Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Roger Morin on August 7, 2009 at 6:55am

They diddley bow was good, but to much distortion on the voice, don't try to hard to cover up for what you think you lack for a voice. A little distortion is good, but more is not better.

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Permalink Reply by Doc Oakroot on August 7, 2009 at 7:09am

I think distortion on vocals is a really bad idea with a few exceptions. I do it when I'm doing wordless "instrumental" solo with my voice - like an alternative to a kazoo. Some of what Shane did with Jug Fusion where he used distorted vocal to distance the singer was very effective. But I wouldn't do it on the regular vocal unless the lyrics are really irrelevant and the song would stand on it's own just as well if you replaced the vocal with a guitar or something.

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Permalink Reply by Jerryrig240 on August 7, 2009 at 7:26am

I thought about just ditching my mic and pedal and making a peizo mic and cranking it....I would get that microphonic sound. I don't know.....I have been listening to alot of hollowbelly and I would say he has just as much distortion as I do. You are right though...I am covering up my voice...it can be pretty bad. Thanks for saying my diddley bow playing was good. I am planning on making another one soon with a shorter actoin between the board and the string...I think I am going to use a peizo for it too.

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Permalink Reply by Wichita Sam on August 7, 2009 at 7:48am

To each his own.... I like to be able to understand a "message song" without having to work so hard. Cut the distortion in have and you have a hit...... good job over all.

Wichita Sam

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Permalink Reply by Doc Oakroot on August 7, 2009 at 8:31am

My Banshee Kazoo Mask is essentially a piezo mic:

The working part is a 2 1/2 inch piece of plastic over a hole in the box with a piezo glued to it. It's actually not bad as a vocal mic straight into the PA.

Hiding your voice is a bad idea... remember, Rock and Roll does not apologize for anything! if your voice is bad, you just need more confidence - sing louder and mix the voice out front. Don't let the audience think you're ashamed of your voice (even if you are, lol).


Jerryrig240 said:

I thought about just ditching my mic and pedal and making a peizo mic and cranking it....I would get that microphonic sound. I don't know.....I have been listening to alot of hollowbelly and I would say he has just as much distortion as I do. You are right though...I am covering up my voice...it can be pretty bad. Thanks for saying my diddley bow playing was good. I am planning on making another one soon with a shorter actoin between the board and the string...I think I am going to use a peizo for it too.

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Permalink Reply by Diydc on August 8, 2009 at 12:22am

I often use an old bakelite telephone as a vocal mic, works great for certain songs we do, but not allways.
The mic from the telephone is sent through a small nobels Preamp, to give it some gain, and using distortion is pretty useless, as it has a frequency range from 1000Hz- 1200Hz, so sounds well grainy all on its own.
The telephone is either a Siemens T40-01 or a Posgt w48. Both are great, fully retro , and a simple rewiring on the inside enables hanging up to either cause a hum, or simply cut the mic....

I also sing through a monarch 30 W megaphone for a few songs, but not too much, as it gives the impression of a college band, because this came into fashion recently for indy bands. best bit is playing a jewish harp through the megaphone.
That sounds really cool....

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Permalink Reply by Mark Werner on August 8, 2009 at 5:46am

I admit, coming from the standpoint of an old Folkie, that I like to understand lyrics. Just because you don't have a "good" voice doesn't mean a thing except you probably won't win American Idol. A lot of my very favorite entertainers have "questionable" voices. John Prine, Tom Waits, Guy Clark...Just to name a few. They have all made a ton of money "singing" good solid songs.
I had the experience as a young kid in Catholic Grade school (way back in the 50s when all nuns came equipped with one of those little round pitch-pipes) of being told not to sing. "Sometimes, among all the little songbirds, there will be a little blackbird who just can't sing. You're a blackbird."
Great thing to tell a little kid, huh?

Blackbirds sing just fine.

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Permalink Reply by Pete Handy on August 8, 2009 at 12:05pm

Hi,
It was a Priest in my case. I used to sing all the time to myself, and when I was around 12 years old I went with a dozen other boys from my class to join the choir, and after we all sang a song together, he told me to go away because my voice wasn't strong enough, and it didn't get any stronger either because I quit singing.
I'm 61 and have started to sing again but it's taking a lot of effort to build up the confidence. It was always in there, my wife tells me I've sung in my sleep at times,lol
Some of my favourite artists can't sing in the convetional meaning of the word. If you can hold a tune at all, go for it, you will only get better with practice.

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