How do you gig with such small rigs???

[matt_dutyfree]

Earplugs are my new friend. Yet when I take away the 30db that the earplugs hold off, I can still hear the music loud and clear.

I play in a really loud punk rocky style band "emotive punk rock fury" is our latest catch prase... neways I ALWAYS wear earplugs to shows these days. I love it everything comes through really clearly you just kinda cut the crappy noise!

since then I started playing and practicing with them WOW give it a try you can hear yourself much more clearly and the drums come through clearly rather than in a painfull way! guitars tend to take a back seat when your on stage with earplugs in IT'S GREAT!!!!

 

[basicallybass]

I ALWAYS wear earplugs to shows these days. I love it everything comes through really clearly you just kinda cut the crappy noise!

Tell ya a little secret guys....the answer to it all (and that including saving considerable $$$ on power amps, cabinets, etc.) A fitted pair of Sennheiser in-ear-monitors. ANYTIME I'm doing a large venue...it's not even a question that my setup includes my favorite preamp/rack set up and the 'in-ears'. Especially if I'm gonna be moving around onstage. It doesn't matter where I stand...I sound the same!!! AND if I want, I can have the whole band's mix in there...OR just me! Completely liberating! I have cabinets for small stuff. The largest I own is a 5x8.
A MUST at any decent sized gig is a monitor. I don't really know how anyone does without one. I owned one for many years, because not every gig I played provided me with one. Now with the 'in-ears' I don't really even need cabinets!

As for the crowd...quite frankly THATS not my concern...it's sound guy's gig. (Or in some cases...the guy who owns/operates the PA.) My concern is giving him a the best signal I can give him...after it leaves my DI...its outta my hands.

 

[rockstarbassist]

Sounds to me like it's time you found a new band. Why be unhappy? These guys seem like they're just not worth it. Am I reading something wrong?

Well it's basically a new band; we're the same musician, sans lead singer. But I've made it a bigger point to my guitarist, who happens to be one of my best friends, that I'm going to have to have more say in how we do stuff live, just because I live out of town from the rest of them and do almost all of the travelling to help out the band and keep stuff going. And I'm going to have the audience and friends help soundcheck us as opposed to just him. So, that's helped out a lot. I'm being a lot more active about decisions and stuff, and stage volume and the live mix is just one of them.
But again, munji you may have a point, but in rock 'n' roll, you don't play with brushes and just tap the snare and ride. And I added the point that our drummer hardly ever mics, not even your setup, which you claim always works and whatnot. When you're playing some Incubus, Toadies, 311 and heavy originals, you're not breaking out as I said the brushes and the djimbe. So, no- there's not a way to turn down live drums that aren't mic'd. Some people play with light touches, others play hard, and that's where it ends. I actually don't play that hard on my bass which is why I turn up more than I probably would if I played harder, but it all depends on the song.
So, anyhow. The thread's kinda done now for me... A lot more people play inside, not as much rock 'n' roll, and to maybe not as many people into louder music as we might, so it's all good as long as it works for y'all!

 

[Humblerumble]

Man, I am with Munji on this one, that or maybe I'm just one of the "old guys" getting smaller cabs and such I play in a rock band where we do everything from SRV to U2 to Doobie bros and I am plenty loud with my 300 watt Mesa Scout and 1-12 extension. Maybe it is because my drummer is a finesse drummer and plays for the situation and/or both my guitarists do the same???

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

Maybe it is because my drummer is a finesse drummer and plays for the situation and/or both my guitarists do the same???

IMO that's exactly why you can use a small rig on gigs.

I wish I could get away with just using my combo amp, I'm an old guy too!

But until I find a band that keeps me as busy, and pays as well as the one I'm in, it's earplugs and a 4-10" for me.

 

[duke2004]

I think speaker efficiency has a lot to do with it. I put 200Watts of my GK800 into an 8 ohm EV15" and thats it. My band has two drummers and loud keys in addition to a pair of guitars. Ever since I started NOT scooping my mids, I can crank and never go more than 3/4 on my amp power. I have noticed that the apparent volume in gigs really depends on the cabinet and efficiency. My 15" also has a coaxial tweeter but its still not a high power amp situation.

 

[socalpyropunk]

So, anyhow. The thread's kinda done now for me... A lot more people play inside, not as much rock 'n' roll, and to maybe not as many people into louder music as we might, so it's all good as long as it works for y'all!

No worries man I'm with ya..haha..I admit, my band isn't full of pro musicians, our drummer isn't a finesse drummer, though he doesn't SLAM like some I've seen.. With us, even if the drummer good and light in practice we all get so into it live that we rock harder, my drummer pounds harder, I have a bad habit of digging hard(go through a set of strings every 1-2 months from breaking them) so we sometimes will play louder on stage than in practice. but at least it isn't bouncing around in a garage. We all wear earplugs and get by just fine.wouldn't be the same for us if it wasn't loud and we couldn't feel the music. Just my view

 

[DubDubs]

I have a weak setup(only 125 watts!) but the guitarists I play with are usually fairly quiet and even though the drummer can be loud my amp can manage.

 

[brianrost]

So do most of you with the smaller rigs (1x12's, 2 1x12's, 2x12's, 2x10+1x12, etc..) just not play with these really loud people or what?

You got it...

 

[James Hart]

You got it...

Yup!

 

[TheChariot]

Yeah, I guess it just sorta makes sense for most genres of music. Yeah... I've started a loud hardcore band... but I've played upright, electric, and Trombone for the highschool jazz band for 2 years now. And I mean... No complaints there. I dont want it louder... its jazz and (sorta) swing music coming through wind instruments. What're we gonna do.... mic every sax and trumpet?