ABSOLUTELY INDEPENDANT HELP FOR MUSICIANS-TECHNIQUES

I CANNOT OVER EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF USING GOOD QUALITY SEALED HEADPHONES TO MONITOR WHAT YOU DO THROUGH THE MIXING DESK. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO HEAR WHAT ANY PARTICULAR PART OF A MIX IS DOING WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO ISOLATE A PARTICULER SOUND AND LISTEN TO IT.

SO MUCH OF THE SOUND FROM ANY INSTRUMENT BEING PLAYED HIDES SO MUCH OF THE SOUND FROM ANOTHER

MICROPHONE TYPES BACK TO TOP THERE ARE TWO BASIC TYPES OF MICROPHONE THAT YOU ARE LIKELY TO USE FOR YOUR GIGS
THE DYNAMIC MICROPHONE THIS IS THE STANDARD "LOLLY POP" STYLE MIC. IT NORMALLY HAS A UNI-DIRECTIONAL REPONSE PATTERN (THAT IS - IT PICKS UP SOUND FROM THE FRONT). EVEN MANY OF THECHEAPER TYPES DO A RELATIVLY GOOD JOB FOR MIKING UP GUITAR AMPS AND TOMS BECAUSE THE AMOUNT OF NOISE COMING FROM THE SOURCE IS BIG AND FEEDBACK SHOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM.
THEY CAN DEAL WITH HIGH SOUND LEVELS AND HAVE A MORE LIMITED TREBLE RESPONSE THAN A CONDENSER MIC. DYNAMIC VOCAL MICROPHONES NEARLY ALWAYS HAVE A PRESCENCE BOOST (SLIGHTLY LOUDER MID FREQUENCY RESPONSE). THESE MICS WORK LIKE A SPEAKER IN REVERSE.THEY HAVE A MAGNET AND A DIAPHRAM ATACHED TO A COIL. THIS MEANS THAT THE MOVING ELEMENT IS COMPARATIVELY HEAVY AND DOESN'T LIKE TO MOVE VERY QUICKLY. USES: VOCALS ACOUSTIC INSTRUMENTS DRUMS MIKING LOUDSPEAKERS
THE CONDENSER MICROPHONE BACK TO TOP
THIS IS VERY SENSITIVE AND GOOD FOR PICKING UP VERY DETAILED, DELICATE SOUNDS. THEY NEED POWER IN THE FORM OF A BATTERY OR PHANTOM SUPPLYWHICH OFTEN COMES FROM THE MIXING DESK VIA THE MIC CABLE. THESE MICS COME IN BOTH UNI AND OMNI DIRECTIONAL FORMS (OMNI MEANING THAT IT PICKS SOUND UP FROM ALL ROUND).
DO NOT FORGET THE FAMOUS PRESSURE ZONE MIC OR "PZM". THIS IS ANOTHER VARIATION OF THE CONDENSER MICROPHONE. THE CAPSULE POINTS AT A PLATE AND PICKS UP THE SOUND REFLECTED FROM IT. FOR THIS REASON IT ONLY PICKS UP SOUND FROM ONE SIDE OF THE PLATE. THESE ARE ALSO KNOWN AS BOUNDARY MICROPHONES. GENERALLY THESE MICROPHONES SHOULD NOT BE USED TOO NEAR TO THE FOLDBACK MONITORS IN A LOUD SITUATION. THEY ARE VERY SENSITIVE TO TREBLE AND MAY CAUSE FEEDBACK. THEY CAN ALSO "CLIP" (DISTORT) AT VERY HIGH SOUND LEVELS. GENERALLY THE HIGHER VOLTAGE APPLIED TO THEM , THE LESS CHANCE THERE IS OF THIS HAPPENING (BATTERY SUPPLY IS NOT AS GOOD AS PHANTOM). THEY WORK BY HAVING AN EXTREMELY LIGHT CHARGED DIAPHRAM VERY CLOSE TO A FIXED PLATE WHICH EASILY MOVES AT A HIGH SPEED. AN INBUILT PRE-AMPLIFIER CIRCUIT MEASURES THE TINY MOVEMENTS OF THE DIAPHRAM AND MAKES THE SIGNAL BIG ENOUGH FOR THE MIXER. THIS IS WHY THEY NEED A POWER SUPPLY. PRIMARY USES IN A LIVE SITUATION: PERCUSSION CYMBALS FOLK AND ACOUSTIC INSTRUMENTS ANYTHING WITH A VERY DETALED SOUND THAT IS NOT VERY LOUD
IT IS WORTH MENTIONING THAT THERE ARE NO HARD AND FAST RULES FOR MIC USAGE.A CONDENSER MIC MIGHT WELL WORK IN A SITUATION WHERE YOU WOULD NORMALLY EXPECT TO USE A DYNAMIC AND VISA VERSA.
THE D.I. BOX BACK TO TOP
THIS IS A HANDY AND IN EXPENSIVE WAY OF TAKING A SIGNAL FROM AN INSTRUMENT OR AMPLIFIER TO THE MIXING DESK WITHOUT THE NEED FOR A MICROPHONE. "D.I." STANDS FOR DIRECT INJECT.
A D.I.BOX MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO PUT SIGNALS FROM GUITARS, EFFECT BOXES AND AMPLIFIERS DIRECTLY IN TO THE MICROPHONE INPUT OF A MIXER. THIS HAS GREAT ADVANTAGES OVER USING MICROPHONES FOR GUITAR AND BASS AMPS BECAUSE MICROPHONES GENERALLY CAUSE COLOURATION OF THE SIGNAL (MICROPHONES CHANGE THE TONE). BECAUSE A D.I.BOX DOESN'T PICK UP SOUND IT CANNOT CAUSE FEEDBACK. IT ALSO FUNCTIONS TO ISOLATE THE SIGNAL FROM A SOURCE IN SUCH A WAY THAT MAINS HUM IS AVOIDED. THERE ARE SEVERAL TYPES. SOME CAN ALSO EXCEPT SIGNALS STRAIGHT FROM A LOUDSPEAKER OUTPUT ON AN AMPLIFIER BUT CARE MUST BE TAKEN TO ENSURE THE SETTINGS ARE CORRECT BECAUSE THIS CAN DAMAGE THE BOX OR THE MIXER IF YOU ARE NOT CAREFULL. BE SURE THAT THE "EARTH-LIFT" BUTTON IS IN THE RIGHT POSITION TO AVOID "EARTH HUM" (THE HORRIBLE BUZZ THAT APPEARS, SEAMINGLY FROM NO-WHERE WHEN YOU PLUG THE CABLE IN). EARTH HUM IS USUALLY THE PRODUCT OF HAVING THE PA AND INSTRUMENTS PLUGGED IN FROM DIFFERENT MAINS CIRCUITS.
SETTING UP VOCAL MICS BACK TO TOP
PEOPLES VIOCES VARY IN VOLUME GREATLY. IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO FIND OUT WHETHER A PARTICULAR VOCALIST USES A LARGE RANGE OF NOTES IN HIS/HER MATERIAL BECAUSE THE VOLUME LEVEL GENERALLY DROPS ON THE LOWER NOTES.
A GOOD AMOUNT OF VOLUME FROM VOCAL MICROPHONES THROUGH THE FOLDBACK MONITORS ON STAGE IS ESSENTIAL. IT ALLOWS THE PERFORMER TO HEAR CLEARLY AND HELPS VOCALISTS CONTROL THE LEVEL BY MOVING AWAY FROM THE MICROPHONE AS THEY GET LOUDER. WHEN SETTING UP THE VOCAL MICS AND ESTABLISHING THE "FOH"(FRONT OF HOUSE) AND FOLDBACK (STAGE) LEVELS, LEAVE ALL THE MICROPHONES OPEN ( SWITCHED ON). THE VOCAL MICROPHONES WILL NORMALLY BE AMPLIFIED MUCH MORE THAN THE OTHERS AND ARE THE MOST LIKELY ONES TO CAUSE FEEDBACK. THEY ARE USUALLY LOUD ENOUGH TO PICK UP THE SOUND OF OTHER INSTUMENTS ON THE STAGE AND COMPLEX ACOUSTIC FEEDBACK SYSTEMS CAN OCCUR. FOR EXAMPLE, A MIC MIGHT PICK UP A LITTLE BIT OF SOUND FROM ANOTHER PART OF THE STAGE AND SLIGHTLY ADD TO THE TOTAL LEVEL OF ANOTHER VOCALISTS OR INSTRUMENTS MICROPHONE, THUS CAUSING A COMLEX FEEDBACK SYSTEM. IF THEY ARE ALL LEFT SWICHED ON WHEN YOU SOUNDCHECK YOU WILL BE AWARE OF THESE PROBLEMS BEFORE THEY BECOME SERIOUS.
ACOUSTIC INSTRUMENTS BACK TO TOP
IF YOU ARE IN A "ROCK AND ROLL" SITUATION WHERE AN ACOUSTIC INSTRUMENT MUST PLAY A PROMINENT PART, GREAT CARE MUST BE TAKEN TO ENSURE THAT THE ON STAGE LEVEL IS NOT TOO HIGH. MOST ACOUSTIC INSTRUMENTS DO NOT MAKE AS MUCH NOISE AS A VOCALIST AND THE SOUND IS MUCH MORE DETAILED.
ALL OF THE COMMENTS MADE IN THE SECTION ON VOCAL MICS APPLIES HERE, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING HERE IS COLLABERATION BETWEEN THE ACOUSTIC MUSICIAN AND THE REST OF THE BAND! I RECENTLY ENCOUNTERED A SITUATION WHERE A HERDYGERDY PLAYER SPONTANEOUSLY PULLED A VOCAL MICROPHONE OVER TO A SEAT DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF STAGE MONITOR AND POINTED IT TOWARDS THE FLOOR. IT IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO FEED BACK AND THE ENGINEER HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO TURN IT DOWN. PERHAPS A SMALL CLIP ON CONDENSER MIKE WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER HERE! ANOTHER THING TO WATCH FOR IS THE ACOUSTIC INSTRUMENTS RESONANCE. TO MAKE SUCH INSTRUMENTS MAKE A NOISE THEY HAVE A RESONANT BODY (THE BODY VIBRATES AND MAKES THE SOUND). FOR INSTANCE, IF YOU HAVE EVER PUT A VOCAL MICROPHONE IN FRONT OF AN ACOUSTIC GUITAR YOU WILL NOTICE THAT IT FEEDS BACK A GREAT DEAL WHEN YOU TRY TO TURN IT UP. THIS IS BECAUSE THE BODY OF THE GUITAR IS TUNED TO APPROXIMATELY THE SAME NOTE AS THE "A" STRING OF THE GUITAR, SO THE STRING VIBRATES AND FEEDBACK OCCURS. IF YOU CAN PIN-POINT THIS NOTE WITH THE "EQ" (TONE CONROLS) OF THE MIXER BY FIRST RAISING THE "LO MID" LEVEL AND MOVING THE "SWEEP CONTROL" TO THE POINT AT WHICH IT ENCOURAGES THE INSTRUMENT TO CAUSE FEEDBACK, YOU CAN THEN DECREASE THE LEVEL AT THAT FREQUENCY AND GET A LITTLE MORE VOLUME FROM THE INSTRUMENT THIS WORKS IN MOST SIMILAR SITUATIONS. IF THE WHOLE BAND IS ACOUSTIC THE METHOD OF MIKING INSTRUMENTS IS ENTIRELY DIFFERENT. HERE YOU ARE IN A SITUATION WHERE MOST OF THE INSTRUMENTS WILL HAVE A SIMILAR LEVEL AND THE SUCCESFULL WAY TO MAKE IT SOUND GOOD IS TO PROVIDE AUGMENTATION, RATHER THAN AMPLIFICATION. THE JOB HERE IS TO RAISE THE OVER ALL LEVEL OF THE SOUND WITHOUT COLOURING IT TO MUCH. QUITE OFTEN IT IS POSSIBLE TO MIKE UP AREAS OF THE STAGE RATHER THAN SPECIFIC INSTRUMENTS, TO USE CONDENSER MICROPHONES TO PICK UP AS MUCH DETAIL AS POSSIBLE AND TO KEEP THE VOLUME LOW AND DRAW THE AUDIENCE TO THE MUSIC RATHER THAN BLASTING THEM WITH IT.
DRUMS BACK TO TOP
YOU WILL BE PLEASED TO KNOW THAT MIKING PERCUSSION AND DRUMS IS RELATIVLY EASY IN MY OPINION. THIS SECTION IS QUITE LONG BUT EASY TO TAKE IN. THE TRICK HERE IS TO BE CAREFULL NOT TO SET THE INPUTS OF YOU DESK TOO HIGH.
DRUMS ARE LOUD (YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED!) AND IN MOST SMALLER GIGS THEY DO NOT NEED MUCH AMPLIFICATION BUT THEY BENEFIT FROM BEING BROUGHT FOREWARD IN THE MIX. BY THIS I MEAN TO ADD A LITTLE SPARKLE SO THAT THE DRUM KIT DOESN'T SOUND AS THOUGH IT IS AT THE BACK OF THE STAGE. BASS DRUM A DYNAMIC VOCAL MIC WILL WORK IN A BASS DRUM IF IT IS REASONABLY GOOD. IF YOU HAVE A BASS DRUM MIKE, ALL THE BETTER. FIRSTLY, MAKE SURE THAT THE DRUM WILL NOT RESONATE, PLACE A CUSHION OR A COAT INSIDE IT. SOME DRUMS HAVE THEIR OWN DAMPERS BUT THEY DO NOT ALWAYS WORK WELL. TRY TO PLACE THE BASS DRUM MIKE A FEW INCHES FROM THE HAMMER, INSIDE THE DRUM. AVOID PUTTING THE MIC OUTSIDE THE DRUM, NEAR THE SOUND HOLE. IT WILL FEED BACK EASILY. IF IT IS CLOSE TO THE SKIN YOU CAN PICK UP THE "CLICK" MORE EASILY AND EQ IT OUT IF IT'S TOO LOUD, BUT IF YOU CAN'T PICK IT UP, YOU CAN'T MAKE IT LOUDER. THE TWO ELEMENTS OF A BASS DRUM SOUND ARE THE "THUD" AND "CLICK". LITTLE EXISTS IN-BETWEEN. SO YOU CAN USSUALLY EQ OUT A GOOD DEAL OF MID RANGE AND TURN UP THE BASS A LITTLE. THE GAIN ON THIS CHANNEL WILL BE VERY LOW, SO YOU WILL HAVE A GOOD DEAL OF FLEXIBILITY AVAILABLE TO SHAPE THE SOUND AS YOU LIKE IT. SNARE FOR THE MOST PART IT IS QUITE COMMON TO USE A VOCAL MIKE FOR THIS. BEWARE THE PRESCENCE BOOST. IT IS VERY COMMON TO HEAR A SNARE DRUM SOUNDING LIKE A CARDBOARD BOX BECAUSE THERE IS TOO MUCH MID IN THE MIX. TAKE SOME OUT FOR A GOOD TIGHT SNARE SOUND I LIKE TO PLACE THE MICROPHONE CLOSE TO THE EDGE OF THE DRUM FACING THE CENTRE OF THE TOP SKIN. IF YOU WANT TO BE CLEVER YOU CAN PUT ANOTHER MIKE UNDER THE DRUM TO PICK UP THE SNARE RATTLE. MAKE SURE THAT THE MIKE AND STAND CANNOT MOVE OR RATTLE AGAINST THE HI-HAT STAND. ALSO MAKE SURE THAT THE DRUMMER IS HAPPY WITH IT'S POSITION AND IS NOT LIKELY TO HIT IT! TOMS MUCH THE SAME RULES APPLY TO THE TOMS, AS TO THE SNARE, BUT YOU MAY LIKE TO PLACE THE MIKES UNDERNEATH THEM TO GIVE THE RING MORE BODY. IF THEY ARE SINGLE SKIN TOMS, PLACE THE MIC CLOSE TO THE EDGE OF THE SKIN, POINTING DIRECTLY AT IT AND OBSERVE THE RULES FOR THE BASS DRUM. CYMBALS(OVERHEADS) THE CYMBALS ARE VERY EASY TO MIKE UP. DON'T BE FOOLED INTO THINKING IT'S A WASTE OF TIME, EVEN AT A SMALL GIG. BECAUSE THE CYMBALS ARE QUITE LOUD, YOU CAN USE CONDENSER MIKES EASILY. THEY ARE GENERALLY SLIGHTLY LESS DIRECTIONAL THAN DYNAMIC MICS AND WILL EASILY PICK UP ALL THE DETAIL THAT IS LOST THROUGH THE DRUM KIT BEING OUT OF THE WAY AT THE BACK OF THE STAGE. IF YOU ARE USING MIKES ON THE TOMS, PLACE THEM ABOUT ½/¾ A METRE AWAY FROM THE CYMBALS, ONE EITHER SIDE, POINTING DOWNWARDS. AND TAKE OUT THE BASS ON THE EQ. EASY! IF YOU DONT USE MICS ON THE TOMS, DON'T TAKE OUT AS MUCH BASS. WHEN YOU SOUND-CHECK THE DRUMS MAKE SURE THE DRUMMER HITS THEM HARD. DRUMMERS OFTEN TICKLE THEM WHEN YOU SOUND-CHECK AND THEN BASH THEM WHEN THEY PLAY!
BASS GUITAR BACK TO TOP
YOU HAVE TWO CHOICES WHEN SETTING UP THE BASS GUITAR
USING A MICROPHONE IN FRONT OF THE BASS AMP IN MY OWN OPINION THIS IS NOT A GOOD WAY TO PROCEED. MOST MICROPHONES CANNOT COPE WITH THE JOB VERY WELL. UNLESS YOU HAVE A SPARE BASS DRUM MIKE WITH GOOD MID AND HIGH RESPONSE YOU WILL FIND THAT YOU WILL NOT GET VERY GOOD BASS RESPONSE AND TURNING UP THE BASS CAN CAUSE HORRENDOUS LOW FREQUENCY FEEDBACK. USING A DI BOX THERE ARE TWO WAYS TO CONNECT A BASS GUITAR TO A DI BOX. ONE IS TO TAKE THE SIGNAL FROM THE GUITAR OR THE EFFECTS DEVICE, THE OTHER IS TO TAKE IT FROM THE AMPLIFIER. I FAVOUR TAKING THE SIGNAL FROM THE INSTRUMENT OR THE EFFECTS DEVICE BECAUSE THE LINE OUTPUT ON MOST AMPLIFIERS IS INTENDED AS A SLAVE OUTPUT. THIS MEANS IT WILL VARY IN LEVEL AS THE BASSIST TURNS IT UP OR DOWN. HAVING SAID THIS, SOME OF THE BETTER BASS AMPLIFIERS HAVE DI BUILT IN, OR A FIXED LINE OUTPUT. IN THE CASE OF A FIXED LINE OUTPUT IT IS STILL ADVISABLE TO USE A DI BOX TO ISOLATE THE BASS AMP FROM THE RIG, BUT SINCE THE SPEAKERS IN THE BASS COMBO WILL BE BASS SPEAKERS YOU WILL PROBABLY FIND YOURSELF HEAVILY EQ-ING THE RESULTING OUTPUT AND MAYBE TRYING TO COPE WITH HUM FROM THE PRE-AMP. TAKING THE OUTPUT DIRECTLY FROM THE INSTRUMENT OR FX BOX IS IDEAL IN MOST SITUATIONS WHERE THE AMPLIFIER IS NOT PROVIDING ANY EFEECTS. THIS METHOD GIVES THE ULTIMATE CONTROL OF THE BASS SOUND TO THE DESK WITHOUT ANY SIGNIFICANT LOSS. THE SOUND WILL BE TIGHTER THAM ANY OTHER METHOD.
ELECTRIC GUITAR BACK TO TOP
OKAY, I'LL GET THE OBVIOUS BIT OUT OF THE WAY FIRST.HERE COMES THE VOLUME BIT.
TYPICAL SITUATION: THE GUITAR IS TOO LOUD FOR THE REST OF THE BAND TO HEAR THEMSELVES ON STAGE. IT'S TOO LOUD OUT FRONT WITH THE P.A. FULL UP AND THE GUITAR DOWN IN THE MIX. THE GUITRIST IS COMPLAINING THAT HE/SHE CAN'T HEAR THE REST OF THE BAND. SOUNDS FAMILIAR? THERE ARE THREE HELPFULL HINTS HERE. 1. GUITAR SPEAKERS ARE VERY DIRECTIONAL. PUT THE GUITAR SPEAKER ON SOMETHING TO RAISE IT UP TO EAR LEVEL. IF THE STAGE IS RAISED THE AND THE AMP IS POINTING OUT INTO THE AUDIENCE, SOME WILL BE DEAFENED AND OTHERS WILL NOT HEAR ENOUGH BEFORE THE ON STAGE SOUND IS LOUD ENOUGH FOR THE GUITARIST. 2. IF THE AMP IS MIKED UP ANGLE IT ACROSS THE STAGE. THIS WAY IT DOUBLES AS A MONITOR. 3. IF THE AMP IS BEHIND YOU PUT A LITTLE THROUGH THE STAGE MONITORS. PEOPLE HEAR BETTER FROM THE FRONT! GUITARISTS LABOUR ALMOST AS MUCH AS KEYBOARDISTS TO FIND THE BEST SOUNDS THROUGH THEIR EQUIPMENT. THERE IS A STRONG BELIEF AMONGST THEM THAT THE ULTIMATE SOUND COMES FROM THE SPEAKER BOX. I CANNOT DISAGREE, BUT THERE ARE VERY GOOD ALTERNATIVES. ONE OF THE FEW THINGS THAT CAN REALY BENEFIT FROM A STEREO MIX ON STAGE IS THE GUITAR (I'M SURE THAT SOME PEOPLE WILL DISAGREE ). FOR ALL BUT VERY LARGE VENUES, MOST MIXES ARE PREDOMINANTLY IN MONO, PURELY AND SIMPLY BECAUSE THE FRONT OF HOUSE SPEAKERS ARE SO FAR APART IN RELATION TOP THE SIZE OF THE VENUE THAT A STEROE MIX WOULD SIMPLY GIVE ONE HALF OF THE MIX TO HALF THE AUDIENCE AND THE OTHER HALF TO THE OTHER. THE ONLY THINGS THAT CAN NORMALLY BENEFIT ARE SUBTLE STEREO EFFECTS SUCH AS DOUBLE TRACKING, SHORT DELAYS, CHORUS AND REVERB. SOUNDS A LITTLE BIT LIKE A GUITAR RACK DOESN'T IT. HERE'S A LITTLE TRICK PUT THE GUITAR THROUGH THE P.A. IN STEREO AND PAN BOTH CHANNELS TO THE CENTRE. ADD SOME STEREO CHORUS TO THE GUITAR. THIS WILL OF COURSE SOUND LIKE MONO CHORUS AT THE MOMENT. MAKE SURE IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO NOTICE ANY PITCH SHIFT NOW YOU HAVE TWO SOUNDS ON TOP OF EACH OTHER, ONE STRAIGHT SOUND AND ONE SLIGHTLY DELAYED SOUND THAT IS MOVING IN AND OUT OF PHASE WITH THE ORIGIONAL. NOW MOVE THE PAN CONTROLS ONE LEFT AND ONE RIGHT. THE SOUND IS NOT ANY LOUDER BUT IT STANDS OUT OF THE MIX MORE! HERE'S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT IT CAN BE A GOOD IDEA TO TAKE A STEREO FEED FROM THE GUITAR FX AS WELL AS MIKING THE CAB. OF COURSE, THIS SORT OF APPROACH ONLY WORKS IF THE GUITARIST UNDERSTANDS NOT TO BE TO LOUD THROUGH HIS AMP WHEN SUCH SETTINGS ARE BEING USED, BUT A LITTLE ENCOURAGEMENT FROM THE STAGE MONITOR IN THE FORM OF SOME NICE PUNCHY PROCESSED SOUNDS USUALLY DISPELLS ANY FEARS. DON'T FORGET THAT GUITARISTS DONT USUALLY GET TO FACE THE GUITAR SPEAKER UNLESS THEY ARE PRACTICING! MIKE PLACEMENT SHOULD AVOID THE MIDDLE OF THE LOUDSPEAKER. MOST GUITAR SPEAKERS HAVE A PRESCENCE BOOST AT ABOUT THE SAME FREQUENCY AS A TYPICAL VOCAL MIC, SO STICKING IT IN THE MIDDLE GIVES FAR TOO MUCH HI MID. INSTEAD TRY PLACING IT ON ONE SIDE OF THE DRIVER, POINTING DIAGONALY AT THE OPPOSITE SIDE. THIS WILL GIVE PLENTY OF LOW AND LOW-MID WITHOUT THE DEAFENING SQUALK.
KEYBOARDS BACK TO TOP
(AGAIN I'M SURE I'LL UPSET A FEW PEOPLE OUT THERE) KEYBOARDESTS ARE NOTORIOUS FOR HAVING UNEVEN LEVELS ACROSS THEIR SOUNDS, AFTER ALL IT IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE RIGHT PATCHES THEN TO HAVE THE RIGHT LEVEL ISN'T IT?
TO BE FAIR "KEYBOARD THINKING" IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF MOST INSTRUMENTALISTS AND YOU DON'T HAVE JUST ONE INSTRUMENT TO THINK ABOUT, YOU HAVE TWENTY FOUR, RIGHT! ALL THOSE SOUNDS AND THEY MAY ONLY BE USED FOR A MOMENT. ACTUALLY, SOD'S LAW HAS IT THAT THE ONES THAT ARE ONLY GOING TO BE USED FOR A MINUTE ARE NOT ONLY THE DEAFENING ONES, BUT ALSO THE ONES THAT ARE FORGOTTEN AT SOUDCHECK. YOU WOULD THINK HAVING SPENT ALL THAT MONEY ON KEY'S A COMPRESSOR WOULD ONLY BE A SMALL ADDITION, BUT BUYING THAT NEW SOUND ALWAYS SEEMS TO COME FIRST. THERE IS A FAIR AMOUNT OF VIRTUE IN ENCOURAGING THE KEYBOARDEST TO HIS OWN ON-STAGE MIXER IF HE HAS ONE. SIMPLY TAKE A STEREO FEED TO THE MAIN DESK. TAKE OUT A LITTLE OF THE HIGHS. YOUR PA SYSTEM WILL PROBABLY DO A BETTER JOB OF MAKING THEM THAN HIS KEYBOARD COMBO, SO IT WILL HELP PROTECT THE RIG AGAINST EXCESS. IF YOU HAVE DIRECT FEEDS FROM KEYBOARDS MAKE SURE YOU ARE AWARE OF ALL THE SOUNDS HE IS GOING TO USE, GROUP THE KEYS SEPERATELY IF YOU HAVE SUBGROUPS AVAILABLE AND USE A COMPRESSOR OR LIMITER ON THE GROUP. LESLEYS LESLEY CABINETS ARE BEST MIKED IN STEREO WITH TWO MICS CLOSE TOGETHER NEAR THE HORN ELEMENT, ON ONE SIDE OF THE CABINET. YOU CAN VARY THE AMOUNT OF LESLEY EFFECT BY MOVING THE MICROPHONES CLOSER AND FURTHER APART AND PANNING THEM LEFT AND RIGHT. USEA SEPERATE DYNAMIC MIKE ON THE BASS ELEMENT.