Calling all ye vocalists!

[justateenpoet]

I guess this is the right place...I'm going of to college in the fall, and since my school has a pretty decent underground music scene, and since I'm your stereotypical pissed off teenager, I'm going to try and start a band...creative aren't I? I'm hoping for a real Hardcore vibe (i.e. Throwdown, Darkest Hour, etc.) However, I lack the high-speed chops needed to play bass, and I write a lot of lyrics, so I want to become the "vocalist".

I consider myself to be a pretty decent screamer/grunter/*insert hardcore stereotype here*, and I practice a lot in my car, at home, etc. My question is this: What gear do I need for a group setting? I know I need a mike and a PA system...thanks in advance to the 10 people who will tell me so. But what exactly do I need? We'd be talking anywhjere from coffeehouse gigs to decent sized school venues (200 people plus) so what kind of gear would be good? Any help you guys can offer is, as always, greatly appreciated.

 

[BurningSkies]

For a mike I'd grab an SM-58. Sounds good, it'll last forever and at 100 bucks it won't break the bank. If that's a reach, a 57 will do too.

For an amp head, I'd look at one of those integrated mixer/amps that are plentiful on the new and used markets. I just bought one of the Soundcraft Gigracs, which has 8 channels and can run either 1k watts stereo out front or 500/500 for monitors and front end. That way you'll have all you need for practice, coffee house gigs and small, say 2-300 person gigs (we did lots of messy basement parties in college along with coffee houses and clubs and a unit like this isn't so expensive that you'd hesitate to bring it with you).

For gigs like you mention, your PA will be mostly vocals, and maybe kick/snare or keys, depending...for speakers I'd look for a set of 12s with horns or 15s with horns and stands to get them at ear level. I've had a set of Peavey 12's with horns that have lasted from 1992 with hard, hard use in this setting. We cobbled together some old 12" monitors too. Of course, you'll want a mike stand/cable and speaker cables.

In my experience, anything bigger we'd have a PA provided or rent something...

...I also have some cheaper backup mikes (sampsons) that will do in a pinch for kick or draping over a guitar amp...anything fancier, I expect the drummer or other players to carry their own.

 

[justateenpoet]

k.....let me draw a picture, see if I have this figured out right.

Mic ---> Amp ---> Speakers

I apologize in advance for stating the obvious.



Thanks for the tips. I'm guess that for what I'm looking at I won't need anything to crazy like eq's, mixers, compressors, etc., right? I hope not...I was just looking at MF and it's crazy expensive...my Martin might have to go out the door soon

 

[Justin V]

My best advice would be to scour the used market for a powered mixer and speakers. I've seen some pretty solid set ups go for around 500ish on craigslist.org around here. Oh. And definately get an SM-58. Best stage mic ever IMO (they just wont die...).

 

[BurningSkies]

k.....let me draw a picture, see if I have this figured out right.

Mic ---> Amp ---> Speakers

I apologize in advance for stating the obvious.



Thanks for the tips. I'm guess that for what I'm looking at I won't need anything to crazy like eq's, mixers, compressors, etc., right? I hope not...I was just looking at MF and it's crazy expensive...my Martin might have to go out the door soon

Nope. Don't worry about rack effects or compressors, or any of that stuff right now. It's out of your league both in pricing and probably in use. Can you imagine your first gig trying to set up all that stuff and trying to EQ a 20-band without any training or experience?

Most powered mixers have 3 or 4 band EQ for each channel, and some a graphic EQ for the whole che-bang. I'd just worry about the mic-PA head-speakers deal right now. You can do this for under a grand. If you're careful, you could do this for under 800 bucks.