Problems playing on a hollow stage

joemer · #1 09-25-2008, 01:10 PM

I am new to the forum and I was wondering if anyone had suggestions for dealing with the sound I get playing on a hollow stage. I have a gig coming up at alocation that I played at last year, and I experienced an uncontrollable booming reverberation due to my cabinet being directly on this stage. I was unable to get any defintion to my sound, just boomed uncontrollably. Thanks in advance for any help.

jimc · #2 09-25-2008, 01:28 PM

Auralex Gramma pad. I don't leave home without it (at least when I'm gigging).

JTE · #3 09-25-2008, 03:03 PM

What jimc said.

jte

joemer · #4 09-25-2008, 03:16 PM

Thanks for the responses. I have seen that product and thought it might be what I needed. Thanks for confirming.

Paulie Jay · #5 09-26-2008, 03:09 AM

Gee, I like playing on hollow stages - I can feel my bass everywhere I go!

JTE · #6 09-26-2008, 08:46 AM

I play bass because it's got a note, I don't want to feel it, I want to hear it. I need to hear the NOTES. And hollow stages are big resonanting chambers over which I don't have control. I may not need Bb down to F3 to be 3cB louder than anyting ele on my instrument.

jte

jaywa · #7 09-26-2008, 11:39 AM

Get your amp/cabinet up off the floor. I don't go anywhere without a standard size milk crate and when I put my cabinet on that it raises it about a foot up in the air. Then I just run a black skirt around the bottom to hide the milk crate. (I should disclaim, this is with a single 4x10... anything bigger/heavier than that I would not recommend the milk crate approach. Looks great, sounds great.

This not only gets the drivers up closer to your ears (so you get a better idea what's actually coming out of them), it will get rid of the boominess. And your soundman will absolutely love you for it.

()smoke() · #8 11-19-2009, 09:25 AM

...and what do you do with an 810? will that auralex pad support the weight?

i played a venue in ft. worth last night, and although the overall sound was great, the stage was boooomy--i kept cutting bass, cutting bass, finally got rid of some of it, but full hollow stage was difficult

Jehos · #9 11-19-2009, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ()smoke()

...and what do you do with an 810? will that auralex pad support the weight?

i played a venue in ft. worth last night, and although the overall sound was great, the stage was boooomy--i kept cutting bass, cutting bass, finally got rid of some of it, but full hollow stage was difficult

I always thought an 8x10 would look cool on its side, held up by 2 or 3 amp stands.

Out of curiosity where did you play? I'm local to Ft. Worth also.

**baba** · #10 11-19-2009, 09:48 AM

Never tried the Auralex pad, but I've never had a problem just putting on top of a milk crate or pair of chairs or table. Just get it off the floor.

()smoke() · #11 11-19-2009, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jehos

I always thought an 8x10 would look cool on its side, held up by 2 or 3 amp stands.

Out of curiosity where did you play? I'm local to Ft. Worth also.

that would be a sight, although a precariously perched one

we were at the aardvark

StephenR · #12 11-19-2009, 11:05 AM

I keep my entire rig on a dolly. Isolates the cabinets from the stage and makes it easy to move if someone else on stage needs more room while we are setting up. Also helpful to turn/pull the rig away from the wall to wire and unwire.

ForestThump · #13 11-19-2009, 01:32 PM

Boomy stages cause all kinds of resonant crap and it's awful.
Try a dolly or even a flat skateboard can work if your speaker cab permits.

Poor Tom · #14 11-19-2009, 01:41 PM

Do casters also solve this problem?

woodsideh · #15 11-19-2009, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimc

Auralex Gramma pad. I don't leave home without it (at least when I'm gigging).

+1 to Auralex Gramma. I also use it on concrete.

DWBass · #16 11-19-2009, 02:58 PM

I had that happen to me years ago at a gig in the restaurant at the top of the (now gone) World Trade Center. I just couldn't figure out what the problem was and ended up turning my amp off and using the monitors to hear myself. That Gramma is the truth! Or basically, the cab needs to be uncoupled to the stage. If you have a moving quilt, that will work in a pinch. Just fold it up nicely and place it underneath the cab.

Jehos · #17 11-20-2009, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ()smoke()

that would be a sight, although a precariously perched one

we were at the aardvark

Ah yeah, I've played there twice. That is definitely a boomy stage.

I don't know about the precariously perched part. They make amp stands that can handle a 90lb 4x10 easy. Just get two of those and it should take an 8x10.

If you do that, you should totally spray "CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?!?" across the front.

TimmyP · #18 11-21-2009, 03:39 AM

Parametric EQ. It will also take care of hot frequencies in cabinets and those caused by room dimensions. A Gramma won't do that.

**251** · #19 11-21-2009, 09:05 AM

I once put my speaker on a chair, beside the guitarist & his amp on an elevated stage. The 2 coupled & the boom was loud. Apparently it was loudest on stage. My friends in the audience couldn't understand why I kept moving things around. I put the drums between us now.

fenderfunker · #20 11-21-2009, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poor Tom

Do casters also solve this problem?

They most certainly do. I have two 410 boxes, the bottom one has wheels.