Dog Face
200 posts
Feb 12, 2013
11:53 AM
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Ugh! Lets say you're presented with the unfavorable situation of no sound check until you're standing on stage and everyone's waiting for the band to kick in and you're following an act that just got the audience rev'ed up. Is there a magic phrase to tell the part time sound guy full time librarian to get the equation right at least for a harp player so that you're not being drowned out by the other 4 members of the band?
I just played softly and told the guy to keep turning me up. "yeah, that's as loud as I can play man" That way when I was playing at normal level I would probably be heard.
This may be me venting for having landed in that position. Boy are technical issues frustrating.
I guess a funny, yet still frustrating, thing about Sunday night was that we've been joking with our fiddle player about not giving him a mic. Well the sound guy said he was good and when it came to his solo his mic didn't work...
I have a new found respect for those who plug in to the PA.
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Brad
Last Edited by Dog Face on Feb 12, 2013 11:54 AM
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eharp
2072 posts
Feb 12, 2013
12:56 PM
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i do the same.
"that's about as loud as i can play."
gotta love the extra room you get.
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Martin
239 posts
Feb 12, 2013
3:26 PM
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"Is there a magic phrase to tell the part time sound guy full time librarian to get the equation right? (...)"
"File me under ´loud´, check out the treble, check in the bass."
Probably won´t help much, but it can show you have a sympathetic attitude to his profession.
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Thievin' Heathen
151 posts
Feb 12, 2013
5:43 PM
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It's just a jam. If you want it "just so" you will need to start your own band. Then you can fire 'em all if you don't sound good.
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SuperBee
904 posts
Feb 12, 2013
5:53 PM
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Where does it say this was a jam?
I quit relying on PA after 1 trip too many like this. It's ok if you have a regular operator but as a travelling band or opening act for a headline which used all the available time on their own sound check, there were just too many episodes of no monitor.
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Dog Face
201 posts
Feb 12, 2013
6:46 PM
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It was a benefit talent competition to raise money for the Raleigh Police Memorial Foundation. The guy didn't want to mic my 5w amp. Our band won but we're still not big enough to have our own sound guy.
@martin- Thanks I'll give that a shot sometime.
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Brad
Last Edited by Dog Face on Feb 12, 2013 6:47 PM
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Thievin' Heathen
153 posts
Feb 12, 2013
9:23 PM
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"Where does it say this was a jam?"
Yikes!! Right you are.
So it was a competition. And the Soundman was sabotage'in the show. Now, that changes everything.
I say, "duct tape him to the stripper pole".
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A440
65 posts
Feb 13, 2013
5:39 AM
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In those situations I use a mic with a volume control. I set the knob to 1/4 for the sound check, then I have a lot of room to turn it up if needed.
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Arnoud73
103 posts
Feb 13, 2013
6:00 AM
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when I plug in the P.A. I play softly, and badly cupped trough a low key harmonica, it always works fine :-)
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bonedog569
820 posts
Feb 13, 2013
6:42 AM
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A mic set for vocal should be just fine for starters. You just need to be judicious in how you use it. Cup it gingerly ,not at all - or back off it as needed. I ask for it a little 'wet' - (with some reverb)
'full time librarian" ? It sounds like this was an all volunteer army. If he was not a pro - give the guy a break. Running sound is one of those great jobs where you ONLY hear about it when you fuck up. Good sound is taken for granted. Been there, done that, don't care to do it again (but inevitably will)
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Dog Face
202 posts
Feb 13, 2013
7:14 AM
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He was trying. He had alot on his plate. He just hadn't worked with many harp players.
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Brad
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groyster1
2161 posts
Feb 13, 2013
8:13 AM
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you still have use of your hands with a PA,it is the way to play for me
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garry
356 posts
Feb 25, 2013
4:56 PM
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a volume control comes in handy for this. in this situation i set mine halfway and have him adjust for that. then i have the rest for headroom. i sometimes do this myself when setting up my amp in an unknown situation, too. often what sounds nice and loud when i'm playing by myself is not even close when the rest of the band's playing too.
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