Getting the Most of Your Microphone with Shure A&R Ryan Smith

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I Eat Vibes for Breakfast, hosted by Juliana Hale, features special guest Ryan Smith, a veteran Shure artist relations regional manager in Nashville. In this episode, they start with a tea of the day segment, where Juliana tries Yogi Tea’s blackberry apple cider digestive awakening, while Ryan drinks The Accidentals’ timeout tea, a citrus wellness blend with turmeric, ginger, and licorice root. They discuss the benefits of drinking tea before performing and recording, as well as their preferred temperatures for water. They also talk about Ryan’s activities for the day, including dropping off a repaired belt pack at the Grand Ole Opry and visiting some artists in soundcheck. They also discuss a teabag fortune that reads, “When the dawn of simplicity comes in life, complications leave.”

Ryan discusses his passion for drumming and music, and how he got started in the industry. He talks about his experience studying music at college and meeting different artists. He also mentions how he started working at Shure, a music company, in the customer service department and later moved into production. He talks about his favorite microphone for drum sets and how he tries to balance his work and passion for music with family life. The speaker also mentions that his work days can be different, depending on the projects he is working on, and how he spends his time editing videos and getting approvals for his work.

During the conversation, Ryan and Juliana discussed tips on how to have good live audio as an artist. Ryan emphasized the importance of knowing the source of the sound, such as the instrument, speaker cabinet, or vocalist’s voice. He advised that artists should listen to the sound and understand its ranges, what cuts through, and what needs to be miked. Additionally, Ryan suggested that artists should know what kind of sound they want to create and find an engineer who understands their music. When it comes to how close an artist should sing to their microphone, Ryan said that it is usually acceptable to be two to three inches away from the microphone, but it depends on the type of show an artist wants to put on. Some artists intentionally stay seven or eight inches off the microphone during an acoustic show to mix what they are singing. Overall, Ryan concluded that it is essential to understand the source of the sound and have a clear vision of the kind of sound an artist wants to create to have good live audio.

Story Notes:

The Benefits of Drinking Tea Before Performing and Recording Music.
Ryan Passion for Shure and His Experience Working in the Music Industry.
Tips on How to Have Good Live Audio as an Artist.
Emphasizing the Importance of Understanding the Source of the Sound
Having a Clear Vision for the Desired Sound.
Find an Engineer Who Understands Music
How Close an Artist Should Sing to Their Microphone, Depending on the Type of Show.

To Learn more about Shure, visit:
https://www.shure.com/en-US

To learn more about Juliana, visit:

Master Link to All Pages:
https://ffm.bio/julianahale