Creating live music that others are going to enjoy can be a great option to really make your talents sore. It is one thing to create music that does well in the studio, where you have all of the different tools available to you when you need them most. But live music is completely different and will require a bit more skill to get it to work for your needs.
Just because you are a solo act or a small group doesn’t mean you are out of luck when it comes to your live sound. A professional and smart rig will still provide a great sound, bringing the whole group into your music. And it is possible to do this without breaking the bank. Nowadays you can easily polish your sound mixing skills with online courses. This can help make the sound of your music sound better. Some of the pro tips you can use to improve your live music quality include:
Have a Powerful and Portable PA
When creating a live rig, you will find that a PA system will be an important aspect of the whole thing. You want to go with a PA system that can strike that important balance between portability and sound quality, giving you the best music possible while also helping you to take it wherever you need to perform.
To start, you need to keep things as simple as possible. This will help reduce the amount of time you take setting it up and tearing it down. While a 12-channel mixer may sound great, do you really need it and want to handle all of the work involved?
There are many options that you can choose from based on the exact settings you would need and the amount you can afford to spend. Look at all of the features that are available to help you make the right decision for you.
Pick the Right Mic
The next thing to consider is the microphone that you would like to use. There is no faster way to let the crowd hear your music and tell them that you care than warm, full-bodied vocals that have the quality of sounding expensive. If you only have the budget to do an upgrade on one piece of your equipment, then choose to upgrade the microphone.
There are many great microphone options that you can add to your setup, and many will be lower than $100 total. This gets you a professional-caliber mic that will last for years to come. Make sure to look at all of the features that come with a microphone before purchasing and try a few out to see if it is the right option for you.
Process Your Vocals
- The right PA system and a high-quality microphone will get you a long way with your live music. But you also need to take it a step further and see whether a vocal processor will help make a difference as well. In fact, the right vocal processor will tie in the whole sound and make it amazing for all of your guests.You really need a vocal processor if you do not have a great acoustic environment to play in or you are missing out on a backup singer. There are many great vocal processors on the market to go with, but some of the key features that you definitely need to have to improve your live music quality includes:
- Reverb: This will be the foundational and standard effect that you can utilize. If you do not have this, the vocals will sound empty, hollow, sharp, and unnatural. Keep in mind with this one that less is often more.
- Compression: This feature is going to allow you to be in control over the peak volume while also enhancing some of the subtleties of the breath, voice, and expression. Be careful about overdoing this one or you will kill the dynamics of the sound.
- Harmonizers: These are not as bad as they once were and can actually improve the sound that you have. In fact, you may be able to impress the crowd by thickening up the vocals with the right harmonies and it is a cheap way to make them sound big.
A vocal processor can be well worth the money, especially if you are a smaller group or an individual who needs to perform and give some of the best live music on the market. Take some time to look at all of the available options for a vocal processor and see which one will give you some of the sounds that your live music is looking for.
Rethinking the Guitar
Now that you have had a chance to update everything so that you are singing and sounding good, it is time to make some small changes to help you improve on the guitar front. If you plan to play as an acoustic performer and want to make sure that your sound is sturdy, then you need to find a guitar that is acoustic/electric for the best sound.
A regular acoustic guitar is good if you plan to just play a really small gig in the living room, but if you need to amplify the sound at all, then you need to cut out all of the nonsense and line in to the system for the best results.
For electric players, there are some great upgrades that you can make that will allow you to forgo the tuning and still get the ground sound that you want. This will save some time when it is time to hit the stage and can get the gig going on time. This will completely impress the crowd while giving them the best sounds out there.
Making the Best Live Music Possible
No matter the size of your group, there are a lot of great options and steps that you can use to make your live music quality as great as possible. By following some of the steps listed above, you can have high-quality sound any time you decide to have live music.
