Pirellithecat

Plenty of time ............ In anticipation of this not materializing, I just keep repeating ."The Excellent is the Enemy of The Good - The Excellent is the Enemy of The Good .......... The Excellent is the Enemy of The Good ................. The Excellent is the Enemy of The Good ............. I'll keep you posted.

They are also disposing of an A&H Zed24 and a ZED 10!!

So .... do you think I'll get along without the Auto set Up features like Feedback Suppression, Auto Gain, Auto EQ?

OK .......... Please suggest an alternative thread if this is in the wrong place 😅 My son's office is closing down in 2 weeks time and they are basically getting rid of everything - kind of "fire sale" apparently. They have an A&H Qu16, 2019, barely used, looking for a home. They think they'll get maybe £400 for it, but If no-one wants it ..... well who knows ..... ! Whilst it has much more than I need, eg 10 Aux outs, it doesn't have many of the Auto features and would need a separate wireless router for iPad use. The app looks OK, maybe not as simple-looking as the MixPad5, but OK. Anyone any experience of these and any thoughts as to whether it would be the "right" solution for the need for more/better EQ options with Gates and Compression that could come in handy (drummer/vocal mic/monitor issue). Key question. at >£400, is this a good solution for a digital Novice moving from a 16 Channel Analogue mixer or should I bite the bullet and jump into a CQ 18T or Mackie DL16?

Wrong thread

Good points ....... not sure I can use an ethernet cable on (my) iPad though? Perhaps there's another way? Or am I "misunderstanding"? Basically, there is little adjustment to the FOH once we're past the first couple of numbers. However, the monitor mix often gets changed as either people feel they need a different mix as the gig progresses or we get anomalous feedback. This is primarily due to our singing drummer - and whilst he has moved to Drum triggers, his vocal Mic is problematic particularly as it sits in front of his Drum monitor!! (and no he won't try a headphone Mic or IEM's!!!). A used Mackie 1608 sounds interesting - is the tech still OK - seems like it was launched over 10 years ago?

This is why I'd prefer a unit which has the control interface built into it i.e. a Touchscreen. If the remote (WiFi) access goes down for any reason I would still have access to the mixer via the built in screen - so an inconvenience but not a disaster! This would make me lean into the A&H CQ 18T or something similar.

Bit of a thread migration this ..... but ... High Pressure gig last night - Music Bar/Venue. Awful Acoustics. We've played there three times previously, with "in house" sound people. In House PA (Old RCF Tops above 18inch subs) in a kind of cupboard either side of stage. We've always hated playing there as we can't hear anything on the stage and we feel it sounds awful out front. So we always perform badly. Last night we asked a young local band to support us (they're really good and we want to encourage them) - I did the sound for both bands and they used our equipment. Bad start as the in-house PA was dead on one side - but I'd taken our tops ... just in case". Phew! Took along a "borrowed" 2x2Channel GEQ unit, and a new mic (Sontronics Solo - thanks Chienmortbb!!), rolled off virtually everything below 150 Hz to compensate for two subs in relatively small space with no access to their controls! and dipped the upper-mids. Controlled Feedback with cuts at around 8kHz +/_ . Bass for the first time predominantly via front of house, along with 3x Vocals and 4x Drums (triggers). Support band sounded really good (comedy value in me running up and down between FOH and back stage, tweaking stuff as they played) with lots of comment on how good they sounded. And then us. Hadn't had time to sound check so added a "Start Number" to make sure all was well - vocalist's Dad in the audience being our "ears" . Changeover time >10mins! And it sounded great - we could hear ourselves (2 Monitors front of stage and 1 drum monitor), the audience loved it and we were invited to come back ASAP by the "Management" . Still a struggle to tame our (but not the Support act's) female vocals but I now realise its a feature of her VERY strong voice! So - great night, had a blast! Stressful .... oh yes! Useful, definitely! Using a rack of GEQ's at live small venue gigs is a non starter - too big, additional complexity, and just not time to adjust once things "kick off". Trying to deal with very strong vocals, plus feedback, plus everyone's requests for different things via monitors etc, is very hard with a mixer with only 1 mid control and 3 Aux outs. And then, as we left our Guitarist said to the group - thanks for the Great Sound!! So, all in all, major motivation to go for a small "does it all Digital Mixer" !!!!

PS. First time I've actually put the Bass through the PA in any meaningful way (usually just into monitor mix). Revelation!

Thanks everyone for all the practical and informative help on this thread - really helpful. Took 2x2channel Graphic Equalisers to my Gig Last night along with A Sontronics Solo Mic, which Chienmortbb kindly supplied. Set up and did sound for our band and our support band. They used all our gear. Both bands Guitar/Bass/Drums/Female Vocals. Key findings. Got the Support sounding great - including female vocals, Drums (Triggers on Kick/Snare/FloorTom/Rack Tom), 3 Vocals, Guitar and Bass ALL included in PA mix. Spoke to someone who saw them last week who said their sound was transformed ..... in a good way. No issues with female vocal. My band .......... pretty good, but female vocal still on the "bright side". Phil's vid demonstrates the issue exactly. So, take away is ..... The Mic helped - I think it's noticeably "smoother" than the Shure SM58 and our vocalist likes it!! At live gigs, a rack of GEQ's just isn't an option due to space, time to set up, and ability to tweak 124 faders during a live performance whilst playing bass! I can get some (benign) female vocals to sound good, but with challenging, full on, vocals I struggle with our current gear/time available mid gig. So, the inescapable conclusion is that I just put up with life as it is, or get a mixer with more functionality so that I can build a basic profile for our vocalist which can be "tweaked" if needed at gigs! I'll continue on the How Did Last Night's Gig Go thread, and the Digital Mixer Thread.

Great vid!

Any thoughts on the A&H MixPad compared to the Mackie Master Fader? I've downloaded the MixPad and it looks pretty good in terms of layout and Fader "size" - I'm still lacking a bit of confidence in moving to a Magic Black box without a incorporated screen etc .... but .........

The Mackie control app does look good! I've downloaded the CQ18T Control app (CQ MixPad) and that seems pretty straightforward and clear too for "on the fly" use. I'm probably more likely to feel comfortable with the A&H CQ 18t mixer as it has a built in screen and some rotary controls etc. This means that I'm not dependent on any Network connectivity when playing live, i.e. if the wireless didn't work I have a base unit which (I guess?) will be fine. Last thing I need is a glitchy connection whilst trying to play bass, sort our stage sound , sort out FOH sound and stand up whilst still breathing!! This is why Yamaha DM3 and A&H CQ 18T are more "attractive" too me. Does rely on Magic, but looks as though it doesn't!

Update. Been playing with a Yamaha DM3 mixer this week - all set up with full PA. Steep Learning curve! Compared the in "house" FOH speakers (Mackie SM450 mk3) with my RCF 932's RCF's more detailed and less congested - The Mackies have a fairly "middy" presentation which is "mellifluous" at first hearing, but they are nowhere near as accurate as the RCF's - so I guess any input/mixer "peaks" at the 2-4k region will be presented in all their glory!! (Ouch!) Can tame the offending frequencies with the Digital EQ and would even attempt a bit of Dynamic Compression if I could work that out! Using the Mackie Mixer, I can't really address the problem area due to limited mid range EQ - I can get it better but this affects other areas of the mix. So, been playing with a 31 Channel GEQ unit too and I'm optimistic that the Mackie plus the GEQ can ameliorate the issues I perceive. Where the GEQ really pays dividends is on the Foldback EQ to manage any feedback. So I'd need a pair (and a rack and and .......). Going to try out at least one in a high pressure gig on Saturday to see how it goes. However, buying a pair of stereo GEQ units (plus Rack) is going to be around £250 all in, and then I have to transport and set them up at every gig - which is probably going to be a hassle. In the world of digital they are probably obsolete tech too so I'll end up with even more gear with collapsing value. Which leads me to think that I might be better selling my Mackie/Case/etc. and investing in a digital mixer. The DM3 is a great compromise as it has physical faders, is relatively "familiar" and isn't too big - but it is VERY expensive. So, if not this, then am I bold enough to try an A&H CQ 18T ????? Let's see what the weekend brings ..........

Many thanks ...... ! Very tempted to have a go at the activisation project! As though i really need another bass ............! Are the EMG Alnico PJ pickups the PJAX series or just a combination of the PA plus the LJA? I think I'd probably go for the "non X" series as I suspect I'd like the separate tone controls rather than the VLPF .... but who knows!? Better find something to sell to raise the funds ......

Dithering about what to do with mine. Had a bit of a set up with it this afternoon, and whilst I had the strings off removed a Machine Head and Weighed it - it's 106.1g. So if i were to replace them all with Resolite GB640's it'd knock 165g off the Headstock weight. I'll probably leave that until I've used the bass a bit more as there are other things I'd also like to change, partly to reduce the weight and partly to see how it sounds with different electronics. I've carefully removed all the "stock" electronics and, probably temporarily added an EMG PJ Geezer Butler set and the ABC control. It's certainly easier to use and dial in a tone on the hoof, but it doesn't have the character of the original. Probably worth upgrading to some form of active set up if I decide to keep it and mod it. Another thread methinks ..........

Thanks for that - Any ideas on an affordable "outboard" EQ option? I can't seem to find anything which separates Low and Upper Mids that doesn't cost a huge amount. Other than that I guess it's down to a Graphic Equaliser? (or 2). The other option, clearly, is to use a Digital Mixer which has that function (RTA/Pink noise built in). But I have to weigh up cost and complexity of yet more bits of gear to carry/setup/worry-about vs a decent Digital Mixer and the learning curve associated with that. I'll await thoughts on Mics etc. and then get on with sorting it.

Thanks all, So, some quick Vox Pop questions..... 1) Might an alternative MIC help with harsh treble, (whilst being relatively immune from Feedback from the Monitor(s) which sit directly in front of it on stage)? Thinking Sennheiser e935 or Sontronics Solo - others?? 2) Is there an additional EQ Strip that can be used on the Mic channel which gives access to more tonal options particularly in the Mid Range? If there was something I could add to the Mixer Case (there's space but depth is the issue) that would be ideal. I need to control the frequencies involved in Monitor Feedback, AND the vocal harshness, and this is not possible (for me at least) with a single Semi Parametric mid control. 3) Of the vocal "pedals" is there one which allows EQ adjustment plus a few obvious FX's (The Reverb/Delay options are combined on the Mackie, which isn't ideal as the delay element isn't independently adjustable 4) Is Dynamic Compression another Rabbit Hole or worth exploring? And then I think I've probably bored you all to death so I'll stop being a nuisance!!

Thanks everyone! I have a spectral analysing app on my phone ... I can try that. I know that "shrill" doesn't really help, but, until i can identify the frequencies responsible it's the best I can do. I hear it as "shrill" when I perambulate round the audience during the sound check and sometimes when I venture out to check (whilst playing). I've had feedback from a sound engineer I know who said our vocalist had a fantastic voice and he'd really like to record her with a decent Mic and proper studio equipment. he's very diplomatic so i guess he meant "is that the best you can do!!". Apart from that I've had 2 separate reports from musicians in the audience, "sounds great except for high volume, high frequency notes in really loud bits of songs. Described as "painfully bright"! And yes it's just the main vocal. And suggesting any of this to the vocalist (and/or her partner .... The Drummer ).... wouldn't be a wise move! Thickening up other parts of the mix might work as long as I don't end up getting more feedback issues, but a Vocal Pedal or a better EQ "strip" might be an economic way to go. I don't think its something that will need much adjustment gig by gig as once I can work out how to tame the frequencies involved, they'll just be part of the EQ for her Mic . I'll check out the pedals .... ta!

Exactly what everyone tells me ............ at sound check I'm in the "audience" playing bass to the one song we use as a sound check. I obviously teleport from there to the stage to adjust the EQ .... zip back to check it's OK (whilst playing bass), repeat as necessary in the allotted 4mins of the song, and then ...... hope for the best! It's not perfect, but between England dithering over penalties (leaving us an hour to get everything unloaded, set up, tested to make sure all the bits are joined together, and work) and a 4 min song to see how it sounds, it's unsurprising that we have a few issues. But - most are now manageable - it's just the Shrill Vocal, and after that's sorted I'll have the luxury of 4 mins to adjust stuff at my leisure........ 🤭 The context of this is the band's attitude ... "why do you fiddle about with the PA? Why don't you just use the settings from last time and then we wouldn't have to do anything other than adjust the volume if the space is bigger" . Tough job, but someone has to do it ............. That's my experience of Pub gigs here in the North of England. Perhaps I'm the only one!! 😂

Well another gig .... and another comment about vocals being "bright" on the full-on bits! Tried even more EQ cut to the mids, but - with one Mid frequency knob labelled 100hz to 8kHz - with a mid point label of 600hz- trying to do this "live", on stage is problematic. Hopefully will try a different Mic at next outing (SennHeiser e 935 or a Sontronics Solo), and in the meantime I might "play" with the mids to see if I can "find" the right freq (location on the dial) to cut. The alternative is to get a friend (who is a sound engineer) to come and mix us "live" offstage and then use his settings as our "benchmark" in the future. I don't think using the Graphic is going to be realistic in terms of having time (or offstage ears) to adjust it from the stage during a gig ........ May just be that if the Mics don't solve the problem, I'll have a look at a more flexible mixer ....................

Gigged last night ........ Nice to play. Neck is very easy to play and the frets all seem to be in intuitively in the right place - I know that sounds strange but in swapping between 20 and 22 fret basses - I sometimes find the frets aren't quite where I expect them to be! The Sire 24 is great in this respect! The bass is noticeable noisier (as expected near to or at certain angles to the Bass Cab) than my PJ or P's - quite a difference! The large control knobs are a little intrusive. I find the V V T arrangement quite off-putting - might just take a bit of getting used to as the control of volume is more difficult and their effect on the tone is much more impactful than on a PJ. The positive to this is that the bass is more flexible, tonally. So, it's going to be a case of; Get used to it (the pragmatic option ... for now!) Then - perhaps, change controls for smaller knobs and (probably) Vol Blend Tone, which might mean either an EMG ABC installation (Battery ???!!) or ..... Go Active Or, trade for a similar bass with better Hum-cancelling pickups and, probably and active preamp). Given that I like the 24 fret neck - it's probably just about worth modding this rather than going for an eg. V7, as there are a few things I'd probably do with either (lightweight tuners, ? Bridge upgrade). But a few more outings first!!