The Shizzle that Happens After Your Microphone
02/07/2023
I have said it many times: 50% of your sound is determined by the microphone you’re singing through, what you do with it, and everything that happens after like equalizing, compression, reverb, delay, what the sound engineer is doing from behind the mixer,…
In my 2013 blog post on Microphone Technique, I have explained the most important things you need to know about the different types of microphones and how to use them effectively. However, because there’s so much more to your final sound, I have created a 1,5h webinar in 2023 that goes to the nitty gritty!
Subscribe to The singsing! Sofa Library and watch the webinar Microphone Technique & More, led by audio expert Beo van Haver and me. We took a deep dive into the magical world of what happens with and after your microphone!
Here’s an overview of what we have learned, so you can start experimenting with all of this right away:
Equalization (EQ)
Think of EQ as your sound’s personal stylist. It helps balance the low, mid and high frequencies of your voice. If your sound has a bit too much bass, EQ can tone the low frequencies down so you don’t sound like you’re singing from inside a barrel. On the flip side, if you need a bit more clarity, boosting the mids and highs can make your voice more present.
Beo’s advice? Tweak those EQ settings gradually and listen carefully to the impact each change has on the overall sound. Think of it as balancing the colors of your outfit just right for that big night out. Watch the webinar and train your ears!
Reverb and Delay
Beo explained how effects like reverb and delay simulate your voice resonating in different environments – from an intimate room, to the Swiss Alps.
- Reverb
Reverb, short for “reverberation,” mimics the reflections of sound off surfaces in a space. When you sing, your voice doesn’t just arrive at the listener’s ears; it bounces off walls, ceilings, and other surfaces before reaching them. Reverb recreates these reflections to make your voice sound as though you’re singing in for example a small room, a cathedral, or a concert hall. Use it thoughtfully! Too much reverb can make your voice sound distant or muddy, as if you’re singing from the bottom of a well. - Delay
Delay is an effect that creates a distinct echo or repetition of the sound like you’re for example singing in the mountains. You will hear your voice repeat at set intervals after the original sound, so you can add rhythmic patterns and textures to your sound. Be careful! Too much delay can make the lyrics hard to understand or blur the message you’re trying to convey.
The key, Beo emphasized, is to use these effects subtly, enhancing your sound without overpowering the natural qualities of your voice. The auditory examples in the webinar will help you understand the possibilities and pitfalls of these effects.
Limiters & Compression
We also shed light on compression and limiters in the webinar, two crucial tools for managing audio levels.
Compression
Here’s a simplified explanation which might make the geeks among you frown, but bear with me! I want to help those of you who have never heard of it understand this crucial tool.
You can think of compression as a very complicated volume regulator. It reduces your volume when you’re singing loudly and it boosts your quieter sounds, effectively narrowing the dynamic range of your sound. It’s like leveling out the highs and lows in a rollercoaster ride. So what effect does this have on your microphone technique? Right. You don’t have to worry about the spheres anymore.
Limiters
Limiters are a bit more specific. They prevent the audio from exceeding a certain volume, protecting both your ears and your equipment from exploding (as a matter of speech…).
Both compression and limiters are essential tools to ensure a clean and consistent sound, but a little goes a long way! Watch the webinar to understand why overdoing them makes you sound like a pancake.
Why You Should Buy Your Sound Engineers a Drink
If you should be so lucky to not have to take care of your own sound because you can collaborate with sound engineers like Beo, here’s a golden tip: Sound engineers are the unsung heroes of the audio world and you should treat them like a band member! Respect them. Communicate with them. Buy them a drink. They know how to tweak levels and apply effects to make sure you sound your absolute best (or worst…).
It was fun to listen to Beo’s anecdotes of singers that have learned this lesson the hard way during the webinar 😉
Want to dive much deeper? Subscribe to The singsing! Sofa Library to watch the webinar Microphone Technique & More, led by audio expert Beo van Haver and me.
There’s a lot more than I could share in this blog post! So catch up and take charge over your sound with Beo’s expert tips!
Peter Smaal - Organizer of Top 2000 Nijmegen
As always, feel free to send me your thoughts, questions, and feedback in the comments below this blog, via the contact form or in the singsing! online community 
Cordially,
Sarah