FRONT OF HOUSE
VOX BOX : HOW DID WE END UP HERE ? | Kent Morris
In a later episode of The Brady Bunch , a TV sitcom series , eldest son Greg embarks on a singing career and ends up a star simply because he fit the suit . The Brady kids , with the exception of Peter , who truly could not sing , use their decent to good voices in an ensemble setting to win a talent show . However , Greg is singled out as the star and given special clothes , treatment , and a new name , Johnny Bravo . The rather limited audio technology of the 1970s is used to change Greg ’ s natural voice into a processed and polished sound the crowds love , but he despises . As it happens , the stage clothing he is made to wear actually fit him as well as it did the previously manufactured star . In other words , he fit the suit . Only after the true reason for his selection becomes clear do the Brady kids reunite as a whole and perform together with their natural voices .
In a parallel manner , we as live audio techs today have so much technical apparatus at our disposal as to be able to create an entire army of Johnny Bravo ’ s at a level unfathomable to studio engineers of the 1970s . With plugins capable of turning almost anyone with reasonable pitch and delivery into an arena ready vocalist , have we jumped the shark and built a vocal worship system more attuned to fashion , precision , and presence than talent , spirituality , and skill ?
This distinct possibility was brought to light recently as a new vocalist settled into the worship team for her first day . At FOH , we attributed her initial lack of voice control to nerves and asked the MON engineer to reassure her and ease her stress . However , he radioed back she was calm , relaxed and eager to sing . Unsure what to do next , we rolled with the rehearsal with her vocal control , mic technique and dynamics as rough as the waters of a hurricane . Looking into her background online , we found she was well accomplished and had a resume of singing on recognized stages with well-regarded ensembles . Then it struck us : each of the listed churches use highly sophisticated consoles with the latest plug-ins to massage everything from pitch to dynamics to envelope to relieve the vocalist of the need to hold the mic correctly , breathe properly , enunciate with precision and maintain control . A quick text to one of the engineers at the most prominent church confirmed their SOP is to insure consistently and repeatability across all their campuses and services through the use of programs capable of rendering the desired results leadership has chosen as essential to their branding .
The result of this leadership ’ s decision is a two-edged sword . On one side , consistency is assured as each vocal is placed into a digital box and processed into a uniform output . On the other , each vocalist is stripped of individuality and the nuances of imperfection . A vocalist who is able to sing with imprecision but be heard with precision never learns to correct their issues or poor technique as there is no impetus to do so . Just as chicken nuggets are various blended and processed chicken parts shaped into a known form while whole chickens vary according to the each , there is not necessarily a right and wrong at play . If the goal is to produce nuggets , nugget shaping is the answer , but if the goal is a chicken dinner , it must be made from a whole chicken with skin , bones and gristle intact .
The point is we now have the technology to render persistent practice and the honing of skill relatively obsolete . When the plug-in can do all the work , why should the vocalist ? However , as a counterpoint , in churches with shallower talent pools and less experienced board operators , the use of plug-ins can bridge the gap between mediocre and stellar results . What , then , is the answer ?
One reasonable option is to maximize the available talent both on the platform and in the booth through natural or “ organic ” means before implementing the technology . Using plug-ins as the icing and not the cake will lead to better vocals that need less work to rise to an acceptable level . Accept the imperfection and move up from there . Start with a demonstration of proper mic technique , the use of variable mic position to balance output , delivery of clear pronouncement of words , the use of rehearsals around a piano , and then continue on stage building a robust in-ear mix consisting of click , guide , self vocal , reference vocal , keys , bass , kick and snare and very little FX . After some difficult moments of learning to separate from the artificially induced plug-in environment , the blend will begin coming together . Slowly , the need for the props and supports will wane as the vocal team becomes stronger , more confident and self-reliant .
Vocals are the heart of worship in song . The only differentiating factor between secular and sacred music is the lyrical content . Delivering it authentically , accurately and with conviction is the sole means of offering a sacrifice worthy of praise . After all , the realness of Greg Brady always outlasts the manufactured Johnny Bravo .
Kent Morris Kent Morris is a 44-year veteran of the AVL arena driven by passion for excellence tempered by the knowledge all technology is in a temporal state .
124 April 2024 Subscribe for Free ...