keyboard levels help

EBodious · #1 10-09-2009, 04:59 PM

hey all
so my blues band is having a bit of an internal crisis. four of us are experienced musicians, our keyboardist (who is fantastic) was a living room player till he joined us 3yrs ago. so, he is not experienced and struggling with the volume of gigs (we are not loud by most bar standards, we are all middle aged).

he has a nice kybrd and we have a decent p.a. but, he and the frontman/singer are at serious odds with each other. kybrd will turn up a little for solos (not enough for the crowd to hear him well). the singer will then go over to his kybrd and turn him up more. it has reached the boiling point for our kybrdist.

i am talking with him about reasonable expectations. he wants our stage volume to be lower (it could be) and he wants us to play quieter during his solos. our gtr suggested that he play at one level all nite (of his choosing thru his kybrd amp, which is just his monitor) and then singer can turn him up and down on the p.a. for solos at his own discretion. i am not sure that is feasible, but personalities are battling now.

i am looking for some sense of standard procedure for bands w/ kybrds. i know they are often pretty quiet in the mix. and our kybrd player is a very meek player. his playing kicks butt, but he is afraid of coming out too clearly above everybody.

should he learn to adjust his volume at the keyboard? should we just let him play quietly regardless of anyone's thoughts? is there another plan that we are not thinking of?

thanks

JimmyM · #2 10-09-2009, 09:06 PM

A keyboard player who plays too quietly and you want to turn him up? What's wrong with you??? You should thank him and offer to buy him a lap dance after every gig!

You could try putting him in the monitors if you have separate mixes. If not, then maybe suggest to him that he put his amp somewhere where he can't hear it as well and turn it up so you guys can hear it but it's not blowing him out. He's probably trying to get a good balance with you guys but it's too much in his face and the rest of your amps are harder for him to hear. So he compensates by turning too far down.

I don't think you guys should turn down if you're not getting complaints, and I don't think the singer should work his volume in the PA. Working the volume is cool if you're a dedicated soundman, but not if you're the singer or musician. So see if he'll go for the moving the amp idea.

CapnSev · #3 10-09-2009, 11:52 PM

Get feedback from the audience.

If you ask some folks in the crowd, and they say he's too soft, he'll probably take their advice over the band's.

If they say his levels are fine; great. Nothing to fix.

joeybcdt · #4 10-10-2009, 11:18 AM

run the house mix to his monitor. If he wants to hear his solos he'll turn up.

Very good problem to have. I'd like to put a shock collar on my keyboardist.

EBodious · #5 10-10-2009, 01:23 PM

thanks guys. your advice, while seemingly obvious, is very helpful. it is so easy to get stuck in a rut, its always good to get outside opinions....