The 10:

Common Vocal Miking Problems
& How to Solve Them

Bill Gibson has spent the last 25 years writing, recording, producing and teaching music. He is well known for his production, performance and teaching skills.

In the early '80s, Bill began teaching recording classes at one of the pioneer studios in the Seattle area: Holden, Hamilton & Roberts Recording Studios. Ten years later, Bill was part of a team that produced one of the first instructional videos on the topic of audio recording.

Today, Bill is President of Northwest Recording and has authored over 20 books. The most recent are "The Ultimate Church Sound Operator's Handbook" and "The Ultimate Live Sound Operator's Handbook, both from Hal Leonard Publishing.

1 Does the directional characteristic make a difference in the sound of the mic?

Absolutely! Mics that hear equally from all directions (omnidirectional) have an open and natural sound. They're used frequently in the studio any time the engineer wants to include the sound of the room in the recording.

The danger in using an omnidirectional mic is that any room sound (ambience) that is recorded is there to stay. For most people it's safer to record with a more directional microphone (cardioid or hypercardioid) and add any ambient sound artificially during mixdown.

Proximity effect is the cause of the boomy, bass-heavy sound we hear when a voice or instrument is close to the mic (within less than a couple inches or so). Omnidirectional mics don't suffer from the proximity effect like cardioid and hypercardioid mics do. Therefore, in the studio we often use an omnidirectional mic to record a lead vocal at close distance. Using this technique we can capture a clean and open sound without the overwhelming low end that's caused by the proximity effect.

The KSM44 is an excellent mic for studio vocals because the selectable pickup patterns let the engineer choose the texture, tone, and feel of the vocal track by simply changing between pickup patterns.

In a live setting, omnidirectional mics are the most prone to feedback. They don't reject sound from any direction and are inappropriate for most applications. However, mics with a hypercardioid directional characteristic offer a bit of a compromise—they're a little less boomy, or thick sounding, at close range than true cardioid mics. Their pickup pattern contains an area of sensitivity directly behind the mic, which affects the character of the sound as it is received at the mic capsule. In most cases, the vocal sound is a little more transparent and open-sounding when using a mic with a hypercardioid characteristic in comparison to a true cardioid characteristic.

In a live application, keep in mind that floor and stand monitor positions are usually different depending on the mic choice. When using a cardioid pattern, there is usually less feedback with the monitor directly in front of the vocalist. When using a hypercardioid pattern the monitor should be placed slightly to one side or the other in front of the vocalist for minimal feedback. If you look at the polar response graph for the specific mic, you'll notice exactly where the mic is least sensitive—that's the right spot for the monitor.

A mic like the KSM9 is a great choice for vocals in a live setting. It sounds like a studio condenser mic and it offers a pattern selection — cardioid and hypercardioid. In our church there are a couple singers that have edgy, more piercing tones. For them the KSM9 on cardioid provides a warmer, smoother tone. There are a couple other singers with lighter tonal quality to their sound. For them, the KSM9 in hypercardioid position enhances their tonal character perfectly. The flexibility provided by selectable patterns makes a mic that would be exceptional if it only had one pickup pattern, at least twice as great.

Keep in mind that every singer is different. If you have a choice of mics and directional characteristics, simply select the pattern that sounds best for the vocalist or choose the pattern that provides the best feedback rejection.

2 Is handling noise really an issue? Aren't all mics about the same?

Yes. Handling noise is an important issue, especially in a live setting.

Many studio mics aren't designed to be handheld. They're mounted in specially designed shock mounts that protect them from vibrations, bumps, and thumps. However, mics that are used in a live handheld environment must contain ample internal shock mounts and vibration control.

If you line up ten different mics on stands, you're likely to notice dramatic differences in the sound caused by simply removing each mic from its clip. Some mics even rumble in normal handheld use. At our church, there are some really inexpensive mics in the drawer—they must have come from the big sale day at the local store. They don't sound good, although they don't sound terrible, but the amount of handling noise they produce makes them completely unusable. Just shifting the mic in your hand causes a dramatic rumble—the sound of putting them in and out of the clip is unacceptable.

Mics that exhibit excessive handling noise also pick up excess amounts of noise from anything that moves on, or vibrates, the stage, such as footsteps, the kick drum, the bass cabinet, dancing, and so on.

One of the reasons for the popularity of the SM and Beta series mics from Shure is excellent design of their internal shock mounting systems and their minimal handling noise.

3 How close should the worship leader be to the mic during the song service?

I get this question frequently and it's usually borne out of the frustration that the sound operator feels when working with a singer who has bad mic technique.

In church, it's common for the sound operator to tell the music leader to just stay close to the mic (within less than an inch). That's definitely not the best approach, but it puts control in the hands of the sound operator.

The music leader must learn to move closer to the mic when he's quiet and farther away when he's loud—the actual distances depend on exactly how quiet and how loud. In addition, he must keep in mind that speaking too close to the mic can decrease intelligibility and clarity. The overall volume of the house mix, the size of the congregation, and the acoustics in the sanctuary are also considerations in mic technique.

We used to have a worship leader who could sing really loud. When she was belting it out, she might have the mic at arm's length; however, when she was speaking she might actually be touching the mic with her lips. It always sounded great.

Teach your worship leaders that when they get close to the mic, the sound is fuller and that when they back off a little the sound is more transparent and open. Also teach them that if they're too far from the mic (more than a foot on most mics) the sound is very thin.

In most modern churches, the music leader's job is more about leading between the songs than it is about their great vocal technique. It is inspiring to be lead by a great singer, but the point is usually to get the congregation to sing the lyrics so that they're able to grasp the depth of their meaning. With this in mind, teach your leader to stay closer to the mic when they are speaking than when they're singing.

Most inexperienced leaders shy away from the mic when it's time to say something that helps the church get from one song or mood to another. They probably hear themselves fine in their monitor, but in the house mix they're easily lost amongst the background music. An attentive sound operator will turn them up, but if the leaders will just get closer to the mic, they'll be heard and understood better, plus their sound will become fuller and more intimate—more like they're taking directly to each congregant.

Work with each singer to determine the mic technique that works the best for him or her.

Determine three ranges of mic distances for three separate purposes:

1. The "I'm singing with the congregation" distance—usually 1.5 to 3 inches (2 fingers to 4 fingers).
2. The "I'm taking to the congregation or singing a quiet, intimate lyric" distance—usually 1 inch or less (1 finger or less).
3. The "I'm really belting it out and I don't want to hurt someone" distance—usually 6 inches to arm's length.

4 Our vocalist gets lost in the mix and yet there are time when she's way too loud. How can I get a smooth and even vocal sound, like the sound I hear on professionally produced recordings?

Considering that your singer has good mic technique and you're riding the vocal levels to help with global differences between levels for speaking and belting, the sound you're looking for is probably a result of compression.

A compressor is an automatic volume control that responds to the strength of the incoming signal. The sound operator sets a threshold level. When the signal strength exceeds that threshold, a built-in amplifying circuit—typically a VCA (voltage controlled amplifier)—turns the signal down. A compressor is essentially an automatic sound operator. Like you, it turns the signal down when it's too loud and then back up to where it started when it's not too loud. The attack time, release time, and ratio controls let you determine whether the compressor acts like a Masserati or the giant in Jack and the Beanstalk.

Compressors only turn the signal down—they don't boost levels. However, the effect of compression is to enable the nuance in the vocals to be heard well. Because the loud parts are turned down, the entire channel can be turned up. The gain reduction meter indicates the amount of gain reduction. If it shows that the channel is being turned down by 6 dB at the loudest parts of the performance, then the entire channel can be boosted at the channel fader or at the "Makeup Gain/Output" control on the compressor. This results in the loud passages being the same volume as they would have been but the softer passages, vocal nuance, and emotional inflections have been turned up by 6 dB—they are, therefore, more audible to the congregation.

Setting up a compressor is really pretty simple:

1. Set the ratio control to determine how extreme the action is—typically between 4:1 and 7:1 for vocals. If the ratio is x:1, for every x dB that exceeds the threshold, the VCA will only let 1 dB through.
2. Set the attack time—typically between 5 and 10 milliseconds.
3. Set the release time—typically about 1/2 second.
4. Adjust the threshold so that there are times when there is no gain reduction and times when there are about 6 dB of gain reduction.
5. Boost the Makeup Gain/Output control to makeup for the gain reduction.

Often, recordings are extremely compressed. In a live setting, be aware that if the compressor is reducing the gain substantially during a performance, once the performance is over, the VCA will let the signal return to its original level—this can easily cause massive feedback. The amount of compression you use in a live performance is dependent of the amount of gain before feedback in your system. In a live application, it's usually best to compress by 6 dB or less.

5 Should I always buy a mic with a flat frequency response curve?

No. Part of the reason for differences in response curves is the intended application. If you use a mic with a flat frequency response on a live, close-miked vocalist, the sound will be thick and muddy because of the proximity effect. If you use a mic that's designed for close-miking, for instance, a distant mic on a choir or acoustic ensemble, the sound will be far too thin and weak.

The SM58® or Beta 58 have frequency response curves that roll off in the low end with a presence peak in the high end. This fact doesn't make it a lower quality mic than a mic like the KSM32 or KSM141 that exhibits a flat frequency response—it just makes them better suited to close miking than distant miking.

When a handheld vocal mic is close to the singer's lips—within a few inches—the proximity effect rounds out the lows so they are essentially flat. Low frequency response is determined by mic distance. The built-in presence peak helps provide a clear and understandable vocal range. Notice that these presence peaks are typically between 4 and 7 kHz—strategically positioned in the range of vocal sibilance and intelligibility.

Mics with a flat frequency response curve are best suited to distant-miking applications in which the mic is a foot or more from the source, and yet a full sound is desired. Many condenser mics exhibit a very flat frequency response; however, they often provide a low frequency roll-off switch to compensate for the proximity effect when used in a close-miking application.

6 What's the difference between miking a vocalist during church and miking a vocalist in the studio?

The difference is really much less than it used to be before the KSM9.

In a live setting, such as church, we use vocal microphones designed for close-miking. They have historically been moving-coil mics because of their dependability, ruggedness, and simplicity; however, moving-coil mics don't capture the fine transient detail as accurately as condenser mics.

In the studio we have historically used large-diaphragm condenser mics for vocals. Since the acoustics are controlled in a studio and since leakage isn't a consideration, most studio vocals are recorded from a distance of 6 to 12 inches. Sometimes, the singer moves closer, but the mic might be set to an omnidirectional configuration so the sound isn't too thick and muddy or the low-frequency roll-off might be applied to compensate. The vocal sound is adjusted by moving the mic across a much greater distance range than in a live setting. In addition, many professional studios have excellent acoustics—the sound of the room blends very well with the vocal to provide a desirable character and personality.

The KSM9 utilizes a studio-quality condenser capsule that provides the type of detail that's expected in a studio sound. It is housed in a body that feels good in the hand and the capsule sets in a well-designed shock mount system—it sounds great, feels good, and rejects handling noises and vibrations very efficiently.

7 Our choir sounds really thin and weak in the mix. How close should the mics be to the choir and how many mics should I use to get the best sound?

Most choirs stand on risers consisting of three or four rows. Typically, the mics should be about 18 inches in front of the first row and 18 inches above the top row for a blended sound. There should be one mic for each 9 to 12 singers, depending on your configuration.

These are good rules of thumb for a blended choir sound that's a cappella or that's accompanied by a piano or organ; however, each situation is different. If your church has a band with acoustic instruments such as drums and guitar amps, you're likely to hear leakage from the onstage instruments in the choir mics as much or more than you hear the choir.

The more onstage volume there is, the closer the mics will need to be to the choir—if you expect to get any isolation on their sound in the mix. The problem with moving the mics closer to the choir is that it is much more likely that individual voices will stick out of the choir blend. The singers directly in front of the mics will be the loudest, so arrange your choir accordingly. Put the singers who sing in tune, and who have control over the blending quality of their vocal sound, in front of each mic. Try putting one mic on each four singers. Position the mic about 18 inches in front of the foursome and equidistant from each singer, so they can all sing slightly toward the mic while still facing forward—in view of the choir director. This will provide a full sound and a decent blend.

The choir director is responsible for getting the singers to sing with excellent tone, precision, and blend during the service. If the choir is weak, inaccurate, and tentative you might as well turn their mics off and enjoy the view.

The closer the microphones are, the greater the importance of blend. One singer that is not blending, quickly becomes the only singer heard on the mic—okay, that's true no matter what the miking setup. Try positioning vocal sections together around separate mics: altos on one mic, sopranos on one mic, and so on. This gives the sound operator control over the harmonic blend, at least—be sure the sound operator understands what a good vocal blend is.

Choir mics are typically small diaphragm condensers. They provide precision and a full sound in a distant-miking application. If the onstage volume is excessive, use the microphone's low frequency roll-off to help minimize low-frequency leakage.

It's always best to work from the source to the mains when shaping any sound.

• Get the choir to sing well and full
• Select full-range small-diaphragm condensers that are accurate and easy to position
• Position the mics according to choir size, instrumental configuration, onstage volume; the type of blend and separation you need for the FOH mix.
• Be sure the sound operator knows what a good choir sound is and what the music director expects
• Reverberation is appropriate in proper doses for many choir applications. A hall reverb with a decay time around 2 or 3 seconds is usually complimentary to a choir's blend and accuracy. If your sanctuary is large and very live, reverberation isn't usually appropriate. If your sanctuary or meeting place is small and acoustically dead, a tasteful amount of reverberation is very appropriate.
• A distant choir mic tends to be heavy in content around 1.5 to 2.5 kHz.
• Setup a cut on a parametric EQ of 6 dB
• Sweep a 1/2 octave-wide bandwidth between 1.5 and 2 kHz until the sound quality smoothes out
• Fine tune the amount of cut so that the choir sound smooth and is still natural and understandable.

8 We have eight singers in our worship team. Should I mike them as a group or individually?

It depends on the sound you're looking for, the type of worship your team does, and why you have eight singers.

Eight singers isn't really enough to mic as a traditional choir and yet it's too many to mic individually, unless you have a lot of extra channels. Most modern worship music has three parts: the melody and two harmony parts. On a week-to-week basis, getting eight singers to sing the correct harmony parts, in tune, and phrased correctly is just not realistic—it's possible, but it would take excellent singers devoting a lot of time.

I've been through this quandary a few times and have always come back to the conclusion that it is best to have two harmony singers who are very quick studies, who provide instant harmonic gratification, and who blend well together. If other singers are included, their primary purpose is to model praise and worship—they help the congregation feel better about opening themselves and their hearts to God. They should sing melody only, they should be miked using a couple high-quality small-diaphragm condenser mics and, if they sound good, they should be blended into the mix to help support the congregation.

If the choir is blended properly, the congregation will feel like they're singing louder so they'll sing even louder and be released into a deeper time of worship. That's why the team exists in the first place.

If your team has eight singers because the pastor wants to include more people in ministry and so the team will be visually more inspiring, that's valid. If you want them to sound good, too, rotate the harmony singers on the individual mics and include the rest of the singers in a mini-choir configuration or on individual mics that aren't as loud in the mix as the harmonies.

If you're utilizing individual mics, teach the singers to use proper mic technique. Harmony and backing vocalists should stay within one to four inches of the mic most of the time, even when they're singing out, in order to minimize leakage from drums, amplifiers, and other onstage sounds.

9 Our pastor prefers to use a lavalier mic but the sound is very muddy. How can I make it sound better?

There are a few considerations that are very important to achieving an excellent sound from a lavalier.

1. Gain before feedback – If your system is always on the verge of feedback it will be extremely difficult to get a great sound from any mic, especially a lavalier. Your sound system should be professionally equalized and processed for the best sound and maximum gain before feedback. Once that's been accomplished, you're ready for the next step.

2. Mic position – If the lavalier is pointing away from the pastor's mouth or is too far away from his mouth, it will be difficult to get a good sound. The lavaliere should be positioned about one fist below the pastor's chin, pointing up toward his mouth, securely clipped to his tie or shirt and centered between his left and right sides. If your pastor or speaker is a woman, things can quickly become difficult if there isn't a suitable place to position the lavaliere for an acceptable sound. Women pastors and presenters who are experienced will usually dress with mic position in mind. However, if there isn't an appropriate place to clip the mic—a place that will provide a strong signal that sounds good—recommend a handheld wireless mic. The lavaliere should not be positioned off to one side or the other. There is already a tendency, when using a lavaliere, for a decrease in volume when the pastor turns his or her head to one side or the other. If the mic isn't centered between left and right, it's likely that the volume will dramatically increase when the pastor turns one way and disappears when he turns the other.

3. Equalization – The sound that is provided by a lavaliere mic is often thick and muddy. There is typically a peak somewhere between 250 and 500 hertz—this is what creates the thick, muffled sound.

Considering that the system has been set up properly and that the mic is positioned correctly, equalization can easily smooth out this unattractive sound. Resist your inclination to boost highs for clarity and lows for depth. First, set up a cut of about 6 dB and a bandwidth between 1/2 and 1 octave wide, on a parametric or semi-parametric equalizer. Sweep the cut between 200 and 500 Hertz, or so—there will probably be a particular spot where the sound will come alive. You'll hear the highs and lows much better and the lavaliere sound will feel natural and appealing, all because you decreased the frequency band that was getting in the way of the desired content. Next, fine-tune the amount of cut. If you've selected the right frequency center point, a cut of 3 to 6 dB should be sufficient.

10 Our worship leader's volume is good when he's singing but sometimes we can't understand him when he's talking. What can I do to help our worship leader to be understood better both when he's singing and talking?

Things to remember:

• Choose a mic that sounds good
• Proper mic technique is important
• Compression can help even out the dynamic range so that soft sounds are easier to hear in the mix
• If you've already addressed the previous points, a little EQ can help increase the vocal intelligibility.

Try these techniques:

• Sometimes, the vocal sound is just too thick. Use a high pass filter to roll off the lows below about 150 Hertz. This might make room for the rest of the vocal tone to be understood and heard more clearly in the mix.
• Cut a one-octave wide band around 300 – 600 Hertz by a few dB can help open up the sound so that it is much more intelligible in the mix.
• Vocal intelligibility cues come from the sibilant (s, sh, ch, etc.) and transient (t, k, etc.) sounds. These sounds can be accentuated when you boost a one-octave wide bandwidth between about 3 and 6 kHz. Usually a boost of 1–3 dB is sufficient. The exact frequency selection is dependent on the vocalist, the mic, and the system.