pleeeeeaase!!! Stage fright is appalling R
On Tue, May 26, 2009 at 9:51 PM, Val Mindel <[email protected]> wrote: > > Really interesting and useful info, guys. Thanks from the lurking > gallery. Meanwhile, Robin mentioned a problem with the right hand > "freezing," something I call "iron arm." Does anyone have any cures? > Just wondering... best, val > > On May 25, 10:51 am, Don Grieser <[email protected]> wrote: > > Hi Robin, > > > > I use that AKG C411 contact condenser with the ART pre too. It's the > > best thing I've found as far as a pickup goes. I generally put it > > right behind the bridge on the bass side and still have to roll off > > some of the high end. I turn up enough that I have to chop quietly and > > then dig in a little more for breaks and that seems to work fine. > > > > I experimented some with a Fishman bridge pickup through a Fishman > > Aura with the mandolin samples. I thought that was really great > > sounding too, I liked it better than the AKG, but I didn't like what > > the Fishman bridge did to the acoustic sound of the instrument so it > > came off. I'd like to get a decent playing inexpensive mandolin and > > put the Fishman bridge on it to use when I have to plug in. > > > > Gain-staging: sending the proper amount of signal from the instrument > > to the mixer and from the mixer to the amp makes a difference. > > Experiment with your setup till you find those sweet spots. > > > > I've played some noisy bars from hell and using in-ear monitors makes > > a huge difference too. They block out a lot of the room noise and let > > you hear your bandmates clearly at a reasonable volume. They take some > > getting used to for singing (you hear a lot of your head voice like > > singing with fingers in your ears) but they make noisy venues more > > enjoyable to play. > > > > Congrats on your successful gig and keep us posted on what's working for > you. > > > > Don > > > > On Mon, May 25, 2009 at 8:03 AM, Robin Gravina <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > Thanks! Trouble with crazy gear is it takes up space in the car! I'm on > an > > > Akg stick on condensor microphone through an Art tube preamp thing. Not > > > because I carefully selected it, but because someone recommended that > as > > > simple and good sounding... > > > Best > > > > > On Mon, May 25, 2009 at 3:49 PM, MinnesotaMandolin <[email protected] > > > > > wrote: > > > > >> Robin-- > > > > >> I'm very happy to hear things went better. I was working in the garden > > >> thinking about your post and I just posted up a "front to back" > > >> suggestion list. Glad it helped. > > > > >> I think one speaker/no monitor is a great set up, it forces > > >> simplicity. > > > > >> Experience will go a long ways towards making this easier. I think > > >> your big problem will be all the crazy gear out there you can plug > > >> into to make your pickup sound like wood. After $1000s and a few > > >> years, I've just added a mic to my rig. If you want to talk brand > > >> names and stuff, I'd be happy to do it. It's hard to find mandolin > > >> oriented gear, it's mostly acoustic guitar stuff, but I've tried a lot > > >> of it and don't mind sharing what I've learned. > > > > >> good luck with the next show > > > > >> erik > > > > >> On May 25, 2:35 am, Robin Gravina <[email protected]> wrote: > > >> > Erik > > >> > Thanks for all that advice - it's really good to have some practical > and > > >> > concrete suggestions to apply. In the end it went well - we turned > it up > > >> > for > > >> > the soundcheck and it sounded pretty horrible and harsh, but after > some > > >> > fiddling, the instruments began to sound like they were made of > wood, > > >> > and > > >> > the show went great - no feedback issues, we could hear ourselves > and so > > >> > could the audience despite no monitor and only one big speaker (no > room > > >> > for > > >> > anything more). The bar immediately booked us in again, so very > happy > > >> > about > > >> > that! > > > > >> > I still have some work to go on the sound thing - mainly with > getting > > >> > acoustic tones - it has just ocurred to me that maybe I could try > > >> > putting > > >> > the output of the mixing desk high and the volume of the powered > speaker > > >> > low > > >> > - too many options for me. > > > > >> > Now all I have to do is stop my right hand from freezing when about > to > > >> > go > > >> > for the big tremolo solo... > > >> > Best > > >> > Robin > > > > >> > On Sat, May 23, 2009 at 5:48 AM, MinnesotaMandolin > > >> > <[email protected]>wrote: > > > > >> > > I'll take a stab here, my band also uses all pickups. This is a > wordy > > >> > > post, though. > > > > >> > > First off, I'm not sure if your issues were feedback or just a > general > > >> > > bad sound at high volume. Your post seems like it was of the > general > > >> > > bad sound variety. I'll offer a few tips. If you already know this > > >> > > stuff I trust you'll forgive the repitition. > > > > >> > > * The Room. What type of space are you playing in? When it's > empty, > > >> > > does it have a lot of natural reverb or is it kinda dead? A > reverby > > >> > > room should sound real nice with some bodies in it and you can > tell > > >> > > from the stage. A dead room (or a dead stage) can be harder > because > > >> > > you can't hear the PA as clearly. > > > > >> > > *Control. Who's in control of the PA? If it's one of you guys, > then > > >> > > you can try different things. If it's somebody else, then > hopefully > > >> > > they're open to suggestions. If it is one of you guys, whichever > one > > >> > > it is needs to get a long cable so he can go out in front of the > band > > >> > > and listen while playing. That's important, because it lets you > adjust > > >> > > the overall sound of everybody and it keeps you in the mix so the > rest > > >> > > of the band plays "right" while you're offstage listening. I'm not > the > > >> > > main singer so it was easy for me to do (and also how I got the > job of > > >> > > band sound guy in the first place). If the band sound guy is a > main > > >> > > singer I don't have any good suggestions (take the mic onto the > floor, > > >> > > maybe?) > > > > >> > > *House vs. stage. Did your gig sound good to the crowd? If it just > > >> > > sounded bad to you guys then you got the big issue dealt with. > > >> > > Amplifying yourself onstage, with pickups, especially if you > rehearse > > >> > > acoustic, can be a confusing auditory experience. But if it didn't > > >> > > sound good to anyone then you indeed have to "take action." A good > > >> > > help here can be a musician buddy, somebody whose ears you trust. > Buy > > >> > > him a beer and ask him to keep you appraised of what's happening > out > > >> > > there. Most musicians hate to see their friends sounding bad and > will > > >> > > gladly offer suggestions. > > > > >> > > * Gain. Is everyone's "gain" adjusted appropriately? You want the > gain > > >> > > to be as high as it can get without clipping. Some PAs have a > light > > >> > > that will blink when the sound clips, others you just have to > listen > > >> > > for. If you're having trouble telling, turn the gain way up so you > > >> > > know it's clipping--it should sound electric guitarish--then ease > the > > >> > > gain back until you know it isn't like that. You have to play your > > >> > > intrument HARD when you do this check. I don't even play chords, I > > >> > > just bang the open strings as hard as I can. My mandolin pickup (a > > >> > > fishman M-200) is really "hot" and I generally have my gain at > around > > >> > > 10:00 (like on a clock) or 30%. My banjo player's pickup is about > as > > >> > > hot and his gain is a little higher, the guitarist and bassist are > a > > >> > > little lower and they're generally around 12 or 50%. > > > > >> > > * Instrument EQ. My experience is that a good plugged-in sound at > a > > >> > > high volume will sound good at a low, but the opposite is not > > >> > > necessarily true. For example, my mando sounds really nice at > volume > > >> > > level 2 or so eq'd flat, but even at a volume of 4, that eq > setting > > >> > > sounds awful. For my mando I generally eq with 0% low end, 20% mid > and > > >> > > 50% high end. The banjo is about the same. The guitar is around > 30% > > >> > > low, 50%mid and 50% high and the bass is pretty flat with a bit of > low > > >> > > end rolled off. > > > > >> > > * Vocals EQ. In the rock'n'roll medium, vocals need to have the > > >> > > midrange pushed to cut through the drums and distorted guitars. > > >> > > Because of this, many vocal mics have the midrange already boosted > and > > >> > > sound tech advice is to boost the midrange on vocals. I don't > think > > >> > > this sounds right w/o drums or loud guitars. I've found in the > string > > >> > > band medium vocals sound pretty good with the mids and highs flat > and > > >> > > the low end rolled off a little bit. Because everyone's voice is > > >> > > different, you do have tailor the eq settings. Especially at high > > >> > > volumes, I find myself rolling back mids and pushing up trebles. > > > > >> > > * Overall EQ. I eq the house in a "notched smile," which, assuming > you > > >> > > have a graphic eq, has the shape of a smiley face with a little > bit of > > >> > > the high-mids notched down a little lower. Sort of like a smile > with a > > >> > > gap for a cigaratte or something. > > > > >> > > * Reverb. I don't like it and I don't use it. In my opinion you > can't > > >> > > hurt anything by cutting it and if you're having troubles, adding > it > > >> > > won't help. Having said that, I've heard some sound guys do some > > >> > > really sweet, subtle things with reverb so use it if you like it. > > > > >> > > * Volume. Soundcheck LOUD. It's intimidating to do in an empty > room > > >> > > because it seems so awkward but it's what you gotta do. Following > what > > >> > > I said about EQ, if you soundcheck loud and then don't get the > crowd, > > >> > > you can turn down and it should sound pretty good. You've > discovered > > >> > > what happens if you do the opposite. When you check, remember the > > >> > > crowd is going to "soak up" a lot of the "blare and bounce" of the > > >> > > empty room, particularly high-end instruments like mandolin and > banjo. > > >> > > So have courage with your mandolin being LOUD--once there's some > > >> > > bodies in there it won't seem loud, it will seem BIG. My > experience > > >> > > has been that really nice sounding gigs had soundchecks that > didn't > > >> > > sound "really nice." I hate to bring up experience, but you do > learn > > >> > > what to listen for in an empty, bouncey room so that it will sound > > >> > > right when it's full of people. > > > > >> > > * Adjustments. If it seems like merely turning up the volume isn't > > >> > > helping, I've done a couple different things. One is to turn up > > > > ... > > > > read more ยป > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Taterbugmando" group. 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