Feedback, and monitor volume

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the sneak

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So I have this worship leader, who by all definitions of the word, is deaf. Stage volume is abysmal, and his monitor bleed over to my area (about 7 feet) is loud enough to make my ears hurt.

Aside from that, he gets constant feedback, because his mic is so high.

So my question is, how should i set the gain, monitor mix, and monitor volume for him, in order to reduce feedback? Should it be gain lower, mix all the way, and monitor volume until he says he can hear himself?

Any help is greatly appreciated in this matter, as i am at my wits end.
 
Heres how you do it. I run sound at my church and work as a sound contractor

1: You should be able to set on the first row of pews in your church with house system and monitors on and be able to cut the monitors off and on and not hear a differance.

2: I let it be known that I run sound and they sing and that how it is.

3: When I get those preachers who keep asking for more monitor I start turning it down and they get the point. By them its been turned down for 5 mins and I put it back up where it should be they can somehow hear themselves :)

4: You can put some feedback suppression on the monitors, but that would just encourage him to want them lounder.
 
If he is partially deaf then probably the best solution would be to use in-ear monitors but good ones cost. If he has normal hearing do as Deepwater suggests.

Tony
 
I agree with Wilkee- get him an in-ear monitor, and crank it as much as you like. Better yet- send him to a neurologist and get him a hearing aid. It could change his life. How can he expect to hear the word of God if he can't hear?-Richie
 
As both a sound guy and a fellow worship leader, I've learned a few lessons the hard way:

1) Make sure your worship leader practices on a regular basis with a low monitor level. It might just be unfamiliarity with the sound he hears that makes him ask for more of himself.

2) Try to record, on his spot, the mix he gets. Let him listen to that afterwards, when not singing/playing/whatever... sometimes that helps in realizing how loud his monitor really is.

Even when I'm at home, tracking a part, I sometimes set the monitor at a "nice level" and start playing along. When I then listen later, without playing, I notice immediately how loud I had my own part... and try to practice playing my part at a lower monitor level. Reflection is always good.

3) Try to EQ his monitor sound... I've noticed that I need plenty of midrange and upper-midrange of my own voice in order to be able to pitch "tolerably" when singing. If I get e.g. a too dark sound, I need more monitor to be able to pitch right.

BTW, our sound guys have learned that when I start singing off-key, they need to give me more monitor. They know I have enough monitor when I'm in key again with everyone else :-)

4) Is the monitor placed so that he can hear it? Sometimes it can be a problem that a person is off-axis, and don't hear the monitor effectively.

5) Are there any other loud instruments nearby that gets too loud at his spot, such as a guitar amp close to him, or the drums, or whatever?

6) Does he need to some vocal coaching (I know I do!)?

7) Maybe he wants the mic to be insanely loud because he likes the sound he gets by whispering close to the mic. Try give him +20dB at 100Hz and ask him to speak up a bit and step back from the mic (ok, maybe not 20 then).

8) Have you talked to him and explained to him what the problem really is, and how difficult it makes your life? Show him this thread, maybe...

Just some ideas,


-- Per.
 
Hey guys, thanks for the great responses, i've been out, my grandpa went into a coma :(

But as far as instruments around him, nope. Hes so loud, I (the bass player) have my ears hurting from his monitor bleed. Its not a question of monitor position either, as he has 2 monitors to himself. We've looked into in ear's, and thats going down in the future, but for the meantime, i'll try some suggestions this sunday, and get back to you guys.
 
Sorry to hear about your grandpa.

Let's hear what you find out after sunday,


-- Per.
 
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