Microphone Technique -part 2

If you haven't read part 1 of 'Microphone Technique' read it first as this part assumes you have already read it.

In part 1 we talked about veering of the hand held mic about 30º. If you're holding it in your right hand, it's more natural to veer it off to the right. If you're holding it in your left hand, veer it off to the left. Remember, do not sing directly into the mic, but straight into the audience.

As you move your head, move the mic as if it were stuck in that position don't go changing the angle as your head moves. Your upper body should move in sync with your head. If you need proof, watch how most professional singers do it during live performances. You'll notice that the position of the mic only changes when they sing high notes; that's when they move it a little further from their mouths and maybe straighten it out a bit, then it's back to position one.

To be able to sing effectively, one must learn to listen first. Effective singing requires about 70% listening and 30% singing. You must learn to blend into the mix and not expect the sound man to do it for you (he's got a lot of other things to worry about). Listen to the instruments around you and make sure you're not too loud or soft in the mix. If necessary, bring the mic closer to get more body in your sound, or further away if your voice is lacking in brightness. If this does not get you a satisfactory result, then consider having yourself turned up or EQ'ed; although any competent sound man will have already done it for you during the vocal soundcheck.

Make sure you are not too loud on your monitor, because if you're hearing yourself too much, you can go of tune or not hear the beat properly. Make sure it's just enough to hear yourself over the other instruments.

Don't expect the microphone to substitute what you are not doing. Microphones only help to amplify the sound that you are producing. Singers are the primary cause of deficient vocals. If you're not doing your job right, who supposed to be doing it for you? Good singers adapt to the circumstances and don't spend their time blaming others for something they should be doing.

It is true that sound men can be to blame sometimes, but if you give them a good sound to work with, you make their job and yours a lot easier. Practice to get power in your voice. If you've got power and control over your voice (without screaming), the gain on the mic can be turned down a little and feedback won't be a problem for you.