AndyBob09 Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 When you're out gigging, who sound checks you? Do you ever dispute this or their opinion? Once you have the house sounding nice, how is your on stage levels? This is all a recurring problem for my function band. Our vocalist usually wants the stage levels to be as quiet as humanly possible, but this often means that I cannot hear guitar and vice versa and with the guitar amp mic'ed in to the PA, the mic can sometimes feedback because the gain needs to be so high due to the actual amp on stage being so quiet - But hey, all to please our vocalist! Does anybody else have similar problems? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 We have a sound engineer who does ours - any arguments about what is 'right' and what is 'wrong' were sorted out quite a few years ago. As long as it pleases me, then everyone's happy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arthurhenry Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 Graham. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mog Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 The singer just needs to be told that the mix he prefers is causing the band to sound unprofessional and may lead to potential clients taking their trade elsewhere. Surely the others in the group have as much of an input as he does? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brensabre79 Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 It works pretty well for us. I do the PA and walk out front to hear a song, the guitards do the on stage sound. we usually agree that if we can't hear ourselves its due to the acoustics rather than the levels and get on with the gig. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerstodge Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 Pete the perv does ours Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Sausage Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 Soundcheck?!?!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 [quote name='Lord Sausage' timestamp='1343589805' post='1752479'] Soundcheck?!?!? [/quote] Yep. It's the thing you're supposed to do just prior to blowing all the windows out of the pub... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrtcat Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 I do everything sound wise for our band. I own the pa and am the only member of the band who really understands how to work it. I mic drums (kick, snare, toms and overheads), guitar amp (our guitaristis a legend, has a nice little 60w marshall valve combo and doesnt mind being told toturn it down if needed - this means he can drive the amp well without being stupid loud) and all 4 of us have vocal mics. I DI my bass unless its a tiny venue (my amp head vol rarely goes above 3) . Once set up, I turn mixer vol to 0 and get everyone playing and singing to make sure input gains are ok. Then I set mixer master vol to about 15% below unity and stand out front and start by getting the drummer to play. I'll tweak him as needed then pick up a bass (wireless) and start playing along. I tweak my settings to fit then get guitarist to join in and make any necessary adjustments to make him fit. I then set lead vocal mic to unity gain and all other mics to about 2/3 of the main vocals. The last stage is to play a song that uses all mics. I then make sure vox are coming over loud and clear. If needed ill boost the vox a little but 9 times in 10 i have to pull them back a little. Finally i set monitor levels so vocals are clear on stage. Sometimes I put some guitar into the mix but I'm lucky that our guys are all sensible with vol so I can use the PA to build a sound and not rather than use it to compensate for someone being too loud. Our PA is really good and can cope with big events so I can make us seriously loud out front whilst being totally in control. If needed I'll push the master vol up a bit. We have a brickwall limiter system and an eq that will kill feedback so I can confidently just slide the master vol up if customers want more volume. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blademan_98 Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 My better half does it. There are no arguments. Just not worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 [quote name='Blademan_98' timestamp='1343593956' post='1752552'] My better half does it.[/quote] Are you in Spinal Tap..? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blademan_98 Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1343594066' post='1752555'] Are you in Spinal Tap..? [/quote] Yes. And if Nigel thinks he can just walk back on stage and take over............ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 All of the band, except the drummer, as he can`t come out front to hear it. Although to be honest, we gig with our rehearsal volume/settings, as the drummer can`t get any louder, so no point in us doing so. It`s only really the vocs that need checking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spike Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 our backing singer is an experienced sound engineer so the rest of us are very happy for her to do it. In my old band it used to be me because I was the only one who knew how the PA worked. I'm so glad someone else is doing it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spike Vincent Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 Me.Because I'm the biggest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottomE Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 I don't care as long as they have Dobly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gub Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 [quote name='arthurhenry' timestamp='1343586644' post='1752413'] Graham. [/quote] This Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyJohnson Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 Pretty much whoever operates the venue. Because I'm on a wireless, I can always walk back to the desk and have a listen. (No seats in the venues I play!) P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 [quote name='BottomE' timestamp='1343597374' post='1752617'] I don't care as long as they have Dobly[/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witterth Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 (edited) [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1343594066' post='1752555'] Are you in Spinal Tap..? [/quote] Priceless!! to answer the question though, Me, with a radio mic/ wireless/pickup thingy, halfway up the room and near the bar to make sure Bar staff arent being deafened and so, are happy. Top Tip, allways make sure bar staff are happy, they know their punters. And yes, we have that in Black, whats your size? Edited July 30, 2012 by witterth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 We sorted all this ages ago.. All the core sounds are there... drums are very clean and tuned so our soundchecks are basically only about levels. If we run our own Vox P.A which will take gr and keys bleeds we are up and running in minutes and we are known for a good sound, I'd say we have more problems with engrs who think the know what they are doing but might take 3 songs to react to a FOH problem which is their total remit.. I'd say our own mixed sound is better that most of the P.A's we have used of late which is a pretty ridiculous state of affairs.. and obviously I can't hear what is out front in a small venue of our self-mix but I strongly suspect this is the case. I basically think some of the engrs we have used have cloth ears as we tend to use them with other bands and their sound doesn't knock me out, tbh.. P.A's we have used in the last few months have been ABBS, RCF, Hill and HK. along with our Martins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiamPodmore Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 Normally someone we know who's seen us a few times before, or me, as i'm the guy with the 30ft cable or when my mate lets me borrow it, a wireless rig. Liam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vsmith1 Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 [quote name='mrtcat' timestamp='1343590623' post='1752494'] Once set up, I turn mixer vol to 0 and get everyone playing and singing to make sure input gains are ok. Then I set mixer master vol to about 15% below unity and stand out front and start by getting the drummer to play. I'll tweak him as needed then pick up a bass (wireless) and start playing along. I tweak my settings to fit then get guitarist to join in and make any necessary adjustments to make him fit. I then set lead vocal mic to unity gain and all other mics to about 2/3 of the main vocals. The last stage is to play a song that uses all mics. I then make sure vox are coming over loud and clear. If needed ill boost the vox a little but 9 times in 10 i have to pull them back a little. Finally i set monitor levels so vocals are clear on stage. Sometimes I put some guitar into the mix but I'm lucky that our guys are all sensible with vol so I can use the PA to build a sound and not rather than use it to compensate for someone being too loud. [/quote] Sounds familiar - except that I usually do the monitors first then the FOH, I'm not sure why I do this, but your approach has me thinking - is there a reason to do the FOH first then the monitors? Normally if I try to get the band to do a song they (vocalists) whinge that they cannot hear themselves. Thankfully I don't mic the drums - but the drums set the level for everything else! I don't DI my bass rig - since I got the HA3500 and 15" cab - I seem to be able to pump it out unaided. I have to keep an eye on things as of course everyone gets louder once we really get started. I always seem to be struggling with the rest who a) aren't bothered as long as they are alright cannot be bothered to do anything much c) forget everything from one time to the next. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjohn Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 The drummer and I tend to be the most arsey about on stage mix. Him cos the guitar amps are usually too far forward for him to hear. Me because I'm the one most afraid of not being able to hear what pitch the note is I'm playing. Which has happened more than once. Though one time it was atrocious. Relying on foldback sometimes really isn't a good idea. Maybe ok during a soundcheck but 2 songs in and every note just making the stage vibrate with no discernible pitch is a horrible place to be. Especially when FOH it's fine... That engineer was not offered a pint at half time... FOH we leave to the engineer but I tend to have a wander out front with my long cable to have a listen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulWarning Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 my girlfriend wonders up halfway through the sound check and will say "that don't sound right" (she's not very good with technical jargon) so we adjust something, eventually she say "that's better" and away we go, then the room fills up, if we're lucky, and the whole thing alters anyway. Sound engineers cost money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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