Magic Mic Control

LIVE PERFORMANCE is what makes you stand out as an artist. 

You could have a hit online with millions of streams, but if people book tickets and come to your show, you still need to bring the thunder on stage!

The microphone is an instrument in itself and a great tool to use in your set. With good control, you can achieve a consistent and well-rounded sound that will take you from amateur to sounding professional!
Microphone polar patterns reflect the area around a microphone that picks up sound; e.g. Cardioid picks up primarly from just in front, whereas omnidirectional has equal pick up from all directions.

Microphone Polar Patterns

A microphone’s polar pattern is the sensitivity of how well the microphone receives sound relative to the angle or direction from which the sound originates. 

In simpler terms, a microphone’s polar pattern describes how well the microphone can capture sound from various directions.

 

Most vocal/dynamic microphones have a built in cardioid polar pattern.

Microphone Gain

Microphone gain refers to the control of the microphone’s sensitivity to sound, essentially adjusting the level of the audio signal that the microphone captures.

It amplifies the input signal, making the sound louder and more prominent. Proper gain adjustment ensures that the audio is clear and strong without distortion or noise, balancing the volume for optimal recording or live performance.

You use less air while singing softly, so you can sit closer to the mic *NOTE: this is an extreme example and you will learn to guage distance through experience *Singer: Sion Whiley

Your Positioning

Now that we’ve established how the microphone picks up sound, we need to determine your proximity when performing.

  1. For your “head” voice, where you sing comfortably, you should be singing around 2-4 inches away from the mic and just off-centre to avoid “pops.”
  2. For falsetto, which is your highest and often weakest range, go closer to the mic and sing directly into it to attain the same volume as the other ranges.
  3. For your “chest” voice or belting, you should create space between you and the mic and try to sing at a 45˚ angle to avoid too much air going into the mic.
 

See the tutorials for reference.

Maintain a consistent volume by singing off centre in loud sections to prevent pops *Singer: Robbie Culley

What are “Pops”?

“Pops” are extra bursts of air from our lungs that happen naturally with language. They are most commonly found around the letters “B” and “P”. If you say them now, you’ll notice you’re pushing more air out than with other letters such as “M” or “D”.

You can avoid this by singing at an angle to avoid the air going straight into the mic.

In future articles, we’ll go further into different microphones and their uses to help you sound your best.

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