Full Stacks going at Band Practice? How is the mix?

[everdrone]

Does your band have practice with full stacks?  If so, how is the sound?  do you like your tone, can you hear yourself?  


If you have 2 guitarists, that is 24 speakers going in a small room, so I would figure that the low end gets really mushy, but I want to *hear* from other doom musicians, to get advice on tone and hearing yourself at band practice.

[jibberish]

droney,  you and some enterprising pals need to invest in building a practice space facility.
this facility would be on some desolate piece of property. maybe on the far side of a farm/plantation/mine/landfill w/e is around there, or just a mile out of town, w/e.

design it so all practice rooms have a giant swing-out wall, so no one has to even budge a mic stand to go full outdoor concert. just open the barndoor and let the horsies out.

It would be pretty much like every other practice space facility with the inside spaces, but it would also have where you could open the whole side of the room to the outside so bands could practice at full stage volume as if they were on a stage.

the echo factor is so huge in a small room at loud volume, it would be nice to be able to haul the gear outside to play without hauling anything anywhere.

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I wonder if you could do something with a collection of old semi trailers. i'm picturing a weird trailer park (heh)
it could have security like those storage unit farms, and again, make it easy to be outside playing, or inside playing.  if you have ever had to climb around inside one, they are pretty spacious and the structure is easy to modify.

[everdrone]

lol ya a mine or landfill or a mile out of town, that is hilarious    that would sound really cool, I wonder if a landfill would take us

Im thinking I need to invest in a full stack (8 speakers) and more watts in order to practice properly.

if the bassist has 1000 watts and 8 speakers, and the guitarist has 8 speakers, I need to up my game  



I really want Jamhub, which is a mixer that allows you to control your own mix like an in-ear monitor mixer, I think it would protect my hearing (and my displacement of my bodily organs): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1sP6dI6BhU

[everdrone]

Here is the previous thread I made about my issue with sound mix at band practice: http://riffrocklives.com/forum/index.php?topic=12658.msg472645#msg472645

I stand right next to the drums at practice, and with the full stacks I feel the need to put gunshot earmuffs over my custom 30DBa earplugs

[Danny G]

My advice:

Neither guitarist should be louder than the drums unless you have a full sound system and mic everything.

For sake of stage levels/mix, guitarists need to be careful about how much low end they are pumping out.

Lots of lows sound good and full when playing by yourself, but in a full band setting all you're really doing is putting out junk frequencies that (a) don't really add cutting power and just muddy up your tone, and (b) compete with the bass amp and either drown him/her out or not depending on power/eq of the bass rig

A good rule of thumb for guitar low end is turn it all the way down, then start bringing it up. Stop when it just begins to fill out the low end.


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[Danny G]

And if both guitarists play lead, they should each have some kind of clean/volume boost for that, rather than turning up to lead-cutting level and leaving it there.


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[VOLVO)))]

Gotta be able to hear your lesbian bass player.

[Submarine]

My advice:

Neither guitarist should be louder than the drums unless you have a full sound system and mic everything.

For sake of stage levels/mix, guitarists need to be careful about how much low end they are pumping out.

Lots of lows sound good and full when playing by yourself, but in a full band setting all you're really doing is putting out junk frequencies that (a) don't really add cutting power and just muddy up your tone, and (b) compete with the bass amp and either drown him/her out or not depending on power/eq of the bass rig

A good rule of thumb for guitar low end is turn it all the way down, then start bringing it up. Stop when it just begins to fill out the low end.


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Wise Words Danny. 

[zachoff]

Guitar is 2x 2x12.  I'm a 2x15.  It's loud enough that we can hear each other over the drums w/o mics.  Vocals could be louder, but it feeds back pretty bad since the speakers are pointed at us.

Agreed that you don't need to be so loud that the drummer needs to be mic'd up.

[spookstrickland]

It might sound like Heresy in this forum, but my band mates and I have been turning way down quiet when we practice and its really nice because we can hear each other better and talk about the songs we are writing without having to pull our earplugs in and out.

[Pissy]

That's wise and disciplined.  There's no room for that here.

[everdrone]

lol!  wise

thanks for the feedback, cheers!  

Im going back to looking into buying a personal monitor for my guitar like in my old thread.  

I play a 212 at practice, thats it.  the bassist plays the 810 and the guitarist plays the 8x12 at practice, they are not willing to use less than 16 speakers or try subtractive equalizing like Danny G is saying.  They regularly use boost pedals, volume pedal for guitar, so volumes change throughout practice, mainly progressively louder.  Guitarist copied all my gear and just bought all his gear in the last year so he has all the same stuff as me: SG standard, oversized cab, muff pedal on all the time. his rig sounds great! I use my bridge pickup and I think he is using his neck pickup, so that might be helping the mix.

guitarist is saying Im too loud (maybe everyone agrees with him), Im sure what I hear is affected by my hearing protection.  Im saying all the bass is too loud.  with just a 212 I bet they are hearing their low end and a nasally thin upper midrange pitch from my 212 rig with no lows or lowmids.  bringing a 212 to this small practice room is like bringing a knife to a gunfight!  

[Beta Cloud]

Gotta be able to hear your lesbian bass player.

*SPITS BEER ON COMPUTERZ!!!*

[bbottom]

This is thread is like the in ear thread for practice thread that you started like a month ago.




TURN THAT SHITZ DOWN SON!!!

[Dangling Fury]

Gotta be able to hear your lesbian bass player.

Absolutely fuckers are drowning me out during possum kingdom bass part


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[Dangling Fury]

A bit of disclosure, Everdrone's guitar is by far the loudest instrument in the band. And we as a band are too loud during practice everyone agrees . His main issue is he can't hear himself, problem is other dudes turning up to keep up with him. Now everdrone wears two sets of ear protectors. In ear plugs and gun range over the ears muffs. I have no problem with a man protecting his hearing but we aren't wearing any plugs much less two sets. I'm hoping the in ear monitors are going to help. We practice tomorrow and most of it is gonna be getting proper levels and turning the fuck down.


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[everdrone]

 I shoulda gone with my original idea to get the in ear monitor like two months ago.  I could not make my mackie mixer and tech 21 oxford pedal work tonight after two trips to guitar center. here is the pic of tonights mayhem after two trips to guitar center, here is what I was trying to do tonight but it failed miserably for unknown reasons (it worked then failed so I am thinking a fuse went out), microphone into it works fine though:



Im gonna get an Orange Micro Terror tomorrow, it can function as a headphone amp, any other constructive criticism or jokes are appreciated  just dont peg me as the guy that says I needz mOAR volume they tell me to turn the f down lol

[Danny G]

Going in-ears or having your own dedicated guitar monitor will solve a lot of your (and everyone else in the band's) problem \m/,


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[Danny G]

It might sound like Heresy in this forum, but my band mates and I have been turning way down quiet when we practice and its really nice because we can hear each other better and talk about the songs we are writing without having to pull our earplugs in and out.

Not heresy if your are turning down for the glorification of Stoner Rock




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[RacerX]

It might sound like Heresy in this forum, but my band mates and I have been turning way down quiet when we practice and its really nice because we can hear each other better and talk about the songs we are writing without having to pull our earplugs in and out.

Not heresy if your are turning down for the glorification of Stoner Rock






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A lot cheaper than in-ear monitors, too.

[lordfinesse]

Turn down for what?



Oh, right..

[jibberish]

what?

[johnny problem]

If that's what you bring to the practice space, a 212, and the other guitarist is using a full stack, something is wrong.  You guys would probably sound tighter if the other guy just used a half stack.  Same for the bassist.

* I know you said they aren't willing, but man, overkill is happening somewhere.  Live being a different situation (but even then).

[everdrone]

biamping to my Orange Micro Terror worked!  Its like mighty mouse.   all the band digs it, the drummer just got heavier sticks and wanted to play louder and the singer like it louder but I think they like it better at lower volumes. they are asking me to turn it up now. that little creature SLAYS    

THANks YAll

[everdrone]

Turn down for what?



Oh, right..

nice