Set up a mic and transmitter in the middle of the room. Send that signal to in ear monitors I would be wearing so I could mix from the stage while playing.
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How about this idea for mixing FOH from the stage?
- Thread starter blaze17
- Start date
- Jan 27, 2010
- 4,141
- 471
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Genz Benz Amplification
You'll be subject to the frequency response of both the microphone and whatever you're listening on. Won't give you an accurate representation of how it actually sounds in the room. You'd be better off getting a wireless rig and walking out front a few times a night.
While it wouldn't give you a completely accurate representation, it would give you a good idea of levels. You would still need to go out and spot check with the wireless.
But, on a good night, if you go out to check levels you are trapped out until at least the end of the song. Hard to push through the dancers and play at the same time
At that point I rely on the wash from the mains. A mic should be more accurate than that.
But, on a good night, if you go out to check levels you are trapped out until at least the end of the song. Hard to push through the dancers and play at the same time
At that point I rely on the wash from the mains. A mic should be more accurate than that.
Hi.
Try it, You'll very quickly discover why that approach isn't very popular
Regards
Sam
Could you expand a bit? I am curious, but not curious enough to try it
Room mics don't behave like human ears. All you'll hear is room reverberation and crowd noise. You won't get any detail and you'll be giving up your monitor mix so you will have a more difficult time playing and singing. You would be better off taking a split off the main mix and feeding it to a small submixer along with your monitor mix so you can a/b between the main mix and the monitor mix.
The wireless solution works too as long as you're not wearing IEMs.
The wireless solution works too as long as you're not wearing IEMs.
I feed the FOH signal to a full range monitor on my side of the stage. I still need to walk out to check EQ and overall volume level, but it gives me everything I need to adjust mix levels, processors, etc.
Hi.
Well, basically what testing1two said, but especially:
Also, placing an unattended mic somewhere in the crowd is not in my list of "intelligent things to do", regardless of whether it's just a regular wedge feed or IEM's.
If You then place the mic, say 1.5 meters above the audiences heads, the mic signal is nothing like the program the audience hears.
Regardless of the mic placement, You most likely get one or two mid-/hi- drivers (or their reflections) to beam into it, boosting that frequency peak by more than 3dB, so You'll turn it down => mud.
You'll also get at least a couple of "null" nodes on bass frequencies, so you turn 'em up => mud.
A regular mic that's disposable enough to be left in the crowd, usually doesn't have any bass response to speak of when miking over a distance, so You turn the bass up => ...You guessed it right... mud.
Many of us "multiple gig hat" wearers have tried everything we have thought of over the years of struggling without FOH personnel, and all these years have either made us better at it, or lazier, or pehaps the crowds have become more forgiving, IDK, but I for one get much less complaints about the sound now compared to that when I was in my teens
.
Regards
Sam
Could you expand a bit? I am curious, but not curious enough to try it
Well, basically what testing1two said, but especially:
Also, placing an unattended mic somewhere in the crowd is not in my list of "intelligent things to do", regardless of whether it's just a regular wedge feed or IEM's.
If You then place the mic, say 1.5 meters above the audiences heads, the mic signal is nothing like the program the audience hears.
Regardless of the mic placement, You most likely get one or two mid-/hi- drivers (or their reflections) to beam into it, boosting that frequency peak by more than 3dB, so You'll turn it down => mud.
You'll also get at least a couple of "null" nodes on bass frequencies, so you turn 'em up => mud.
A regular mic that's disposable enough to be left in the crowd, usually doesn't have any bass response to speak of when miking over a distance, so You turn the bass up => ...You guessed it right... mud.
Many of us "multiple gig hat" wearers have tried everything we have thought of over the years of struggling without FOH personnel, and all these years have either made us better at it, or lazier, or pehaps the crowds have become more forgiving, IDK, but I for one get much less complaints about the sound now compared to that when I was in my teens
.Regards
Sam
Not to mention the time delay!
Do a sound check if you can.
With your wireless, walk out in the audience a few times a night to keep things balanced (as people fill the room (or leave), the sound can change quite a bit).
Do a sound check if you can.
With your wireless, walk out in the audience a few times a night to keep things balanced (as people fill the room (or leave), the sound can change quite a bit).
I do the FOH mix into a powered wedge on my side. It is hard to mix though as the GTARD next to me is so loud onstage that I can't really tell what is going on as well as I'd like.
The only thing you can do that way, is just sound LEVELS. The only way to check sound QUALITY is to get out in the listening position.
It also lets you hear dynamic processing and effects.
Might not let you hear any equalization changes that become necessary as the room changes, but it's better than running completely blind between trips out into the room.
Might not let you hear any equalization changes that become necessary as the room changes, but it's better than running completely blind between trips out into the room.
Our BL / lead singer runs our sound from stage and he has the FOH mix as his IEM mix.
Which generally works pretty well though sometimes the lead vox tend to be a bit hot in FOH. The nice thing is that if any of the channels go out, he knows it right away.
Which generally works pretty well though sometimes the lead vox tend to be a bit hot in FOH. The nice thing is that if any of the channels go out, he knows it right away.
Honestly, thats the easiest. I go out during the first song and again later in the night if/when the room has filled up.
