Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Gary Bowling]

I am considering changing our vocals mics for live performance. We're a rock band with medium loud sound with everything mic'd.

We currently use Audix OM7 mics, which are pretty good and very good at rejection. However, for optimum use, they require the performer to be extremely close to the mic. Basically lips touching the mic. Our guitarist/lead singer has a hard time with that. He does great in practice, but in a show he gets more animated and creating a "show" and has a hard time keeping right on the mic.

Due to not properly using the mic, the FOH guy tends to start increasing the mic volume to compensate which tends to create a lot of drum/cymbal bleed. So maybe something that works well at 2-4 inches would be better. I think in the long run we'll get less bleed and have more consistent vocals.

Of course the best answer would be for the singer to do a better job. But it's a trade off, the fans like how he commands the room and performs a great show. To date we haven't been successful at getting him to do both. He's either doing a great show and not always as tight on the mic, or standing there like a stick in the mud and doing a great job on the mic. The show is more important, but we would like to optimize for that situation.

We were thinking of trying the AKG C7's, but don't have any experience with them and live in an area where borrowing/finding one to try is impossible.

Opinions on that mic for our situation would be great. And general opinions on how to best handle this situation would also be great.

Thanks in advance.

Gabo

[Joris Jans2]

have you tried if a good old SM58 gives better results? not in rejection, but perhaps you don't have to push it so much so the end result could be better then the OM7

[Gary Bowling]

have you tried if a good old SM58 gives better results? not in rejection, but perhaps you don't have to push it so much so the end result could be better then the OM7

We have not. Our singer has a bit of a low voice and benefits from a mic with a bit of a bright sound, so our choice of mics thus far have been geared towards that. But not a bad idea, I might be able to borrow one of those.

Gabo

[Dave Garoutte]

Handheld wireless or headset?

[Gary Bowling]

Handheld wireless or headset?

Just a wired vocal mic on a stand    Any opinions on the AKG C7?

Gabo

[John P. Farrell]

The loudest sound at the mic wins.  You can't change that, especially if he's in front of a drum set of other high volume source.  Different patterns will only change the off axis bleed, but the direct bleed will be identical regardless of the mic. 

It sucks, and we all deal with it.  Having the singer change technique or live with it are the only real choices unfortunately.  Or find stages where he can have drums 20' or more behind him

JF

[Chris Grimshaw]

This screams out for a good wireless headset IMO.

When it comes to microphones, there's no magic bullet. A mic with a wider pickup will pick up more stage mush, but does allow a bit more, er, flexibility when it comes to mic technique.

The AKG C7 may or may not do what you're after, but it certainly isn't where I'd spend my money in this situation.

Chris

[Gary Bowling]

Yes this problem is what prompted my other thread on tests we did with various mics.

As someone stated, "loudest sound at the mic wins."

We're working with him to get on the mic better, hoping he can learn to do a good show and stay on the mic. If that fails we may try a wireless headset mic. 

gabo

[Tim McCulloch]

Gaff tape a 57 to his face.

[arthuri]

Perhaps it's not the mic, but your stage set up that you need to look at. IF the problem is that with the gain structure set so his vocal sits in the mix right, you're getting too much drum leakage into the mix, then it's time to re-think your stage set up.  The drums do NOT always need to be in the middle of the stage..who says that they do?Same with the lead singer.  So think about putting the drums on one side of the stage, and the singer/guitarist on the other side, with maybe background singers behind him or something else that isn't quite as loud as the drums. that way, when your lead singer/guitarist isn't singing, the leakage into the mic will just be what's near him, and not so much drum overheads. Maybe even angle his set up so that he's facing the drums instead of straight out into the audience, thus aiming the null point on his vocal mic at the drum kit.
just a thought.  start with a clean source, then work out from there.
Good luck.

I am considering changing our vocals mics for live performance. We're a rock band with medium loud sound with everything mic'd.

We currently use Audix OM7 mics, which are pretty good and very good at rejection. However, for optimum use, they require the performer to be extremely close to the mic. Basically lips touching the mic. Our guitarist/lead singer has a hard time with that. He does great in practice, but in a show he gets more animated and creating a "show" and has a hard time keeping right on the mic.

Due to not properly using the mic, the FOH guy tends to start increasing the mic volume to compensate which tends to create a lot of drum/cymbal bleed. So maybe something that works well at 2-4 inches would be better. I think in the long run we'll get less bleed and have more consistent vocals.

Of course the best answer would be for the singer to do a better job. But it's a trade off, the fans like how he commands the room and performs a great show. To date we haven't been successful at getting him to do both. He's either doing a great show and not always as tight on the mic, or standing there like a stick in the mud and doing a great job on the mic. The show is more important, but we would like to optimize for that situation.

We were thinking of trying the AKG C7's, but don't have any experience with them and live in an area where borrowing/finding one to try is impossible.

Opinions on that mic for our situation would be great. And general opinions on how to best handle this situation would also be great.

Thanks in advance.

Gabo

[ProSoundWeb Community]