JTUK

I am in the 'good stage sound camp' and hate to make do with just a personal monitor that I can hear but fails in any other respect. It can be tough getting into things if you know it sounds crap onstage..and then you are also relying on the FOH soundman to know his onions...and that is not a given, IMO. We get a good stage sound and expect it to bleed a bit in the smaller venues but so be it...we have very good core sounds anyway..and that is apart from whether anyone likes them..they are very easy to mix or rather as easy as we can make them to mix. In this regard I really don't get why we should have a bad outfront sound but I have a few playbacks to proove, IMO, that the soundman was not very good. The reason I think I can proove this is that is we can 'throw' a mic pretty much anywhere on our own P.A with vox, gtr and key feeds, and we get a very good sound mix. So, I work from the point that we have a good sound and the FOH just has to enhance it ...so from that POV, I need my rig to do its job for the band on stage. Out of the last 5 crews we have used... I have only been happy with 2 which isn't a great return so that is why I look after things my end.

Two minds on seeing one at a gig more than few years back.. For me I knew it wasn't the worst thing they could give me...but then I never really liked them sound-wise...but at least you knew you'd be able to hear. They made their mark and even raise the bar in terms of what was out there, but thank god for SWR and they raised the bar even further, IMO. This was the start of decent dedicated bass monitoring as far as I was concerned...as before that it was Ampeg, a few valve jobs or not much at all. It is funny how valves are revered now when you couldn't wait for the TE and SWR's to come along. The only TE amp I liked was indeed an all valve Twin combo which even the grainey graphic that TE had always used, couldn't quite ruin.

Typically, this would be an expensive way to go about things but maybe the behringer may negate that..but IMO with that kit, it is average at the very best. Personally, I'd stay well away from it producing a signal as none of the kit we have come across... like in house P.A's have been much good. One or two bands we know use the desks and it isn't the most robust kit either..and they may have been unlucky, but I regard it as cheap [s]tat [/s] kit..for a reason Just my 2p....sorry.

Rehearsals are a chore so i need to achieve something. You can probably gauge the keenest of the band by the numbers of rehearsals that are committed to Gigs that use pads are ok but can be transitional by nature as you never know who will be on the gig from one date to the next. I am currently in two minds between wanting a band where I just turn up on the gig and let it happen or trying to head off all little unwanted twists & turns from other members who think their direction is more important than yours or others. What I really object to is that despite agreement on certains things AFTER discussion, an agenda start to appear from nowhere and adopted ..by default.. as group diection.

For a risk assessmnet, I think the magic number is 500 and over..and then you'll need one, IIRC. But then the council should walk you through this requirement

It is good that it is backed by the council as they are normally the ones to make you jump through hoops..and the cost gets silly. If you can get them to underwrite the cost and admin of this, ie they have a liason on site..then all you need to worry about is stage area, lights and PA...all of which you hire in. Find out what music is required, how many bands or musos and what running time you have to adhere to, and then ring round for P.A quotes. Expect Engr'd P.A to start at around £400 for 2k upwards and see if they can supply lighting as well, if required.. If you need a stage built..that gets complicated if outside as it will need to be covered... but better if in a tent. Either will add costs to an alarming degree. Tents and/or stages aren't cheap as they mostly need to be built.or scaffolded

We use an I-pad for lyrics for vox..haven't bothered anywhere else. I guess it depends how big the screen is and how good your eyes are, but the look if waaaay better than a music stand...esp for main Vox. We thought about burying it in a monitor box so to be almost invisable but have just made up a stand for it at foot level.. and that is working ok

[size=5][sub]sounds good...be good to hear your thoughts on the upgrade[/sub][/size]

Oh yes, Gareth....do tell.

If you intend to try the rig..then make sure the 210 cab is 8ohm... that will protect the cab to a degree and stop the amp running too much power into it...but then you will almost certainly need another cab at 8ohms to compete.

The cost and organisation could run and run on this. The simplest job is to book a small PA hire for around 2kw and perform during the day. If you are playing into the evening, you'll need lights which may have serious power supply implications and then you might need a stage. The venue will want or need PLA and you'll have more than a simple booking to navigate. So, first things first...check venue, power and then see what hoops you have to jump through if this gets any bigger than a private party..which if you are talking 200 plus.. it appears it might

I'd say close but no cigar. Aside from whether the sound is what you want, the amp can do 300w into 4 ohms... which is ok in itself but the cab is the restrictive element at 4 ohms. That means to be loud enough for loudish gigs you have to run the amp high and that cab isn't going to do too well... or leave you any room for up scaling to a another second cab. If you can get away with just the 210 and the amp then ok..but that, IMO is debatable, so you would need the option of running 2 cabs..to handle the power..at 8ohms each. My thinking would be amp ok at 300 into 4ohms ( just ) but you need a cab or cabs capable of taking that. Also, not sure this amp will have any useable headroom so you'll run it hard and then maybe have to suffer the only tone that will work at that volume... All in all, a no from me and look elsewhere. Consider 500w into 4 ohms as you can always use the extra headroom but turn down if need be..

[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1334876808' post='1622956'] +1 The customer calls the shots. Brown Eyed Girl, Mustang Sally and all the usual 'cliches' have earned me a lot of money over the years and I'd much rather play cliches to an audience who are singing away on the dance floor all night than play stuff that only three people have heard of to an empty pub and walking away with empty pockets... [/quote] But I've done weddings and parties recently where those two songs were pretty much banned and I have certainly played pubs where the LL warned us that they would throw the power if they heard those tunes. We would consider Mustang Sally if requested at a party as we have it down with a grood groove and it is no extra work but otherwise it doesn fit so well with the rest of what we do. The days where weddings or parties could be handled by the same old set are gone, IME...

[quote name='leschirons' timestamp='1334864884' post='1622691'] Thanks for that!! [/quote] I meant the dncers were between 40-60 and the oldies were ..er..older than that

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1334876766' post='1622955'] You've got three good basses what are you going to do with a cheap, and not at the same level, back up bass? If I was getting a backup bass I'd get one that I would alternate with my main bass. Looking at your gear list I'd be waiting for another Sandberg 5 to come up in the FS section. [/quote] Got to agree with this, in the main. I don't know how useable a cheap 5 will be, tbh as the B string is THE thing. I certainly wouldn't buy one on spec...and would have to hear it...but then I'd do that for almost ALL 5 strings. I think the B is that critical and potentially that iffy.. IMHO, of course.

The older SWR cabs and maybe not the Workingmans which was a cheaper line, used PAS chassis' which were rumoured to be rebadged Celestions. When SWR went through its buy-outs, they introduced other ranges and maybe went to Eminence so maybe they are the original speakers. IF this is so, then the cab stands a pretty good chance of being quite decent and worth looking at. I would expect this cab to produce a less 'direct' sound that the Goliath series as SWR themselves sugest they designed it as a softer pillowey cab. I would think this cab would fill the stage with a big sound and the tweeter would add the zing but maybe it wouldn't be do what a Pro series would. You may like this change of tack..but that wasn't the original SWR cab sound, You are looking at a 800watt 8x10 enclosure ala Ampeg ..but with a tweeter. Could be a lot of cab for the money

I can see why people might not like them up close, but when we threw a cheap limted recording set-up at the band...the Goliaths came out very well. On balance, I probably prefered the control with SWR 115 and 210. The point now being that the price you can pick up a Goliath ll/lll makes these pretty much UNBEATABLE bang for buck imo. As heavy as most older 410's..but that it itself never worried me at the time..it was more about how to fit one in the car. I do the same thing now sound-wise but with 2x210's for my number 1 rig altho not SWR as it happens.

[size=5][sub]The older series were excellent, IMO..and set the bar at the time.[/sub][/size] [size=5][sub]The Goliath series was very good and the series ll my favourite.[/sub][/size] [size=5][sub]It was pretty clean and plus it produced tight thunderous lows.[/sub][/size] [size=5][sub]The only drawback, IMO was its weight and today people don't like to handle an 80lb or so cab[/sub][/size] [size=5][sub]You will struggle to get replacement PAS speakers as the cone kits are not available here.[/sub][/size] [size=5][sub]There are a few companies in the states that claim they can supply them but..???[/sub][/size] [size=5][sub]If I can find a Goliath snr 610 at a dcent price, I would be interested... once I have worked out how to carry it for the few gigs I have that would justify it [/sub][/size] [size=5][sub]I am less of a fan of their more modern cabs and budgets lines[/sub][/size]

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1299406833' post='1151223'] [/quote] This will be the broad template of my next commision.... Sunburst, tort plate, RW block and bound Might just tinker with the type of burst, but I just need to decide when to pull the trigger..

That is just poor, poor, poor... !!!!!!!!! The whole point of a pick-up band is that you shouldn't know it is a pick-up band even if you are meeting guys first off on the gig. If they are regulars then that is even more scandulous

We really don't approach weddings any differently than any other gig..bar the attendance times. We try to look ok but Jeans and a decent shirt is about it, and we may add a few more dancey chummy tunes to bail us out but frankly, we aren't a wedding band so for all enquiries we ask them to check out our website and/or come to see us as this is what we do. We recently threw in 'roadhouse blues' as it was requested ...and it may be a keeper in the set as it works for us, so that was a bonus but you might be surprised at what people want played at their wedding these days. If it was for young kids we would probably pass on it, but for older people getting married, you can't call it without checking out a few things first. Also, after the usual 80's classics sets which has been done to death round here, people want something different so I try not to second guess what they like. I ask them what they expect...and tell them what we do and see if there is any middle ground.. I am far happier them coming to see us or them knowing us when we take the booking. We don't cater for real oldies as the people dancing can be 40's to 60's ... I also prefer to know the venue and if it has a room or two where people can escape the band if they want.. which is not easily done if in a marquee. Our general stance is that we want people who book us to come and see us and take it from there... misunderstandings or miscommunications are a PITA and nobody pays you for that.. I do this from a POV of not really wanting to do functions anyway...altho the money is nice..so we either do it on terms that we can live with and enjoy it or not do it at all. I think 'function band' is a funny tag... as there are a few functions bands that play all the right things round here, that can hardly function as bands anyway.. : We just try and match our 'thing' with the bookers 'thing' and that is the basis on which we take the gig or not...

[quote name='Dave Vader' timestamp='1334825665' post='1621766'] I've seen a lot of bands round here over the years where I reckon none of them were gig-ready. . [/quote] That is a matter of perspective though...

Once the confidence is there..maybe you want to make sure you know where all the notes are on the neck. as you aren't going to be good at 'guessing' what is going on in the track and when. Or at elaste where all the 12 notes might be even if you can't cope with octaves etc So a Gtr can walk you through the song by shouting out his chords if you get lost/freeze or whatever. If you can sdo this, someone can always pull you back on track. So it would be helpfulif you knew a bit of terminology as well... but then that also depends on what the other guys know. If you walk in to an audition...you can get the whole spectrum...

I just think that more than half of the battle is that you think you can do it. If you see other epople doing it and think you can do as well..then dive in.. You'll learn more from messing up than otherwise anyway... but then that is the good thing about the arrogance of youth.

[size=5][font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif][sub][quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1334773125' post='1621094'] Are you not familiar with Geddys playing over the years? He hasn't always played in that style - that flamenco/strumming thing he does didn't really start until the 90's. [/quote][/sub][/font][/size] [size=5] [/size] [size=5][font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif][sub]No...never was interested in Rush...I just commented on the OP about his tone and technique with regards to the videos that were posted.[/sub][/font][/size]