Playing at open mics

mcoreen

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I went to an open mic/music circle type night last night. When I arrived I felt the volume was too loud. Some of the singers (regulars) are good but I had a hard time understanding their vocals. I was too worried about sounding good to be very comfortable & I'll be honest, I need all the help I can get. I hadn't sung in a mic since I was about 6 & I wasn't sure if anyone could hear my uke at all. The others were playing amplified A/E guitars. It was a bit frightening to hear my voice through the speakers.
Any tips?
Can you put a regular mic up to the uke too or would I need different type?
 
I regular mic is fine. I do that all the time when I play the uke at church; one mic on the uke and one on the vocals. In a loud bar environment though, having a pickup on the uke is a huge bonus. I was playing my uke at the GHS Strings booth at NAMM with a mic, and unless you were right next to me, you just couldn't hear it.

The only tip I can give you is to get up there, have fun, and don't worry about anything else. It gets easier with time and experience.
 
Heh, heh. Hearing your voice amplified in monitors for the first time is quite a shock. It's really easy to get trapped into "chasing the monitor" trying to make your voice sound "normal." The thing to remember is that when you sing without a mic much of what you are hearing is through bone conduction - unless the sound man is a complete idiot the amplified voice you hear in the monitors is actually closer to what other people hear when you sing without a microphone. So, don't "chase the monitor" trying to make it "sound like you." As long as you are on pitch just let 'er rip - it's what other people would be hearing if you weren't mic'd.

A regular microphone can be used for the instrument, and in most open-mic environments anything better would be wasted. Though, if you are going to buy a microphone and think that you might do recordings in your home later, it's worth it to get a decent condenser microphone.

For live environments a pickup is much, much better, though. It is far more convenient and much less susceptible to feedback.

John
 
Have fun. Most people at open mics are there to perform. Very few actually listen to anyone else.
Some ukes are louder than others. A pickup is nice but putting a mic in front of the uke will work for most of us amateurs.
Try recording your voice and playing it back on your compute or smart phone so you know what you sound like.
HAVE FUN! Wear a silly hat if you are doing a silly song. Tune up before you get on stage.
Try using one of these ideas:
Ask the audience if they are having fun before you start playing.
Compliment the people that came before you.
Tell a joke
 
when you sing without a mic much of what you are hearing is through bone conduction

I found this fascinating. Thanks for sharing.

I go to a lot of music festivals and shows with nothing but acoustic instruments (mostly bluegrass shows). Mics up to the instrument always seem to do just fine in that environment. Of course, these folks are used to it and they create a dynamic environment for the instruments by moving closer and further away from the mic depending on when they want to accentuate the instrument.

You could get a banjo-uke. They project more ;)
 
All of my ukes have electronics because I always want to be prepared. I also have a mini Fender 9v battery amp I use for impromptu performances. I used it the New Years eve party I attend annually, playing uke for the first time. It really helped.

Mini amp.jpg
 
You could get a banjo-uke. They project more ;)
You're supporting my UAS & my preschooler would love it :eek:. I have an 8 string in the mail, maybe it will be louder. They did have 3 mics, so I could have asked to set one for the uke. I definitely prefer no mic, my usual music night is a similar size venue but the audience listens careful & so far they seem to hear me. Which is amazing because I've always been told I have a light feathery voice (when I talk at least). Hubby says its more like fingernails on chalkboard. I keep thinking of Neil Young - if he can work on his vocals & become a famous musician, than surely I can continue to work on mine and not feel like I'm embarrassing myself.
I always feel like people are staring at me, but I guess that's what happens when you put yourself out there. It makes me feel so much better when I can see fear in the eyes of most of the other performers too, even though they are talented & performing well. :)
 
Was it a uke open mic or a general one of all instrument types? It seems to be the latter.

I think it's easier for a uke open mic to remain consistent than change the mix with the sound with guitars, etc. Though, many uke open mics include other instruments.

Find the loudest uke you can. Concert and tenors are louder.

Petey
 
On a recent cruise in the Caribbean I performed in a passenger talent show. They have a very professional setup with a technician in the lounge where they held the show. He set me up with two mics and a little reverb to boot. There were also floor speakers facing me and this helped to hear myself singing. He adjusted sound from a control booth during performances and it was a great setup for open mic. I used my Lanikai concert uke for the performance.
 
On a recent cruise in the Caribbean I performed in a passenger talent show. They have a very professional setup with a technician in the lounge where they held the show. He set me up with two mics and a little reverb to boot. There were also floor speakers facing me and this helped to hear myself singing. He adjusted sound from a control booth during performances and it was a great setup for open mic. I used my Lanikai concert uke for the performance.

Having that kind of setup and professional assistance is a huge help especially your first couple of times out. At UWC Mike brings in this guy with a whole sound truck full of equipment and a nice touch on the board. I can never remember the guy's name, but he's quite the character. I think I mentioned he's got a nice touch on the board - I've never heard any of my MiSi equipped ukes sound as natural in the monitors as when he does the sound.

Bottom line - a good sound guy can make or break any amplified event but especially so when amateurs are performing because often they (we) don't know enough to know what to ask for.

John
 
One suggestion for home practice. Just pop on down to your local Zayre's and grab one.

 
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