Hi Everyone, Been a while since I have posted a guitar tip so I thought I would post one on live sound. I have been busy with shows and am gearing up for a large fireworks show on July 11th. (see events)
So, this tip works for the entire band and not just for guitarists. You may, or may not, already know about this but here it goes. When performing outside make sure you mic all the amps if they are not going directly into the PA board. This will enable the entire band to hear everything that is being played. Why? When sound is projected, it bounces off walls etc. So, when you're playing in that bar or club you hear more because the sound is projected from the amps, bounces off the walls and such, then comes right back at you. However, when performing outside there is nothing for the sound to bounce off of. So, once it leaves the amp's speakers, it just keeps going... and going... and going.... It almost seems like you're playing in a void. Especially if your drummer is playing on acoustic drums. The stage volume will be much louder and the musicians on one side of the drummer will not be able to hear the musicians on the other.
At least when miking all the amps you can hear the entire band from the monitor speakers. It would be a good idea to mic the kick drum and maybe the snare drum too but keep these levels low with a little reverb to give the sound some studio quality. If the drummer is playing with a good snare drum then only the kick should be miked because the snare will be loud enough on its own.
I hope this quick tip helps. May your summer be filled with LOT's of gigs... Both indoors and out.
Catch you next time...