solo4652

We're a 5-piece pub covers band, playing the local pub circuit. Bass (totally independent through own backline), guitar (totally independent through own backline), guitarist also sings BV's through the desk/PA, keys through the desk/PA, lead vocals through desk/PA, acoustic drums. I'm trying to use KISS principle to keep things as simple and straightforward as possible. We already have a mountain of kit that takes over an hour to set up, and to break down. I'm with PaulWarning - before buying a load more kit which adds complexity and set up time, I'm suggesting that the drummer perseveres with his musician grade ear plugs. Three desk inputs already taken by keys and vocals, leaving one free. If drummer so desires - and it's his choice - he could mix his own mics using his own desk and feed that into band's desk. As for more monitors - we could perhaps put the desk output into a splitter so that anybody who wants their own monitor can plug into that. I accept that this means individuals won't be able to mix their own monitor sound, but keys and vocalists simply being able to hear each other would be a significant step forward. No need for expensive new desk. Would that work?

Could we feed the monitor output from the desk into one of these splitters https://www.bax-shop.co.uk/miscellaneous-peripherals/dap-pmm-401-4-channel-passive-mixer Anybody who wants their own personal monitor can buy one and plug it in.

The nature pf The Problem seems to be changing. It started off with the drummer and the guitarist being concened about tinnutis, and sugegsting that IEM's would help protect their hearing. Latest message from drummer reads: "Our current desk only has 4 mic inputs and 1 monitor output so we’re out of ports before we even start. It’s all about the mix that individuals want to hear. I think our monitoring is a bit poor atm as [keys player] struggles to hear herself and also [lead vocalist]. And I struggle to hear both of them because of where I’m sat. Just trying to avoid more wedges and more volume as it rarely improves sound." So now the discussion is about poor stage monitoring. Currently there is just one monitor - it sits out front on the floor at the singer's feet. Is there a way that the output from the desk could be split so that individuals could have their own mini/personal monitors, perhaps? Some sort of snake??

Oh Lord. That hadn't occured to me as a possibility at all! I used to play alongside a heavy-hitting double-kick drummer. Eventually he bought an electronic kit with a most marvellous thing - a volume control.

I'm struggling to fully understand how micing up drums and then feeding them into a desk is going to help with tinnutis. When I suggested musician-grade in-ear protectors, drummer said; "I also already use expensive in ear filtered ear protection and they’re okay but they only muffle the sound and the whole point of monitoring is to improve clarity and also the mix that you’re receiving. The idea is to have a quieter more balanced audio." But he's still going to be pounding away on his acoustic drum kit and making a lot of noise isn't he? That's not going to reduce the overall on-stage sound levels, is it? But, according to him, it isn't about reducing overall sound levels - it's about "improving clarity and,,,,,,,to have a quieter more balanced audio". I'm confused. I did start to read the IEM thread but quickly started to glaze over. Also - keys player has now decided she would like to have IEM as well as guitarist and drummer.

So far, the band PA is for vocals (lead and backing), and keys. The desk was upgraded 6 months ago and is owned by the drummer. Drummer plays acoustic kit, myself and guitarist use our own backline. Rear-facing monitor sits out front. Guitarist (who also does BV's) and drummer have now decided they'd like to use IEM's in order to protect their hearing, and to prevent their tinnutis getting worse. This will need a new desk with more inputs, apparently (I'm clueless about IEM systems), and drummer and guitarist have suggested we all contribute to the cost of a new desk and other associated equipment. I don't feel I need or want to use IEM's. Don't know about lead vocalist or keys player. Questions: Is there any way the existing desk could be adapted? Who then owns the desk and equipment if somebody leaves, or the band folds? Will IEM's help to reduce tinnutis? Could the drummer simply use musician-grade ear plugs? Won't IEM's introduce yet more leads and complexity to what is alreadyy a ton of on-stage eqipment for a 5-piece band?

Yep. Helping out at a Bike Repair Cafe next week.

Update: Decision made - I've told the radio station that it's not for me. For the most part, I enjoyed presenting the shows, and the banter with my co-presenter/mentor. I haven't enjoyed the sound engineering aspects, however. You were expected to choose the songs from the station's stockpile of 68,000 songs. That done, you'd have to listen to each chosen song and "clean" it to check for sound levels and possible clipping, using Audacity. During the show, there would be an almost anal concentration on the clock to ensure you weren't running over or under time, even though the clever desk would make automatic allowances for that. It would have all been worth it if there was anybody listening. But, there wasn't, and I couldn't see any viable plan to engage patients and staff more. Last week I did a show and, as I left, I found myself thinking' "Well, that went pretty well but, really, what was the point of that?" So, I've said Thanks, but no thanks.

Perhaps I should say that the main reason I was interested in Hospital radio was to do some voluntary work with my spare time, for the good of others. I'm not really interested in reaching a global audience with my own show via podcasts or Spotify recordings.

Anybody here have recent experience of hospital radio presenting? I'm struggling with it. I've recently started presenting a weekly show on my local hospital radio. Steve's Funk, soul and Groove show. It's taken quite a while to learn how to operate the desk, upload songs to the system, "clean" (adjust sound levels/clipping) song tracks before playing them and so forth. Yesterday was my third show and my co-presenter/mentor said he'd just received marketing information about listener numbers. Approximately 25 people per show. Which makes me seriously wonder whether all the time and effort is worth it. - Getting out on the wards to gather requests is not encouraged at all. Post Jimmy Saville, hospital managers are very wary of random people wandering around wards. High level of DBS needed. Ward volunteers are too busy to be the radio's outrunners, apparently. - Although requests are welcome, they are invited through the station website/chatbot, social media. I've only ever seen 3 requests come in and they were all from other presenters. - Which makes it seem that the radio station exists primarily for its presenters, rather than for hospital patients and staff. - I asked how easy it was for patients to listen to hospital radio in their beds through the bedside media monitor, "Oooh - we've had problems with the technology. Don't think it's working at the moment, actually" - If you're a patient and you want to listen to some music, you'll use Spotify or YouTube. - Much of the time, I seem to be an audio engineer rather than a presenter. Maybe I'm living in the past by thinking that Hospital Radio is/should be about contacting patients directly and playing their songs for them.

Thank you for your comments. Looks like I'll be putting together a LR profile.

Thanks Rick.

We're in Devon...

My band has decided that I should look into getting us onto the Lemonrock website in order to promote the band and get more gigs. I've had a quick look at the site this morning, and I'm left wondering whether it offers that much more than a well-managed Facebook or Instagram account. I am not well-versed in social media and I may well be missing something important here. What has been other people's experience, please?

Will do. At next rehearsal, I'll ask her how's she's getting on with her bass, and what her playing intentions are. See what she says.

Drummer - her husband - is band leader.

I think that's it, yes.

At this stage, I think she's curious. She's a good trombone player, but a poor keys player. Her husband plays drums, guitar, keys and bass. Being a multi-instrumentalist seems de rigeur in their family. Difficult to tell exactly how serious she is about playing at gigs. I've given her advice about what home-practice combo to buy, and I've offered to do a basic set up on her bass. She asked me for lessons. I declined, saying that she needed to find a professional teacher, not me. I get on well with her, and her husband. Maybe the best approach is to sit back and see what happens. In the nicest possible way, I'll avaoid giving her playing tip. It might just fizzle out. However, if she (and husband) make serious suggestions of her playing bass at gigs, I'll say No at that point. I don't play any other instrument in the band.

I play in a good 5-piece pub covers band. Drummer's wife plays keys - sort of. She has bought a bass and at last night's gig she told me she wanted to play bass "on a few songs" next year. Hmmm....

18 bids already!?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/266551132381?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110025%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.COMPOSITELISTINGS%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20220405142716%26meid%3Db5eaa6d8c9734f6a86e7d108d8aa6dba%26pid%3D101506%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D25%26sd%3D314653778131%26itm%3D266551132381%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D3458402%26algv%3DAlgoIndex5SimRanker%26brand%3DBrand&_trksid=p3458402.c101506.m1851

I'm having a pause for thought too. I moved from Manchester to Devon just over a year ago and was lucky enough to join a decent pub covers band pretty much straight away. As usual, I threw loads of time and home practice at the setlist to ensure I wasn't arriving for rehearsals under-prepared, or delaying gigging. The band has struggled to find gigs, mainly due to the (un)availability of a couple of members. For example, I managed to get us 3 gigs in the summer, only to be told that the band was having a "much-needed summer break for family time" for two months. I felt that I wasn't getting the return on the time and committment investments I'd put in. So I decided to put together my own band to run alongside the main band. Perfectly possible for me since I'm full-time retired. I've put bands together before, but I'd forgotten just how hard it is. New band has guitarist, drummer, bassist, rehearsal room, and gig prospects in place. But female singer we had lined up can't seem to get over her sore throat. We're talking to another singer but, already, I'm starting to wish I hadn't bothered. At least I've been able to play the songs I wanted to play and have a lot of input into setlist and band line-up. Nothing new here, of course. I suppose I'm saying that stopping playing is not something I've considered. Changing what I'm playing, and the people around me, has kept me going. So far.

Last in, first out. Not bonding with it. Not getting played. It's just sitting here.

Just stumbled across this. Didn't for one moment think it would work. But....

More (hearsay?) information/suppositions/rumours here. although from "Rolling Stones Data" website, so most probably not especially independent nor impartial. https://rollingstonesdata.com/news/so-what-do-we-know-about-the-stones-new-album-2023/