# Headset mics



## troyguitar (Nov 11, 2010)

Cool or not for stage use in your opinions?

It seems like almost no one in metal uses them and instead opts to be tied to a mic stand if playing guitar/bass and singing. The dude from Raven is the only guy I can think of who uses one.

I think being able to actually move on stage while singing and playing would be a good thing - what keeps people from using them?


----------



## halsinden (Nov 11, 2010)

troyguitar said:


> Cool or not for stage use in your opinions?
> 
> It seems like almost no one in metal uses them and instead opts to be tied to a mic stand if playing guitar/bass and singing. The dude from Raven is the only guy I can think of who uses one.
> 
> I think being able to actually move on stage while singing and playing would be a good thing - what keeps people from using them?



throughout almost all of my time singing for interlock, i wanted to use a headset mic. pretty much everyone in the band opposed the idea, but my defence was that i was active enough onstage to need one.

it's only since i started talanas, in which i sing _and_ play guitar, that i actually found and bought one but have yet to try using it. so far i've only really felt inclined to give it to my drummer. i do find that doing extreme vocals (rather than clean / melodic) looks rather awkward with one.

other people who use one are greg from esoteric (doom metal) and rogue from the cruxshadows (terrible goth pap).

H


----------



## Deadnightshade (Nov 11, 2010)

halsinden said:


> other people who use one are greg from esoteric (doom metal) and rogue from the cruxshadows (terrible goth pap).
> 
> H



I checked out Cruxshadows..They have a LEAD DANCER and not a LEAD guitarist!!!That explains the use of headset mics.

God damn in my 21 years of life i'm starting to feel that there are way to many bands referring to girls aged with the digits of my age in reverse order..


----------



## SargeantVomit (Nov 11, 2010)

My guitarist's old band used one, lead singer was the drummer.


----------



## halsinden (Nov 11, 2010)

SargeantVomit said:


> My guitarist's old band used one, lead singer was the drummer.




i REALLY enjoyed that.

H


----------



## noob_pwn (Nov 11, 2010)

The problem with headset mics is you can't use any vocal-mic techniques such as spacing to keep your levels consistent.


----------



## troyguitar (Nov 11, 2010)

noob_pwn said:


> The problem with headset mics is you can't use any vocal-mic techniques such as spacing to keep your levels consistent.



Just about every pop star uses them, what do they do?


----------



## Varcolac (Nov 11, 2010)

troyguitar said:


> Just about every pop star uses them, what do they do?



Totally not lip-synching, that's what they do.


----------



## MaxOfMetal (Nov 11, 2010)

Varcolac said:


> Totally not lip-synching, that's what they do.


----------



## troyguitar (Nov 11, 2010)

smartass

While I don't doubt that some of that goes on, I'm guessing at least some of them really do sing. 

I would just try one but they're damn expensive and generally not returnable.


----------



## raximkoron (Nov 12, 2010)

noob_pwn said:


> The problem with headset mics is you can't use any vocal-mic techniques such as spacing to keep your levels consistent.




That would be my major concern. If I *only* sung, screamed or growled, it might be alright, but I know that all three of those are not able to be done at the same volume.

Some of that might be able to be taken care of with a heavy amount of compression, but I'm just not convinced it would work exactly the way I'd want it to.


----------



## troyguitar (Nov 12, 2010)

I should mention that I only sing and generally at full belting volume most of the time, no soft ballads here


----------



## Customisbetter (Nov 12, 2010)

Headset mics make me feel naked. I have played shows with them, and it forces you to act as the center of the stage. Its a weird psycho visual thing. The audience is going to look for the mic stand, if they don't see it, they get (albeit very slightly) confused.


----------



## troyguitar (Nov 12, 2010)

I don't think I'd ever use one if I weren't playing guitar, unless I could dance like Michael Jackson.

Maybe we just need longer instrumental sections in the songs so I can leave the mic stand without having to run right back 5 seconds later. MORE SOLOS!


----------



## butch (Nov 15, 2010)

For a while, my band "borrowed" the Queensryche Empire-era set up. Everyone had wireless headset mics (singer was handheld). I my opinion, it led to a very clean looking stage, as the instruments were also run wireless, and we had backdrops in front of the amps (could use a half stack or a 1x12, and the stage looked the same).

Probably going to back to that set up early next year, at least for gigs where we run our own sound.

Cheers,
Butch


----------



## ittoa666 (Nov 16, 2010)

butch said:


> For a while, my band "borrowed" the Queensryche Empire-era set up. Everyone had wireless headset mics (singer was handheld). I my opinion, it led to a very clean looking stage, as the instruments were also run wireless, and we had backdrops in front of the amps (could use a half stack or a 1x12, and the stage looked the same).
> 
> Probably going to back to that set up early next year, at least for gigs where we run our own sound.
> 
> ...



That's probably the only way to get away with that and not look like a pop star.


----------



## troyguitar (Nov 16, 2010)

I don't think I'm in danger of looking like a pop star, I'm not that pretty even in tight pants 







What I have found out, however, is that decent wireless headset units cost like $600+ for the mic+receiver+transmitter which has made me change my mind about picking one up


----------



## halsinden (Nov 17, 2010)

esoteric:



H


----------



## RevDrucifer (Nov 22, 2010)

I wanted to do it in a band I was in, in Ft Lauderdale, but the rest of the guys wouldn't let me. I used to climb all over shit in the rooms we played in, tables/PA speakers/the bar, etc and thought it would make my job a lot easier and more entertaining, they just thought it'd look gay.

It's still something I want to do. Maybe with the next band, I'll have one stationary mic on a stand and a headset I can throw on for certain tunes that need table-dancing.


----------



## spattergrind (Nov 22, 2010)

maybe not guitar but:
Morgan Rose Sevendust


----------



## mattofvengeance (Dec 1, 2010)

Because as far as I'm concerned, you might as well be strapping a rainbow colored unicorn on the side of your face. I understand the functionality may suit one's needs, but I can't get over how gay it is. One of the bands who played with us this weekend had a drummer with one, and he was ridiculed mercilessly.


----------



## Varcolac (Dec 1, 2010)

mattofvengeance said:


> Because as far as I'm concerned, you might as well be strapping a rainbow colored unicorn on the side of your face. I understand the functionality may suit one's needs, but I can't get over how gay it is. One of the bands who played with us this weekend had a drummer with one, and he was ridiculed mercilessly.



Homophobia's pretty gay too. Just sayin'.

edit: By which, I mean "it looks gay lol" isn't an argument for or against its use. It's just a prejudice.


----------



## Ben.Last (Dec 1, 2010)

To add another "just sayin"...

I just came inside my girlfriend about half an hour ago and I wouldn't rule out using a headset mic


----------



## mattofvengeance (Dec 1, 2010)

Varcolac said:


> Homophobia's pretty gay too. Just sayin'.
> 
> edit: By which, I mean "it looks gay lol" isn't an argument for or against its use. It's just a prejudice.



Cool. I'm not even remotely homophobic, and while my statement was dramatic hyperbole, I should've phrased it differently. If you could read, I didn't argue it wasn't useful, but it isn't for me. Clearly, I'm not alone in this, as an exceedingly small portion of the metal population use them.


----------



## kennydoe (Jan 7, 2011)

I've seen guys using headset mics that end up habitually singing out of the side of their mouth. It looks silly, and I always wonder if they ever back to handheld and have to stand sideways.

I think it's a must-have for a drummer though.


----------

