What to do when you need to mic an amp at a venue w/o PA?

[Quencho092]

I changed my mind from the twin to the deluxe reverb, but what do you guys do when you have to play at a venue that's fairly large and outdoors, but doesn't have a PA?

I have a complete PA system (2000 watt QSC head, 2 15'' Yorkville elite cabinets), but if a place has no PA, it would be more convenient to simply lug around a Twin instead of a lead brick amp + two big ass cabinets.

I also have a 400 watt Galien Krueger bass amp head and a Presonus blue tube two channel preamp. Let's say that me and my other guitarrist need to mic our amps, could we both run into the preamp>400 watt bassamp>one of the Yorkvilles? Would there be a problem with conflicting signals?

 

[Robert S.]

Re: What to do when you need to mic an amp at a venue w/o PA?

Most all medium size and up gigs have a PA. If they don't you have to bring yours unless your vocalist has a megaphone.

The volume difference between a 40 watt, 50 watt and 100 watt amp is only 3-4db. If you need more dispersion, run the deluxe into a 412 cab.

 

[Hellion]

Re: What to do when you need to mic an amp at a venue w/o PA?

You didn't really say how big this place is. Can you elaborate a bit? If it's a medium size club, you probably don't need to mic your guitar, but the vocalist obviously needs a PA. My "medium" size club rig is just a set of 15"/horn mains and a rack with a 450 watt QSC main and 75 watt monitor amp (along with the necessary EQ and compressor units). If it's outside or a large club, I usually bring along a second set of 15" mains and a couple of sets of subs. Since that requires another set of amps I bring along another rack filled with a crossover and another 450 watt QSC and an 800 watt QSC for the subs. I'd like more power to the subs, but for now that's what I'm using and I haven't really had a lot of trouble with anyone hearing me. The second set of mains and subs are for the instruments, since I don't like running vocals and instruments through the same mains. The crossover is also for the instruments and isn't necessary for the vocals, because they never go into sub range.
If you need to mic a guitar amp (and I don't, normally, because of the other onstage noise present), I'd use a SM57 pointed right at one speaker. What I normally do is use a direct box and run a low impedance signal right to the board. The audience won't be able to tell the difference. With bass I'd use the same type of thing. DI boxes are wonderful pieces of equipment.

 

[Quencho092]

Re: What to do when you need to mic an amp at a venue w/o PA?

the times that i do play indoors, it's usually something small. But i do play backyard gigs every once in a while, and my bandmaster w/ JBL barely cuts it volume wise.

We don't have a vocalist (yet), but we manage the lead melodies with a tenor sax and a piano, w/ me and another guitarrist. Just figuring if 2 mic'ed amps could go into a preamp, then into a 400 watt bass amp; instead of running the 2 mic'ed amps into a mixer then into heavy PA speakers.

 

[marvar]

Re: What to do when you need to mic an amp at a venue w/o PA?

Sorry, we never play without a PA, either the house system, or bring our own, you can't get a professional sounding mix without one. People are paying you good money to entertain them, which includes the sound and light experience. Maybe I'm sounding a litltle jaded here, but thats the way we operate. We want the audience to leave with a positive feeling. Otherwise, all the instruments end up competing with the vocals, and no one in the audience hears the singer. The only time we don't put everything in the mix, is if we are playing 50-75 seat clubs, Then we let the amps play off the stage, and just put vocals in the mix.