For all my KJ friends, First I do not set set myself as an authority. I have however been mixing live sound for 40 years. I told several of you that I would share some of my secrets for our successful karaoke shows. First, understand that a voice is an instrument. Treating it is as such is paramount. Some play it well and some dont. A good karaoke show has a large number of good singers and a few that get applause because the pain is over. So the key ingredient is how to get and KEEP good singers coming. Mic and monitor are the key elements that set the the level of the performance of the singer. I have said all my career in mixing live music, that a hot mike and a hot monitor is the key to a happy performer and a great show. This 20+ year old video will serve to show that monitor sound is equally as or even more important then the house sound. Check out the size of the monitors on the Grand Ole Opry stage. While I know that there is no comparison between the venues, it does serve to show the importance of the monitor system. It always make the performer a better singer, regardless of the talent level, when he has a clear idea of what is going out. Always set the mics and monitor levels before ever mixing the house. A hot mic and monitor provides the ability for the performer to hear and adjust his intonation. Feedback is controlled primarily by monitor placement and sometimes compression. Compression isnt mandatory but helps with some voices. I ALWAYS adjust mic gain at the beginning of every song and lower it at the end. YOU CAN NOT SET A MICROPHONE THE SAME FOR EVERY SINGER! Without this ability to hear themselves and adjust their instruments, they are just another blah singer. Watch a lead guitar player, he is constant changing and adjusting his instument. Intonation and tonal quality can only be adjusted by the performer LIVE and this is what sets one singer apart from the other. Effects are also important. Buy yourself a board that provides these elements or put them in your rack. Many have remarked on my non-use of cordless mics. I carried 6 of them on the trailer, but experience has taught that somewhere in a show someone will walk out in front of my mains. People will not forgive the pain that a severe feedback causes and venue owners despise feedback. Once a performer experiences this feeling of vocal control that you provide for them, they will keep returning to your show. Your line up of good singers will bring even more good singers and will result in a bigger audience and more profits to the venue. Always keep in mind the reason WHY you are there and WHO is deciding if you stay.
Posted on: Mon, 29 Sep 2014 15:30:44 +0000