Selling My Mic...

rockstarbassist · #1 12-08-2010, 12:39 PM

...and buying a new Shure IEM transmitter system. In the past few months duking it out every show over this issue isn't worth it.

I thought I could fight the power, but I fought the FOH and the FOH won.

This is not intended to be a "bashing soundguys" thread, simply that after years of doing it "their" way, I tried to do it "my" way and "they" won LOL.

musicman7722 · #2 12-08-2010, 06:32 PM

modulusman · #3 12-08-2010, 10:15 PM

I'm a little confused. How is an In ear monitor going to replace a mic?

JimmyM · #4 12-08-2010, 10:25 PM

not the heil!

OtterOnBass · #5 12-09-2010, 12:56 AM

I think he's been trying to mic his amp, and the soundguys have been cutting it? So now he's giving in and getting rid of his amp, and going with an in-ear set-up. You win?

JimmyM · #6 12-09-2010, 12:59 AM

i'm going to have that problem starting this weekend. we're doing 2 theater shows in the next week where i've been jerked around by soundmen who shut my mic off and run me di. this year they don't get a choice. i'm taking back the stage!

NateS · #7 12-09-2010, 01:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

i'm going to have that problem starting this weekend. we're doing 2 theater shows in the next week where i've been jerked around by soundmen who shut my mic off and run me di. this year they don't get a choice. i'm taking back the stage!

go jimmy!

and btw, i prefer the classic jimmy avatar to the newer avatar. glad you switched back!

as far the OP goes, i dont' see how getting an IEM helps defeat soundmen. unless you're giving up your stage sound all together for in ears...

EDIT: or are you beaming it to them? that'd show 'em...

JimmyM · #8 12-09-2010, 01:04 AM

thx bassk. i liked the devo jb signal but i guess if you saw it for the first time, you'd say, "what the hell is that?"

sonic assassin · #9 12-09-2010, 04:04 AM

get an amp DI and insist they use that. slightly better. at least your amp and eq go to the board

rockstarbassist · #10 12-09-2010, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OtterOnBass

I think he's been trying to mic his amp, and the soundguys have been cutting it? So now he's giving in and getting rid of his amp, and going with an in-ear set-up. You win?

Basically this. I know what a mic'd cab should sound like through our monitor mix, and I know what the DI on my 400+ sounds like (not all that awesome) and I can tell which is actually getting in the mix and it's not like mid-show I can yell out from the stage to turn up the "mic mix" more, ya know?

I dunno I may keep the mic just for when I need it. At one show I actually unplugged the DI from my amp after the FOH tech left the stage to man the booth (yeah, jerk move but it was to prove a point) just to see if the mic was actually on, and sure enough when i started giving him levels there was nothing there so I asked him (b/c we were running late) to just bump the mic signal as the "DI send can be wonky on that amp" (small lie

) and hey! sounded great all night. Ever since then he makes me use my JDI when I have that amp in tow and won't take the DI from the amp while miking so yeah.

If/when we start doing our own shows again where it's us and just us the whole time and we have our own sound/PA I'll bust it out again, but like so many it's not worth the argument for an hour/hour-fifteen show.

JimmyM · #11 12-09-2010, 10:40 AM

soundmen can be such pussies sometimes.

rockstarbassist · #12 12-09-2010, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

soundmen can be such pussies sometimes.

This so much.
I want my mic + DI sound. No? Ok, then I'll get something that'll give you a better DI-only signal. Will you at least turn me on then? I got a smaller cab so I won't be as loud on stage. So now can you turn on the monitors? I want my monitors louder b/c I wear earplugs. You won't turn them up b/c they'll be too loud? Ok. I'll just use my IEMs. What's that? It's too difficult to do a 2-3 minute plug-swap? Ok. Then we'll just use the wedges, but oh wait-

JimmyM · #13 12-09-2010, 10:14 PM

dude, don't give up on the mic just yet, but you really do have to have a contingency plan. mine's the vt deluxe...i don't get the sound out of my amp but it's better than an untreated di. you also need to let the soundmen know way ahead of time...contrary to popular belief, there are soundmen who actually like to make bands sound like themselves, so if you have one guy in the band to advance your dates and talk to the guy and get him a stageplot a few days early, sometimes he can work with it and plan for it. and promise him you'll work to make the changeover go efficiently and on time.

or...

you could just get a small 2 ch pre and run him one line to the board. then how could he argue? it's your bass rig. that's how it works. hell, let him plug that into his ratty old di if it makes him feel better. you'll be fine.

fokof · #14 12-10-2010, 12:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockstarbassist

.... At one show I actually unplugged the DI from my amp after the FOH tech left the stage to man the booth (yeah, jerk move but it was to prove a point) just to see if the mic was actually on.....

An harmonizer at 1/2 step can do wonders sometimes.

JimmyM · #15 12-10-2010, 12:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fokof

An harmonizer at 1/2 step can do wonders sometimes.

yeah, that's always great when the paying customers leave because the soundman pranks the band.

modulusman · #16 12-10-2010, 06:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

yeah, that's always great when the paying customers leave because the soundman pranks the band.

Or when they leave because the bass player is too loud and won't listen to the soundman.