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Anyone bring their own amp mic to gigs?

#21
Bardley said:
+1 to marking the mics
Funny story, I used to work on the house tech crew for the venues at my college, Lee University. We had some mics walk off so they decided we needed to engrave "Property of Conn Center" on all of our mics. The two guys they tasked with this got creative on a few of the mics. My favorite was the SM57 that they engraved "Property of the Conn Center located in beautiful, historic downtown Cleveland, TN". It took up the whole side of the mic. The tech director was not happy... :D
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hah! On a serious note, if you are in charge of a venue and a sound crew comes in, watch your stuff and the venue's stuff. I knew a sound guy who knew that no one would suspect someone who was loading up after a gig, so he would pinch anything not nailed down--lights, equipment, floor mats, fire extinguishers, you name it.
 
#22
Don't worry, I've certainly seen a few people set up the PR-40 as though it were side-address, only to have a puzzled,***? look on their face when things weren't sounding right. I always like to stay silent and let them realize what's up - quite entertaining.
 
#24
lm183902 said:
Don't worry, I've certainly seen a few people set up the PR-40 as though it were side-address, only to have a puzzled,***? look on their face when things weren't sounding right. I always like to stay silent and let them realize what's up - quite entertaining.
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I had this soundman on one of my gigs come up to me and try to correct me, and he absolutely refused to believe me. I had to pull the mic out and show him where it says "end fire element" on the side. As if a lowly bass player can't possibly know what he's doing. He missed a trip to the van with me over that one ;)
 
#27
Scottgun said:
hah! On a serious note, if you are in charge of a venue and a sound crew comes in, watch your stuff and the venue's stuff. I knew a sound guy who knew that no one would suspect someone who was loading up after a gig, so he would pinch anything not nailed down--lights, equipment, floor mats, fire extinguishers, you name it.
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I think that's why the guys did that. For the next few years we didn't have mics walking off.
 
#28
I take my Sennheiser e609 with me (fairly similar to the 57). If there is already a 57 on the bass cab I'm happy, I love that mic on bass! If there is no mic or a kick mic I setup my e609.

A quick chat to the soundguy before soundcheck lets them know that using a particular mic on the cab helps get my sound and they are just about always happy letting me use the mic of my choice. Some guys are a bit more hesitant, but those guys always come up to me afterwards saying it sounded great.
 
#29
AnalogPackrat said:
JimmyM said:
I don't fly with it, but when I play locally I bring a Heil PR 40 and a Z Bar. What's a Z Bar, you ask? Maybe this gratuitous posting of my new stage rig will answer:

Um. You do realize that the PR-40 is a side address condensor mic, don't you? Not trying to be a jerk, but the front of the mic is the side with the logo on it. If you point the round end (top of the mic) toward the speaker, your speaker is edge-on to the condensor element.

<edit> My bad...the PR-40 is, in fact, an end address mic. Ignore me. </edit>
A P
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It's also not a condenser.

Just while we are clarifying things.
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#30
I always carry my Shure Beta 52. Although I like the SM57 for a lot of applications, I've found that the '52 offers a lot more lows, which works well for mumbly baritone vocalists and busy double guitars. It doesn't have the midrange contour of the 57, though.

Some of the venues in town don't have two 52s (the larger venues do, however).

Mostly they're all wanting to run a DI out of the Mesa (which sounds horrible and too hot), along with the '52. I get feedback that the bass sounds huge, and I think that it's the mic sound. Truthfully, I have no idea what the blend is.

In Denver, at the places I play, dudes are into using my microphone (or their '52), and since I know 'em, I've never even thought about engraving. That isn't going to hurt the mic, is it?
 
#31
Yep, another here who brings his own mic. Audix D6 - gives me everything I need. ;) I made up a bracket for the metal grill of my Boogie 6x10 and screw a flexy mic gooseneck thingy onto it and just adjust placement to taste.

So when the engineer comes to me and says "where's your DI?" I say "In the back of that big black mic in front of my cab".
 
#33
dcr said:
Nah, not me.

Currently I'm using either a Radial JDI out of my Demeter HBP-1 preamp or a DI from my Radial BassBone.

That way, I can turn up the power amp in my rig for more stage volume if I need/want it without boosting FOH.
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Yeah, I know a lot of soundmen don't like it when you change things. There's a word for them...lazy. Waaaaaahhh! I have to move a fader! Waaaaaaaahhhh!
 
#34
I usually bring a Senheiser 421u5 and my own mic stand. (both have blue masking tape with my bands name printed in large letters) I just have it all set up and as the soundman notices it, I just smile as I politely ask if they'd be open to giving it a try. (this usually ends up working for me)

I think bringing your own mic stand along and having it all set up and ready increases your chances of them not instantly blowing you off and insisting "the bass always gets a DI here". The first thing I do after the gig, is to quickly pack my mic and stand safely away.
 
#36
As an engineer I can tell you that I'm totally down with bass players bringing mics to the gig. Its usually a big help. I like 57's and D112's can be good too although I don't really like other kick drum mics on bass. For those of you bringing fancy large diaphragm dynamics... wow, awesome!
 

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