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Topic: Dialing in Your Sound on a Gig |
Will Bartell
From:
Medford, Oregon USA
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Posted 18 Mar 2001 12:34 pm |
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| This topic crossed my mind as I'm preparing for a gig at a convention center. We are all used to the sound we have in our practice rooms, but as soon as you get on stage at a reasonably large venue, or an outside gig, all bets are off. I'm playing stereo through an Evans FET500 with a 15" JBL E-130, and a ProfexII with a Stewart power amp and two Peavey 112E's. I'm not even talking about the mix going through the house mains, but it seems like you fiddle around to get the tone where you want it at sound check, then when the room is full of people, you've got to start all over again, or you spend the whole evening trying to get the tone you know you've got in there somewhere instead of playing! Any thoughts? |
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c c johnson
From:
killeen,tx usa * R.I.P.
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Posted 18 Mar 2001 1:14 pm
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Yes, I know exactly what you are talking about.I have solved this problem and have bottled it. The price is $300 for the 16 oz bottle. No cash please; checks only.
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 18 Mar 2001 2:45 pm
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I don't seem to have that problem. Although I do adjust slightly from my basic setting, 99% of the time I use my basic amp setting and that's it.
If I'm doing a gig that is miked, I set my amp on it's basic setting and try to convice the sound man to not add any EQ.
I've played in places where the acoustics are bad and no amount of screwing with the EQ will fix that. As far as empty/full house, I don't seem to hear much difference with the steel, although the PA tends to change.
I have one strange twist. One place I play my stereo rack system sucks but the Nashville 400 sounds great. Every place else that I've played the stereo rack system kicks butt. |
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Will Bartell
From:
Medford, Oregon USA
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Posted 18 Mar 2001 3:44 pm
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Jack, that's the kind of stuff I'm talking about--for no good reason, my normal settings will suddenly seem really bassy, or thin, or whatever. Sometimes I start to mistrust my ears, and then I'm really concerned (What if I'm not hearing my intonation correctly?) It's certainly not an overwhelming problem, but depending on who is running the sound, sometimes my sound coming through the stage mix sounds OK, but it's like I'm using somebody else's rig hearing the sound direct. Probably an ozone layer issue...
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 18 Mar 2001 8:37 pm
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Will - Don't forget. If you're playing at high volumes on stage, your ears tend to get fried a bit and things won't sound quite right. If you get a good sound at the beginning of the gig and things tend to start sounding off later, no amount of fiddling with the amp is going to get the good sound back if your ears have gotten fried.
Lee, from South Texas |
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Ricky Davis
From:
Bertram, Texas USA
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Posted 19 Mar 2001 2:57 am
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I have'nt had to turn a Tone knob one way or the other in almost 3 years on my Fender Twin. It sounds the same to me indoors; outdoors; large room; small room; wood building; tin buiding; cement floors; tile floors;> what ever.
I do remember the problem your having all to well> I lived that dial in a sound at every gig for 10 years: but last three have been a dream.
All I can say to help is> well I guess I don't have anything to help> sorry I butted in with zero contribution.
Have fun.
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Ricky Davis
My Homepage
Rebel™ and Ricky's Audio Clips
www.mightyfinemusic.com
Email Ricky: sshawaiian@aol.com
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Ernie Renn
From:
Brainerd, Minnesota USA
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Posted 19 Mar 2001 3:58 am
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Most times it's not a problem, but there are times when something in the sound changes. (Could just be the room?) The bass player may get louder and I think it can cancel out some of the warmer low tones. (They're still there, you just can't hear them.) Also if the PA gets louder it can alter the tone you hear on stage. Most sound techs mix the steel down and add mids. I tried the method that Jack mentioned, about having the sound man use none of the channel EQ, but that didn't work. There was still the EQ on the mains and the crossover, too.
Try recording the band. First directly off the board and then have a friend record in the crowd, (to hear the house mix.) You might find that when it sounded "off" it really wasn't. So, changing the amp may not be the answer.
Bottom line is find a sound/tonal range that is acceptable to you. Then only change the amp when you're out of that range.
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My best,
Ernie
The Official Buddy Emmons Website
www.buddyemmons.com
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Will Bartell
From:
Medford, Oregon USA
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Posted 19 Mar 2001 8:51 am
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Sounds reasonable to me, Ernie. Maybe I'm just thinking too hard. Ricky, thanks for that valuable input, my brother. You were able to distill the problem to it's essence, and come up with the perfect solution!
Will |
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John Paul Jones
From:
San Diego
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Posted 19 Mar 2001 11:06 am
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I haven't had that problem since I went to an Evans FET500.
Here are a couple suggestions.
Have you tried using just the Evans on those type gigs?
Jay Dee Maness told me once that he got so discusted with amps sounding different on different gigs that he finally decided on one amp setting and now uses that setting all the time regardless of what it sounds like to him on the job.
JPJ |
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Raymond Beale
From:
Rosenberg, Texas, USA
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Posted 22 Mar 2001 12:10 pm
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I've had nights where I go half the night and everything, including the band sounds like cra--. then I reach up and hold my nose, close my mouth, blow hard, my ears POP, WOW!! I jump from the increase in volumn and everything sounds great. HOWEVER, sometimes this doesn't work and I still sound like cr--.
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"STRINGBUSTER" no more
MSA S-12 & SIERRA S-12 keyless
Ray Beale Rosenberg,Tx
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