Been checking out some local gigs and thought of sharing some ideas.
When a band is playing on the stage, they are under an enormous amount of pressure. Other than trying to play out the notes, they have to PERFORM. But if they are not getting the right ‘feel’ on stage, their chances of doing a good show will be slimmed.
Below are some points that could be worth considering for the musician and sound engineer when doing gigs.
Set up
Decide where to place the mixer
Try to get the sweet spot cause you will have to mix for the rest of the show and if where you are mixing is not the optimum position, you will be stuck for the whole show.
Decide where to place the speakers
Look at where your audience are going to be, direct your speaker system towards them. If you have a very wide stage, the ideal would be to hang some centre speakers but not for the budget gigs. So, what you got to do is to pack the audience together, closer to the centre and away from the sides. Use your creativity here!
You Amp, his ah-hem
Big guitar amp is nice but be careful not to blast it so loud that your bassist cannot hear himself. Reciprocally, the bassist ups his volume. The keyboardist, thinking that there must be something wrong with his amp, decides to push his strings to the max. Now the drummer, freaking out because everyone is so loud, starts to hammer his head too. Moral of the story – play like a band, listen to each other, not warring for territory!
Kill that Feedback
Most feedback comes from the stage monitor speakers. This happens when the signal chain forms a loop. The microphone picks up sound from the monitor speakers, get sent to the mixer and sent back to the monitor speakers. What to do? Turn on all microphones. Raise their levels, channel by channel, accumulatively. If there is any feedback, will repositioning the microphone help? There’s this piece of equipment call the Graphic EQ which gives you control over almost every frequency. Use a Graphic Equaliser to cut the feedback frequency. The mic that usually gives feedback is the vocalist’s.
Ok, do this very slowly. Raise the vocalist’s microphone in the air and slowly lowering it towards the stage monitor’s direction. Do this at about 1.5 m from the monitor. If you heard a feedback, stop! Point up again. The sound engineer will try to cut that frequency with the Graphic EQ. Slowly point down towards the monitor again. Repeat this until there is no more feedback.
During the show, don’t ever point your microphone into the monitor speaker or stand right in front of the main house speakers. You will only kill the sound engineer’s career and he will haunt you forever!
Sound check
Before you even play a note or start the drum fiesta, play a CD that you like on the main front-of-house speakers. Why? To let you know how the system sounds. If it sounds bad, your band will sound worse!
What to do? GEQ comes to the rescue again!
The Graphic EQ is inserted between the mixer’s output and the house speaker’s amp input. So, for example, if you find that the CD’s bass is a tad soft, you can boost that frequency on the Graphic EQ. Tune it till you can recognise that it is your CD playing. One GEQ for the left speaker and one for the right speaker.
Drums
Most people like to do sound check for the drums first. It is a matter of preference. I like to do the drums first too. Why, because I feel that the drums kind of set the overall sound. By balancing/tuning the drums first, you can also hear how the room (hall) response.
Drummer: Do not just whack. Ask the sound engineer what he wants. Kick? Do a 1 - - - 1 - - - 1 - - - for him/her to eq the kick. Then try 1 - 3 – 1 – 3 – 1 – 3 - and then 1 2 3 4, 1 2 3 4, 1 2 3 4. Wait for instructions to move on to the other drums. Play at a level that you would during the actual performance. Look at how the microphones are placed; are they in your way? Tell the sound engineer, but never move it by yourself. Treat the microphones and stands nicely. Don’t use force to twist the boom arm without loosening it first.
Sound engineer: EQ and balancing should not be a problem. One good tip would be to GROUP the drums. This way, during the performance, you can adjust the entire drum level by just moving the Group fader and not 8 channels individually (although it looks cool to be move so many faders). Play the level higher during the sound check. This way, the drummer will like you better. But during the show, balance it well with other instruments.
Bass
Bass players are really nice people. They fill the overall tone with warmth! Without them, the sound will be kind of “floating”.
Bassist: “Check check, can the bassist play something?” Ok, E - - - E - - - A - - - A - - - D - - - D - - - G - - - G - - -. This is your chance to tune your strings! Now, walk the bass. Good? Do a little slap. Like it? Great!
Sound engineer: Although the bass look so unthreatening, they are your sound killer. Low frequency requires the most energy to reproduce thus overloading your system. Have a compressor in chain. Don’t let it eat up all the other instruments.
Guitar
Guitarist: Start with a clean sound without any effects. Then strum a bit. Ya, the sound engineer is smiling. Good. Now for the distortion+overdrive+chorus+delay+wahwah. If you hear hiss without even playing any note, check if there’s anything you can do. Battery low? Cable? Interference from stage lights? All good? Do the solo, and any part that is critical to the performance. This is to let the sound engineer know what to expect.
Sound engineer: Understand the Solo. Where, When, What?
Keyboard
Keyboardist: Check the level between your patches. If you can store the level in your synthesizer, that would be best! Do you need stereo? Let the sound engineer know.
Sound engineer: Listen to the different sound that the keyboardist is using. Know when they are using which. During the performance, use a headphone to monitor (PFL) the keyboard and adjust the level accordingly. You need to know what you are looking (listening) for!
Vocal
Vocalist: A big no no is to use you hand and “Thud, thud, thud, mic check, mic check!” Really unprofessional. Just speak into the microphone. Use your voice, not your palm! Prepare a short speech for the sound engineer to check your voice dry. Now, sing your lines. Let the sound engineer slowly EQ and add effects. Now try the high notes and low notes, sounds good?
Sound engineer: The vocalist is the only instrument that do not have an amp on stage, make sure the vocalist is hearing himself clearly on the stage monitor. Very important! Ask them, “Is the level on the monitor ok?” They will appreciate it.
Do a run
With all instrument tune and eq-ed, it’s time for the band to play together and get the right balance. Most importantly, the vocalist(s) must be heard! Other instruments will be balanced with reference to the vocal.
It’s Showtime! (She bangs… she bangs.)
James
When a band is playing on the stage, they are under an enormous amount of pressure. Other than trying to play out the notes, they have to PERFORM. But if they are not getting the right ‘feel’ on stage, their chances of doing a good show will be slimmed.
Below are some points that could be worth considering for the musician and sound engineer when doing gigs.
Set up
Decide where to place the mixer
Try to get the sweet spot cause you will have to mix for the rest of the show and if where you are mixing is not the optimum position, you will be stuck for the whole show.
Decide where to place the speakers
Look at where your audience are going to be, direct your speaker system towards them. If you have a very wide stage, the ideal would be to hang some centre speakers but not for the budget gigs. So, what you got to do is to pack the audience together, closer to the centre and away from the sides. Use your creativity here!
You Amp, his ah-hem
Big guitar amp is nice but be careful not to blast it so loud that your bassist cannot hear himself. Reciprocally, the bassist ups his volume. The keyboardist, thinking that there must be something wrong with his amp, decides to push his strings to the max. Now the drummer, freaking out because everyone is so loud, starts to hammer his head too. Moral of the story – play like a band, listen to each other, not warring for territory!
Kill that Feedback
Most feedback comes from the stage monitor speakers. This happens when the signal chain forms a loop. The microphone picks up sound from the monitor speakers, get sent to the mixer and sent back to the monitor speakers. What to do? Turn on all microphones. Raise their levels, channel by channel, accumulatively. If there is any feedback, will repositioning the microphone help? There’s this piece of equipment call the Graphic EQ which gives you control over almost every frequency. Use a Graphic Equaliser to cut the feedback frequency. The mic that usually gives feedback is the vocalist’s.
Ok, do this very slowly. Raise the vocalist’s microphone in the air and slowly lowering it towards the stage monitor’s direction. Do this at about 1.5 m from the monitor. If you heard a feedback, stop! Point up again. The sound engineer will try to cut that frequency with the Graphic EQ. Slowly point down towards the monitor again. Repeat this until there is no more feedback.
During the show, don’t ever point your microphone into the monitor speaker or stand right in front of the main house speakers. You will only kill the sound engineer’s career and he will haunt you forever!
Sound check
Before you even play a note or start the drum fiesta, play a CD that you like on the main front-of-house speakers. Why? To let you know how the system sounds. If it sounds bad, your band will sound worse!
What to do? GEQ comes to the rescue again!
The Graphic EQ is inserted between the mixer’s output and the house speaker’s amp input. So, for example, if you find that the CD’s bass is a tad soft, you can boost that frequency on the Graphic EQ. Tune it till you can recognise that it is your CD playing. One GEQ for the left speaker and one for the right speaker.
Drums
Most people like to do sound check for the drums first. It is a matter of preference. I like to do the drums first too. Why, because I feel that the drums kind of set the overall sound. By balancing/tuning the drums first, you can also hear how the room (hall) response.
Drummer: Do not just whack. Ask the sound engineer what he wants. Kick? Do a 1 - - - 1 - - - 1 - - - for him/her to eq the kick. Then try 1 - 3 – 1 – 3 – 1 – 3 - and then 1 2 3 4, 1 2 3 4, 1 2 3 4. Wait for instructions to move on to the other drums. Play at a level that you would during the actual performance. Look at how the microphones are placed; are they in your way? Tell the sound engineer, but never move it by yourself. Treat the microphones and stands nicely. Don’t use force to twist the boom arm without loosening it first.
Sound engineer: EQ and balancing should not be a problem. One good tip would be to GROUP the drums. This way, during the performance, you can adjust the entire drum level by just moving the Group fader and not 8 channels individually (although it looks cool to be move so many faders). Play the level higher during the sound check. This way, the drummer will like you better. But during the show, balance it well with other instruments.
Bass
Bass players are really nice people. They fill the overall tone with warmth! Without them, the sound will be kind of “floating”.
Bassist: “Check check, can the bassist play something?” Ok, E - - - E - - - A - - - A - - - D - - - D - - - G - - - G - - -. This is your chance to tune your strings! Now, walk the bass. Good? Do a little slap. Like it? Great!
Sound engineer: Although the bass look so unthreatening, they are your sound killer. Low frequency requires the most energy to reproduce thus overloading your system. Have a compressor in chain. Don’t let it eat up all the other instruments.
Guitar
Guitarist: Start with a clean sound without any effects. Then strum a bit. Ya, the sound engineer is smiling. Good. Now for the distortion+overdrive+chorus+delay+wahwah. If you hear hiss without even playing any note, check if there’s anything you can do. Battery low? Cable? Interference from stage lights? All good? Do the solo, and any part that is critical to the performance. This is to let the sound engineer know what to expect.
Sound engineer: Understand the Solo. Where, When, What?
Keyboard
Keyboardist: Check the level between your patches. If you can store the level in your synthesizer, that would be best! Do you need stereo? Let the sound engineer know.
Sound engineer: Listen to the different sound that the keyboardist is using. Know when they are using which. During the performance, use a headphone to monitor (PFL) the keyboard and adjust the level accordingly. You need to know what you are looking (listening) for!
Vocal
Vocalist: A big no no is to use you hand and “Thud, thud, thud, mic check, mic check!” Really unprofessional. Just speak into the microphone. Use your voice, not your palm! Prepare a short speech for the sound engineer to check your voice dry. Now, sing your lines. Let the sound engineer slowly EQ and add effects. Now try the high notes and low notes, sounds good?
Sound engineer: The vocalist is the only instrument that do not have an amp on stage, make sure the vocalist is hearing himself clearly on the stage monitor. Very important! Ask them, “Is the level on the monitor ok?” They will appreciate it.
Do a run
With all instrument tune and eq-ed, it’s time for the band to play together and get the right balance. Most importantly, the vocalist(s) must be heard! Other instruments will be balanced with reference to the vocal.
It’s Showtime! (She bangs… she bangs.)
James
