Can I/should I be able to get well enough micing by using 2 singers per
cardioid microphone?
I'm running short on board channels and looking for a way to not have to say "no, you can't be in the band because I don't have the board space"...so will this work ok?
Thoughts....comments?
It tends to depend on the parts that the singers in question are singing, and the amount of control that you need to properly mix the show.
If it's a rock band, yes background voices can share mics, something with a
cardioid pattern,
SM58 or similar. Try to match vocal types as close as possible, and make sure they know how to work together to balance themselves. Since the singers will typically be farther off the mic, be prepared for less signal, and a reduction in
proximity effect. when you boost the
gain a
bit to
pick up the farther away voices, you'll also get more
wash from the
stage. For background parts that's not so bad but for singers who share lead parts, it doesn't work so well. Lead parts benefit from the singer being right up close to the mic for maximum signal to noise.
The above notwithstanding, Bands that do close harmonies like a Capella groups or even bands with strong vocal harmonies in front of less important instruments may prefer the sound of everyone standing around 1 or 2 mics. OR they may
swing to the opposite extreme and need you to have very firm control of their sound, in which case 1 mic per person is necessary.
Ultimately, it's going to come down to control. If the singers are capable of working together, controlling their own blend, they can share a mic. If not, you may get a better sound by micing them individually so YOU can control them better.
Sometimes it's a question of priorities. I recall a working a show once that the BE had background singers sharing mics, but every drum in the kit had a mic, plus overheads, and the guitar cabs were miked in stereo
The band's sound was heavy on the drums and guitar though. The fact that the singers mics barely cut through the mix was no big deal to them. OTOH, I mix a band that travels to a lot of small churches, many with very limited audio capabilities. I don't even think about miking instruments until their vocals are taken care of, and I can't just can't get the sound that they want if they share mics. If I run out of channels before I get everything miked up, then maybe the drummer only gets overheads, or I take the keyboard
mono, or something.