistent, quality equipment that you use regularly and from which you know what to expect. Start with a good background mic first, as that is where most of the complication arises. Try several different mics before you buy, and contact other groups to see what they are using and if they are satisfied. Know what kind of group you are and what affect you are trying to achieve. Do you perform indoors and outdoors? Some mics do not lend well to outside conditions. Can you use mic bars to reduce the number of mic stands on stage and more effectively group your singers to eliminate odd clustering effects? Or better yet, try a good paired condenser mic (such as a Rode NT4) that can amplify the entire group from a single, central stand. This reduces the complications of multiple stands, multiple inputs for the sound engineer to manage, and clustering issues. Once you have your background microphone situation handled, you may also want to add a percussion mic, a bass mic—maybe even with an octavizer, and soloist mics. Just make sure that whatever you buy, you practice with your new equipment—while a skilled ear is listening and adjusting stage position, etc.—before trying it in a live performance, as different microphones and sound set-ups each have their own nuances.
3.) Provide the engineer a set list that shows the solos. With or without your own sound equipment, a simple strategy that will save you some headache and help the sound engineer do a better job is to simply provide him or her with your set list, clearly identifying how many soloists are going to be singing on each song and which mics they will be using. Lay the mics out on stage in a set placement (Left, Center, Right) or color code them with windscreens or colored bands so the engineer can easily see from a distance which is which. Itemize each solo by color or placement on the set list and train your singers to use the mic marked for them on the set list sheet you give the engineer. Also, make sure you clarify with the sound person that Mic 1 should always be the loudest and the other soloist mics should be secondary. Following this simple procedure will help to make sure that a solo entrance isn’t missed and that volume levels are set appropriately.
4.) Perform a thorough sound check. Have prepared snippets to check overall sound as a group, and also the levels of the solo mic(s). Make sure to test all solo, duet and trio mics *together* to make sure the solo mics are balanced properly in contrast to one another other, as well as in contrast to the background. Designate someone from your group to run the sound check from the stage (directing the singers), and someone else to stand in the audience area or with the sound person to provide direction as appropriate to both the group and the sound engineer. Note: Occasionally you may get some attitude from the sound person if you do this, so be prepared both musically and professionally, and remember that you have more invested in your performance than they do. Be polite, efficient, and concise and everyone will benefit.
Look for more on sound equipment and options in a future article on “Picking the Perfect Mic”.
About the author:
Sheila Hunt has been singing a cappella since the late 80's and joined her first exclusively a cappella group in the early 90's singing with the Middlebury College Mischords. Since then she has sung with and directed several other a cappella ensembles, both co-ed and women's, including jazz, rock, and popular variety ensembles. She also plays piano, flute and bassoon, and has a Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Studies from Capital University Conservatory of Music in Columbus, OH. Currently, she is involved in singer/songwriter events in Atlanta, co-operates a small three-booth private recording studio in Marietta, GA and also has directed and sings with two semi-professional Atlanta-based a cappella groups.
photo: Elon Sweet Signatures
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