It's All About the Room

iamoldschool · #1 12-06-2010, 12:55 PM

My band played a local VFW this past Saturday night; huge dance hall with maybe 125 in attendance in a 300 person room. The dance floor is a nice wood floor and the room looks like an old HS gym with the stage on one end; you guys know the type. Anyway, we played at the same volume settings on the PA that we do in smaller clubs and easily covered the room. (PA is Yorkville 16 channel powered board running 850 per side to the mains. Mains are 2 15" Yamahas per side. We were running @ about 30% on the main sliders) In fact, we were asked to turn down a couple of times so the doorman (at the back of the room) could hear patrons coming in. Now mind you, we aren't that loud, it was just the acoustics of the room. They did have some very nice acoustic ceiling tiles, but it was at least a 30 foot ceiling. Anyone have similar experiences with larger rooms being that easy to cover?

BTW - Gig went great and they said we are definitely coming back. 90% of the door to band!

snyderz · #2 12-06-2010, 01:00 PM

We just played a party Sat. night at a 'warehouse' that had been rented. We were ready for the worst, but it was perfect! We've decided to go back and do some recording. I guess you never know.

logicman69 · #3 12-06-2010, 01:05 PM

My sister got married in this nice, upscale mansion. Huge vaulted celings and ALL MARBLE. The band had a hell of a time keeping at a "reasonable" volume. Reverb was definatly not needed on the vocals.

iamoldschool · #4 12-06-2010, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by logicman69

My sister got married in this nice, upscale mansion. Huge vaulted celings and ALL MARBLE. The band had a hell of a time keeping at a "reasonable" volume. Reverb was definatly not needed on the vocals.

Agreed about the reverb. We killed all the reverb. A little delay sounded great, though.

billhilly66 · #5 12-06-2010, 01:29 PM

I told one of the bands I sub with not to call me for any gigs at a particular joint because of the acoustics. It has a high, metal celing and it was the middle of the next wek before my ears quit ringing. They're not a loud band but the room was the worst I've ever seen. It was way too loud in there before we ever started playing just from the people talking.

There's a decent fish joint with the same set up not far from work. It's fine for lunch but I went in for happy hour one evening and couldn't hear myself think.

PJSShearer · #6 12-06-2010, 02:58 PM

On Saturday night I did my occasional sub with a band that plays the British Working Men's Clubs and British Legions (our equivalent of the VFW). The regular Bass Player thinks the 90 minute drive is too far so I generally do this particular venue (Lazy **d). The room was much the same size as the one mentioned by the OP - holds around 300 seated at tables, Bar down one side, large wooden dance floor.

Both the guitard and I use combos, the drums aren't miked and the PA (owned by the singer) handles the vocals only - probably 200 watts max a side with a 1 x 15 and a tweeter on a stand on each side of the stage. We play at a volume where we can talk to each other whilst we play and I sing backing vocals with no monitor.

We played a varierty of material - 50's Rat Pack, Elvis, a little country, the obligatory COCC*, right through to recent stuff.... and we had people up dancing to just about every song.

At the end of the night I was walking to the men's room when one of the committee called me over said to me "it's nice to have a band where I could hear myself think for a change!!."

*Cavalcade of Christmas C**p