Tips for Gigging Patches

Warren

Our band had our first paying live performances this weekend. Saturday was wobbly, Sunday the nerves had settled a bit and I got a taste of how great it can be to perform in front of an audience.

But...

I absolutely hated my tone, and I would appreciate some tips from you seasoned pro's around this.

I know some theory around setting your gigging patches at high volumes so that you get a good live tone. Check out this site:

http://www.valvetronix.net/forums/how-to-get-great-tone-from-valvetronix-at-gigging-volume-t192.html

So I am aware of the whole Fletcher-Munson idea. I'm just not exactly sure how to get around it.

I have a few specific challenges:

I can't set the amp's attenuator too loud, because then my band-mate's complain about the on-stage volume. I mic the cab with an SM-57 that then runs into a PA channel for the audience sound, and that seems to work nicely.

On my 50W amp, the attenuator on the back is set about half-way.

The other challenge is that the two guitars I'm using, the Strat and the Les Paul, both plug into the same amp via a Radial instrument selector. I can compensate for the slightly different volumes on the guitars in a couple of ways, including a little "dim" setting on the pedal itself, so that's ok. But I struggled a bit to get both instruments to respond the way I like. If the Strat felt good, the Les Paul didn't, and vice-versa. My playing dynamics felt really crap on Saturday, with the guitars being too "sensitive" (amp too loud I guess) and me making a bit of a mess of the whole thing. Sunday was a lot better: I got there earlier and managed to tweak things a bit, and the band were a little more co-operative. ?

So, any master tips and tricks, or is it really a case of just more trial and error until I can dial in that mix I really like?

AlanRatcliffe

I just went through something similar - played on Saturday and had my Twin cranked up louder than I usually do and coupled with the acoustics of the venue (we were facing a wall-length door that was open to the outside, so nothing was coming back) I was getting something completely different from what I am used to. The first thing that happened was my bass tone control was brought down radically from where it usually lives (on 10 - I ended up on 5). I also ended up with less gain on my drive pedal as the amp was doing a bit more work than usual.

Generally, use less gain and more volume. Less reverb too. Cut the bass and sometimes the highs, but your highs should come across a bit overbearing in soundcheck as they tend to disappear when the room is full of people.

However, the only way to really set your gig patches is to write them as you go at the gig - anything else is just educated guesswork. Every venue is different and things will change completely when the room is full.

Warren

Alan Ratcliffe wrote: I just went through something similar - played on Saturday and had my Twin cranked up louder than I usually do and coupled with the acoustics of the venue (we were facing a wall-length door that was open to the outside, so nothing was coming back) I was getting something completely different from what I am used to. The first thing that happened was my bass tone control was brought down radically from where it usually lives (on 10 - I ended up on 5). I also ended up with less gain on my drive pedal as the amp was doing a bit more work than usual.

Generally, use less gain and more volume. Less reverb too. Cut the bass and sometimes the highs, but your highs should come across a bit overbearing in soundcheck as they tend to disappear when the room is full of people.

However, the only way to really set your gig patches is to write them as you go at the gig - anything else is just educated guesswork. Every venue is different and things will change completely when the room is full.

Cool, thanks Alan!

Forgot to mention this was an outdoor gig, and might occur now once per month.

I think the sound balance for the audience was pretty good, people had good comments. It was just my amp next to me that I couldn't come to terms with ?

But yeah, think I had too much gain dialed in (there was quite a bid of muddiness) and probably too much bass / mids.

In terms of the mic into the PA, is there anything to watch out for there? The EQ on the PA for that channel is set flat.

TomCat

Warren wrote: In terms of the mic into the PA, is there anything to watch out for there? The EQ on the PA for that channel is set flat.

Good tip there.....Try not to EQ the mic if possible.....however always have the channel HP filter in to reduce the chance of bass feedback. To get the right tone rather play with mic position on the amp till you get the right balance tone wise and then polish it off with small EQ settings.

You can also try having the amp in front of you in a "Kickback" position similar to a wedge monitor. This gives you the best in terms of hearing yourself while minimizing bleed to other mics/band members.

We do this at church with great results.

AlanRatcliffe

Warren wrote: It was just my amp next to me that I couldn't come to terms with ?

You get used to that, but once you have someone you know you can trust on the desk, you can play knowing that what the audience is hearing is right. Sometimes you'll end up sans monitors (or with really bad ones) and/or not miked up (having to crank the amp to get the sound out to the audience). So the stage balance can be pretty far out of whack at some gigs, and you have to carry on regardless, taking your cues from what little you can hear. All part of the learning experience, IMO.

In terms of the mic into the PA, is there anything to watch out for there? The EQ on the PA for that channel is set flat.

Too many variables to provide any kind of a "one size fits all" approach, other than remembering to use your highpass filters to take out the extreme low end to keep the mix clear (that applies to just about everything but kick and bass).

Warren

Cool, thanks guys. Will take a look at the desk and see what buttons there are to click ?