Microphones & Monitors-How to Use? - P1

By Jeannie Deva

Have you been there?

Have you ever had to sing in a live performance where you could not hear yourself through your monitor or if you could, it just sounded horrible? Did you ever have the thought, �Is it me or is it the microphone?�

The best vocal technique can be thwarted and often masked completely when performing on stage with a poor microphone-monitor-PA (speaker/effects/amplification) system.

Vocal technique will help you to be a better singer; use your voice with ease, range, confidence and develop the stamina you need to last. But problems with stage electronics can make it seem as though your technique is non-existent or at best, not as good as it really is.

Now What?

So what do you do when you find yourself in this situation? Firstly, what you shouldn�t do is panic or get �&!**-ed off�. Since the voice is emotion sensitive, the more distraught you become, the more it will hamper your performance. You probably know if you concentrate too much to hear yourself, chances are, you'll start to push harder, your throat will tense, and you�ll sound strained and possibly off-key to the audience. What�s the deal with this anyway?

Pretty much all the other musicians in the band have their own volume knobs and can adjust their stage volumes. But you are dependant on a sound person who can't hear what you hear on stage, and may be facing certain sound system limitations because of the feed-back threshold.

The Problem

Why is it that other musicians have their own volume and effects controls right at their fingertips while we singers try to come up with ingenious ways of signaling to the sound man who often has no clue what our sign-language means. Even if the signals are understandable, given the limitations of equipment, there may be no easy solution to our needs.

What about reverb and other effects that help restore the ambiance of the human voice which has been stripped away by the electronic transference of your acoustic instrument? Do you even have any reverb in the monitor mix? What�s a singer to do?

Seeking a Remedy

For years I have been researching ways to empower singers. This has included the related field of electronic manipulation of the voice. Some years ago, I recognized the fact that no matter how well I trained my singers; they would still end up with blown-out voices if the monitors and sound mix were horrible.

I devised a fairly complicated and expensive rack of gear a singer could use right on stage; which would then send the vocal signal to the external mixing board and PA speakers in the performance venue. I even tried to use guitar effects pedals to have some independence in how I wanted to mix my voice. But guitar pedals are not built to interact with the human voice and it was never quite right.

When you step up to the mic, you enter into an entirely new world: The world of electronics. Each element of the electronic transference system should be properly suited to enhance your voice and restore its acoustic qualities. You must be able to comfortably hear yourself so that you have no attention on yourself.


If you have achieved a performance level as a singer where your voice really reflects the nuances of emotion you are feeling, then the electronics must be equally capable of reflecting these subtleties. If the equipment is used incorrectly or isn�t of comparable quality to your voice, the emotional subtleties of your voice will be lost in the mix.

After years of searching for a real solution, I�m happy to say there is good news. Finally, you can take full control of these situations and have access to your own volume knobs and vocal mix! Have you ever dreamed that you could?

The Solution

Taking control of your vocal sound in a live performance would mean that you have the correct microphone for your voice and you can independently adjust your monitor volume and effects like reverb or delay. How is this possible?

I have finally found vocal processing equipment and a personal monitor system that not only makes it possible, but does it so well; you will be amazed at how you sound on stage.

There are three basic components to the system:
1) Your microphone - There are various mic possibilities depending on your voice and style(s). The important thing is to audition the mic and make certain that it is the right fit for you.
2) Your personal monitors � TC Helicon Vocal Technologies VoiceSolo Active Voice Monitor and Control are the best I have heard bar none. They are small, powerful and with your own volume controls at your fingertips on stage.
3) Your signal processing � At your feet! TC-Helicon has created magnificent, world class sound processing for singers packaged in an easy to use foot pedal unit. It comes with everything you need (you add your own cables) to run your mix from the stage to the sound engineer for the venue�s PA.

In Part Two of this article, I�ll go into much more detail about the three components. In the meantime, please go ahead and check out this liberating world-class TC-Helicon gear. May your life on stage become powerful and joyful as a result!

All the best,
Jeannie Deva