In mid sized churches, talent can be all over the map, from very well trained and experienced to barely useable. Resources can be quite limited and you try to produce the best results with what you have to deal with. Having a powerful vocalists with poor mic control is an easy issue to deal with than say a potentially powerful vocalist who lacks confidence. They may be hot at one
point and barely audible at others. You can teach them mic control, adjust their monitors all you want, but they will never become refined without time and experience. In the mean time, using heavier compression to produce a more consistent signal is useful. Same with a
Bass guitar player who never really learned the fundamentals and wants to
play like Les Claypool. If the problem is the source and you are limited on what you can accomplish
in one or a few sessions, but have to use them anyways, then you do whatever you can on your part to assist their signal to become more useable. In very rare circumstances, you can even disguise a poor source with creative effects....but that's not really my goal.
In this "experiment", I am not looking to fix acoustic issues, poor
system design issues, or analytic capability of a sound engineer. I'm looking to add tools to the toolbox on capability. I get your
point on "plug-in whores", and I have seen my share of it as well as personal experience trying to exploit it, but that is no different than someone overusing outboard effects either. I see way too many people overusing delays & reverbs.....or using them improperly..(more with delays and timing), but truth be told, it's a creative environment, and beyond intelligibility, it's in the hands of the creator(s).
I see the mixing
console as an
instrument. Some people overplay their instruments and take away from a song, some people
play steady and consistent but offer no
dynamic variety to the song, there is a balance.
Many mid-sized churches do not have large budgets for mic selection, quality active DI boxes, quality compressors, and effects. Some of the effects offered via "plug-ins" can simulate equipment that is not in the budget realm of these venues. Using Waves, I would love to incorporate some of the
compressor options over a common 166xl....any day. There is a creative
element in the subtlety these plugins can offer when used "properly".
I would love to have the vocal effects options I have from Waves vs. a cheaper Lexicon with the same old same. I have heard the argument both ways, and I am not the biggest fan of being closed minded and do what has "always" worked. I have the time and the capability to experiment, doesn't matter so much as to why I want to do it, other than I want to try something new and see what I get.
This post was meant to be an exercise in experimenting with a potential tool, not to determine if I need an education in
acoustics,
system design issues, field experience, or how to even use processing. I appreciate the
feedback, but my goal is on the "how" and not the "why". Please forgive if my post sounds defensive, that is not my intent. I do however want to get the post back on
track to it's purpose.
Respectfully, thanks!