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Can't hear myself

slobake

slobake

resident ... something
Aug 6, 2011
1,904
25,886
Somewhere to the left of "Whoopie"
smowles01.wordpress.com
#1
We finally got a sound guy who knows what he is doing. The first thing he told me was that my sound was really muddy and helped my tweak my amp. We centered all the controls on GK MB1500 and I turned up the tone knob on my Precision about half way up . We play in a small movie theater every Sunday , he told me the sound coming out of my amp was so loud he didn't even have me in the mix of our system. I had my amp set at about 9 o'clock (1/4 volume) and pointing at me, even at that as soon as the drummer and singers came in I coulnd't hear myself. So, I cut out my speakers by plugging in my headphones and let him do everything through the board. People said they could hear me just fine from the audience but I could barely hear myself through the monitors. Once again our drummer and singers were drowning me out. The sound guy said we might try a direct in and will work on my volume through the monitors next week. We are also looking to put our drummer in a booth, but we don't have much money so we are looking for a used one. Suggestions?
 
#3
bareass said:
lift your cab or angle it tward you more. that has helped me in the past. if you have enough room, you can just put it further away to let the sound spread before hitting your ears.
what cab are you using?
Click to expand...

Thanks bareass, I'm using a GK MB 115 200 watt combo. Sorry about the typo in my original post. Would it help to put on a stand so it is off the ground?
 
#7
MNAirHead said:
With an amp like your gk... turn the bass all the way off... treble all the way off... and raise the volume...

I used to have the same problem
Click to expand...

Thanks again bro, I did as you suggested yesterday. Between that and putting my amp in a stand that points it up towards my head it was a big improvement. Still needs some tweaking but definetly better. The band and the audience liked the tone as well.
 
#8
You not only want to tilt the amp, but it helps to get it off the ground. I used to use a chair or a milk box. I now usually just use an extension cab.

You could also ask the drummer and guitar to turn down. Ha ha.... just kidding.
 
#9
I have a similar problem. It's a pretty loud band. The keyboard player controls the mix and he thinks everything has to sound huge. In club gigs he runs drums , keyboards and vocal into the mix. Sometimes the guitar. we have subs in addition to the top end. He gets so much low end on the bass drum and his keyboard and vocals that it just about cancels me out. PLus it's roaring like hell in the room. Mind you I'm playing through a 4X10 Hydrive and a 1000 watt head. Yeah I could get in a pissing contest with them but we would run everybody out of there. I'm going to suggest that we run the entire band through the mains and try to use more mids on stage and TURN DOWN. Last weekend I was miserable. Some notes I played actually sounded out of tune because of the clash of frequencies.
 
#10
Dude. That sucks.
Frequency wars always kill me...........keyboard dude should want what's best for the BAND not himself.
Small gigs, he shouldn't be through the board.....make him buy and amp like everyone else. That way, everyone can be even.
Or......
Put everyone through the board and mix it that way.

His keys are NOT as important as the vocals and kick.....and not at all MORE important than you or the guitar.
Call him on it.
 
#12
kikstand454 said:
Dude. That sucks.
Frequency wars always kill me...........keyboard dude should want what's best for the BAND not himself.
Small gigs, he shouldn't be through the board.....make him buy and amp like everyone else. That way, everyone can be even.
Or......
Put everyone through the board and mix it that way.

His keys are NOT as important as the vocals and kick.....and not at all MORE important than you or the guitar.
Call him on it.
Click to expand...
He has an and believe me when he gets going he as loud as Keith Emerson. I think putting everyone in the PA is the way to go. If I could get a really good IEM going I'd leave the amp at home. We are putting down a couple of demo tonight. I wiil"call" him on it.
 
#13
I'm happy to report that on last's night gig I could her myself pretty good. We put everything in the house and turned down some on stage. But there are some catches. It was a different club and I was using my Atkinson J bass. I'm sure we were still a little too loud out front. Maybe if I can afford it I will got to IEM but really I have to ask myself should that be necessary?
 
#15
capnsandwich said:
I would also suggest standing about 5-10 feet in front of your amp and have it up on top of something so it's pointed at your head and not your knees. You don't want to be standing right on top of it. Also, boost the mids a little on your amp.
Click to expand...
Thanks cap. I did use more mids and less low end. Didn't elavate the cab but left the wheels on so it wouldn't couple with the hollow stage we were on.
 
#19
I was in same situation slobake i point the combo at my face. You don't have to buy a nice stand a brick or block will work or cheap alternative is bbq grill/ fireplace rack.
I tried to donate a 410 hartke last night but they didn't want it. I guess they want as few amps on stage as possible. All guitasr & keys run through pa. Then everyone is on iem & drums in a bubble. Honestly I prefer a real band setting just require everyone to be responsible w volume & ask everyone to abide. But tht don't happen w vol wars & egos. So now everyone's pressed through a pa & sounds very 90's stadium rock. kinda sucky. When I mix I mix loud like a jazz concert everyone gets into it. Not all agree with me. If everyone in the band can hear they'll back off. Mature players. If they can't hear theyself & crank it & still can't hear, then you need intervention
 
#20
capnsandwich said:
I would also suggest standing about 5-10 feet in front of your amp and have it up on top of something so it's pointed at your head and not your knees. You don't want to be standing right on top of it. Also, boost the mids a little on your amp.
Click to expand...

Thanks Capn. Funny you should mention this. The movie theater we rent for our church took out several rows of chairs from the front. That allowed me to move my amp further away from me and I also put it on a stand that points it at my head. With that and some other suggestions hear I can now hear myself without drowning everyone else out or sounding muddy. The sound guy says he still has me turned way down in the mix but I don't mine. As long as I can hear myself in the mix. We may try going direct in to the board next week but Im not so sure of that. I like the tone I get from my GK.
 

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