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dear sound guy, thanks. (di box content)
- Thread starter akaTRENT
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Great thread guys. My experience has been like Rob and Walter's above. when the soundman approaches with his DI, I ask him to use the DI from my DB750. I point out the pre eq switch, and the ground lift, and that I'm using some effects, and they've all been quite good about using it.
Being reasonable and polite really helps, too!
Being reasonable and polite really helps, too!
Sorry got to agree with Two Fingers what the fans hear and what makes the club owner smile and open his wallet is all that counts not happy with the mix get your own sound guy! and he will mix you out front most likely no different than the last guy if you can't live with the mix do not go to the house do yourself a favor get a wireless unit and walk out front and listen to the mix not your sound only you are but a small part of the big puzzle my guess your wonderful fat sound mixed the way you like it 20 ft out front is Flatting everyone else in cluding the vocals been there done that!
Sonic gave you a pretty good answer. Generally, you'd want a mic that can do like 40-18k. But you can't go on specs alone. the 58 doesn't spec out so great and I think it's really good on bass. But it won't give you the lowest sub freqs, so if that's important, either blend it with a DI or use a mic that goes lower.
Stacatto, the 57 and 58 are basically the same mic but there's something about the way the 58 works that gives it a tiny bit of midbass hump, so that's why I like it better.
True facts...when that happens to me, I just let my stage volume compensate and have better results by getting rid of the DI.
JimmyM and RDUB, you're helping here. Recently, we attended a bluegrass festival which included-The Greencards. Several bands asked for applause for the sound crew as they raved about them. Guess those kind of raves are more the exception...
I saw a couple of bands play yesterday where the sound guy just hanged a 58 in front of an Ampeg 15 inch cab. Sounded really good imho.
That is extremely selfish.
How do you know you have better results?
You went at the board , passing through all the crowd, to listen to the mix while the show is on ?
Or is it your girlfriend that told you that you sounded so good?
often times if the stage is really bassy, or the room is really bassy, even if the system is really bassy, something like a 58 with its low end roll off will pick up the midrange and attack of the bass, and let the cab fill up the room with omnidirectional, powerful bass waves.
It was outdoors, and the PA felt balanced to me when they played pre-recorded music. The amp was an Ampeg SVT-4PRO with an Ampeg SVT-15E Cab.
first, sorry for necro-posting. I just read this entire thread and wanted to share/ask.
-I too am a bassist/soundguy, though much less experienced on the soundguy end.
-I realize that my chitty band is the 27th chitty band this week for the chitty soundguy in the chitty club. Or for the elevated among us... the 260th show of the tour, and the 400th festival the soundguy has done this year. Everybody has someone to answer to, and everybody has bad days. It's hard to give a rat's ass about anything other then yourself (from both sides of the PA). So many good things in this thread about working together. I appreciate that more then the 'who's opinion matters more' arguments. I always try to be nice to the soundguy. After all, in the end it is his choice if you sound like crap or not. I really appreciate when soundguys are nice back.
-many bassists (or any musicians) have no clue that the sound they 'hear' from their amp while it's blasting the back of their kneecaps is different then it is 5ft away, or 50ft, or 300ft.
-the last gig where this was an issue for me, I requested the built in DI from my Ampeg be used. The excuse I got, before I had played a note, was that "the power is funky here, so we always use our boxes" as if I didn't a)have everything through a power conditioner b)have the ground lifted and c)have 30 par cans pointed at my passive single coil mexican pickups making god awful hiss anyway (which I normally edit out to a degree with the graphic eq on my head, but couldn't since I 'had to go DI').
-Also, when doing line checks I got the basic bass player treatment, 'its on"move on. The soundguy then spent lots of time with the guitarist, leveling all his effects even. I mentioned that I would be using lots of effects too, 'do you want me to soundcheck them." All I got was a very confused look, then we moved on to vocals.
-THE QUESTION part.... a few folks mentioned going through their pedalboards, then to the DI. Or using a BDDI or something. Also a bit was said about the amp responding/changing to effects. I am new to using bass effects. I have (for now) a ME-50b, so I ran into that, then into aforementioned 'provided' DI. It was a rough show. I discovered that most of my effects which sounded great in rehearsal through my rig, were terrible sounding and quite untamed just through the DI to the PA, even creating some unfortunate feedback. Good thing I never actually got to soundcheck them. Lesson learned though, from now on my first tone will be drenched, then I'll give him my clean. Anybody have similar trouble and how to deal with it? or do I just try really hard to schmooze the soundguy?
-I too am a bassist/soundguy, though much less experienced on the soundguy end.
-I realize that my chitty band is the 27th chitty band this week for the chitty soundguy in the chitty club. Or for the elevated among us... the 260th show of the tour, and the 400th festival the soundguy has done this year. Everybody has someone to answer to, and everybody has bad days. It's hard to give a rat's ass about anything other then yourself (from both sides of the PA). So many good things in this thread about working together. I appreciate that more then the 'who's opinion matters more' arguments. I always try to be nice to the soundguy. After all, in the end it is his choice if you sound like crap or not. I really appreciate when soundguys are nice back.
-many bassists (or any musicians) have no clue that the sound they 'hear' from their amp while it's blasting the back of their kneecaps is different then it is 5ft away, or 50ft, or 300ft.
-the last gig where this was an issue for me, I requested the built in DI from my Ampeg be used. The excuse I got, before I had played a note, was that "the power is funky here, so we always use our boxes" as if I didn't a)have everything through a power conditioner b)have the ground lifted and c)have 30 par cans pointed at my passive single coil mexican pickups making god awful hiss anyway (which I normally edit out to a degree with the graphic eq on my head, but couldn't since I 'had to go DI').
-Also, when doing line checks I got the basic bass player treatment, 'its on"move on. The soundguy then spent lots of time with the guitarist, leveling all his effects even. I mentioned that I would be using lots of effects too, 'do you want me to soundcheck them." All I got was a very confused look, then we moved on to vocals.
-THE QUESTION part.... a few folks mentioned going through their pedalboards, then to the DI. Or using a BDDI or something. Also a bit was said about the amp responding/changing to effects. I am new to using bass effects. I have (for now) a ME-50b, so I ran into that, then into aforementioned 'provided' DI. It was a rough show. I discovered that most of my effects which sounded great in rehearsal through my rig, were terrible sounding and quite untamed just through the DI to the PA, even creating some unfortunate feedback. Good thing I never actually got to soundcheck them. Lesson learned though, from now on my first tone will be drenched, then I'll give him my clean. Anybody have similar trouble and how to deal with it? or do I just try really hard to schmooze the soundguy?
in that case, id give them effects early on. make it evident that you arent just trying to look cute with pedals. i normally run a few seconds of clean and then kick on my dirt. make sure they know theres going to be compression going on and to set levels accordingly. back to clean, check my chorus. i only have a couple, so it doesnt take long, but i get to the point really fast.
my overdrive has NEVER sounded good DI, but im not entirely sure they ever cared.
if i were you, id have explained the humming problem and that your effects will sound better that way. im sure they regretted not listening to you after the problems started.
i do the same kind of checks with vocals. i dont do many, but i make sure to showcase ALL of what im going to do pretty fast. a couple clean vocals, a few dirty, back to clean. if they are going to have to compress me for leveling purposes, i make sure they know it.
my overdrive has NEVER sounded good DI, but im not entirely sure they ever cared.
if i were you, id have explained the humming problem and that your effects will sound better that way. im sure they regretted not listening to you after the problems started.
i do the same kind of checks with vocals. i dont do many, but i make sure to showcase ALL of what im going to do pretty fast. a couple clean vocals, a few dirty, back to clean. if they are going to have to compress me for leveling purposes, i make sure they know it.
Hey, I've looked through this thread and found quite a few bass players, myself included, seem to be doing the sound as well.
Are bass players more disposed to doing the sound because we have an easier setup and so some spare time, or is there some deeper, possibly darker reason?
Are bass players more disposed to doing the sound because we have an easier setup and so some spare time, or is there some deeper, possibly darker reason?
I am a soundman/bassist and I work with a band that has to go ALL DI for certain shows. No amps, No acoustic drums.
It is a soundmans dream gig
This clip is from a show this past summer, one PA stack with (1) sub (1) high pack. The video was recorded on a cell phone about 10' away from the PA stack.
It is a soundmans dream gig
This clip is from a show this past summer, one PA stack with (1) sub (1) high pack. The video was recorded on a cell phone about 10' away from the PA stack.
slightly OT, but yeah, bass players seem to make for good soundmen and producers. maybe it's because a good bass player listens to the whole band while they're playing, more so than the other players? or maybe they just don't tend to get their ears trashed by guitar amps, drums, and vocal monitors as much
Hi I just found this Forum and this was The first post I decided to reply to..
After many years of playing for 3 people up to 10,000 people, I have been Mic'ed, DI'ed, Blended, Ignored Told to Turn Down change my Tone ETC.
I have had the Best Luck with Either a Modeling Amp " I used a Behringer" but after 25 shows in 5 months it started to show its manufacturing quality.
I now run a Sansamp RBI. I run The effected Sans amp to my Power amp via A balanced 1/4 cable and leave the XLR for the Sound guy.
I always prefer to be Mic'ed and I judge the Sound guy by what he approaches with.
If he brings out a old DI I point him to my XLR and in my head call him various names.
If he brings out a SM-57 I just think "crap!!!"
If he brings out a nice D-112 or other large diaphram mic I buy him Dinner
And If he blends that is usually the best type of sound guy
After many years of playing for 3 people up to 10,000 people, I have been Mic'ed, DI'ed, Blended, Ignored Told to Turn Down change my Tone ETC.
I have had the Best Luck with Either a Modeling Amp " I used a Behringer" but after 25 shows in 5 months it started to show its manufacturing quality.
I now run a Sansamp RBI. I run The effected Sans amp to my Power amp via A balanced 1/4 cable and leave the XLR for the Sound guy.
I always prefer to be Mic'ed and I judge the Sound guy by what he approaches with.
If he brings out a old DI I point him to my XLR and in my head call him various names.
If he brings out a SM-57 I just think "crap!!!"
If he brings out a nice D-112 or other large diaphram mic I buy him Dinner
And If he blends that is usually the best type of sound guy
Right here!
And I agree completely. You've gotta let the front of house guy do his job. The gear you bring to a club is so you can enjoy your sound on stage, which certainly affects your performance. Trust that the soundguy knows what he's doing (even though most of the time he doesn't) get a good sound on stage, and realize that 99.9% of the people in the crowd wouldn't know a good bass tone if it came up and punched them in the balls. They just want to feel the low end, and get drunk.
ALL DI ... is a soundmans dream gig
It totally is. There is one band from around here that does this and I LOVE doing sound for them, even though their music isn't really my thing. It's awesome not having to constantly tell some ******* guitar player with a 300 watt tube amp and full stack (in a small club) to turn down in between each song.
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