First Real Gig Please Advice
- Thread starter liono9
- Start date
tone4days
Heel Whacker
Re: First Real Gig Please Advice
you can - but you'll have to tell us more info in order for us to give a good opinion
how big is the PA? how many channels? how many watts? how many and what kinds of speakers? .... and what do you mean by using the PA to amplify? do you mean mic the drums, rhythm gtr amp and bass amp? or bass D.I.? all those things can be doable .... why not mic the lead gtr amp too? that will give a better balance of everything in the PA ..
good luck - have fun
break a leg
t4d
you can - but you'll have to tell us more info in order for us to give a good opinion
how big is the PA? how many channels? how many watts? how many and what kinds of speakers? .... and what do you mean by using the PA to amplify? do you mean mic the drums, rhythm gtr amp and bass amp? or bass D.I.? all those things can be doable .... why not mic the lead gtr amp too? that will give a better balance of everything in the PA ..
good luck - have fun
break a leg
t4d
bungalowbill
Luckybastidologist
Re: First Real Gig Please Advice
If you have enough PA, put everything through it, so you can have even volume through your backline amps onstage. If you don't have enough, use it for vocals and kick drum.
If you have enough PA, put everything through it, so you can have even volume through your backline amps onstage. If you don't have enough, use it for vocals and kick drum.
Benjy_26
25's Nemesis
Re: First Real Gig Please Advice
Enough PA also has a lot to do with the size of the venue and the number of people you're expecting.
We need more info.
Enough PA also has a lot to do with the size of the venue and the number of people you're expecting.
We need more info.
bungalowbill
Luckybastidologist
Re: First Real Gig Please Advice
There is never enough PA....ha ha ha
Enough PA also has a lot to do with the size of the venue and the number of people you're expecting.
We need more info.
There is never enough PA....ha ha ha
liono9
New member
Re: First Real Gig Please Advice
OH ok here is the info on the system ,PA has 8 channels,150 watts,2X200 watts speakers mounted on stands 1Xmonitor,we wanted to mic the drums plus wanted to plug the bass and rhythm directly into PA,is it doable?
tone4days
Heel Whacker
Re: First Real Gig Please Advice
no one wants to have to load in, set up, ring out, operate, tear down, and load out 'enough' PA
no one wants to have to load in, set up, ring out, operate, tear down, and load out 'enough' PA
RW James
New member
Re: First Real Gig Please Advice
How you use the PA depends a lot on your venue. Different rooms will react differently to the sound. We were doing concerts outdoors with a limited PA system and it drove our sound tech crazy.
Essentially, we knew we had to mic the vocals first. He would get it balanced so it sounded good up close - but then when he walked further away the mix got all messed up. So you begin to add other instruments as you can, but again - everything gets out of balance real quick.
If you don't have a sound tech working with you, get someone to help you with this. Ideally an experienced tech would be good - but second best would be a trusted friend that has a good ear for the music - and he can tell you that "something' doesn't sound right and then you can adjust accordingly.
Setting up in the venue ahead of time is a big help - but be aware that everything changes when the sound suckers* get there.
*Sound Suckers = Audience
How you use the PA depends a lot on your venue. Different rooms will react differently to the sound. We were doing concerts outdoors with a limited PA system and it drove our sound tech crazy.
Essentially, we knew we had to mic the vocals first. He would get it balanced so it sounded good up close - but then when he walked further away the mix got all messed up. So you begin to add other instruments as you can, but again - everything gets out of balance real quick.
If you don't have a sound tech working with you, get someone to help you with this. Ideally an experienced tech would be good - but second best would be a trusted friend that has a good ear for the music - and he can tell you that "something' doesn't sound right and then you can adjust accordingly.
Setting up in the venue ahead of time is a big help - but be aware that everything changes when the sound suckers* get there.
*Sound Suckers = Audience
tone4days
Heel Whacker
Re: First Real Gig Please Advice
sadly, no ... unless you are playing a room so small that you dont really even need to mic anything but the voice
150 W is not enough to mic drums - period ... and with no subs, you wont even be able to hear the bass freqs, so don't bother trying ... sorry, just the truth
the rhythm gtr directly into the PA is going to sound like ass unless he has some kind of preamp/processor - a PA needs a line level signal and a gtr only puts out a tiny signal
the bass DI will sound pretty good, but only if the PA speakers are at least 15" ... dont put anything in the monitor except the voice
how big a place are you playing? how many people expected to show up? any chance you could borrow a bass amp and r.gtr amp for the gig?
good luck - have fun
t4d
ps - dont let the lead gtr turn up so loud thta he drowns out the vocals, cus hen they'll turn the PA up and it will distort and sound terrible ... and tell the drummer that if he plays too loud, the whole thing is just gonna suck ... go for balance
pps - lesson learned - dont wait til you are on your way to a gig to figure out he PA needs / solution
sadly, no ... unless you are playing a room so small that you dont really even need to mic anything but the voice
150 W is not enough to mic drums - period ... and with no subs, you wont even be able to hear the bass freqs, so don't bother trying ... sorry, just the truth
the rhythm gtr directly into the PA is going to sound like ass unless he has some kind of preamp/processor - a PA needs a line level signal and a gtr only puts out a tiny signal
the bass DI will sound pretty good, but only if the PA speakers are at least 15" ... dont put anything in the monitor except the voice
how big a place are you playing? how many people expected to show up? any chance you could borrow a bass amp and r.gtr amp for the gig?
good luck - have fun
t4d
ps - dont let the lead gtr turn up so loud thta he drowns out the vocals, cus hen they'll turn the PA up and it will distort and sound terrible ... and tell the drummer that if he plays too loud, the whole thing is just gonna suck ... go for balance
pps - lesson learned - dont wait til you are on your way to a gig to figure out he PA needs / solution
Last edited:
RW James
New member
Re: First Real Gig Please Advice
Plugging the bass can work (not my favorite) - we generally use the line out on the bass amp into the PA. As for the rhythm guitar, I think it's best to mic the amp.
Plugging the bass can work (not my favorite) - we generally use the line out on the bass amp into the PA. As for the rhythm guitar, I think it's best to mic the amp.
bungalowbill
Luckybastidologist
Re: First Real Gig Please Advice
Especially us older cats.
no one wants to have to load in, set up, ring out, operate, tear down, and load out 'enough' PA
Especially us older cats.
liono9
New member
Re: First Real Gig Please Advice
the place wer'e playong is a big hall being rented by the organizers,i gues we can borrow amp for the bass but i can use our amp for the rhythm ,i wasnt sure that we can mic em , and if the amp has an line out (i'm not sure)we can use that right? i am worried about the drums cuz even when we jam i cant hear the bass drums,what can i do about the drums,what kind of subs you mentioned can help?
sadly, no ... unless you are playing a room so small that you dont really even need to mic anything but the voice
150 W is not enough to mic drums - period ... and with no subs, you wont even be able to hear the bass freqs, so don't bother trying ... sorry, just the truth
the rhythm gtr directly into the PA is going to sound like ass unless he has some kind of preamp/processor - a PA needs a line level signal and a gtr only puts out a tiny signal
the bass DI will sound pretty good, but only if the PA speakers are at least 15" ... dont put anything in the monitor except the voice
how big a place are you playing? how many people expected to show up? any chance you could borrow a bass amp and r.gtr amp for the gig?
good luck - have fun
t4d
ps - dont let the lead gtr turn up so loud thta he drowns out the vocals, cus hen they'll turn the PA up and it will distort and sound terrible ... and tell the drummer that if he plays too loud, the whole thing is just gonna suck ... go for balance
pps - lesson learned - dont wait til you are on your way to a gig to figure out he PA needs / solution
the place wer'e playong is a big hall being rented by the organizers,i gues we can borrow amp for the bass but i can use our amp for the rhythm ,i wasnt sure that we can mic em , and if the amp has an line out (i'm not sure)we can use that right? i am worried about the drums cuz even when we jam i cant hear the bass drums,what can i do about the drums,what kind of subs you mentioned can help?
Benjy_26
25's Nemesis
Re: First Real Gig Please Advice
i wouldn't go into that situation with less than 1,000 watts. i'd like at least 2,500 to be comfortable. Remember that with a PA, you don't necessarily want to use all your wattage for loudness. I like to have a lot of power to be able to deal with fast trasients (like kick drum) and and for tons of headroom.
i wouldn't go into that situation with less than 1,000 watts. i'd like at least 2,500 to be comfortable. Remember that with a PA, you don't necessarily want to use all your wattage for loudness. I like to have a lot of power to be able to deal with fast trasients (like kick drum) and and for tons of headroom.
nebucanazza
New member
Re: First Real Gig Please Advice
Doesnt line-out of the amp to PA sound pretty trebly and bland, at least for the guitars?And I have been told that when the audience pack the venue, it actually eats up the treble, is that true..
How does running through a processor with just the cabinet modelling on sound?
Doesnt line-out of the amp to PA sound pretty trebly and bland, at least for the guitars?And I have been told that when the audience pack the venue, it actually eats up the treble, is that true..
How does running through a processor with just the cabinet modelling on sound?
tone4days
Heel Whacker
Re: First Real Gig Please Advice
subs are subwoofers - big speakers that handle only the bass frequencies, like drums and part of the bass guitar ... they take a lot of power - many hundreds of watts each at a minimum ... there are some nice powered one that have a built in amp and lo-pass filter so you just run AC and your PA output to them and they do the rest ... they usually have a high pass that sends a line output to the mains
what you are going to have to do is just put vocals in the pa and monitor and only turn up the instruments and PA as loud as they need to be to balance with the drums sound in the open room .... then you will all have to listen to make sure that no one is too loud compared to everyone else ...
a line out from the amp is gonna sound pretty crappy unless it has speaker sim in it
good luck
subs are subwoofers - big speakers that handle only the bass frequencies, like drums and part of the bass guitar ... they take a lot of power - many hundreds of watts each at a minimum ... there are some nice powered one that have a built in amp and lo-pass filter so you just run AC and your PA output to them and they do the rest ... they usually have a high pass that sends a line output to the mains
what you are going to have to do is just put vocals in the pa and monitor and only turn up the instruments and PA as loud as they need to be to balance with the drums sound in the open room .... then you will all have to listen to make sure that no one is too loud compared to everyone else ...
a line out from the amp is gonna sound pretty crappy unless it has speaker sim in it
good luck
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S
Skarekrough
Guest
Re: First Real Gig Please Advice
Big Hall can equal Big Reverb or Big Slapback.
If someone's already ponying up the money can't they kick in for a decent sound company to take care of this problem?
Big Hall can equal Big Reverb or Big Slapback.
If someone's already ponying up the money can't they kick in for a decent sound company to take care of this problem?
ratherdashing
Kablamminator
Re: First Real Gig Please Advice
+1, you should have discussed this with the organizers. It may be too late now.
In any case, your PA is inadequate.
+1, you should have discussed this with the organizers. It may be too late now.
In any case, your PA is inadequate.
Reload in 5
Just Ultimate Slacker
Re: First Real Gig Please Advice
I think the best chance yuo have with yuor setup is get a couple of amps, and mix to the drums / vocals.
If your drummer isnt loud enough to be heard over a 150w PA he needs to hit those things !
A 35w guitar amp is plenty loud to be heard over a 150w PA. Get a decent guitar amp and Bass amp and dont mic the drums. Might be your only choice. Vocals nly through PA (or mic and run very little through PA just to balance)
What do yuo practice with ? thats a good place to start.
I think the best chance yuo have with yuor setup is get a couple of amps, and mix to the drums / vocals.
If your drummer isnt loud enough to be heard over a 150w PA he needs to hit those things !
A 35w guitar amp is plenty loud to be heard over a 150w PA. Get a decent guitar amp and Bass amp and dont mic the drums. Might be your only choice. Vocals nly through PA (or mic and run very little through PA just to balance)
What do yuo practice with ? thats a good place to start.
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