What effects do you use?

[mattsk42]

For singers? We're a pop/upbeat/fast country group. 1 male singer with a Rascal Flatts guy sounding voice, and standard sounding female singer. Then everyone sings harmony if possible, 3 males 1 female.

Reverb? Compression? What units and how are they set up?

[Deacon_Blues]

Reverb and/or delay, depends on the song, and used sparsely. Don't care about the brand as long as it sounds ok. Route: aux out on the mixer -> fx unit -> stereo return or to a stereo channel on the mixer. Dry/wet mix knob set to 100% wet.

IMO, if a compressor is used on vocals, one should be used for guitars too, especially in rock music.

[jimb213]

compress the vocals a lot. It usually helps with intelligibility of the words, and lets the singers concentrate on singing, not working the mic. It will also help prevent any of 'em from getting too loud in spots (like that last chorus where they belt it out way louder than they sang during soundcheck), or from getting too quiet in the soft spots so the crowd can't really hear 'em. 1 Compressor per vocalist.

[mattsk42]

I thought about that, and I have a chance to get an Alesis 3630 for them. We have a powered mixer right now, where should I put it and what kind of (basic) settings should I use?

[T-Bird]

Originally Posted by jimb213

compress the vocals a lot. It usually helps with intelligibility of the words, and lets the singers concentrate on singing, not working the mic. It will also help prevent any of 'em from getting too loud in spots (like that last chorus where they belt it out way louder than they sang during soundcheck), or from getting too quiet in the soft spots so the crowd can't really hear 'em. 1 Compressor per vocalist.

+1

We have 2 Behringer 4 channel cheapo compressor/limiters on vocals, guitar(s), bass, BD and snare. Makes the world of difference in the mix specially in bars and protects the gear also. Those B's don't sound too good if You use them like You'd use a higher end compressor, but You get what You pay for.

Always a simple reverb to add some colour and sometimes a slight delay for added depth.

Sam

[Joe P]

Originally Posted by T-Bird

+1

We have 2 Behringer 4 channel cheapo compressor/limiters on vocals, guitar(s), bass, BD and snare. Makes the world of difference in the mix specially in bars and protects the gear also. Those B's don't sound too good if You use them like You'd use a higher end compressor, but You get what You pay for.

Always a simple reverb to add some colour and sometimes a slight delay for added depth.

Sam

Yup - that's what my last... oh - second-last, I guess - band did. Except that we ran THREE - Bass, guitar, 3 vocals, 2 overheads, kick; then stereo mains, and mono monitors (one channel left-over, or for a snare mic on bigger gigs).

Once we had a setting, we didn't need to ever change it, gig-to-gig! It worked great - a real 'mix'. When vocals stopped, the instruments were automatically turned-up a little by the mains compression.

Most of my music-business experience has been as as an audio tech, though. I'd imagine it could be pretty frustrating for someone without compression experience! If a band could hire a GOOD, experienced tech for one or two gigs, though, y'could maybe leave'em set after that.. Well - except that unless the mains compressors are in a console insert that's before the mains-faders, you would then have to use the mains compressor's makeup gain control as the mains volume. ..and a couple other-things, I guess...

Now that I think about it - I always tend to forget how much experience I have with it; sort-of second-nature to me now.

We were blowin'em up at first, then we figured-out that we had to turn the beringer stuff off seperatly, individually - instead of with the power strip. No problems after that.

Joe

[buzzbass]

I move where I pluck my strings. Closer or farther from the neck. That's about it.