hey we got this idea about......

bigbassman8342 · #1 04-14-2009, 09:24 AM

...playing from the back?

hey i've said this in a couple other threads but i'll say it again as it's important to this on. i've been running sound for a group for a little more than a year now. they reacently went from vocals and tracks to click track and guitars and drums with bass and keys on the track.

well now they won't me to play bass with them and run sound at the same time. It's kinda an idea we picked up from another group we gigged with who's bass singer sung from the back while running sound.

So me and the band leader kinda discussed it and we talked about me playing bass from the back while running sound. the not having enough hands to do it isn't a problem as we pretty much have our sound set from the start and the guitards can control there volume for solos well enough that isn't a problem.

I'll just hook my amp and us our in ear monitors with that for my monitors mix

anyone see any problems with this other than the i get no face time cause i'm not on stage??

and has anyone ever seen/heard of this done before??

Rick Auricchio · #2 04-14-2009, 01:14 PM

I see a few possible issues with this idea---but try it and see if it works, of course.

First question: If your sound is set well enough that you don't have to be working it hands-on, why bother mixing from the back of the room? Why not just put everything on stage where you can reach it in a pinch?

1. If you're in a big venue, there's a noticeable latency between the front and back of the room. If your in-ear monitors fail, you won't be able to play in time.

2. I presume you're not singing from back there. That would be horrible for the audience to hear you singing on your own back there. And, yes, it's definitely audible, even though you have a PA.

3. Is there always adequate room to stand and play at the mix position?

4. If you make any sounds while playing bass---from foot tapping to string noises to grunts---those will distract the audience around the mix position.

MatticusMania · #3 04-14-2009, 05:08 PM

My band prefers to run our own sound, and Im most often the one to run it.
We bring our own PA to ALL of our gigs. Its nothing huge, 400 watt main and 400 watt monitor channel played through 2 15s (with monitors when we have em). We use alot of electronic equipment, 3 synths and a theremin, and we often find sound guys who dont know how to balance so many instruments. I normally have the PA head on stage within reach and adjust ourselves throughout the show.

JPaulGeddy · #4 04-14-2009, 05:33 PM

If you're running sound, on stage or out front, I don't see how you can get away with in-ear monitors. I'm in the same boat, had to give up IEM's so I could run sound too.

bigbassman8342 · #5 04-14-2009, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JPaulGeddy

If you're running sound, on stage or out front, I don't see how you can get away with in-ear monitors. I'm in the same boat, had to give up IEM's so I could run sound too.

well its a one in one out kinda thing but i've also thought about using an aux send to my bass amp in the cd imput jack and just using it as my whole monitor
but i'm not sure if that will work cause i i got a direct out on my amp to the board so wouldn't i get the music through my amp channel. but we're gonna work on that.

Wayne8 · #6 04-14-2009, 08:43 PM

You're the bassist. Let the rest of the band play from the back.

bigbassman8342 · #7 04-14-2009, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick Auricchio

I see a few possible issues with this idea---but try it and see if it works, of course.

First question: If your sound is set well enough that you don't have to be working it hands-on, why bother mixing from the back of the room? Why not just put everything on stage where you can reach it in a pinch?

1. If you're in a big venue, there's a noticeable latency between the front and back of the room. If your in-ear monitors fail, you won't be able to play in time.

2. I presume you're not singing from back there. That would be horrible for the audience to hear you singing on your own back there. And, yes, it's definitely audible, even though you have a PA.

3. Is there always adequate room to stand and play at the mix position?

4. If you make any sounds while playing bass---from foot tapping to string noises to grunts---those will distract the audience around the mix position.

well we're still working on how i'm gonna get my monitor situated not positive on how thats gonna work. (any ideas or suggestions are welcome)

no i'm not singing at all.

the room is normally the problem we play everything from a 8,000+ churches to a church of 10. no lie i there was actually a church we sang in at the time that only had three rows of 2 pews. and i mixed from the right in from of the speaker and we set up our product table outside near the bathrooms(outhouse) cause it wouldn't fit inside. but in such a situation i'd just play on stage. I would be on stage all the time but the leaders wife who also is one of our singers "just feels better" about someone mixing sound from the back.

idk if i make noises but i have always stomped my feet and or tapped my hand with the beat of the song when not playing and that was never a problem. but we'll see.

Rick Auricchio · #8 04-14-2009, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigbassman8342

...the leaders wife who also is one of our singers "just feels better" about someone mixing sound from the back.

Then hire a sound person.

She probably thinks the band looks more professional with somebody in the back. Or that there's someone there to make her sound good at a moment's notice, as if he's only concerned with her vocal. You could get a second mixing board---a dummy unit---with a buddy pretending out back. See if she even notices.

Or make a big cardboard cutout of a sound person to stand up back there.

Quote:

idk if i make noises but i have always stomped my feet and or tapped my hand with the beat of the song when not playing and that was never a problem. but we'll see.

Doing those things onstage would never carry out into the house; doing them in the back certainly will. Run a cheap stereo recorder near the mix position while playing back there. If it picks up noises from you, then you know people will hear them even better.

tycobb73 · #9 04-15-2009, 01:51 PM

Our drummer runs the PA from the stage.

ForSix · #10 04-15-2009, 01:55 PM

Who are you? Rafe Hollister?

bigbassman8342 · #11 04-15-2009, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick Auricchio

Doing those things onstage would never carry out into the house; doing them in the back certainly will. Run a cheap stereo recorder near the mix position while playing back there. If it picks up noises from you, then you know people will hear them even better.

thats a good idea. probably will.

bigbassman8342 · #12 04-15-2009, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tycobb73

Our drummer runs the PA from the stage.

our drummer is eleven and while talented he's already rolling tracks for us.

bigbassman8342 · #13 04-15-2009, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wayne8

You're the bassist. Let the rest of the band play from the back.

I figure i'll start in the back then whenever one realizes i'm the bass player and running sound and look as good as i do. they'll all be watching me so they won't have a choice but to put me behind them on stage so they can get some attention. haha

bigbassman8342 · #14 04-15-2009, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick Auricchio

Then hire a sound person.

She probably thinks the band looks more professional with somebody in the back. Or that there's someone there to make her sound good at a moment's notice, as if he's only concerned with her vocal. You could get a second mixing board---a dummy unit---with a buddy pretending out back. See if she even notices.

Or make a big cardboard cutout of a sound person to stand up back there.

I'm feeling it and it would probably work but as that would envolve us taking someone else to the concert and we all ride our bus every weekend. she'll eventually figure out that there is an extra person with us and want to know who he is and why he's there. but the cardboard cutout sound like a plan though. could just stick "him" under the bus.

Rick Auricchio · #15 04-15-2009, 10:01 PM

Now all you need is to find a site that sells "Famous sound engineer" cardboard cutouts.

bigbassman8342 · #16 04-15-2009, 10:29 PM

yeah i'll google it and if nothing comes up i'll look on ebay you can get anything on ebay.

**Stumbo** · #17 04-16-2009, 01:58 AM

What if something needs adjusting during the middle of a song? I've done sound before and really don't see me playing bass while managing the PA. More power to you if you can do it.

Or maybe you can record bass tracks and replay them during the gig?

Rathead123 · #18 04-16-2009, 08:58 AM

I run our sound from on stage.. I walk out a couple times.. and take a listen. Never been a problem.
Some one mentioned about it looking more professional with a sound man.. How unprofessional will it look if he"s the bass playing soundman from the back? Thats just creepy..

Will the venue owners go for it.. How will you deal audience members talking to you since your not on stage.

I dont know..

slackdaddy · #19 04-17-2009, 01:05 PM

This reminds me of a funny story.

I used to cook in a venue that was located beneath an apartment complex. One open mic night there was a guy who was entirely too drunk to be onstage. As a result he wound up stepping on someone's guitar and destroying it. I remember it being a nice Gibson.

So the guy gets up in the club owner's face about how he club's insurance should cover it. He was wrong but refused to back down. As a result he was permanently banned from ever playing the club again.

Here's where it gets interesting. The guy who was banned was the lead guitarist for a band that drew very well in the area and they had a gig lined up the following week. The club owner was steadfast on the ban. The guy would not be allowed in the venue for the show. So, the show comes around and the place is packed. You could see the rhythm guitarist chugging away playing chords BUT you also heard the lead parts but saw no lead player. Turns out that the guy arranged to play upstairs in one of the apartments while the rest of the band was downstairs in the club. Very strange to see but they did pull it off.

two fingers · #20 04-17-2009, 01:23 PM

Slackdaddy...THAT'S a funny story!

Playing from the back is really strange to me. Hire a sound guy. If you guys are playing in churches with 8,000 people (and doing the Lord's work is your main focus) then you can afford it.

Or, if it were me, I would run sound from the stage and tell the "leader's wife" to stuff it.