spinynorman

:-) Maybe there's a new business model there. A restaurant where the meal is free, but there's screens all round the walls playing adverts and every 5 minutes the waiter comes round asking if you want to buy something or look at a brochure. It works online…

We've had few gigs in the last couple of years, because the singer had frequent health issues. As a result the rest of us, guitar, bass, drums, had a lot of practice sessions without the singer and with no gig in prospect. Actually it's been good, we've tried new material, had long, rambling Moby Grape style improvisations we could never get away with in a gig, got tighter, and the guitarist turned out to be a useful singer. Now gearing up for gigs with a new singer, but I'll miss the power trio jams. Thing is, it's playing with other people that's the buzz for me, not necessarily with an audience.

Loads of good ideas here, thanks. I have to be diplomatic on the mic technique, it's not like she's a beginner. But I do agree it's the most likely solution to the problem. I found an Audix OM7 going at a reasonable price s/h on eBay, I thought that might force some better habits. We'll see.

[quote name='jimbobothy' timestamp='1392854704' post='2373668'] Anyone thought of a Djembe? The amount of different tones you can get out of one of those played well is really ace!! [/quote] Our drummer uses one when we do acoustic sets. He finds it quite tough on his hands, though. Of course, there's always the ukelele.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RylxBtEM0sI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF5HsIpH5qY

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1396116450' post='2410134'] I think you'll need more headroom in your P.A and I am not sure it will give you that with that system, You may have to put a LOT of time into EQ'ing the band so you don't get into any sort of fight with the vox. Are the vox weak or thin? [/quote] She's got quite a bluesy voice, but there's not a lot of depth to it and it doesn't carry. [quote name='Phil Starr' timestamp='1396116795' post='2410140'] Hi, we had the same problem for years, our singer had a great voice but quiet and no mic technique. Your problem is gain before feedback, your mixer will probably let her be loud enough but you'l get howlround before you run out of gain. Adding a pre amp won't help that. First of all the SM58 isn't the best for avoiding feedback, it was great in 1962 but we can do better now. It is a cardioid and a super or hyper cardioid has a tighter pick up pattern and will reject feedback better. Audix OM5 would be better as would several by AKG, Electrovoice, Sennheiser, The other thing to look at is mic technique, pointing the mic straight at the back of her mouth and holding it right up to her lips would raise the level of her voice compared to the racket the rest of the band are making and reduce the gain needed to get her loud enough. Trouble is many singers find this intimidating if they lack confidence. [/quote] Singers don't seem to think mic technique is important. I've suggested she keep the mic horizontal and I set it up on the stand like that. Next time I look she's got it pointing up at a 45 degree angle. Whole lines went missing last night and then she looks at the mic like it's broken. [quote name='ubit' timestamp='1396116832' post='2410141'] If she sings well and works the crowd well, Im not sure that you really have a problem. Just cos she's not Janis joplin, doesn't mean she is a poor singist. I say, let her get on with it and enjoy playing with a good singer [/quote] I agree with that to a point, but not if the audience can't hear her. We try not to play too loud, but we're a rock band and there are limits. Thanks for some useful advice and ideas. I did look at the Live Sound forum on Gearslutz and thought I'd probably do better here.

Our new lead singer holds a tune and works the crowd well, but her voice isn't as poweful as the girl we had before. So I'm wondering what we could do to boost the volume and add a bit more depth to the vocals, without introducing feedback. We're in pubs, mostly small, with our own PA handling vocals only, and no sound man. The mics are SM58s, would changing the mic help? I've got a Behringer Mic100 preamp, which I haven't tried yet. The PA is a StudioMaster C3x mixer into a DBX231 EQ, into a Yamaha EMX512 powered mixer with Mackie C300z speakers. We use the EMX only as a power amp, only because it's what we had before adding the separate mixer and EQ. I wonder if a more powerful power amp, without built in eq and mixing, would help. Any suggestions gratefully received.

I've had a similar problem. I depped for a friends band and they put everything through the PA. So he said, don't bring your amp to the rehearsal, you won't need it. Being a sceptical type, I did leave the combo at home, but took an Ampeg Portaflex head just in case. As the bass player I was depping for also set up the PA (surprise!) nobody at the rehearsal had a very clear idea how it worked. So, bass through DI produced no usable volume and, surprisingly, bass into Portaflex, XLR line out into desk didn't either. We tried different channels, including one that was working with the keyboard, changed leads, turned every knob on the board, still not enough. So, after a couple of hours of barely being able to hear what I was playing, I said my amp was coming to the gig whether they liked it or not. Unfortunately, I never got to the bottom of what the problem was. After the gig my mate said "It was great having you here tonight, when the regular bassist plays, I can never hear him."

Someone said this before in another thread, and I agree, a lot of GAS is just curiosity. I've never bought a bass because I thought I needed it, I've just liked something about it and wondered if it would work for me. Most of them didn't. That's basses. Amps are different, there's usually been a definite reason, like the old amp was unreliable, or sounded bad in certain situations, or was too heavy. The MarkBass has cured that.

[quote name='ken_white' timestamp='1395793895' post='2406511'] I've been in a band with my brother since I started playing bass about eight years ago. It was my first band and that was the reason for me picking up a bass.. For the past year or more, I lost the inspiration to pick up my bass outside of band practice every tuesday, the main reason being we ended up going round in circles, drop tracks, and then end up playing them anyway, we'd make lists of new covers to learn, but I was the only person that ended up learning them, then we never done them anyway and it all became very frustrating. Then there's the usual band brother arguments and it seems to of ended up that I can't make any constructive criticism in the band with out it ending with us falling out.. [/quote] Yes, I've been in a similar situation. I stuck with it because the alternatives were limited, and a couple of personnel changes have revived my motivation again. Hope your new venture does the same for you.

[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1395930685' post='2408096'] (They fall sobbing into each others arms) [/quote] Exquisite. Not a dry seat in the house.

Did her Dad do sound for Shawaddywaddy? (As that seems be the common qualification claimed by anyone who gives us unsolicited advice on our PA).

[quote name='Mark Dyer' timestamp='1395336819' post='2401351'] Sorry, it looks like I've gushed out my life story here, apologies for waffling on but music is very important to me, a sentiment I'm sure everyone here agrees with. [/quote] I'd be delighted to think that one of my kids might write something like that about me when I'm gone. But that openness to all kinds of music is quite rare, and increasingly so I suspect.

I always take my towel, but I never know where it is.

I take a capo, which isn't for me, it's in case the guitarist forgets his.

At the start of 2012 we had 9 months of regular gigs booked. [quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1395321389' post='2401053'] We have two gigs this weekend, and our very talented female vocalist also has laryngitis...counting down to first gig and hoping she can beat it. She's a seasoned professional and won't damage her voice, but also hates to let an audience down. [/quote] Fingers crossed, hope it works out.

[quote name='howdenspur' timestamp='1395319837' post='2401018'] My Dad came home with She loves you by the Beatles which, in hindsight was probably quite "out there" for a 38 year old police sergeant in 1963. [/quote] Did he get it on a raid?

[quote name='seashell' timestamp='1395320992' post='2401042'] What a shame that she wouldn't accept the voice coaching idea. I'm sure that would have helped her in her day job as well. Anyway, good luck with the new incarnation of your band. [/quote] That was was what I thought. Singing 110% without a warm up can't be good. And thanks. I'm hoping we won't need too much luck, but it still helps.

Thanks for the sympathy. Fortunately we do have another singer lined up, and though she doesn't have such a powerful voice, she is very good. We thought about having a dep, but the band is named after the original singer, so we couldn't make that work. We will change the name to something less restricting and rise like a phoenix from the ashes. I hope.

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1395311368' post='2400900'] I used to play a game with myself whenever I went into second hand record shops was to look at 'dad rock' type compilations and see how far I had to go down the track list before 'Centerfold' by J Geils Band turned up. Not sure which your Island comp was, they did a couple called 'You can all join in' and 'Nice enough to Eat' so might be one of those? [/quote] Must have been "Nice enough to eat" judging by the track list on Wikipedia. I'd like to be in a band that would do "Better by You, Better than Me". Of ways to wind the kids up when the were about 12, playing Spooky Tooth or Blodwyn Pig loud on the car stereo, when picking them up from school, came near the top of the list.

We've just parted company with our singer, amicably, after nearly 10 years. She has a great voice, but a couple of years ago she started working with young children and going down with every virus and infection under the sun. We tried to get through it, but there's only so many times you can cancel a gig cos the singer has laryngytis. We thought voice coaching might have helped and offered to pay for it, but she wouldn't. Sad really.

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1394490097' post='2391981'] My folks weren't that big on music despite the fact my dad was a passable ''pub piano'' player. I do recall a lot of those 'Top Of The Pops' and 'Hot Hits' albums knocking about, no wonder I ended up in covers bands On the whole my musical education was much more influenced by my older brother and I didn't get into music in a big way until I was mid teens. Before that it was what was on the radio and the occasional single I'd pick up on a whim. [url="http://s30.photobucket.com/user/KevB64/media/22HotHits11_zps67a766f1.jpg.html"][/url] [/quote] That just brings back those great budget labels, Music For Pleasure and Pye Golden Guinea. And samplers. "The Rock Machine Turns You On". And I had an Island one, can't remember what was on it, other than a Jethro Tull track off Stand Up and possibly I Am the Walrus by Spooky Tooth. You'd never get stuff like that on "The Most Tedious Rock Album in the World Ever 46".

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1394759330' post='2395045'] With slightly more imaginative use of the Luger pistol, he could have had it for free. [/quote]

Somebody paid £201 for it. I wonder how much it cost the seller?

It's odd the way things come in waves. Seems to be a lot of Epi Jack Casadys on sale recently. Don't understand why, they're nice basses.

I'm serious about tone being in your head. Equipment, even technique, produces sound, but it's a mechanical thing. What turns it into Tone is what you're hearing and feeling in your head. I've been startled what that sounds like on a good night when I get it right, and how bloody awful the same setup sounds when I don't.