Band PA

[Dad3353]

I've worked with and alongside many a female singer, roadie, sound tech, lighter, musician, and have no souvenir of any shirking from any of 'em. I realise this is just a convenient stereotype, but I don't know what it's founded on; it's certainly not been my (long...) experience...). Just sayin'. 

[dmccombe7]

2 hours ago, BassAdder27 said:

I’m so amazed that singers apply to bands and in so many cases go not have any PA  or even fold back etc

They also tend not to know anything about setting one up and EQ, reverb, feedback etc etc 

Hey that’s band life for you ! 

I'm lucky in main band the singer also does solo work with his own PA around the clubs and has a very good understanding of PA desks. Ceratinly enough to get by. We use a sound engineer when taking large desk and full PA.

Dave

[dmccombe7]

36 minutes ago, Dad3353 said:

I've worked with and alongside many a female singer, roadie, sound tech, lighter, musician, and have no souvenir of any shirking from any of 'em. I realise this is just a convenient stereotype, but I don't know what it's founded on; it's certainly not been my (long...) experience...). Just sayin'. 

Would have to agree with that. Our female singer actually helps the drummer set up his kit and does a really good job of it. She knows how to set it up on her own.

She also helps carry gear in and out venues altho being older guys we tend not to let her attempt the heavy kit but that's an age generation thing. She's a similar age to us.

Dave

[ricksterphil]

42 minutes ago, Dad3353 said:

I've worked with and alongside many a female singer, roadie, sound tech, lighter, musician, and have no souvenir of any shirking from any of 'em. I realise this is just a convenient stereotype, but I don't know what it's founded on; it's certainly not been my (long...) experience...). Just sayin'. 

I agree with this...I was just joshing. Our singer always packs away her mic and voice box and then announces that she's packed her gear and then disappears to the bar...she re-appears moments later with a tray full of drinks and then gets stuck into gear packing. We also end up with some of our regular fans helping to hump gear which is amazing.

[grandad]

On 16/04/2021 at 06:28, BassAdder27 said:

Yes just seen that originally advertised in 2018 !! 

It’s in Wales though and my singer is Cambridge 

A bargain to be had there. I eventually ended up with a 5016 upgrading from a 512. Years of trouble free gigs. Speakers were EV Sx300 & SB 122. 

I've gone light-weight now to an EMX2. However, I use the master volume to feed 2 EV SM-40 monitors on stands as vocal foldback. FOH is 2 Yamaha DBR10, active. 

So the powered mixer feeds the passive 4" monitors and the AUX o/p level feeds the FOH - which could be any active speakers. 

This was my solution and I can't think of a lighter weight solution. The heaviest item is still my bag of leads & connectors. 

Edit. This is just for vocals though.  

Edited April 18, 2021 by grandad

[PaulWarning]

On 16/04/2021 at 12:00, Nicko said:

Not all vocalists are the same.  My last band had a female vocalist whose idea of setting up was to sit and chat with her boyfriend while drinking a glass of wine and managing to put a mic on a stand when we'd finished.  The female guitarist on the other hand was happy to lug her 100 watt vale amp on her own.

The PA is and should be the responsibility of the singer. Although the band I was in bought collectively with an agreement on buying out anyone that left, when I left the band folded and the band therefore couldn't buy me out and I had to accept either buying it from them or selling it to the vocalist at well below it's value.

The band I was in 4 piece rock playing pubs used a Behringer x12 and a pair of Mackie thump 12s.  More than adequate although new the setup would be around £1300.  Its the speakers that are expensive so go second hand for those.  The X12 was lightweight and did everything we needed it to do but isn't the cheapest option and of course you need to either have a laptop or tablet to access it.

me and the singer own the PA, a Yamaha EMX 512sc Wharfdale 15" Titans, no name monitors, it's at least 10 years old now, but does the job, vocals and bass drum, occasionally guitar, must have done about 500 gigs with it.

The singer never helps with the setting up, just gives me a filthy look when we get feedback.

He started a new  side project band and wanted me to do the PA said he'd give me £20 a gig, err thanks but no thanks but said I'd no objections to him borrowing it, did one gig which apparently was a disaster sound wise then he persuaded the new band to buy a new PA (I think so he wouldn't have to lug around the old one on his own), anyway it is and Alto powered speaker system I think it was about £650, no idea whether it's any good, they did one gig with it then the lockdown kicked in

[Chienmortbb]

3 hours ago, PaulWarning said:

me and the singer own the PA, a Yamaha EMX 512sc Wharfdale 15" Titans, no name monitors, it's at least 10 years old now, but does the job, vocals and bass drum, occasionally guitar, must have done about 500 gigs with it.

The singer never helps with the setting up, just gives me a filthy look when we get feedback.

He started a new  side project band and wanted me to do the PA said he'd give me £20 a gig, err thanks but no thanks but said I'd no objections to him borrowing it, did one gig which apparently was a disaster sound wise then he persuaded the new band to buy a new PA (I think so he wouldn't have to lug around the old one on his own), anyway it is and Alto powered speaker system I think it was about £650, no idea whether it's any good, they did one gig with it then the lockdown kicked in

Altos are good mid range speakers and your singer's experience does prove the saying about a bad workman always blaming the tools, I firts tried the Wharfdale Titans at gig organised by @Phil StarrThey  are 12s and Phil was aslo using subs. The format of the evening was that there were a number of musicians and singers and we all got to play  a few songs in  two different lineups. As a result we got the chance to listen to a range of voices when we were not playing. It was an excellent sound. The Titans main selling point is their lightweight, and the active ones have DSP so are slightly more versatile. Ther are mpre expensive that the PSX but only about £10.

[casapete]

Unashamed plug for a mixer I've just put up for sale on here. Couple this with a pair of active cabs with the healthy remainder of your budget and you'll have a cracking set up!

 

[BassAdder60]

Ok guys an update .. our singer has purchased the Yamaha DRX10 speakers and a mixer from her local music store so we are sorted now 

[Chienmortbb]

2 hours ago, BassAdder27 said:

Ok guys an update .. our singer has purchased the Yamaha DRX10 speakers and a mixer from her local music store so we are sorted now 

You won’t go far wrong with Yamaha. 

[Nail Soup]

2 hours ago, Chienmortbb said:

5 hours ago, BassAdder27 said:

Ok guys an update .. our singer has purchased the Yamaha DRX10 speakers and a mixer from her local music store so we are sorted now 

You won’t go far wrong with Yamaha. 

You are also on the right track with a singer who pays for the PA!

[Bluewine]

On 14/04/2021 at 13:48, Dad3353 said:

Perhaps the definition of 'small' is a bit different, stateside..?  In a local pub we sometimes play in, the band takes up more room than the audience space, and we're a simple four-piece plus singer. 

 

[FinnDave]

I used to play with a former name singer, and can clearly remember her sitting in my car with arms folded saying she 'doesn't carry equipment, she's a diva'. I don't think she ever contributed to any of the equipment costs and expected a (clean) microphone and stand to be provided. She was a great singer, but in the end, the diva behaviour outweighed the advantages. 

[deepbass5]

19 hours ago, Bluewine said:

 

Please leave room for the DJ thanks lads!

[Nicko]

20 hours ago, FinnDave said:

I used to play with a former name singer, and can clearly remember her sitting in my car with arms folded saying she 'doesn't carry equipment, she's a diva'. I don't think she ever contributed to any of the equipment costs and expected a (clean) microphone and stand to be provided. She was a great singer, but in the end, the diva behaviour outweighed the advantages. 

I had pretty much the same experience with our last singer, who wasn't a name at all and was good without being good enough to demand that kind of thing - just thought the band were there to fuel her ego.  

[PaulWarning]

52 minutes ago, Nicko said:

I had pretty much the same experience with our last singer, who wasn't a name at all and was good without being good enough to demand that kind of thing - just thought the band were there to fuel her ego.  

I afraid if singers (front persons) didn't need an ego to fill they'd be crap at their job

[FinnDave]

7 minutes ago, PaulWarning said:

I afraid if singers (front persons) didn't need an ego to fill they'd be crap at their job

That's true, but it makes them a right pain in the bum to work with. As a broad generalisation, bass players are probably the members of most bands with the least ego.

[PaulWarning]

43 minutes ago, FinnDave said:

That's true, but it makes them a right pain in the bum to work with. As a broad generalisation, bass players are probably the members of most bands with the least ego.

our singers 3rd wife (they're now divorced) did say I was the sensible one 😁

[Dan Dare]

22 hours ago, FinnDave said:

I used to play with a former name singer, and can clearly remember her sitting in my car with arms folded saying she 'doesn't carry equipment, she's a diva'. I don't think she ever contributed to any of the equipment costs and expected a (clean) microphone and stand to be provided. She was a great singer, but in the end, the diva behaviour outweighed the advantages. 

You're a better man than me. I wouldn't necessarily expect a singer to carry the gear (I actually prefer to schlep/set up my PA myself as some others are none too careful with things. It's light, so no biggie). However, if they demanded a mic', they would be told that we provide our own instruments and they can provide their own mic'.

Edited May 13, 2021 by Dan Dare

[Bluewine]

On 12/05/2021 at 14:55, FinnDave said:

I used to play with a former name singer, and can clearly remember her sitting in my car with arms folded saying she 'doesn't carry equipment, she's a diva'. I don't think she ever contributed to any of the equipment costs and expected a (clean) microphone and stand to be provided. She was a great singer, but in the end, the diva behaviour outweighed the advantages. 

Dave, it's why I always say bands are better with fantastic people as opposed to fantastic singers and players. I know a very talented female bass player / lead vocalist however she never fits in with any band she joins. She doesn't understand a band is about compromise and team effort.

Daryl

[skidder652003]

[Bluewine]

On 13/05/2021 at 12:08, FinnDave said:

That's true, but it makes them a right pain in the bum to work with. As a broad generalisation, bass players are probably the members of most bands with the least ego.

 *Bass Guitar is basically a service instrument. Nothing to have an ego about.

*Stanley Clarke

 

Blue