Church Audio/Visual

EQ Vocals 101: Fix and Mix

calvaryso — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 17:47:26 +0000

This following article is found on www.behindthemixer.com

Setting EQ vocals is easy if you know what you’re doing. Before I get to the “how” part, let’s look at the “why.” It’s important to know why you are EQ’ing a singer.

Vocals are EQ’ed for three primary reasons:

to correct problem frequencies

to add an effect, like a chipmunk voice, so the voice sound is noticeably different.

to place the vocal in the mix for the best fit, a.k.a “where it best sits in the mix.”

EQ’ing for those reasons should result in a sound that is better (or a better fit) than the original sound.

As a warning, do not EQ a singer’s voice so the sound produced sounds like it doesn’t belong to that person. This is distracting to the audience and rather insulting to the singer. The exception here would be perhaps a dramatic performance where you are adding effects to a speaking voice, such as changing someone’s voice to sound like a chipmunk. Hmmm…I’m not sure if “dramatic performance” and “chipmunk” have ever been used in the same sentence.

Correcting Problem Frequencies

First, let’s identify common vocal frequencies. Vocal frequencies range from about 75 Hz to 1100 Hz. This is the low end bass to the high soprano. Here is the breakdown, in Hertz, based on approximate frequencies;

Bass: 75-300

Baritone: 100-400

Tenor: 135-500

Alto: 180-700

Soprano: 250-1100

These ranges do not imply frequencies above the upper limit are not used. Harmonics are present well above these listed frequencies and can be present as high as 8-10 kHz. Harmonics are produced from sine waves combining at different frequencies and amplitudes when a sound is created. Therefore, a soprano singer could have frequencies cut out completely above the 1100 Hz mark but the sound will not be natural.

Correcting problem frequencies might need to occur because of a nasally sound, a muddy sound, the popping P’s and T’s, or a flat (dull) sound.

Reduce a nasally sound by cutting a few dB’s around the 1 kHz mark. You might need to sweep the mid-range EQ to find the best point in which to apply the cut. The muddy sound as well as the popping P’s and T’s can be reduced by applying a HPF and cutting out the low frequencies below 80 Hz. The average vocal fundamental frequencies are much higher (125 Hz) so cutting at 80 Hz does not cost a performance hit. If you want to “increase the presence” of the vocalist, boost the frequency in the 4 kHz to 6 kHz range. This is where those harmonics are important.

There is an option with some mixers to bypass the EQ settings. If you have this option, use it to see how different your EQ’ed vocal sounds versus the original sound. Sometimes it’s best to start EQ’ing from scratch if you have gone too far from the original sound. While the mixer I use does not have that option, I will occasionally reset my EQ knobs when I feel my final EQ sound hasn’t improved the original sound.

Regarding those problem frequencies, the rule is cut narrow and boost wide. Surgeons cut out the least amount of tissue possible when removing any abnormalities in the human body. Likewise, when removing problem frequencies, you want to remove only those that are bad. By removing too much of a frequency range, the “operation” becomes quite noticeable to the human ear. At it relates to boosts, it’s best to boost a wide range of close frequencies so the listener doesn’t hear a noticeable difference in frequency changes. However, some of this work is limited to the type of mixer in use.

Adding Effects

EQ’ing can be done for adding effects. This either can be done by setting the EQ to create the effect or use the effects options that are built into the mixer. For now, if you are new to effects, test out the pre-defined effects on your mixer during a rehearsal. Give your worship leader the chipmunk voice….just don’t tell him it was my idea.

Reverb is a common effect that can help with a pitchy voice or give some presence and depth to an otherwise simple sound.

Best Fit In The Mix

EQ’ing a vocalist so they sit in the mix in the right location is probably the hardest part of mixing. Every genre of music can have its own generic EQ styling’s with differences then from one song to the next.

The best advice I’ve heard regarding this part of the EQ process is to find out what songs the worship team will be performing for the next service, then listen to the songs as performed by professionals (Chris Tomlin, Third Day, Hillsong, etc) and listen how the different instruments and vocals are EQ’ed and set in the mix.

When it’s time for rehearsal, try applying similar EQ settings (and volume settings) to match that style. For example, cut in the 3 kHz to 4 kHz range on background vocals and increase the same area on the lead vocal to separate out the two. You can also increase at the 10 kHz to brighten the vocals.

Finally, never set your EQ levels the same from week to week. While they can be “close to the same” for the singer, the fact is they are different from week to week both on the vocal level as well as across the mix – how it sits in the mix.

One Last Bit of Advice

The greatest mixing tool you have is your ears. The frequency adjustments I have listed are all a good starting place but they aren’t the perfect solution. When applying any type of EQ to vocals, let your ears be the deciding factor, not the EQ settings.

“Rules of Thumb”

calvaryso — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 17:45:24 +0000

Use your ears, not your eyes

But anyways, there are loads of sound guys out there (no names, please) who get to the sound board, and before the band has even played, or sound has hit the speakers they start tweaking knobs to where they think it will be or where the knobs are pointing.

“Do you use your eyes or ears to mix? … Yeah, that’s what I thought too. So we need to stop fiddling with knobs based on what the settings look like.”
-from the Church Audio and Sound blog

Vocals must be heard on top of everything and the lead vocalists should never be at the same level (or under) the background vocalists. This means you must know at all times who is leading the melody in a song and who is not. (for more on EQ’ing vocals click here)
Managing the sound board is not like a Ronco Rotisserie. You don’t just “set it and forget it!” Managing the sound requires that you are actively prepared to adjust levels of individual channels to be part of the process of properly producing each song. And if you are not doing that you are constantly keeping yourself aware of any communication that worship team members may be exhibiting.

The Sound Board: Intro

calvaryso — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 17:05:55 +0000

This is the Yamaha MC32/12

Click here to download the Manual for this sound board

Post-Service Checklist

calvaryso — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 16:12:40 +0000

This is the Post-Service Checklist for Services.

Immediately after the service ends make sure to do the following:

Retrieve the wireless headset mic from the person using it.
Place the headset in it’s case (black zipper case)
Place the headset case and the belt pack in the headset mic storage case (metallic-like case)
Turn off projector
Turn stage lights off
Mute all channels on the sound board except the iTunes channel
Quit out of ProPresenter
Quit out of Cubase
Turn off computer

Audio Set-Up (Tascam)

calvaryso — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 14:05:37 +0000

This is the Tascam US-224

1. First, make sure that the LINE OUT is turned all the way down by turning the control know COUNTER-CLOCKWISE

2. Find the button labeled “Input Monitor” and depress is so that a green light turns ON.

3. Find channel slider 1 & 2 and slide them both all the UP and all the way DOWN. Repeat this step two more times.

4. Turn the LINE OUT control knob CLOCKWISE to turn the audio feed to the sound board on.

5. You are now ready to set up iTunes and Set up Cubase.

Pre-Service Checklist

calvaryso — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 11:40:00 +0000

This is the Pre-Service Checklist for Services.

1. Production schedule read and fully understood

2. Tascam Set Up

3. iTunes open

4. Pro Presenter open (click here for directions)

Make a new playlist under the correct folder
Drag appropriate slides from Library into playlist

5. Cubase open and setup (click here for directions)

6. Turn Screen Saver off (click here for directions)

Setting Up Pro Presenter

calvaryso — Fri, 23 May 2008 14:05:00 +0000

1. Launch Pro Presenter either via the dock:
or by accessing it through the finder

(Applications> ProPresenter)

2. Once Pro Presenter’s main window opens, you will see the Playlist on the lower left side.

3. Expand the folder named Sunday by clicking on the triangle next to it

4. Then expand the folder for the current year by clicking on the triangle to the left of the folder. For this example, we’ll click on the 2008 folder.

5. Then we will expand the folder for the current month we are in. For this example we will click on the triangle in front of 0805. (Remember, the format for how we date files is year/month/day)

6. Once we’ve expanded the folder representing the current month, then click once on the folder which represents the current month. This highlights the folder.

7. To the lower left of the Playlist you will see a blue icon that looks like a piece of paper with a + sign. That is the “Add Playlist” button. You will want to click on that to add a new playlist for the day.

8. Once that is done, a playlist will appear with the title “New Playlist” that will be editable.

9. Change this date to the current date. For this example we want to change it to May 25, 2008. This will look like this: 080525

Now you are ready to being Making a Playlist for the service. For how to do this click next

next ->

Launching Cubase

calvaryso — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:00:00 +0000

Here’s how to get Cubase ready for Sunday morning:

1. Open Cubase LE either via the dock:

Or by accessing it through the finder, under the applications folder

(Applications>Cubase LE)

2. Go to File>New Project

3. When the New Project dialogue box comes up, choose the template “CSO Sermon” and click “OK“

4. When the Set Project Folder dialogue box comes up choose the 2008 folder.
Music>Cubase>Sunday>2009

5. Make sure you change the 000000 label to current date (year,month,date). April 13,2009 would be 090413.

You have now successfully launched Cubase LE and are ready to record. Just remember to hit the record button before the teaching begins!

Turning off screensaver

calvaryso — Fri, 02 May 2008 14:59:00 +0000

1. Open System Preferences either via the dock:

Or by accessing it through the finder, under the applications folder

(Applications>System Preferences)

2. Click on the Desktop & Screen Saver icon

3. Click on the Screen Saver button which is to the right of the Desktop button in the top-center of the window. This will bring up the screen saver options.

4. Click and drag slider at the bottom-right of the window to Never. This will turn off the screen saver.

Congratulations! You have successfully turned of the screen saver, saving you from an embarrassing moment in the middle of the service where everyone looks back at you like you don’t know what you’re doing!

Welcome!

calvaryso — Fri, 02 Mar 0209 15:03:00 +0000

Welcome to Calvary South Orlando’s training and reference web site for our audio visual department. You’ll find everything you need to effectively learn in order to do you part in making disciples. Check out the table of contents to the right and you should find everything you need. If you have any questions, feel free to to email me. God bless and thanks for all you do!

Soli Deo Gloria
-Phil