give me advice on micn, n up

Barney

After years of playing off the back line our drummer has suggested I go through the PA..to control the sound better... has a 7 k watt pa system and right now the drums keys and vocals go through...me and bass on backline.....hes just a good mic for guitars so got everything ...

The problem is iv always played from the amp only and turn it up to get the sound I want out of the guitar and amp ...by playing at lower volume will I loose that ....so basically any tips and advice I should know and should it be a improvement ..thanks in advance

maltingsaudio

The thing is what you believe to be the sound you want when your within a couple of feet of your amp isn't necessarily the best sound. The best advice I can give you is to get either a long lead or transmitter and during sound check walk out into the audience area to hear what your guitar sounds like and how it sits in the mix. It will be quite revealing and you will probably need to rethink your approach  

Barney

maltingsaudio;349817" said:

The thing is what you believe to be the sound you want when your within a couple of feet of your amp isn't necessarily the best sound. The best advice I can give you is to get either a long lead or transmitter and during sound check walk out into the audience area to hear what your guitar sounds like and how it sits in the mix. It will be quite revealing and you will probably need to rethink your approach  

Thanks..yeah I was thinking I will need a long lead to see what it sounds like ...just wondering how much volume I would need on the backline..or would it be fairly low and use monitors ...?

mike257

If you're micing it's best to keep the stage level low, try and position your amp so it's pointing at your ears (not straight at the back of your knees as they often end up) and you won't need so much volume to hear yourself comfortably - parking it on top of a flightcase or getting one of those angled stands will be a big help here. You'll get the same perceived volume as before without melting the audience and muddying the FOH mix. The amp is essentially a personal monitor for you. If you need to crank it to get the tone you want, it may be better for the sound of the band as a whole if you can suss a way of doing it quietly. If you're in venues that justify the 7kW rig then you'll definitely see the benefit.

koneguitarist

Depends on how loud drummer and band is out front, you may need to keep same volume on stage but just trickle it through PA for a better spread of sound.

If drummer is already through PA and you are not, it might be a sobering experiance when you first listen out front.

John_P

I'd try to avoid putting guitar in the monitors - unless you're playing really big stages that could be lead to mush and a battle for volume...

Just mic or di it, set the amp for the minimum volume you need to hear it onstage, adjusting the position to get the most out of it. 
Check everyone else can hear you - I often end up a little louder than I would choose so that someone else can hear what they want.   Then adjust the PA volume so the mix out front is right. 
Hopefully if all works to plan, the stage sound will be a little quieter and more controlled and the guitar sound will have a more even coverage around the room.

vasselmeyer

There's a very recent thread on this subject here:

http://thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/23192/micing-up-options

A lot of people suggested a piece of kit such as the H&K Red Box or a similar piece of kit from Peavey. From these you get a consistent sound and take a lead straight from the box into the PA where you can set your levels. Then just set the amp so you can hear it on stage.

JMP220478

what amp are you using ??

Barney

JMP220478;376518" said:

what amp are you using ??

A Redplate CDS2...or maybe a Boogie Mk4..not sure whitch one yet