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Post new topic Tone problems on stage
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Author Topic:  Tone problems on stage
Alex Piazza

 

From:
Arkansas, USA
Post  Posted 15 Dec 2005 6:27 am    
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Ive finally started to find a good tone set up with my amp. However, when I play bigger clubs miked up, my sound gets really thin. Last night It sounded as if I were running direct into the p.a. I geuss the only solution is to have the sound man turn me down and try to get more volume from the stage?
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Randy Reeves


From:
LaCrosse, Wisconsin, USA
Post  Posted 15 Dec 2005 6:57 am    
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I feel your 'pain'.
my problem is being able to hear the other players in the moniters as opposed to the sound bouncing from the back of the house.


Ive been told many times what the artist hears on stage is very different to what the crowd is hearing.
usually the audience can hear your tone when you cant.

I personally play better when I can hear everyone. that way I dont feel like I am holding back.
when i dont hold back my tone is there (for me).
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Steve Zinno

 

From:
Spring City, Pennsylvania, USA
Post  Posted 15 Dec 2005 7:54 am    
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Al, it seems to me lots of sound men just put the mike in the center of the speaker and walk away. The better ones that I've worked with know to put it closer to the edge of the speaker, so I wonder if the mike placement is the problem. The sound coming off that center cone is really thin, and most 57/58 type mics mainly hear what's directly in front of them. I would have them try placing it off-center and at about a 45 degree angle inward (also very close to the grill cloth). If you're getting a good sound from your amp there's no reason why they can't too. Hope this helps.

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steve z.
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Ben Jones


From:
Seattle, Washington, USA
Post  Posted 15 Dec 2005 8:27 am    
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I did a breif stint as a sound man and both of the above posters bring up excellent points.

1. what you hear while on stage is unfortunately not indicative of what you will hear in the audience. The stage monitors even when well placed and mixed properly do not sound the same as the house mains.
2. proper mic placement for speakers is just to one side of the cone...you dont want it dead center on that cone.

also everything thats in a room will affect your sound...when the room is full of people it sounds different than when empty...every room sounds different. I think the best thing a player can do is make sure their tone coming out of the amp is good (or at least how they want it..hehe) and trust in the soundman to do the rest. Good ones know their room and know their PA. It sure is hard to play with a bad mix or when you cannot hear yourself or others...it happens sometimes unfortunately.
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Alex Piazza

 

From:
Arkansas, USA
Post  Posted 15 Dec 2005 8:46 am    
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Now that I think about it, he did have the mike dead center.

So it is better to have it right up to the grill cloth?
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David Wren


From:
Placerville, California, USA
Post  Posted 15 Dec 2005 8:56 am    
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I've started instructing the sound man to not add me in the monitors, and then I place my amp so I can get a good earful of what's coming out (and also get some interaction between the amp speaker and the steel's strings). While I'm still at the mercy of the sound man for what the audience hears, I can at least control what I hear (and that does effect how you perform). Generally the rest of the band is OK with that as well, but if indivduals ask for steel in their monitors, a good sound man can do that too. Main thing to avoid is having other lead or vocal folks being drenched in your steel fills. Now about reverb from the sound man....(:>)>=[

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Dave Wren
'95Carter S12-E9/B6,7X7; Session500; Hilton Pedal
www.ameechapman.com

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Mike Archer


From:
church hill tn
Post  Posted 15 Dec 2005 9:15 am    
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mike placement is very important as
to tone and vol going to the house
sound..... i use a sure 57 and i angle
the mike to about the angle of the speaker cone it self this will alow the mike to pick up the sound from the speaker
way better.. and this works just as well in the studio when using th amp
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Jeff Hyman


From:
West Virginia, USA
Post  Posted 15 Dec 2005 10:05 am    
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Is it still common that most sound men fail to put PSG in the mix where the audience can hear it? It seemed I always had to strain to here PSG in a mix (even as one in the audience) and a lead break was at a volum that "fills" should be.

Jeff
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Steve Zinno

 

From:
Spring City, Pennsylvania, USA
Post  Posted 15 Dec 2005 10:20 am    
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Alex,

I like the mic right at the grill cloth for a couple reasons. Most of the time it's an sm57 or 58 type of mike, which the bass falls off rapidly the further it is from the sound source. Close miking also reduces the bleed into your mike from other things onstage, and maximizes your input versus the other sounds. It helps keep your signal a little more discreet in the mix, which is usually better for the sound man.

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steve z.
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