Another band gig draws near

[dfinn]

Hello everyone,

 

In about a fortnight I am going to be doing sound for a band which contains,

 

2x trumpets

1x trombone

1x alto sax

1x tenor sax

1x bari sax

 

1x rhythm guitar + lead vox

1x lead electric guitar + backing vox

1x bass guitar + backing vox

1x electric piano + backing vox

1x hammond organ (a proper one apparantly) + backing vox

 

1x drums

 

After much help from Dan Sullivan (mrbassman) which I really appreciate by the way I have finalised my mic choice for the band.

 

here goes:

 

Brass

 

2 trumpets 1x Audio technica dynamic mic (similar to a SM58)

 

1 trombone 1x Audio technica dynamic mic (similar to a SM58)

 

1 Tenor & 1 Alto sax - 1x SM57

 

1 Bari sax - 1x SM58

 

Guitars and vox

 

1 Rhythm guitar - 1x SM57 & Lead vocal - 1x SM58

 

1 Lead electric guitar - 1x SM57 & backing vocal - 1x SM58

 

1 Bass guitar - D.I. box (I no they always hate it but tis as best as I can do) & backing vocals 1x SM58

 

Organ, Piano and drums

 

1 Dum kit - 1x Audio technica pro series kick mic - Kick drumt

1x AKG C1000's - snare and Hi- hat

2x AKG C1000's Overheads for toms and cymbals

 

 

1 Hammand organ - 2 x SM57 (might not need to mic this as arent they really loud anyway?) & Backing vocal - 1x SM58

 

1 Electric Piano - D.I. Box & backing vocals - 1x SM58

 

Ive rang them up and they sound really relaxed. they said they arent fussy for wedges and said just a bit of drums and guitar but I will try and get a low level general mix and boost up what they want. As I only have 4 wedges on two auxes I have grouped them brass and lead vox as brass are the forefront of this band. the other group is for drums, other guitars and piano/ organ.

 

Please point any problems out here as I have done endless combinations of microphones and want to do my very best as this will be for a day on 6 hours non stop music so want to get it right.

 

Thanks,

 

Daniel

[dfinn]

Anyone? ** laughs out loud **

 

Thanks,

 

Daniel

[J Pearce]

Personally unless it was a very large venue or needed to be very loud I wouldn't mic up the horns, but your mic choices look fine to me.

[dfinn]

Hi great,

 

I think that if I can mic them up then I may as well as if the guitars have their backline up a bit then it could make them very quiet. As the brass are the foreferont of the band doing loads of melody parts and solo sections I feel the need to mic them up.

 

Thanks,

 

Daniel

[paulears]

Check with them as to the Hammond. If it has a leslie cab, then you need to treat it as a stereo source and it has horns at the top that spin, plus a bass driver with rotator at the bottom. Plenty of leslie miking tips on the web. Pretty crucial for the proper sound. Hammonds are not normally loud.

 

You seem to have loads of 57's and 58's. Are they your only choice?

 

Is it a big band, prog jazz, soul?

 

Drum miking seems a bit odd - C1000's are rather large for snare?

 

Large diaphragm dynamics for the low brass. 57/8's for the high brass work, but are a bit 'dull'

 

If you've not done this type of thing before, be prepared for a shock. The horns will bleed into everything, and the players will move about a lot - maybe standing and sitting.

 

In many cases, depending on the way they set up, you can share with no problems.

 

That's why my question about what they are. If it's a big band, then there is a pretty standard way they lay themselves out. Thn the trombones can share, as can the trumpets. The saxes may need individual mics.

 

To be fair, you need a large mic box and sort it when you are there. You might find the drums just need kick, snare and one o/h. A desk with groups is pretty useful as you'll have too many faders to work with, and once you have a section balance, then groups will be easier.

[J Pearce]

My usual method would be the box of mics and sort it then.

[Mr.Si]

Do not under estimate the power of brass ^ox[]

 

they are incredibly loud and harsh anyway. - If you have the choice, then yes, mic 'em up, you can always get rid of the mics in the mix if necessary.

 

 

Hope it goes well

[dfinn]

hi,

 

Its a 12 piece band.

 

Im not entirely sure on mic choice yet but that is basically it (im hiring 57's and 58's in extra)

 

If the kit is quite small and from what ive seen on pics its just kick, hi hat, snare, a tom, a cymbal and a floor tom then I may just use 1 Oh and kick and snare/ hi hat mic or hsould I use an extra c1000 for the hi hat and then use a different mic for the snare. ill try and fish one out.

 

The band stay in a fixed position and are very hard to classify they do everything, mainly rock n roll but with a bit of ska and jazz stuff I think.

 

tbh I think the best thing for me to do it put all the cables out and fix the stands up. then rig definate mics for amps, vox and drums then see what they bring and plug in and Eq on the day.

 

Thanks,

 

Daniel

[dfinn]

Hi,

 

as a brass player myself I know how loud ** laughs out loud **. especially trombone

 

Basdically I want to do my best for the day so need to get as much help as possible.

 

The hammond has a Leslie so would that need a apir fo SM57's?

 

Thanks,

 

Daniel

[paulears]

Charlyfarly posted this a while back

 

Leslie cabinets are usually mic'd for example thusly: 2 x SM57 on the rotating horns with something like a Beta 52 or MD421 on the bass speaker. If your SM57's are directly opposite each other, check the phase on the desk. Pan the channels approxiamately 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock with the bass in centre.

 

 

There you go. Good advice, will work well IF it is a leslie and not the pretend leslie using an internal simulator. If it is, then a stereo DI

[dfinn]

okdoke,

 

Thanks,

 

Daniel

[Solstace]

If you're limited in mic choice, I'd suggest swapping out the C1000S on the Snare for (another) SM57. C1000's as overheads work well, though I find C3000's or 414's better if the budget will stretch. I've found that the EV RE-20 works well on kick drum, or the AKG D112.

 

Considering the types of PA I've had to hire for similar bands, I'd suggest that a "dull" sounding mic on high brass instruments is no bad thing, if only to provide some protection to both treble drivers and eardrums!!

 

As an aside, I've found that the use of a stereo-linked compressor on overheads works well (as a bodge) to even out the cymbals vs. drums levels, especially if you need to hear the toms. Always have liked the "vintage" sound produced by this method! I'd also think about gating the kick and snare at least, since you'd be surprised how much of their sound is picked up by the overheads.

[dfinn]

P.s. It's a GL2200 desk so has 4 groups which I wil probably group brass, vox, guitars and drums and leave keyboard/ organs on L and R.

 

Thanks,

 

Daniel