Must-Have Equipment for Vocalists

2022-01-28

Vocalists can go to a studio practice empty-handed, even if they are in a band.
The advantage of this is that you can go light, but if you want to take your practice to the next level, why not get some useful items for your practice?

Also, if you are not an experienced vocalist yet, it is not a bad idea to start from the beginning by purchasing a variety of items to keep your motivation up.

In this issue, I will introduce some items that are useful to have and some items that you should definitely purchase.

Microphone

If you are a vocalist,I think you will definitely want to have your own microphone.

The SHURE SM58 microphone is so common that it’s said to be the industry standard, and it’s available in every studio and live music club.

However, in music, where individuality is important, isn't it kind of boring to use the same microphone as everyone else?

The theory is that you should choose a microphone based on its frequency response, the band's environment, and your own voice quality and volume, but the reality is that you can't really tell from the product description alone, and few music stores will let you actually try a microphone before you buy it.
If you are not sure what to choose, you can also choose by appearance.

I have often heard that people who choose a guitar or bass by its appearance at first end up getting attached to it and then they take better care of it.

However, whether you choose a microphone based on its appearance or not, please keep the following three points in mind

Choose a microphone for vocal use.
Those that can only be connected via USB are for home use.
Recording condenser mics cannot be used for live performances.

Some condenser mics are customized for live performance, but not many.
You can be sure to choose a dynamic microphone for vocals that does not claim to be a USB microphone.
Also note that some are designed for streaming or for musical instruments.

→ List of Vocal Microphones

Effects pedals

Echoes and other sounds can be applied in studios and live music clubs, but with effects pedals, you can control them at your fingertips and feet.

With an effects pedal, you can create harmonies in real time, or use the keroke-robo voice familiar from Vocaloid productions.
There are not many users yet, so if you use it well, you will be sure to impress a lot of people.

Please read my previous column on vocal effects pedals.

Metronomes

I believe that every musician, not just drummers and guitarists, should practice with a metronome.

Especially among vocalists who have never played an instrument, band members may point out that you don't have a good sense of rhythm.
This is because they are not getting the backbeat, or they are not listening to the bass drum or bass guitar with awareness.

Simply practicing with a metronome and feeling the backbeat on a regular basis will make all the difference in your practice, and practicing with just a metronome and bass guitar is also effective.

By the way, most people who are called tone deaf are not only out of tune but also off the beat.
If you can match the rhythm to the song, even if the pitch is a little off, it will not sound that bad.

There are many metronomes that can be downloaded for free as smartphone apps, or you can buy one for about 1,000 yen.
If you want to do some solid rhythm training, I recommend the BOSS DB-90, which costs about 15,000 yen.

BOSS / DB-90 Dr. Beat

It is expensive for a metronome, but the author has been using it for over 10 years now.
I can say that there is no rhythm pattern that it cannot handle, and with the rhythm coach function that tells you when you’re off, you can sing while using it all the time.
It is not necessary to buy a metronome when you become an expert, and it is not a bad idea to take the plunge and buy an expensive one for the first time since you will be using it for a long time.

Nebulizers

Also called an inhaler, a nebulizer is a mist for the throat to relieve inflammation and prevent dryness.
It seems to have been created for the treatment of asthma and bronchitis, but it is also used as a throat care device for vocalists by using fresh water or saline solution instead of chemical mist.

The author has never used it because somehow his throat never gets sore no matter how much he drinks and makes noise or catches a cold, but he says that vocalists who have used it once find it so effective that they cannot stop.

There is a YouTube video of a conversation between Mr. Sakurai of Mr. Children and Mr. Inaba of B'z. Both of them seem to use a nebulizer.
For vocalists, throat care is as important as the maintenance of their instruments, so if you are worried or prone to soreness, please give it a try.

POWERbreathe

POWERbreathe / Plus Sports (Super Heavy Load) BCPB2003

This is a product that many vocalists use for training because it is a device designed for athletes to use but also for training respiratory muscles.
This product was also used by Mr. Inaba of B'z, and many talented vocalists such as Mr. Fujiwara of Hagedan and TAKUYA of UVERworld have used it, which has led to a lot of people purchasing it.

Although there is no direct relationship between training your respiratory muscles with Power Breathe and a sense of pitch, it does give you more room to breathe, which gives you more time to adjust your pitch.
In addition, since you can take in more oxygen at once, you will not lose your pitch in the second half of long tones.
Some believe that the muscles used by athletes are different from those that can be built up through exercise alone, so it is a good idea to add this to your daily voice training regimen.

Cameras and Tripods

Vocalists are the ones who attract the most attention on stage and they’re the center part in most bands.
The audience is captivated not only by the singing, but also by the vocalist's stage actions and facial expressions while singing.
Therefore, it’s important to keep a video of this appearance in your daily practice and watch it repeatedly to improve it.

You may feel embarrassed to film yourself every time because it seems somewhat narcissistic, or you may feel embarrassed that the band members will see you doing strange movements.
However, the band members will continue to see you embarrassing yourself, which is why you don't have to show the audience your embarrassing stage presence.

Since it is for your own training, a smartphone or a cheap digital camera with a tripod is sufficient for filming, but if you want something that can capture high quality images and sound at live performances anyway, I recommend the Zoom Q2n-4K.

It can withstand 120db of sound pressure, so it can record in live houses and studios without sound cracking, and the video can be saved in 4K quality.
The size of the camera is not too bulky, which is also a plus.

ZOOM / Q2n-4K 4K Handy Video Recorder