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BIG Gig Recomendations (2000+ people)

3rdBass

3rdBass

Funk in A
Sep 30, 2004
1,485
355
S.F. to Northeast PA (don't ask...)
www.bandmix.com
#1
Hello all-

I'm playing an outdoor festival next week with expected attendance of 2k - 4k people. I own plenty of rig combinations (4x10, 1x15, 2x10) with 800w RMS of headroom but I'm wondering how to go about setting up on-stage.
Our (own) PA is capable of handling my signal but the whole band's pretty large (6 instruments including me), all mic'd, plus 6 vocals and drum mics of course. I stand far stage left with a guitarist between me & the drummer.
Maybe a small combo on my side, another cab on the far side as well as a line into the PA ?
Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

-GiL
 

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#3
i'd take the 4x10 and 1x15, personally.
this allows you options:
1 cab on each side of the stage if necessary
stacked, this gets the 4x10(or 1x15) closer to your ears, so you could
possibly play at an even lower volume (possibly unplug the bottom cab)
you will have a backup in case one cab should **** the bed for whatever reason
plus you know you'll have enough should there be issues with the pa/ monitor system.
 
#4
So, no additional reinforcement? My guess is the sound of the band as a whole won't carry too far without some serious horsepower.

So, I'd focus on your stage sound - it's important for everyone in the band to hear you so the group sounds great no matter how many people in attendance can hear everything. Outdoors that generally means as much as you can muster. The 4x10 + 1x15 is fine, or my preference would be the 4x10 + 2x10. You'll likely need that headroom....it's amazing how the great outdoors just swallows up the sound.

Good luck and have a blast!
 
#5
1) 4x10 + 1x15 aimed sideways across stage. (my pref)
-or-
(2) 4x10+1x15 aimed straight out at audience and line out a small monitor for the drummer.

2 lines to the PA. One mic and one DI. Soundguy will blend the two.
If you only have 1 line option go mic. (my pref)

Have GREAT show!! :bassist: :cool: :hyper:
 
#6
Playing outside is different for sure - especially if you have been practicing in a rehearsal with the benefit of 4 walls. Make sure you can hear yourself and that you loud enough in the monitor mix so everyone can hear you - I would ensure the drummer can hear you to their satisfaction as well. A good sound check here makes all the difference. The audience will absorb some sound so you might have to adjust some from sound check once you playing.

If there is no backing to the stage and nothing for sound to bounce off of it is a different thing - so be prepared to adjust till everyone can hear. If the band is tight that will help - I remember playing outdoors where initially I could not hear everyone - but we were so tight and used to playing together it did not have a huge impact and we were able to adjust between songs until we had a better sound. Good luck!
 
#8
I have played these gigs. I have played 125 person bars and 35,000 person Outdoor venues.
I ALWAYS play with my same rig. 4x12 (3 cabinets) and my 6 space rack using my SWR Bass 750 at 2.6 Ohms for 850 watts. I have never needed any more and I can always turn down. As a matter of fact, we played the Grateful Garcia Gathering (about 1500 people) and I had to turn down because my stage volume was too high...
 
#9
Really appreciate the helpful feedback from you all.
So, the general opinion seems to suggest the 4x10 on my side with another 1x15 or 2x10 on the far side as well as a DI into the board ?

The challenge I've encountered in our situation is too much bass onstage but not enough in the monitor mix for the band on the opposite side of the stage. I have trouble hearing the rest of the instrumnets in the monitors. Remember we have no less than 3 guitars, keyboard, drums and 7 vocal mics with all the instrument's amps and drums mic'd.
I sometimes switch between sets from a passive to active an instrument and that's ended up clipping the DI feed to the mains & monitors.

Our drummer could care less about hearing me, we're locked pretty tight and know each other's moves. One of our guitarists usually handles the set-up, sound check and tweaking the live mix, but we'll have a "pro" live sound tech running the boards so that's a big plus.

Any last words of wisdom?
Thanks, GiL
 
#10
Except in the case where you use the distortion of your amp , a bass amp is only a monitor but specialized in "bass" only.

Use your amp to hear yourself. That's why you bought it. Once that part is done , let other decide what they want in their own mixes , same thing for your own wedge. Don't ask the guitar player to crank up his amp , put a little more guitar in your mix instead. It's gonna keep the volume level of the stage down , and that is a good thing for the whole sound of the band , even outside.
 
#11
How about running the 2x10 with another amp powered by a line out from your rig?
Put it on the other side of the stage on its side facing back towards the other players.

It would be a separate bass monitor where the volume/tone can be adjusted to their needs outside of the FOH. It won't interfere with the FOH mix or your main bass rig sound.
 
#12
I think one of the biggest mistakes a bassist can make is setting up differently for a bigger gig when there's plenty of PA, especially when you set up a comb filtering nightmare like setting up on both sides of the stage. I totally agree with Fokof that you should let the other musicians decide how much of you they want in their monitors rather than decide for them with a solution that's only going to cancel your sound out on certain areas of the stage.

Just run your rig as normal and let the PA do its job. If I can do large outdoor gigs with a 30w B-15 and everyone can hear me, you can certainly do it with the rig you have.
 
#13
The biggest mistake I've encountered outdoors is too much of me onstage. That and/ or not enough other instruments in the monitor mix. They tend to keep their volume way down (remember there's 6 of us and all on vocals) and it's been impossible to hear the guitarists. At least we have 2 "pro" audio techs running the FOH & monitor mixes.

I'm leaning towards using the 400w 4x10 on my side with a separate 2x10 combo on the far side for them to adjust to their needs. Either that or keep the 4x10 on my side and slave a 1x15 to the other side, but they won't be able to control my signal.

hmm...think I'll do best by setting up as I normally would for a good size gig, bring along an optional rig and let the sound techs earn their $$$.
 
#14
well since you said next week, i doubt its happened yet.

Id run a normal right that you have

410 and 15. right behind you. You will have at least 1 monitor in front of you

mix the guitar and other trebles in one, and vocals in the other.

i bet you will have no problem hearing the drums!

no need to get to technical, as stated about let the PA do the work, and let your guys point UP or DOWN for their own monitor sound wise.

if they need more of you in their monitor, its no problemo! thats what "pro" sound guys do, or TRY to do!
 
#15
JimmyM said:
I think one of the biggest mistakes a bassist can make is setting up differently for a bigger gig when there's plenty of PA, especially when you set up a comb filtering nightmare like setting up on both sides of the stage. I totally agree with Fokof that you should let the other musicians decide how much of you they want in their monitors rather than decide for them with a solution that's only going to cancel your sound out on certain areas of the stage.

Just run your rig as normal and let the PA do its job. If I can do large outdoor gigs with a 30w B-15 and everyone can hear me, you can certainly do it with the rig you have.
Click to expand...
+++++1 - Exactly!!! If you look at my avatar pic, that is me onstage at Alpine Valley Music Theatre (Seats 40,000).. I use the same rig as when I play Fungus Fest (Capacity 300) or the Cosmic Railroad family gathering (Capacty 1,500).. I always use the exact rig that I am comfortable with and like
 
#16
baba said:
You missed the part about they have a PA.;)
Click to expand...

Actually, no I didn't. But I did catch the part about how the PA seemed to be maxed out with other vocal and instrument inputs - hence my question about additional reinforcement. :D

I agree with the notion of getting a stage sound and letting the PA handle the rest. This is certainly my approach, although on very open outdoor gigs it can be amazing just how much horsepower is needed to get the same stage sound as you would in a smaller setting.
 
#17
So, we did the gig with the hired sound guy. Not near as huge as I thought, about 1000 people. Put a 4x10 over a 1x15 w/ 400w on my side and a 2x10 combo on the far side. I use a wireless and walked offstage to listen during the first soundcheck. Very little vocals or keyboards, my bass was the only other instrument mic'd and it was fine, probably would've been even without the PA.
Several people (myself, the band, friends & audience) told the sound guy there were very little vocals from the mains AND monitors but he dismissed it saying the system was max'd out. :rollno: I can't say for sure that it was or wasn't, I don't know the specs on the PA system. I do know that there's 3 separate 6 space racks of power amps and FX for the 24 channel board. All in all it turned out "OK" (at least i was satisfied with my sound) but for his share, the sound guy should've done a better job or known going into it that more power was needed.
Live & learn.....:hmm:
 
#18
3rdBass said:
Very little vocals or keyboards, my bass was the only other instrument mic'd and it was fine, probably would've been even without the PA.

Several people (myself, the band, friends & audience) told the sound guy there were very little vocals from the mains AND monitors but he dismissed it saying the system was max'd out.
Click to expand...

How were the guitars balanced with the rest of the sound since they weren't mic'd?

If the PA was maxed out, then the everyone who wasn't mic'd maybe should have turned down or as least balance the sound to the vocals during sound check.

It doesn't seem like much of a sound check if things were so out of balance. IMO, the whole band sound is more important than how I member sounds.
 
#20
Only the drums & keyboards (and bass) were mic'd. All (3)guitars were loud enough so they didn't run through the mains or monitors. IMHO the only thing necessary, besides vocals, was the keyboards & drums.
Yeah, we got what we paid for and won't be hiring him again. Maybe I'm being too critical having worked with some top notch A1's in a previous job, but I know our setup was capable of projecting & monitoring much better than the result.
 

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