Compressor for open mic live sound?

[DanielleOM]

Although I have used a DAW compressor, I have not used one in a live sound
setting. I host a weekly open mic in Windsor, CT. It seems I always get a
few people with tremendous dynamic range where they go from almost a whisper
to screaming vocals.

Any one use one for that type of environment?


Danielle

[Scott Dorsey]

DanielleOM > wrote:
>
>Although I have used a DAW compressor, I have not used one in a live sound
>setting. I host a weekly open mic in Windsor, CT. It seems I always get a
>few people with tremendous dynamic range where they go from almost a whisper
>to screaming vocals.
>
>Any one use one for that type of environment?

Yes, it can work. BUT... remember that when it's quiet and the compressor
is wide open and you have all that make-up gain going on, you have just
reduced the system gain before feedback by that much. So you need to start
out with a quiet system that has plenty of room before feedback in the
first place.

You may find limiting is more effective than compression, depending on
the performer. You may not.

A judicious hand on the fader and a copy of the score is still required
no matter what... the use of compression does not eliminate the need for
the operator to pay attention to what they are doing and ride the faders,
but it can make that job easier. It can also make it harder. Try it out
and see.

If you have huge amounts of gain before feedback and unskilled performers,
one solution can be to use an area mike pulled way back from them, like
a 441 maybe two feet away from their main mike. For singer-songwriters
in a small room this can work very well, you just mute the main mike and
get a very natural sound from the distant mike, and bad mike technique
of all kinds becomes less of an issue.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[hank alrich]

DanielleOM > wrote:

> Although I have used a DAW compressor, I have not used one in a live sound
> setting. I host a weekly open mic in Windsor, CT. It seems I always get a
> few people with tremendous dynamic range where they go from almost a whisper
> to screaming vocals.
>
> Any one use one for that type of environment?
>
>
> Danielle

Leave those people to their foolishness. Turn it down to the point that
their lower passages might get lost, just to avoid clipping the system
when they go berserk.

You can't use a compressor to make an expert out of a beginner or an
ignorantus. At some point people who are serious about singing into a PA
will dig in and learn something about mic technique. In the past few
years I have been astonished how many experienced, successful, touring
folkies have no clue about it.

--
shut up and play your guitar * http://hankalrich.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpqXcV9DYAc
http://www.sonicbids.com/HankandShaidri

[Peter Larsen[_3_]]

DanielleOM wrote:

> Although I have used a DAW compressor, I have not used one in a live
> sound setting. I host a weekly open mic in Windsor, CT. It seems I
> always get a few people with tremendous dynamic range where they go
> from almost a whisper to screaming vocals.

That is how vox humana is.

> Any one use one for that type of environment?

I've used it for speak at a horseshow, a prehistoric ADR Gemini Compact
(1978) with a fabulously working automatic limiter setting, fast release for
the first 6 dB and slow below. The requirement for speak at a horseshow is
that all those far away also should hear it all, the same kind of necessity
probably does not apply for open mic, but unexperienced mic user is.

A caveat: a compressor-limiter turns the gain up when it gets quiet again.
THAT is more often than not the artistic use of it, using it in side channel
compression mode can be very advantageous if that is the problem you use it
to solve.

You should imo use one to protect your gear and the ears of the audience,
but set it to kick in when things get extreme and only then and REMEMBER
that you need to ensure adequate headroom in the gain stage before the
insert-point in the channel. Get it wrong and you get more distortion and
more feedback than you would have had without it.

There is NO replacement for playing with the equipment you want to deploy
and learn how it works well in advance of the show. You may end up having to
ad lib a setup with unknown sonic implements, but do not insist on so doing.

> Danielle

Kind regards

Peter Larsen