Re: downsizing amps & mic'ing your cabs?
- From: IUnknown <stevementzer@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2011 15:24:33 -0700 (PDT)
On Jul 21, 2:41 pm, Jim <ask@first> wrote:
On 7/21/2011 1:28 PM, IUnknown wrote:
I was mulling the idea of downsizing my rig - and can't get over the
fact that most 1x12 combos tend to flab out a bit at stage volumes.
A little background - I play a 4x12/head combo in a classic rock/hard
rock/classic metal 5-piece band. Typical bar fare stuff... beatles to
metallica.
A constant complaint is that my rig is very 'unidirectional' .... go
off-axis from my cabinet 20 degrees or so and my sound drops off a
lot. Makes mixing for a crowd situation hard because if I turn up so
everyone can hear, i am too loud where I stand....
So, i was thinking - maybe I could kill two birds with one stone. If I
was to bring my 1x12 combo, mic it and run that through the P.A... i
could manage my 'personal' volume and still get a good mix to the
crowd. Because I wouldn't be pushing the 1x12 to the max - I would
still be able to get a good sound through it.
Have any other guitarists tried this approach?
I'm not in a gigging situation, but I recently experienced this from an
audience member's POV.
My buddy plays in a Floyd tribute band. I recently saw them in a larger
sized room that was divided down by a heavy curtain (mid-week gig,
smaller audience, and I assume that the venue didn't want to man the
rear bar station). So there were acoustic challenges to begin with.
One of the guitarists used the approach you mention: He switched
between a couple of amps, but both were pointed cross stage - 90 degrees
to audience - and both were mic'd to FOH (nice PA, subs under stage,
main's flown to the side).
The other guitarist pointed his amps directly towards the audience, and
was positioned more or less center stage.
It didn't work.
Problems:
The guitarist playing center stage with amps at audience? His amps were
TOO LOUD. But he was also too hot in the FOH!
The guitarist with amps pointed cross stage? No fill to the audience,
and he was WAY quiet into FOH.
Basically a sound man FAIL, in my opinion. If I was running the board,
I would've boosted the quiet guitar level in FOH, and told the loud guy
to TURN IT DOWN. Even so, there would've been a dead spot, close up,
center stage (because of the way the mains are flown at the venue).
I constantly "surfed" the room to find a spot where I could live with
the mix.
So, I think it *CAN* work, if the FOH isn't too directional, and *IF*
the sound man is on top of his/her game. And it won't be easy if this
is small gigs with a board on stage w/o a sound man. You'll want
somebody with a real ear to tell you what it's like in the audience. Or
hand off the guitar and hear for yourself.- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -
.... interesting.
Fortunately, we are in a position where we run our own P.A. - and I
run wireless, so I can always jump down to survey the mix.
Our P.A. does a pretty good job, we have two side fills, two subs and
two dual-15" towers w/ horns.... 3600W. Our 'home' bar is
somewhat "long" so we have to angle one of the towers inwards about 30
degrees... so we can fill the front of the room.
I'll try it out tonight @ rehearsal. Of course, it will always sound
different at the gig :)
.
- References:
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- From: IUnknown
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