David Doggett
From:
Bawl'mer, MD (formerly of MS, Nawluns, Gnashville, Knocksville, Lost Angeles, Bahsten. and Philly)
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Posted 9 Jul 2008 12:44 pm |
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Richard, I think your problem should be solvable with a little attention to the volume pedal, and some attention to your personal in-ear mix. The volume pedal intervenes between your guitar and the amp, or in this case the board. So it sets the final volume of your signal. Most pedal steel players attack notes with the VP half off or more, reserving the rest of the pedal throw for sustain. During fast picking, you probably keep the pedal in that one spot. And during slower songs with long notes, you probably start at the same spot, but gradually increase the VP to match the die-off of the string and maintain a constant sustain. During sound check, you should be careful to put your VP where you normally have it as you attack notes. And although you may be doing the sound check solo, be sure to play as loud as you would with the band when it gets its loudest. You should be able to pick as hard as you want to, and you should be adjusting the volume with the VP more than with your fingers. The VP has a much bigger range of volume than you typically get with your fingers.
Now, what the sound guy doesn't realize (very few do) is that regardless of where he sets your volume, with your volume pedal you have about as much range in volume as he does with his slider. And you don't set your VP position by watching an indicator or by where your foot was at on the VP during sound check. You set your VP position on the fly by ear to match the volume of the group you hear through your earphone. If you are playing too loud, it is because you are too low in the mix in your earphone, and you are compensating for that with your foot on the VP. If the sound guy wants you to play quieter, he needs to turn you up in your earphone - you will automatically adjust to a quieter level with the VP. If you are playing too quiet, he needs to turn you down in your earphone, and that will cause you to play a little louder. He has to understand that you are adjusting your volume level on the fly according to what you hear in your earphone.
He may also need to adjust the whole mix level in your earphone, as well as your steel. That is a more complicated question. The best way to solve that is not to do sound check with each instrument solo, but to have the whole group play a typical song, and adjust everyones mix in the mains and in their earphones that way.
Apparently what is happening is that during sound check you are playing a little quieter with your VP, and possibly your fingers, than you do once you start playing real songs with the whole group. Just try to play a little louder during sound check. That alone might solve the problem.
I don't think the POD has anything to do with this. It has three volume controls. I think they advise to mostly set those all full on, to give the strongest signal possible. But, you might try setting one of those back some. Then if the sound man cuts you too low, you can turn that up a little. You can do the same thing with your VP of course. What the POD volume level can do is allow you to play quieter or louder, but still have your foot approximately the same place you are accustomed to on your VP. |
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Richard Marko
From:
Dallas, Texas
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Posted 10 Jul 2008 5:03 am
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Dave - I posted this question under pedal steel and here is the reply I sent a couple of other guys that replied below.
But first to answer you.
I understand what your saying about the volume pedal, as this is what the sound guy started to complain about to me.
I even went as far as setting the LED's in the Morley pedal so it doesn't turn off and setting the mixer level toe down and picking hard !!!
Still had problems.
What was a real turn around last night was at mixer setting the trim down and backing off of max on POD output knob to give me some headroom.
Yes I have to experiment more with the in ears -balancing the rest of the band and myself.
Thanks guys -You've all given me useful information and some I just learned first hand from playing last night !!!
I almost came to slapping the crap out of the sound guy (leader of the band and front guy - it's his $65,000 system - go figure huh !!) because I saw he had my trim set to 12 o'clock and he wouldn't turn it down !!! Finally half way through the night he did and all got alot better. Not perfectly the way I want it but better. I need to readjust the entire band in my ears mix now.
The ears are not from the front of the house (I wish they were). It is set up so we can adjust the balance of all instruments individually. The problem with this is it usually sounds like crap and it is difficult playing when it isn't sounding good to the player !! He just tells me "you have to have faith it sounds good out front and if what I hear coming from the POD headphones is good that is what is coming out front" !!
Now I really feel like slapping him !!!
I also found out last night that yes the compressor does mess up the tones and more issues evolved so I will stop using it. In particular I had compressor on all patches except distortion, so when I went to use distortion the volume in my ears was twice as loud !!!
This was weird because we set all patches looking at the meter on mixer and alll were the same levels ??? The only thing that was different was no compressor !!! I'll work on that tonite and set all without compressor and start with the basics.
On the volume knob (last one) every body tells me to set it to max when using XLR, at noon or 5 o'clock when using 1/4", however I did set it at 5 o'clock using XLR and worked out well it also gave me some headroom.
The past two weeks I gave the "leader" copies of e-mails I had communicated from David Spires (Jo Dee Messina's steel player)- he did read them and David said all the same stuff you guys did.
For two weeks he fought me on this but hopefully after last night it is a turning point.
A turning point that if it is fixed and we learned something from it all or I'm quitting this band if it continues!!! IF IT ISN'T FUN PLAYING ANYMORE - MAKE A CHANGE AND START ENJOYING AGAIN.
PLAYING STEEL IS A PRIVELAGE AND NEEDS TO BE ENJOYED BY THE PLAYER ALONG WITH THE AUDIENCE.
Another question for all - does your knob to switch the patches feel odd, like it is dragging or a dirty feeling. It doesn't look like it is easy to get inside where it is mounted and frankly I'm afraid to try it. Just wanted to know if anyone else found this on their POD. |
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