Banshee feedback at gig

[EBS_freak]

So - just got back from playing a black tie affair in Brum at the Town Hall and I have came across something completely bizarre... if it helps one of you guys out in the future, then great - I'll share the experience here.

OK - got up and set up fine - however, during sound check, the guitarists were suffering from the most hideous of feedback. They were both playing Strats and whenever they had pickup positions 1,3 or 5 selected (e.g. seperate single coils), the things would feedback uncontrollably. (Even at low volumes with very little gain).

Very odd.

My bass was OK - but that was running with the pickups in humbucking mode hence it displayed the same characteristics as the guitars in positions 2 and 4.

We were racking our brains, we couldn't sort it out. Even with the PA off it was still happening. At one point we had just a single guitar amp running and still, the banshee feedback was there.

Suddenly, we noticed the magician going around with a headset on with mic built in. I found out was he was connected to - turned out the venue has it's own PA and he was using that for the induction loop so the hard of hearing could hear what he was saying when doing his up close magic. As an experiment (e.g. longshot), I closed down the loop. Problem vanished.

There you go... if you ever have any uncontrollable feedback and you don't know where the hell it is coming from, try and hunt down a loop system for the hard of hearing... Sustain through an induction loop - The world's biggest E Bow?!

Edited July 19, 2009 by EBS_freak

[whynot]

Had the same thing happen at a conference centre near Parliment Sq a few weeks back (without magician). Only really affected the bass though. Had several sound guys on the case for half an hour before they found the problem. I hadn't a clue.

[EBS_freak]

[quote name='whynot' post='544462' date='Jul 19 2009, 02:20 AM']Had the same thing happen at a conference centre near Parliment Sq a few weeks back (without magician). Only really affected the bass though. Had several sound guys on the case for half an hour before they found the problem. I hadn't a clue.[/quote]

Yeah - never had it before despite playing other venues (e.g. theatres etc) which have induction loops. Perhaps this particular venue has some badass amp running that mother and it was just too much for the guitars to cope!!

[thisnameistaken]

That's the weirdest thing I've ever heard of. Never come across that before.

I would've tried sacrificial burning of the sound guy, then maybe slaughtering some virgins, but that's just how I roll.

[pete.young]

I've seen this before with a strat , in a church of all places. Turned out to be a great excuse for my friend to buy a variax, which cured the problem :-)

A hearing aid is essentially a single-coil pickup.

[BigAlonBass]

This is a fairly regular occurence since the Disability Discrimination Act came in. Any unwarranted feedback problems, go STRAIGHT to the Manager of the Venue, and ask if they have the loop system fitted. The Law says it MUST be turned off whenever Live Music is being played, as amplified, it can do damage to even Deaf peoples ears. My Son is Deaf, and as my Chief Roadie attends every Gig I play, and even he says "With most Live Music being at a volume where I can actually feel/hear/sense it, what the f*ck do I need hearing aids for?"