There has been much debate lately about the ability to mix show choir bands live with an iPad or other devices. The subject really depends upon how much control you want over the sound of your band at any given venue.
The quality of sound the audience hears from the vocals and the band depends dramatically on the type of performance venue and the sound equipment being used. We can’t talk about band sound without first talking about choir miking.
Now there have been many articles written on how to mic a choir, but most don’t consider the presence of a live band used in conjunction with those mics.
Over the past 21 years, I’ve seen just about every mic setup possible for show choir, but every year I’m surprised with something new. Most contests are set up with a row of front mics and hanging overheads.
The consideration is: how do those affect your band sound? Well, to put it simply, if you point your instrument in the direction of those mics, it will pick them up! If you don’t, it won’t. You want those mics to devote their full attention to the vocals, so don’t count on them for band sound.
If you were in a recording studio, the mic placement for instruments would be much closer than they are at any given show choir competition. Relying on them for any type of band amplification will produce an uncharacteristic tone with random sounds being pushed into the house. Long story short, if you want control, stay away from the house mics as best you can!
Now, back to live mixing…
21 years ago, I started with an all acoustic band, minus the guitar and bass amps. Then we added synthesizers and a keyboard amp. Then our band grew to include an analog mixer with the synths plugged in. About 8 years ago I made the switch to a digital mixer and iPad so I could control my synths, guitars, bass, sampler, etc. This drastically improved the quality of sound. I could mix the sound in the audience during rehearsal and save the settings for future use. By the time competition season rolled around, the settings were set and not much had to be done during a performance. But there was the occasional time I had to move an instrument up and down or change EQ based upon the venue.
For example, anytime you play a gym, the EQ must be changed drastically to compensate for the reflection of sound. So, I saved a setting for gyms and a setting for auditoriums.
What have I learned through digital mixing? Well, my sound has become drastically more transparent. Meaning, you can hear each individual much clearer, therefore exposing their musical errors more clearly to myself and the audience. You can’t fix it if you can’t hear it. I also have the capability to record each instrument separately and play it back for each student so they can hear their individual part isolated. I’ve been able to add electronic samplers and use computerized virtual instruments versus analog synthesizers. I’ve been able to use EQ, compression, gate, reverb, and other effects on the band.
Is it right for me?
Do you have synthesizers, an electronic piano, guitars, bass guitars, or an electronic sampler? If you checked yes, then live mixing may be right for you.
In order to control the instrument in the live mix, it must be plugged into a digital mixer or miked. This typically refers to the instruments I mentioned above, but can also include an electronic drum kit, wind instruments and acoustic pianos. If you’re interested in miking techniques, there are plenty of articles and resources online discussing the specifics of all the different types of microphones.
Choosing a mixer
So, let’s say you’ve decided to take the plunge into digital mixing, the first step is to choose a mixer. First thing to consider is how many channels of input you need.
How many instruments to you need to control? You can buy a 12 channel mixer for as little as $249 with the Behringer XR 12.
Do you need a full sized device with 40 movable faders like the Soundcraft Impact. A more comprehensive list of mixer options can be found HERE.
