If you always use a mike when you sing then you should be well practised in how to use one and its sound system. However, it now seems to be assumed that a microphone is necessary in even relatively small public spaces, so most people who sing or speak to audiences will have to deal with one at some point.
The first thing to say is that even if a microphone is available, it doesn’t mean you have to use it. A mike not only affects how you use your voice and how it sounds but, especially if it is fixed or hand-held rather than clip-on, is a barrier between you and your audience that can reduce both your and their feeling of connection. There is definitely something powerful about a single human voice communicating with others, and that feeling is usually lost once a microphone is involved. If done well, not using a mike is also impressive because it is so unusual nowadays. Your Better Voice technique gives you far better focus and projection than a throat-based voice, so unless the space is very large do at least give a mike-free delivery a try.
If you are using a microphone be aware that, contrary to popular belief, microphones can’t do everything for you. What they do is magnify. They don’t make anything clearer. So, if your words when you sing are indistinct, or you talk as though you’re chatting confidentially to a friend sitting next to you, the mike will just ‘magnify the mumble’.
Mikes also magnify the energy, or lack of, behind your voice: a dull, monotonous delivery, whether sung or spoken, will sound even more boring, while an over-energised voice will sound frenetic. In both cases listeners will tune out because they won’t feel you’re communicating with them. Always try to keep a feeling of personal connection and communication between you and your audience.
A practice with the sound system beforehand is essential if you’re singing and highly recommended if you’re speaking. You can then work out how loudly to vocalise and, if it’s a fixed mike, how far away to stand, or if it’s hand-held, how close to hold it to your mouth (most people hold it too close). If a practice really isn’t possible, you might get a friend in the audience to signal any adjustments you need to make while you’re performing.
One final bit of advice: The most common mistake singers make with mikes – even those who use them regularly – is to ‘overblow’ loud or high notes, and especially ones that are both loud and high, so that the sound distorts unpleasantly. Consciously keeping the volume down at these moments, and/or simply moving the mike further from your mouth can avoid this.
If you end up using a microphone frequently, we would highly recommend you research what to do and what not to do in more detail than is possible here.
If you always use a mike when you sing then you should be well practised in how to use one and its sound system. However, it now seems to be assumed that a microphone is necessary in even relatively small public spaces, so most people who sing or speak to audiences will have to deal with one at some point.
The first thing to say is that even if a microphone is available, it doesn’t mean you have to use it. A mike not only affects how you use your voice and how it sounds but, especially if it is fixed or hand-held rather than clip-on, is a barrier between you and your audience that can reduce both your and their feeling of connection. There is definitely something powerful about a single human voice communicating with others, and that feeling is usually lost once a microphone is involved. If done well, not using a mike is also impressive because it is so unusual nowadays. Your Better Voice technique gives you far better focus and projection than a throat-based voice, so unless the space is very large do at least give a mike-free delivery a try.
If you are using a microphone be aware that, contrary to popular belief, microphones can’t do everything for you. What they do is magnify. They don’t make anything clearer. So, if your words when you sing are indistinct, or you talk as though you’re chatting confidentially to a friend sitting next to you, the mike will just ‘magnify the mumble’.
Mikes also magnify the energy, or lack of, behind your voice: a dull, monotonous delivery, whether sung or spoken, will sound even more boring, while an over-energised voice will sound frenetic. In both cases listeners will tune out because they won’t feel you’re communicating with them. Always try to keep a feeling of personal connection and communication between you and your audience.
A practice with the sound system beforehand is essential if you’re singing and highly recommended if you’re speaking. You can then work out how loudly to vocalise and, if it’s a fixed mike, how far away to stand, or if it’s hand-held, how close to hold it to your mouth (most people hold it too close). If a practice really isn’t possible, you might get a friend in the audience to signal any adjustments you need to make while you’re performing.
One final bit of advice: The most common mistake singers make with mikes – even those who use them regularly – is to ‘overblow’ loud or high notes, and especially ones that are both loud and high, so that the sound distorts unpleasantly. Consciously keeping the volume down at these moments, and/or simply moving the mike further from your mouth can avoid this.
If you end up using a microphone frequently, we would highly recommend you research what to do and what not to do in more detail than is possible here.
