Most ideal monitor mix for singer / getting over nerves

mvarrone995

Hey guys,
New guy to the forum! My names Mike and I play guitar full time on a fairly busy cover band. Over the past year I’ve been singing more and more to aid our actual lead singer. I’m at the point now where I actually “co-front” with him and actually sing about 40-50% of the sets.

So even though I sing more now, I’m very self conscious of my voice. I have this issue where I feel confident singing at home where I feel like my voice is decent, but as soon as I get to a show where I can really hear my self (thru my IEM’s), that’s when I start to get nervous, lose control of pitch, and simply just sound shaky.

I know this is a mostly “me in my head” kind of thing, but maybe I’m just hearing too much of myself in my ears at shows and it’s freaking me out? I’ve always been under the assumption that as a live vocalist, you’d want a hefty amount of you voice in the monitor. What are your monitor mixes like? Do you have your vocal sit on top? Or do you have it sit IN the mix so you’re hearing it but not every little detail and flaw of each note?
Thanks!
-Mike

Klaus_T

maybe you should practice with the IEM at home and figure out the best mix without the stress? normally you want to hear yourself well in order to sing well

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mvarrone995

VoxBoxMcSingy said:

When I sing live I usually want ONLY my own voice in my monitor, depending on how big the stage is, what the room/club/stadium looks like.

I want full control of what I sound like so I need to hear it all in as much detail as possible.

Been singing for 30 years and the last 22 professionally.

Interesting. Yea that seems to be what a lot of singers that I’ve asked prefer too.

Klaus_T said:

maybe you should practice with the IEM at home and figure out the best mix without the stress? normally you want to hear yourself well in order to sing well

This is something I’ve tried! Definitely helps but also it’s not the same since when we practice I just don’t have that same live feel. Also the nerves aren’t quite there either lol. Maybe my issue is that I’m just too in my head about it UGH.