Vocalists: Mic Stand, or Hold in Hand?

[Anderton]

I've been wondering...I just can't sing with a mic stand, I gotta hold the thing in my hand. But then sometimes I have to deal with handling noise. What about you?

[FoxTick]

My hands are usually busy doing other things, like playing guitar or keyboard. So, it's mic stand for me.

[Dak Lander]

Mic stand all the way.

It's a real bitch to play a guitar and try to hold a mic at the same time.

[fantasticsound]

Silly boys! You could be using a headset wireless mic!

 

I prefer a mic stand, so I can step away to speak to other band members, etc, as well as to work the mic rather than be stuck with it a certain distance from my mouth.

[D. Gauss]

mic stands are cool. they have real heavy bases that let you hit irritating people in the head with.

 

-d. gauss

[Bbach1]

Originally posted by d gauss:

mic stands are cool. they have real heavy bases that let you hit irritating people in the head with.

 

-d. gauss

Ouch

[Philip OKeefe]

Originally posted by d gauss:

mic stands are cool. they have real heavy bases that let you hit irritating people in the head with.

 

-d. gauss

Aah HAH! I now know your true identity - you gave it away with this post. You my friend, are actually Courtney Love!

 

PS Do yourself a favor and get some drug rehab and anger management.

[Philip OKeefe]

FWIW Craig, I need a stand since I am always playing and my hands are occupied with other tasks.

[KenElevenShadows]

Our singer switches between taking it off the mic stand and leaving it on and moving the mic stand slightly.

 

Craig, since you do quite a number of dance moves, I'd recommend a wireless headset mic.

[Barandine Vondenger]

why do you need to hold it?

all thet noise and what iffen ye' drap it?

DANG thats a lot of noise.

Personally, I act as if all stage shows are studio events and I'd refrain from holding the mike then as well. but then thats me..

 

I tell ye' what, I'll be sounde guy and you be DIVA sanger.

ME: hey, hey na' need to hold the mike, it makes too much noise from handleing

Diva sanger: i feel connected to my instrument when I hold it

Sounde guy: I thought your um voice was your instrument? ah. here then; hold this fake tambourine with the wuzzles hangin' down.. .

[Rod S]

For tracking or for playing live?

 

I need to use a mic stand, since I'm usually playing keys.

 

The singer I play with however, always has the mic in her hand. For live situations, handling noise never seems to be a problem.

 

When we are tracking, she always has it the mic stand. Actually, I was surprised.. the 1st time we recorded, she says: "We should keep in the stand right? Or else there might be noise in the recording..." I was surprised, since she has no studio experience - and she's extremely non-technical.

[Bunny Knutson]

Boom stand.

[kylen]

I prefer a mic stand of some type - people listening generally prefer that I back away from anything with a mic on it

 

Ratzy (partner in crime) - on the other hand - can sing and prefers the mic stand...she doesn't walk out and work the audience much or stage dive so a stand is good enough. She can work the mic well enough that way - she even has a wireless that just sits on the mic stand.

[ani]

Both ways... When I perform live, I prefer to hold the mic unless I'm using a wireless. There tends to be more control over the mic. When I record, I tend to use the mic stand more often than not.

[Jeff Klopmeyer]

95% of the time I sing, I'm also playing guitar. Hance the necessary stand. and although I use a wireless guitar, I will not use a wireless vocal mic. Anything i can do to not resemble Britney Spears is okay by me.

 

But when I step up to be Mister Lead Vocal Guy, I hold my mic.

 

But that's all stage stuff. When I record vocals, it's a shock-mounted condenser. No hand jive on my tracks.

 

- Jeff

[Jeff Klopmeyer]

Oh, I forgot... little tip.

 

If you're a singer (or working with a singer) who likes to hold the mic but you don't want the inevitable hand-noise on the mic, hold a placebo. Just don't forget what you're doing and start singing into the broom handle.

 

- Jeff

[Dak Lander]

Hay surf weasel, yer boobs ain't big enough to resemble the Brit anyway, even with the implants.

 

[Jeff Klopmeyer]

Originally posted by daklander:

Hay surf weasel, yer boobs ain't big enough to resemble the Brit anyway, even with the implants.

 

You haven't seen my stage apparel, Dak.

 

- Jeff

[ani]

Jeff's new stage apparel

 

http://musicbizbuzz.net/art/weaselbrit.jpg

[cherri]

Mic stand. I have either my guitar or my sax in hand, and even on the songs that I don't use an instrument, I move around a lot. I've grown accustomed to knowing exactly where the mic is, so I can lean in or back off as necessary.

 

A headset mic would be impossible. I have to back up a foot or better at times so I don't overdrive my channel, and some times I have the mic right on my lips when I'm whispering. If my mic was always same distance from my lips, our sound tech's head would explode.

[ViLo]

Originally posted by fantasticsound:

Silly boys! You could be using a headset wireless mic!

 

I prefer a mic stand, so I can step away to speak to other band members, etc, as well as to work the mic rather than be stuck with it a certain distance from my mouth.

Yep, same for me..

[trick fall]

It depends on the sitch and the feeling at the time, but one thing I won't waver on is that boom stands are for wusses. Ok, they're ok in the studio, but live I don't care if you're playing guitar and singing, it's all about the straight up mic stand. You gonna use the mic stand as a slide if it's a boom?

[DC]

When playing live my mic is on a stand as I'm playing guitar. When recording, it's on a stand although sometimes I hold the stand and move the mic around that way.

 

I used to sit in with a band and their keyboard/guitarist would sit in with us sometimes. We both played instruments while singing in our respective bands but not when sitting in. We both agreed that just standing there holding a mic was the weirdest feeling in the world; what to do with your hands?!

[Dak Lander]

Originally posted by trick fall:

It depends on the sitch and the feeling at the time, but one thing I won't waver on is that boom stands are for wusses. Ok, they're ok in the studio, but live I don't care if you're playing guitar and singing, it's all about the straight up mic stand. You gonna use the mic stand as a slide if it's a boom?

Uh, I think you're a dork if you use a straight up mic stand.

 

Really, I play acoustic guitar and use a boom stand with the boom at an angle. That keeps the acoustic from hitting the stand and leaves me enough room to add a clamp on mic holder to mic the guitar. The boom is a multi-piece unit so it collapses to a reasonable length and doesn't stick out like a sore thumb.

A straight stand just doesn't do the job, even with a flexible goose neck.