VOCALS
[ 10 TIPS FOR A BETTER OPEN SPEAKER MONITOR MIX - PART 1 | Grant Norsworthy ]
After regularly finding themselves popping out not enough for a sound check. We have to get
one or even both in-ear monitors (IEMs) to over it! Every singer has had to work through
get a better feel for the level of congregational this. If your voice is good enough to be mic’ed,
connection, many church vocalists and leaders you must be able to do this: Sing into the mic
of worship through songs are discovering (or in the same way whether it’s sound check or
rediscovering) the good things about open service. And sing with the loudest volume you
speaker monitors that may have been (nearly) will use in the service.
forgotten.
I’ve had great success helping singers break
Despite all the past efforts with “ambient” or through this barrier by singing with them to
“room” microphones (pointing toward the begin with and, once they’re rolling, I slip away
congregation so their “voice” can be fed back from my microphone and allow my voice to
to those on the platform through IEM s), they
are finding that nothing’s better than good ol’
fashioned floor wedges if (and it’s a big if) they
are used properly.
If we’re going to keep - or reintroduce - open
speaker monitors, let’s do it well! Let’s not
make the same mistakes that made IEMs
seem like the only possible way forward in
the first place. No one wants to return to the
horrors of the open speaker monitor wars!
To that end, here’s my Top 10 List of tips
for vocalists to get a better open speaker
monitor mix:
10. POSITION
Monitor speakers are highly directional. Make
sure that your monitor speaker enclosure
is positioned in such a way that its “tube” of
sound reaches your head in a direct line that
is as short as practicable. You don’t want the
bulk of the sound shooting past your shins, or
off to one side. You should be able to look at
the speaker and see it “looking” straight back
at you.
9. OBSTRUCTIONS
Don’t have anything like a music stand or
tablet in the line between the monitor and your
head. This can greatly and negatively affect
the sound. The higher-frequency-producing
“horn” of the speaker enclosure is particularly
susceptible to this.
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trail off to nothing. Most can keep going once
8. ISOLATION
I hope it goes without saying, but you must do a
sound check! And when you’re sound checking
your monitor, there should be no competing
sounds around you. To truly assess the quality
and suitability of the monitor mix, eliminate any
competing hubbub of instruments jamming,
they’ve made a start. The more they do it, the
easier it gets.
6. MIC TO MOUTH PROXIMITY
The dynamic microphones generally used for
the human voice are designed to be positioned
singers singing or even close-by talking. very close to the sound source. They are also
I have found that it is super helpful to ask for stand or in your hand, always have the mic
the FOH system to be muted. The competing
“room” sound can leave me confused about
what I am hearing from my monitor. Empty
rooms - especially big ones but also smaller
ones - generally have a lot of boomy lower
frequencies, especially before the congregation
arrives. People soak up an enormous amount
of that low-end wash. The sound of my monitor
during sound check - in an empty room with
the PA muted - is much closer to how it will
sound during the service - with a crowd and
the PA running.
highly direction-sensitive. Whether it’s on a mic
pointing straight towards your mouth and at
about a finger’s depth from your lips. Don’t pull
away from the mic (or pull the mic away from
your mouth) when you’re going for that higher
note, when you think you’re singing louder or
you’re a bit unsure of yourself. Allow the audio
tech to mix. Don’t try to mix yourself.
We’re half way there! For #5 to #1 of this list,
make sure you check out Part 2 of this article
in next month’s issue. The best is yet to come!
While you’re patiently waiting, watch this short
video for a goofy demonstration of some of
7. GET OVER IT!
If you haven’t yet had enough experience
these tips.
singing into a microphone, the sound check
can be a nerve-racking, or even fear-inducing
experience. “Oh no! Everyone’s listening! There
are no other sounds to hide behind! Everyone
will hear my voice for what it is!” As a result,
when asked to check their microphone, a lot of
church singers are way too tentative. A timid,
mousey, “Check, one, two... yes that’s fine,” is
May 2018
Grant Norsworthy
Founder of MoreThanMusicMentor.com, providing
training for worshipping musicians.
MoreThanMusicMentor.com
WorshipMusician.com