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To Mic or Not to Mic...That is the Question!!!

Hevy T

Hevy T

Jan 11, 2011
4,293
4,017
56
Lethbridge, AB Canada
#1
I was wondering how big a venue should be to consider micing and di ing through the PA with all other instruments. Also how small of a venue to leave things au naturale?

My guitarist owns the PA though he don't want the bass. drums etc... going through it. Now we have an outdoor gig coming up, I am assuming rather small, in a parking lot, most likely no stage. Maybe 50 to 100 is my guess. Now I would prefer to have everything miked so the volumes could be equalized, but that won't happen. Also I am only using a 150 watt Fender combo. I wonder if I should rent something bigger, say a 200 watt combo and run thm together??
 
#3
I wouldn't spend a cent. I'd use what you have and insist that the band play down to your volume capabilities. If not, take your amp and throw it at the guitarist for being a douche.

:D
 
#5
Unless it's a very small room we put everything in the PA, sometimes we may not mic all drums but just do kick, snare and one overhead. Outdoors there's no question, you need more sound there. Reasons for us using the PA is to get a more consistent sound from gig to gig, plus we don't like to play with a very loud stage/backline volume. Even in a small room we use the PA to EQ the drums and to add a bit to the volume from the amps on stage. The sound carries better to the back of the room with the PA speakers up higher too.

What size is the PA, and why does he not want to use it for the instruments?
 
#7
I'd say that depends on the size and power handling of the PA speakers. We do have powered subs, but even our small 12" EV SX300 speakers pack quite a punch and go surprisingly deep. Definitely enough to at least supplement the on stage sound. And for a small gig you don't really have to crank it all that much.

But sure, if it's a smaller PA it may not be a good idea.
 
#8
Hi.

FretNoMore said:
What size is the PA, and why does he not want to use it for the instruments?
Click to expand...

I'd make a wild guess ;).

As for the initial question, IME/IMO unless everyone knows what they're doing, and are willing to stick to the levels that have been set beforehand in order to acchieve a passable balance, forget miking anything.

Sounds like You guys will have your hands full with just the backline balance and the [GUESS] vocal PA [GUESS], no need to overcomplicate things needlessly.

IOW, if this was a poll and given the info available, I'd vote for no mics.

Regards
Sam
 
#9
Depending on the number of inputs on the mixing console, I would list in following priority vocals, bass, guitars, kick (snare, 1 to 2 overheads, toms and you can't forget the keys if you have them they would have to be in the mix) if you have the inputs use them. I also agree low stage volume and adjust the levels through FOH. Monitors are also helpful. Remember to always enjoy yourself, don't sweat the stuff you can't control!
 
#11
It is just a small PA made by Peavey. I also understand why he don't want the bass and drums going through it, because he has no subs, just the one set of small bins, and 2 monitors.

I just wish he would upgrade to the point where we all could go through the board, even for a small gig.

I am just trying to determine the limits of my amp so I know that I can be heard in this outdoor thing we are doing next week.

I was skeptical about the gig we did a couple of weeks ago, which was inside an old church. This one did do fine because the acoustics of the building helped and there was only a small crowd there. This outdoor thing is a benefit for a food bank, so I am expecting a far bigger turn out
 
#12
Outdoors I would want to run through the PA for sure. But your setup seems pretty minimal and without subs it's going to be your amp pushing the low end for the most part. You are in a tough situation because it sounds like you really don't have the power to push the kind of volumes you might get indoors. I think the key will be to keep the volume down and manageable and just make sure the mix sounds as balanced as possible from out front. You may have to try a few different things before you get it right.
 
#13
Strat Hater said:
I was wondering how big a venue should be to consider micing and di ing through the PA with all other instruments. Also how small of a venue to leave things au naturale?

My guitarist owns the PA though he don't want the bass. drums etc... going through it. Now we have an outdoor gig coming up, I am assuming rather small, in a parking lot, most likely no stage. Maybe 50 to 100 is my guess. Now I would prefer to have everything miked so the volumes could be equalized, but that won't happen. Also I am only using a 150 watt Fender combo. I wonder if I should rent something bigger, say a 200 watt combo and run thm together??
Click to expand...

For the outdoor gig you really need to mike the drums ... It would be best to run the bass into the pa but if there are no subs then that will be a fail ...

Buy a powered sub and put your combo on top of it and run it from a line out from your bass combo amp.

This would be the smallest you could do Invalid Link Removed
 
#15
I'm a fan of running everything through the PA - if you have a sub. If you don't - get one. I had a BEhringer B1500D powered 15" for a while and it sounded good, just was heavy (97 lbs). Got it for 400 bucks scratch-n-dent.

Did a gig at a small bar last Sat using a Behringer powered mixer with 8 channels. Main speakers Carvin PM12's. I added a sub by running the mixer out to a bridged Crown XLS2000 amp with the low-pass filter set to 105 hz into a Carvin LS1801 (1x18") sub cab. 3 vocal mics, bass and keys DI, guitar amp mic'ed with SM57. I only mic'ed the kick drum - I find that on small stages the vocal mics pic up the other drums pretty well.
 
#18
JimmyM said:
I wouldn't spend a cent. I'd use what you have and insist that the band play down to your volume capabilities.

:D
Click to expand...

+1

Many bands simply play too loud for no reason. Play to the volume of your Fender 150, acoustic drums, guitar amp and vocal PA set low to match.

A lot depends on the style of music you all play, but do the best you can with what you have. If the gig pays a lot, then maybe think of renting...
 
#19
longfinger said:
+1

Many bands simply play too loud for no reason. Play to the volume of your Fender 150, acoustic drums, guitar amp and vocal PA set low to match.

A lot depends on the style of music you all play, but do the best you can with what you have. If the gig pays a lot, then maybe think of renting...
Click to expand...
Right on all counts. With only 50-100 people attending, it should be fine. Won't be Metallica loud, but with that PA, you have no chance of that happening anyway.

One time, I was doing an outdoor gig in front of about 3000 people, and the AC plug for my REDDI came out and I lost the signal to the PA. At that same moment, I ran out into the crowd to do upright bass stunts. Was slightly quieter than I'd have liked to be, but I could still hear the bass pretty well. The amp I was using? An Ampeg Micro VR into an SVT 210av. 150w. Didn't even have it up as far as I could take it, either.
 

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