How can I hear everybody else? On a budget.

**StrangerDanger** · #1 10-09-2010, 04:31 PM

What is the best way to assure that I can (on stage) hear everybody else? We have a 4 piece with 2 guitars, bass and drums. We run the vocals and acoustic guitar thru the PA. I can hear drums, bass and lead but I am not getting vocals or rhythm guitar. I assume we need floor monitors. Help a new band please. Thanks in advance.

aledeville · #2 10-09-2010, 04:43 PM

How's your stage setup?
I made very good experiences with the guitaramps not behind us and the front towards the audience but have them on the side of the stage.

big90sbasshorns · #3 10-09-2010, 04:51 PM

I know it sounds totally counter-intuitive, but try some earplugs. I have no idea why it works, but it does (for me at least).

Stumbo · #4 10-09-2010, 04:54 PM

What equipment are you running(for each player) and for the PA? What's your budget for upgrades?

Here are some links you may want to check out: (Get more info from the link in my sig. below).

~PA/Lighting
First
1 What size?
2
Configuring
DIY monitors
1 Upgrading
2

1What mixer is your band runnin'?
2
QSC K series PA discussion
Microphones

Low cost lighting

~FOH
Working with the "sound guy"
Cheap vs. Expensive DI
Working a DI
1 Learn live sound mixing
2
3
Frequency ranges of band instruments
Bass string notes,frequencies and harmonics chart
EQ primer (all instruments)
FOH vs. on-stage sound
Solving odd feed back situations

Isolating Head/Cabs from stage/each other
Best wireless?

mambo4 · #5 10-09-2010, 05:23 PM

The absolute cheapest way to hear everyone is to have everyone play quietly. Good luck with that tho.

**StrangerDanger** · #6 10-09-2010, 05:27 PM

I am running my bass thru VT bass pedal into Bassman TV 210 (300watts). Lead player - Strat and Traynor (30 watts). Rhythm-Martin with onboard pre and whatever house PA were playing with. We have a PA in the rehearsal room (its one of those Kustom kits and its only 300 watts) and its good for the room but we cant play out with it.

**StrangerDanger** · #7 10-09-2010, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mambo4

The absolute cheapest way to hear everyone is to have everyone play quietly. Good luck with that tho.

Stumbo · #8 10-09-2010, 11:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StrangerDanger

...and whatever house PA were playing with.

Do you run the PA? If there's a sound person in charge, ask for the floor monitor mix you need. If they have no floor monitors the club is in trouble.

If you're talking about hearing everything at rehearsal, rearranging your gear so you can hear everything is pretty easy. It may take a bit of experimenting for the correct placement. Getting the amps/speakers tilted back or raised to ear level sometime helps.

+1 on turning down at rehearsal. I suggest getting sound board (usually at a hardware store) to put around the drums. We used a 4'x8' sheet, cut in half, connected to two halves with wire and put them in front of the drums. It works wonders for cutting the noise down so everyone hears better and they can turn down.

Putting the drums in the corner with soundboard on the wall behind the set and some in front would probably be better. Mic'ing the kick drum a bit might help if you can't hear it. Getting the drummer to play with dynamics is probably a good thing. If he can only play loud, then your band has more problems then you realize. Playing the same volume all night at a gig gets to sound like a freight train. Good drummers know about and used dynamics all night long.

iridiumrocks · #9 10-09-2010, 11:57 PM

Run everything through the mixer and use In-ear monitors. If you run the entire mix into your headset, you can hear everything a lot more clearly. The mix is also consistent no matter where you stand on the stage since you do not need to rely on hearing everyone's individual amp. Guitar amps tend to be directional, so you may not be able to hear them if they are not aimed in your direction.

kesslari · #10 10-10-2010, 12:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mambo4

The absolute cheapest way to hear everyone is to have everyone play quietly. Good luck with that tho.

We started working with a very good producer recently.
He is adamant about all of us playing more quietly - and we're not a super loud band to begin with, by any means.
But when you turn it down you can hear a lot more without ear fatigue.
You can hear the vocals (what a concept!)
And you can hear the other musicians and lock your parts in much more strongly.

**StrangerDanger** · #11 10-10-2010, 12:54 AM

We mic'd the kick tonight and had one of the PA speakers slightly pointed toward us at an angle and it worked like a charm. For the first time outside rehearsal I could hear the Martin and that was huge. We sounded great tonight. Thanks for the input and I will definitely bring some of this stuff up to the others.

On a side note, I had a blast tonight. I feel really good about our stuff and I think for the 1st time we were able to replicate the rehearsal room sound on stage and it was really exciting. Thanks again.

Stumbo · #12 10-11-2010, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StrangerDanger

... and had one of the PA speakers slightly pointed toward us at an angle

While this worked for you, I ask again, why isn't the Martin in your monitor mix? Doesn't the club have monitors?

**StrangerDanger** · #13 10-11-2010, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stumbo

While this worked for you, I ask again, why isn't the Martin in your monitor mix? Doesn't the club have monitors?

Nope. We have had monitors for outdoor gigs where we hired a guy to do sound but the bars we have been playing do not have floor monitors.

Stumbo · #14 10-11-2010, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StrangerDanger

Nope. We have had monitors for outdoor gigs where we hired a guy to do sound but the bars we have been playing do not have floor monitors.

Cheap club. I guess you could bring your own plus an amp. Doesn't seem right to me.

**StrangerDanger** · #15 10-11-2010, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stumbo

Cheap club. I guess you could bring your own plus an amp. Doesn't seem right to me.

There are obviously better places to play but since this is a new band we have to establish a name and the ability to bring people in to spend money before we get booked at the better places. We are taking what we can get at this point. What I am more concerned about is finding a simple solution to the problem of not being able to hear the vocals and rhythm guitar. Wishing we played better clubs is good but we arent just yet. We still want to sound good.

groove pump · #16 10-12-2010, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by big90sbasshorns

I know it sounds totally counter-intuitive, but try some earplugs. I have no idea why it works, but it does (for me at least).

Me too... I think it's a matter of my ears not being overwhelmed by the louder stuff. When the plugs are in I can pick out whatever I want, but when I sing backups/harmonize, I mostly hear only my own voice.

Negotiating with everyone else to quiet down is the best case scenario, but I think we can agree that often times, that's a utopia that is unattainable. My drummer just hits 'em harder as he gets more "into it" and I often play without PA help, so I need to run my sound loud enough that we can stay linked up. Plugs keep it civilized on my end.

MNAirHead · #17 10-13-2010, 04:01 PM

There is a ghetto way...

Microphone in front of the mains.. to a solid state guitar amp for fake monitors.

stu1965 · #18 10-13-2010, 04:08 PM

i just picked up a carvin powered monitor (LM12a) that i think its fantastic. we run the entire band mix into our own monitors and its perfectly clear (4 piece cover band). it's fairly light too, and wasn't overly expensive. http://www.carvinguitars.com/lm/

Our singer uses in-ears, but I guess im just old school...nothing goes in my ears, cept my elbow

James Judson · #19 10-13-2010, 04:17 PM

If you can't sound good quiet then you will never sound good loud.

It is a lot of fun to be loud ask any Harley rider.