Re: [ARSCLIST] Not using headphones

[Matthew Barton <mbarton@xxxxxxx>]

Several years ago, I saw the Del McCoury Band work with one microphone in just the way you describe. On their opening breakdown, each soloist would step up to the mic, play, and step back into the group. After the second or third soloist had finished, the woman next to me said "Cool! They're doing their own mix!"

Matthew Barton
MBRS
The Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20540-4610
202-707-5508
email: mbarton@xxxxxxx

>>> tflists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 8/29/2006 6:14:22 PM >>>
There's a great blue-grass band, forgot the name but they've been on Austin City Limits at least 
twice and I think also on that West Virginia public TV show, maybe called Mountain Jam or Mountain 
Stage. They work around one mic, probably a dual-capsule condenser set at figure 8. These guys are 
experts at moving close and out, varying their dynamics for this beautiful natural balance and 
harmony, both vocal harmony and balanced between instruments and vocals. I doubt very many pros back 
in the day were as good at this technique as these guys. I wish I could remember their name, I think 
it's some brothers or a father and sons.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Marcos Sueiro Bal" <mls2137@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, August 29, 2006 10:51 AM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Not using headphones


> Lou,
>
> True, as a blanket statement it is a bit useless. But  in a live situation,
> I would almost always deal with a singer that is too loud than one that is
> too soft, and I have encountered the latter far more frequently. Few singers
> can overload an SM-58, although it does happen. But if you have a drum kit
> and rock guitars behind a whispering singer... that's when the trouble
> starts. I see that much more with younger perfromers, the ones that have
> grown up overdubbing their vocals, or in a separate vocal booth.
>
> There was one young band that played what they called "old-timey" music and
> tried the "old-timey" approach of having just one microphone on a [small]
> stage, which I was looking forward to. It was a disaster: their singing
> could not be heard above their instruments, and they said they could not
> hear themselves. Microphone or not, their balance was *acoustically* way
> off.
>
> Marcos
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Lou Judson" <loujudson@xxxxxxx>
> To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Tuesday, August 29, 2006 10:15 AM
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Not using headphones
>
>
> I do live sound for a lot of acoustic music, and find wide variation in
> singing delivery. I don't think a generalization like "singers do not
> project" is viable as a blanket statement - I know many too loud as
> well as too soft, and an unfortunate few with no fear at all!
>
> But then I don't see much electric music or rock kind of thing at all
> either... You may be right though.
>
> <L>
>
> Lou Judson * Intuitive Audio
> 415-883-2689
>
> On Aug 29, 2006, at 5:26 AM, Marcos Sueiro Bal wrote:
>
>> I have started to think that is a big psychological factor as well,
>> and a
>> big reason for why singers do not project when singing live anymore.