Hello everyone and welcome to my blog.
Before I get started I do have to let you know that this blog contains affiliate links to equipment and tools that on amazon and other sites that I use myself in my stage performances or recordings, should you chose to purchase I will make a small commission at no additional cost to you.
This blog is basically going to take you through the process of producing a live performance and I will be covering the materials such as equipment, live tracks that can be used and manipulated to make them your own in addition to sound necessities.
I have been in the music business since birth as my mother worked with Sam Cooke back in the day. I guess you can say that I was born into an extremely musical family. Many of whom you've heard and most you've heard the results of. At any rate this blog is not about me or my years of experience in this business, it is to help you do it for yourself.
Many people have asked me how I multi track my songs, how I write songs, how do I get such a large sound out of my equipmet or where I get my inspiration from. Well, My inspiration simple comes from me not wanting to be like anyone else and wanting to celebrate the individuality that God has blessed me with. I truly believe that God blesses us all with at least one talent or gift that we are to use to make this world a better place or bring joy to others. In using that gift, we make our livings.
The best compliments that I have ever received are the ones where parents have named their kids after me, or the couple who were about to get divorced and got back together after hearing my music. That's powerful and it also begs the question of which is better fame or fortune?
Fame is nice and can be a little scary at times. I tell some of those scary stories in my book, The Story Beyond My Song. In this book I follow the premise that every song has it's backstory and with every story I tell, a song was born.
With fame, an independent artist can get into scary situations at times. Therefore it is important to either have a team with you at all times or know your surroundings. The same can be said with fortune. However, fortune doesn't necessarily mean monetarily fortunate. It's a great high to have people appreciate you for what you do and bring to the table. When someone gives you a tip, when they clap their hands, when they go out of their way to let you know how much they appreciate your gift...that is fortune. In that aspect, I have great fortune.
For more information on me and my music go to the following links or follow me on social media.
Now, enough about me, this blog is meant to help you get started.
The first step is Quality of Content: I can't emphasize enough the importance of delivering quality content. Keep in mind that while equipment is essential, a singer's voice, talent, and dedication are equally crucial. If you feel your voice or more importantly your ear isn't where it should be I highly recommend taking voice lessons. Voice lessons can be expensive and time consuming, however it can be the most valuable tool in your arsenal. I myself have had several years of vocal training. First would have been with my mother, who was the choir directress. I had no choice. Second would have been while in high school, I had classical training, where I learned to sing opera and Italian arias. Third would have been in college, where I studied Vocal Jazz Performance. Forth would have been private lessons for technique.
Voice lessons don't teach you how to sing, they help you maintain and develop your vocal technique and breathing technique. However, if you are tone def to begin with after spending a minimal of $100 an hour for several hours every month, you will still be tone def. Don't waste your money. This is why for a Vocalist your ear is the most important tool. Take care of your hearing and stay away from unnecessary loud noises.
With proper hearing and lessons you learn to distinguish what you should be singing, the parts the background singers should be singing, the notes the band members should be playing, the beats of the drummer and most importantly, in a live show, the attentiveness of your audience. This is called reading the room. Should you be interested in vocal training feel free to subscribe to my email or drop me an email at barbitone.entertainment@gmail.com. Let me know what you would like to achieve from your vocal performance and I'll get back to you.
Now for the live performers you will need a good microphone. This is my current microphone and it works quite well.
This microphone is SHURE's wireless BLX system with an SM58 receiver. The SM58 is the industry standard when it comes to live performances. It is a dynamic microphone and is durable and dependable and has a cardioid pickup which basically means the tip of it is like an inverted heart.
That simply means it has excellent pickup from the front and around the sides. Produced way back in 1966, this is the perfect start up microphone. If you have budget concerns or don't need wireless just yet, this is the perfect alternative.
Still an SM58, just wired. Therefore should you have an accidental mic drop like the one I had in the linked video, your microphone working will be the least of your worries.
Now Shure has additional options that fit your performance levels. The is the beta SM58 which is their super-cardioid dynamic microphone.
And this is the Shure QLXD24/SM58 Handheld Wireless System with SM58 Vocal Microphone, G50
Whatever your budget my consensus is that you can't go wrong with the SHURE SM58 for vocals. I have used other microphones, however, they pale in comparison to the SM58 in terms of sound quality and durability for live stage performances.
I do have to say that the above microphones are recommended specifically for live performers. For Podcasters, Recording or Voice over artists, I'll go over those microphones in another post. Yet Shure is still at the top of the list.
As a live performer you will also need something to hold your mic and amplify your sound. I use the following two items.
This Mic Stand works perfectly fine. I do have to admit, as per the above video, I had to change out the mic clip. I went ahead and picked up a rubber mic clip.
This is a comparable one.
All of My background vocals are produced in my home studio and mixed with performance tracks. I then mix them down and airdrop the final track to my iPad Mini which connects via bluetooth.
The speaker I use is the BOSE S1 Pro without Battery. This speaker was an excellent find. It's light weight enough carry around and setup either on a stand or not. It gives an excellent sound even in a glass room, and it is powerful enough for a club setting up to 300 people. I'm very pleased with this speaker.
This speaker is also Bluetooth compatible, which works perfectly with my Ipad. I simply prerecord my tracks with backgrounds and connect to the speaker via bluetooth. Perfect for intimate settings.
You have the option of purchasing it with the battery or without. If you are a street performer or someone who busks regularly I recommend getting the one with battery. However, if you're usually performing in doors with a power supply the battery isn't necessary. But keep in mind you can always purchase the battery separately.
Speaker
Let's not forget the chair.
The chair that I use is an exact replica of the chairs that both Whitney Houston and Aretha Franklin used on stage. The following chair is the closest I could find. It has the same swivel action which allows you to continue communicating with your audience while taking a breather from standing on your feet.
I do hope these recommendations help. They have definitely helped me and my performances.
https://jvz1.com/c/2898771/392801/
Follow Me for upcoming post covering recording equipment.
