Sreaming in the mic

[kJ Joe]

Hi Everyone,

I have been a KJ For 7 years and one thing that really gets to me and i'm sure it has happend to all of you is when a singer screams or yells in the mic or the singer who sings so low that no matter how much you turn up the mic you still can barley hear them.
What are your thoughts ?????

Thanks KJ JOE Virginia

[ddouglass]

When it comes to new singers and even some of the old hands, a little coaching (with a smile) will usually go a long way. When it comes to the screamers/yellers I will ask them to back off the mic a bit and if that doesn't work then I turn down the mic volume through the mixer.

The hardest ones to work with are the ones who don't sing out because they are still a bit shy about it. Turning the mic up is an option, but the higher you turn it the more likely you will get feedback. One young lady who is one of our regulars we even had to remove the windsock in order to get enough sound out of her without getting feedback. Fortunately she has improved and projects much better now.

[bobcox- with the Lord]

A Good Compressor/Limiter will stop the screamers in their tracks,

[mindonstrike]

Originally Posted by bobcox

A Good Compressor/Limiter will stop the screamers in their tracks,

The very first thing I bought after my first gig (like the next day) was a compressor limiter.

Average volume singers who like to pretend they are rock stars by cupping there hands around the mic head will also send all the lights into the red zone. While I personally don't care if they intentionally sound like crap for the sake of looking "cool" when they get to the point of harming the mic diaphrams (cupping and screaming at the same time) I'll usually tell them to Knock it off

My speakers are very resistant to feedback so giving low volume singers lots of gain genrally isn't a problem, but it's been my experience that most of those singing quietly like it that way. The more I turn'em up the quieter they get, and the more experienced singers won't get quieter but they will start pulling the mic away to compensate.

[pelletmon]

What always gets me is when I get one of those shy timid non-projecting folks that will start pulling the mic futher and futher away as we try to compensate by turning the gain up to the brink of feedback so we can get them above the mix.Doesn't it always seem to be the case that half the drunks in the audence will always put in there 2 cents worth and start screaming "cant hear her "(or him ,though less often than with female singers) like its the KJs fault.My favorate remedy for this is to walk up to the singer,politely ask for the mike and proceed to sing into it myself with the volume still on 8.(I can project very well when I want to). After 1 or 2 lines I hand the mic back to the singer.That usually tends to shut em up fo the rest of the night.

[TKaraoke]

Once I've exhausted the volume increase program, I just start turning the music volume down til you can hear them. Seems to work over time with a little coaching from other better singers and myself. Must be as polite as possible you know!
TK

[pelletmon]

I hear ya, but I find that if I do to much of that I loose my dancers. You must maintain enough music volume to keep em movin,and try to get the singer herd the best way you can.And I do beleive in politeness,however I've found that if you let hecklers get the upper hand,you can loose the respect (and control)of your audence.When that happens,it's really hard to get it back.Most of the people who come into the bar where I work are nice and really like what I do.Some (mostly guys )are as##*^holes.And thats before they start drinkin!And above all,they are ALL lookin to SCORE.They are trying there level best to appear macho so they might get lucky,and if that means ripping on the KJ for whatever reason,they wont miss the opertunity.

[TKaraoke]

Was not doing a show so went a friends show one night with my wife when two guys with two young ladies were on every singers case all night. My wife was up singing when they got on her case, wrong, she had our friend stop the song and said " I've had enough of you 2 as#^&*'s tonight, if you think you're so good here's the mike you try it!" The two ladies they were with proceeded to get on their case because they didn't want to sing, then they finally got up, sang about a quarter of a song,put the mic's down, went to their seats, and were very quiet the rest of the night. It was great! I quess it was the fire with fire program.
TK

[pelletmon]

right on man! If you let em get the upper hand,your done for!!!!!

[ddouglass]

Sam, could you recommend a good Compressor/Limiter for the good folks here who might not be as savvy to audio equipment as you? Please?

[pelletmon]

Im having good luck with the MDX2600 COMPOSER PRO-XL by BEHRINGER. I bought it used for 75$.

[bryant]

Originally Posted by pelletmon

My favorate remedy for this is to walk up to the singer,politely ask for the mike and proceed to sing into it myself with the volume still on 8.(I can project very well when I want to). After 1 or 2 lines I hand the mic back to the singer..

I do this all the time. It still doesn't work, that is why I am still doing it.

Here's another one, I have the same people over and over again in the same night find it nearly impossible to remove the microphone and cord from the little clip that holds it. So I went and purchased what appears to be the simplest design for a "mic-on-a-clip-to-be-removed", and they STILL find it complicated, even when sober, and even after instructions, and even after several returns to the microphone. SHEESH! Anybody else get this a lot.

[pelletmon]

And on top of that, if your mic has an on/off switch,get ready to hit the restart button a lot. And don't you just love it when after they FINALLY figure out how to get the mic off the clip and you've shown them how to turn it on (for the 3rd time) and you say "test your mic,make sure it's on"what do they do 99 times out of 100.They BEAT ON IT!!

[Garry A. Leslie]

Hey All,
Nothing to do with screaming in the mike, but about drunks.
My little gang had been to a karaoke until we all left to go to a local hotel where an extremely talented pianist plays,
He doesn't sing, so he appreciates people who will sing a song or two, as even as good as he is he still struggles to keep the audience.
After most of us had sung a couple of songs each, a girl, 30ish, who had also been at the karaoke, got up, didn't know the words or the tune to the song she tried to sing. Then said "Whose being clever, where have you hidden the screens?"
Even after she was informed this was a regular singalong she insisted we give her a book with the tunes.
I'm afraid drunks are everywhere, the best you can hope for is they behave themselves and don't abuse you or your equipment.
Regards from across the pond.
Garry

[bryant]

I don't really get down on drunks that much. I mean it, that's just a fact of life. And believe it or not, that "fact" is what supports MOST if not all of our karaoke shows. The money from the bar owners' pockets to ours comes from the "drinking peoples'" pockets. And that's the way it is.

Anothe analogy: Oh never mind, I couldn't hink of a good one.

Anyone else wanna try!

[pelletmon]

We're just venting Bryant thats all.We don't need a history lesson on "how it works"

[bryant]

Sheesh!

[pelletmon]

Wow man,I just noticed your local.How are things in the Winslow,Waterville area?I was born and raised in the Topsham (Brunswick area) I finally had my fill of snow and ice so I moved to Al.16 years ago. Sure miss moosehead though.

[mindonstrike]

Originally Posted by bryant

I don't really get down on drunks that much. I mean it, that's just a fact of life. And believe it or not, that "fact" is what supports MOST if not all of our karaoke shows. The money from the bar owners' pockets to ours comes from the "drinking peoples'" pockets. And that's the way it is.

Anothe analogy: Oh never mind, I couldn't hink of a good one.

Anyone else wanna try!

I've got one for you:

You and a lady friend are at a nice restaraunt, not fancy just a freindly looking little place in the neghborhood. You order an appetizer while you look over the menu, meanwhile sitting not far from you is a guy who is trash talking everyone and everything at the top of his lungs,honking up a storm while he blows his nose into a napkin. Pretty soon he's making crude suggestive remarks to your lady and disparaging remarks about you. You politely tell him you are having a private conversation and to please move on. He moves on from table to table complaining about the food, the service, the prices, and the crappy music that you selected from the jukebox.

The waiter approaches your table to take your dinner order and about that time this guy nails the waiter in the back with a chicken bone to get his attention and starts complaining that he's wants to order dessert NOW.

The waiter goes to the manager asking that they throw the bum out, but the manager says "Oh no if we do that we'll lose the $10.00 in dessert he's going to order". About this time you realize that if you stay you'll have to put up with this bum because management isn't going to resolve the problem, so being the polite folks you are you make an excuse to the waiter why you can't stay (babysitter is sick or something) and then you head for the diner down the road

Now management has salvaged a $10.00 dessert order but lost a $40.00 dinner order

You wanted an analogy, there you go.

Sam