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how do you "check" your sound.

How do you get your live sound

  • adjust tone from 2-3 ft

    Votes: 3 7.7%
  • adjust tone from 4-7 ft

    Votes: 10 25.6%
  • adjust tone from 8-12 ft

    Votes: 2 5.1%
  • adjust tone from 12-20 ft

    Votes: 7 17.9%
  • I use a wireless

    Votes: 10 25.6%
  • as long as it sounds good to me, screw the audience

    Votes: 7 17.9%

  • Total voters
    39
I voted 4-7 because that's what I do most places I play, which are small. On bigger stages it's more like 12 - 20, but either way it's really mostly a monitor for me and my bandmates, we always have PA support. Although in small clubs the bass in the PA gets mixed with the bass from my amp- which usually means my rig provides most of the low end, and the PA supports my mids and highs, getting them up and out over the audience memebers' heads but only filling in a bit of the low end.
 
I still haven't found a wireless I like. They all seem to colour my sound.
Have you tried the XDS Plus and Line6 G50? Very transparent, compact units that have finally made me completely happy with my wireless tone.
We have a few friends who come out to every gig and they know how we want to sound. They will usually check levels for us out in the audience.
This is really helpful, especially when you get to know whose ears you can trust.
 
I usually just plug in and go. My amp is always set at my optimal beginning point eq wise, and I make adjustments as I go. For the most part, unless your doing a really small gig, the Amp sound you get on stage is just for your satisfaction. THe more FOH support you have the less your amp matters out front. In my youth, I had big LOUD amps, and was almost never in the mix, soundmen hated me. Now that IM older, I have learned restraint and how to control my EQ. Cant tell you what to do, as its your sound not mine. But thats what I do, just go up with a basic setup and adjust from there. You can always have someone in the audience who knows what they are doing to help guide you, or you can make friends with the sound crew and have them help you.

One thing we ALL have to remember, we play live to ENTERTAIN PEOPLE. Not to have an orgasm on stage at how loud our amps are and how killer they sound. There is a happy medium in there where you can still spooge in your pants a little and have everyone else be happy too. Try to find it, compromise is good.
 
I voted for the last option because honestly, I want to sound good and clear on stage, then making it sound good for the audience is the soundman's job.

Same here - and will add that I adjust my amp so that it sounds like I want it at my mic position... Volume-wise, I only play loud enough to hear what notes I'm playing, in relation to the drummer and 2 guitarists I'm gigging with...


- georgestrings