Monckyman

Decent gig in warrington, not very well paid but we treat it as a rehearsal and this months rent on the reh room paid. It was paddies day so we cobbled a couple of vaguely irish songs to stick in the set, these went down ok.realised to get the best out of my EA amp I need to drive the input a bit with my pedalboard, and then it really fills the room. Used a couple of lights and a hazer to dress the "stage" area a bit. I`ve had the drummer on an in ears monitoring setup for the last week or two and he`s really loving it, says he can hear his kit how it should be without banging it, which means for the rest of us, the dynamics are much better and the songs are a lot more laid back. Next is to try the singer on a radio IEM and see if that works. Still not happy with the keys player, who is clumsy and keeps turning her level down. Every time I look across at her on a song she doesn`t have much to do in, she`s fiddling with her mobile phone.. Onwards and upwards.

Optimum gain settings (your method) mean driving the rest of the circuits to the best of their design ability and in my opinion will always sound better than altering your whole gain structure simply because you want to alter the volume.

There`s that open door we were talking about a fortnight ago... Congrats and they are a lucky band.

UPS

Hello. Having just read the thread in this forum about badly calibrated Noise Limiters in some venues I got to thinking how useful it might be to have a general information thread on venues people have played in. Information included might be: Postcode/directions. Size of room/punter head count Stage size (or stage at all!) Noise limiter Mains 240 access Load in/stairs General fees (though these of course vary). Contact info. Type of music they like there. Perhaps a thread like this might help people find suitable gigs more easily. MM

So um... not a bassist then?

No worries, I`m not fussed. I`m not a fan of electronic music myself, but I can`t deny that it is music. I remember embarrassing myself in a college argument about the musical qualities of "turntabelists" with me vehemently denying they were musical instruments and most of the class calling me a luddite, so im not a million miles from how you feel. I do want and would prefer, a decent keys player, who knew their technology and could emulate parts on modern pop tracks that go beyond a few chords on a Korg piano patch. Sadly, that`s what we`re stuck with at the moment, and it`s making me frustrated. I have absolutely no qualms about using tracks, nor do Coldplay, Gaga, Maddona, Doves,Stereophonics, Jesse J (nice band, BVs are on backing trax...) and countless others, who put on fantastic shows using technology to it`s fullest to entertain and inspire. I don`t consider this to be ripping any punters off at all. It is all about context though as others have said, and I wouldn`t expect a folk or jazz audience to appreciate a recorded sax solo etc.. A pop audience however is not so steeped in the "live" aspect of the performance and will not care so long as it`s entertaining. I IMO of course. MM

Lots of ridiculous luddite arguments being presented but not my concern. I don`t have a problem with technology or machines playing "music". Sorry Kraftwerk,Depeche Mode,Rammstein,Faithless,Underworld,etc someone thinks you don`t make music because it`s not played on a Souzaphone... dear me. Thanks to those with practicaL help and advice (which is what I asked for, not an opinion on whether tracks were ethically justified). Strange how some musicians can be so conservative.... Perhaps next time someone asks about the right D B pickup for a Skiffle band I`ll offer an unasked for opinion on whether Skiffle bands are actually music, seeing as a washboard isn`t a real instrument like.... MM

Just think it`s a musical equivelant of my first pony. Maybe the UI is cool for teenagers unable to operate normal desks but its not for me. Nothing to do with the technology.

Use a cheap IEM set. Better bang for buck.

I know you reckon your pickup isn`t that bad, but a higher output one would really help get the most out of your initial sound before amplification. The sound man needs level, more than tone otherwise a great deal of what he`s trying to turn up is simply fresh air. Experiment with a few pickups. For your own monitoring you could try a smaller sized driver cab like something with 8s in, and use it on a stand so it`s up past the bass body and near your ears! You won`t need serious bottom end, just definition and level, and the smaller drivers will really help keep it tight. Good luck!

X32 for me.

I`d say ebay or second hand from flightcase warehouse would save a lot of pain, and might work out cheaper. [url="http://www.secondhand-sound-and-lighting-equipment.co.uk/second%20hand%20flight%20cases%20and%20trunks.htm"]http://www.secondhand-sound-and-lighting-equipment.co.uk/second%20hand%20flight%20cases%20and%20trunks.htm[/url]

Found my current employment through Joinmyband but [url="http://www.partysounds.co.uk/"]http://www.partysounds.co.uk/[/url] is good too.

Connected. Stereo MCs. http://youtu.be/qYDmJUMO06E

Thanks for the posts all, this is a contentious topic to some an it wasn`t my intention to discuss the integrity of playing an ostensibly live show along to a machine or recording. Personally, I think music has progressed well past simple human interaction and far far into the digital realm. But that`s another argument. All I care about here, is the technical restrictions and aspects of practicality. I`m not writing an opus, merely covering some Coldplay tunes. Ta.

Hey Jake, it`s a wedding/functions cash generator! Any numbers you have though will be welcome. To the other posters, yes only the drummer will have a click and he`ll be on in ears. He practices to a click constantly so I spose that`ll help and he`s really keen which is great. I`m a bit relieved that a few of you are already making this type of setup work in a covers/functions context. Good to know. I`ve worked for many bands who had half the show on backing so I have all the technical stuff sorted but never played with a clicked up drummer myself. I quite like the idea of having to be precise, it suits my head,and if the singer f***s it up then I`ll beat him with a golf shoe till he doesn`t. I can see it suiting more dance based stuff rather than old time rock n roll, but again that`s where I want the set to go. So, I`m going to program up a couple of fairly dense tunes in the setlist and see if it`ll fly with the present company of musos. If not, well, I`ll have lost nothing but time. On a related issue, the singist has a vague concern that a four piece won`t command as high a fee as a five piece. Thoughts? MM

The band I`m in is struggling to find a decent keys player who can do more than slam a few chords out on a piano sound. So, we are seriously considering programming the keyboard parts and sticking them on a stereo file player like a Pod or minidisk etc. I realise some organic feel would be lost playing to a click but many pro bands do it all the time and manage to sound great. Thoughts and experiences? Ta. MM

There have been faults reported on these models on TB. Apparently the PRC produced ones fail under pressure leaving you with a jagged edge. Could just be a bad batch I spose.... Blue did you say? Hmm