Sizing a mixer to the band needs

[GregShadoan]

7 drum mic's? A kick and two overheads should do fine.

LMAO!!! If only......

 

[walterw]

I provide sound for local bands in the typical bar/club venue.
All I have for mixing boards are 16ch. A&H MixWizards...

...For the most part, the bands I do are 4-5 piece rock bands...

...With the A&H MixWizard I provide (3) separate monitor mixes.(1-drum, 2-vocal)...

...I use one AUX for a separate FX send to a processor of choice.

i suspect most bands would much prefer a 4th monitor mix and bag the extra FX send.

 

[projectMalamute]

i suspect most bands would much prefer a 4th monitor mix and bag the extra FX send.

The MixWiz has 6 aux. Usually that's four (pre-fader) monitor mixes and two (post-fader) effects sends. It can be modded to provide 6 pre-fader sends.

They are good little mixers.

 

[walterw]

right.

vinny d was using 3 (pre-fade i hope) for monitors, the two with built-in fx for just that, and the one left over as an extra fx send.

 

[iridiumrocks]

Agreed. Also, regarding the drum set: I highly recommend putting a mic on the kick / snare / high hat... even if playing in a club barely bigger than a closet. If you wish, toms and overheads as needed. With drums, the kick / snare / hat is the junk in the funk, the meat in the beat.... and must be heard across the room (along with the vocals and instruments) if you want the mix to sound right.

Bands and drummers have had strange reactions when I insist on a high hat mic, but it's one difference between sounding good vs. sounding great.

I agree. We typically use 5 mics - kick, snare, hi-hat, and 2 overhead for toms and cymbals. It also helps to use a plexiglass shield in front of the drum kit, especially if you have a drummer who plays loud and/or playing a smaller place. It keeps the drums from bleeding into all of the other mics and gives the sound guy much better control of the FOH mix.

 

[Geddyfleaharris]

right.

vinny d was using 3 (pre-fade i hope) for monitors, the two with built-in fx for just that, and the one left over as an extra fx send.

I have been using the Mono Master as a dedicated line to my sub woofers. As per the manual I use Aux 6 as a send for only the frequencies I want to my subs. We used this set up at our last gig and had nothing but compliments. Everyone said there was nice separation in the instruments and vox. You could hear each item in the mix.

 

[Bassdirty]

We mic each drum too. Drummer uses a sub-mixer and sends one signal to FOH.

+1

thats how we roll.

 

[modulusman]

+1

thats how we roll.

Which sucks for the soundman because he can't turn up individual drums.

 

[seanm]

Which sucks for the soundman because he can't turn up individual drums.

We tend to either have a full blown PA with soundman provided by the venue or we provide the PA. We never provide the PA and have a "real" soundman. If the drummer wants more than say 3 drum inputs, he has to provide a partial mix. I would still prefer to have the kick and snare separate and at least the kick with its own channel.

 

[Vinny D]

right.

vinny d was using 3 (pre-fade i hope) for monitors, the two with built-in fx for just that, and the one left over as an extra fx send.

Yes indeed

 

[Vinny D]

i suspect most bands would much prefer a 4th monitor mix and bag the extra FX send.

Not really,
With (4) vocal mic's I generally do the following:

(1st Monitor Mix) Leed vocalist and vocalist that does the least amount of backup harmonies gets the same mix.

(2nd Monitor Mix) Person that does the majority of harmonies, usually the leed guitarist in my experiences.

(3rd Monitor Mix) Drummer, that way they get whatever they want.

So 3-monitor mixes works well for the bands I work with, never had anyone request a 4th mix.
Again, my general venue that I work is just a typical bar/club gig with most likely a 300 person capacity.

 

[mcapote]

7 drum mic's? A kick and two overheads should do fine.

actually depending on the type of band
2 kicks, 1 snare, 1 for tom one and tom two(could even be one for each), 1 floor tom, 2 overheads for cymbals

 

[threshar]

I tend to only do 3-4 mics on the drums depending on the size of the place - kick, snare, rack toms, floor toms. They pick up the cymbals just fine.

I only run one monitor mix as I only have a single power channel for the monitors (although soon I'll have 2). No one really complains as we all need to hear the same thing.

It does get a bit tricky in an 8 piece band where most of the guys also sing.

I'll also state for the record it sucks being the band member who has to cope with PA. Especially when the main cabs weigh over 200lbs each. That and you are stuck setting everything up while the rest of the guys stand around, chitchat, etc. And when you finish the gig the same situation applies. sigh.

 

[dug dog]

I'll also state for the record it sucks being the band member who has to cope with PA.

If the other band members aren't helping with loading and set-up, you should be getting a much bigger share of the $$$.

 

[BigMac5]

I use 9 mics for drums.

 

[TimK]

We mic each drum too. Drummer uses a sub-mixer and sends one signal to FOH.

what type of sub mixer? a smal 4-6 channel? got any brands, models or pics?

 

[Barisaxman]

7 Drum Mic's isn't that big of a deal, a lot depends on the size of the kit. Our input list:

1) Kick
2) Snare
3) Tom 1
4) Tom 2
5) Tom 3
6) Tom 4
7) Hat (7 drum Mics)
8) Acoustic Guitar
9) Rhythm Electric Guitar
10) Lead Guitar
11) Bass Guitar
12) Stage R Vocal
13) Lead Vocal
14) Stage L Vocal
15) Drum Vocal

Fits nicely on a Presonus SL16 The RIGHT tool for the job would be a mixer with enough XLR channels for everything you'd want to mic (sub mixing is a mess....period) and enough aux sends for monitor mixes and effects. Buy once, cry once.

 

[projectMalamute]

Having extra channels is nice. As an example, take this input list:

1) Kick
2) Snare
3) Tom 1
4) Tom 2
5) Tom 3
6) Tom 4
7) Hat
8) Acoustic Guitar
9) Rhythm Electric Guitar
10) Lead Guitar
11) Bass Guitar
12) Stage R Vocal
13) Lead Vocal
14) Stage L Vocal
15) Drum Vocal

If I was mixing this band I'd also have:

16) split from Stage R vocal
17) split from Lead Vocal
18) split from Stage L vocal
19) split from Drum vocal
20) effects return 1
21) effects return 2

That gives you full channel strips with dedicated EQ and insert points to be used for monitors for every vocal mic and full EQ/insert/routing facilities for a couple of effects returns.

 

[walterw]

i suspect most bands would much prefer a 4th monitor mix and bag the extra FX send.

Not really,
With (4) vocal mic's I generally do the following:

(1st Monitor Mix) Leed vocalist and vocalist that does the least amount of backup harmonies gets the same mix.

(2nd Monitor Mix) Person that does the majority of harmonies, usually the leed guitarist in my experiences.

(3rd Monitor Mix) Drummer, that way they get whatever they want.

So 3-monitor mixes works well for the bands I work with, never had anyone request a 4th mix.
Again, my general venue that I work is just a typical bar/club gig with most likely a 300 person capacity.

so the guy that does "the least amount of backup harmonies" gets the shaft, having to put up with the lead vocals blasting in his face? i've been in that situation, and usually i'll just shove the wedge over so the singer gets both of them and i do without entirely. (it's not like the singer is ever willing to compromise their mix for me )

not so big a deal with guitar or bass players and wedges (since they can still hear their amp), but absolutely intolerable with in-ear mixes.

 

[Jazzdogg]

My percussionist sends me a summed signal from his own sub-mixer; he uses 5 or 6 mics.

I use an A&H MixWiz 16:2 with six aux:
Mon 1
Mon 2
Mon 3
Mon 4
Effects
Aux-fed sub

We usually have
1 Vox
2 Vox
3 Vox
4 Vox
5 Vox
6 Guitar
7 Bass
8 Percussion Feed
9 Keyboard - 1
10 Keyboard - 2
11 Reeds
12 Brass - 1
13 Brass - 2
14 Kick
15 OH-1
16 OH-2