The Rum Runners from 2/4/2012

[mijknahs]

My "JGB" band from last Saturday:

[vwjodyme]

Great job as always
must be nice, everyone in t-shirts in Feb!

[mijknahs]

Great job as always
must be nice, everyone in t-shirts in Feb!

Thanks. We had one day of "rain" (sprinkles really) this week but the rest of the days have been in the 70's and 80's. Too hot if you ask me!

[jester536]

Well it's 20 here and snowing...I know you've posted some clips in a thread about your Jerry rig...I've gotta tell you...you could put me behind the wheel of an Indy car and someone could still outrace me in a Prius...it's not always the rig...it's the guy behind the wheel. And I think it's safe to say you could even make a Prius sound pretty good. Nice chops man.

[TRG]

Sounds great! I've got to ask...what level do you have the pre and power amp set at (vol. wise). Assume your using a mac... I think the levels sound really good and my band always struggles with sound levels, so I was just curious what you were set at.

[mijknahs]

Sounds great! I've got to ask...what level do you have the pre and power amp set at (vol. wise). Assume your using a mac... I think the levels sound really good and my band always struggles with sound levels, so I was just curious what you were set at.

This gig I was using a Fender Pro Reverb as a preamp set at 5. The McIntosh MC100 was set about 4 or 5 (almost half way up). But my guitar volume was only half way up as well and I use it as a master volume with plenty of head room. It is either 1/2 way up or slightly more for boost.

Jim

[TRG]

Cool, thanks!

P.S. - that seems like a cool place to play...right on the water like that.

[mijknahs]

Cool, thanks!

P.S. - that seems like a cool place to play...right on the water like that.

Yes, it's a cool and fun place to play. Perfect setting for the "Rum Runners" (as in pirates, etc.)

I have discovered that volume and levels are really dependent on the venue. Some places (like this little bar) have a good sound and I can hear everything well and nothing sounds "too loud". Other places we play sound horrible (to me) and I can't seem to get a decent sound or the keyboards are too loud, etc. Usually no problem with an outdoor gig though. It's a great thing to find a venue that sounds good on its own. This place is so small that our PA consists of one small main (up on a stand) and one floor monitor (for 3 singers). It goes without saying that none of the instruments are mic'd.

[TRG]

Cool, thanks!

P.S. - that seems like a cool place to play...right on the water like that.

Yes, it's a cool and fun place to play. Perfect setting for the "Rum Runners" (as in pirates, etc.)

I have discovered that volume and levels are really dependent on the venue. Some places (like this little bar) have a good sound and I can hear everything well and nothing sounds "too loud". Other places we play sound horrible (to me) and I can't seem to get a decent sound or the keyboards are too loud, etc. Usually no problem with an outdoor gig though. It's a great thing to find a venue that sounds good on its own. This place is so small that our PA consists of one small main (up on a stand) and one floor monitor (for 3 singers). It goes without saying that none of the instruments are mic'd.

Absolutely agree that there are soo many variables with regards to volume and mix. I was simply thinking in terms of the knowns from your clip that I could observe (ceiling height, size of place, number of people in the band, etc...) I'm always intersted in hearing people's take on their volume settings (when they sound good ). It's definitely cool once you've played a certain a place a time or two and have something to go on with regard to where you should try to baseline things.

My band doesn't play out that often and when we do it is always at a place where there's no sound man....we're always handling that. So something that we've tried within the past year or so (which has helped immensly) is record a song during sound check, play back real quick and adjust off of that. However, I'm still always interested in hearing how other folks do it.

Also, as far as mic'ing things, that's another piece of complexity that we have yet to master as well. When you play outside are there specific things that you always mic, or does that depend as well (i.e. always the kick drum, toms, guitar amps, etc...)?