Why is the band so loud?
What does the voice or instrument sound like naturally? What if we were to try and reproduce that rather than doctor something with more technology? I love tinkering with different microphones, eq settings, compression, effects, room acoustic, ext. But if the sound of a drum reverberating sounds like a tropical bird, I may look to the drum 1st. Is that piano in tune? Is the guitar amp ready to blow a tube and making strange whining noises? You get the idea. Start with the source and naturally amplify that. Here are a few observations over the years that boggled my mind.
Drum Shields
To put it bluntly, contrast to popular opinion, a drum shield does nothing for your drummer, band mates or audience. I have been to a few venues where they even built a special “room” for the drummer that was isolated and separated from the band. They basically told the drummer in a passive aggressive way that they liked drums, but please go to your closet. Communication is gone; the drum mics pick up a weird refracted sound from the bounce, and all we see of the drummer is the lights that are reflected back from the plastic. So rather than cage your timekeeper, get him some drum lessons. Once they learn dynamics and control, you won’t want to shield them from your ears any longer.
Loud Guitars
Point those amps at the ears of the players. Sound takes time to propagate, so if they cannot hear themselves, move the amp further away and point it at there heads. Also be aware of who else is on the receiving end. If your vocal mics are also in line with an amp they will also pick up the guitar – so as you turn up your vocalists, your guitar player get louder. Dynamics also help. There is a time to shred and a time to let others go forth.
Vocal Fatigue
I have a great article here about vocal performance. Over the length of a show, we get tired. Proper training and technique helps allot, but sometimes we have to strategically use our set lists and solos to accommodate a better vocal performance. Changing keys to a slightly lower one is also a great tool. Studio recordings are a one-off, but live show after show needs to be sustainable. Highlight the areas where your vocalists are getting fatigued.