Mic vol help….

Ramo

Ramo

AmTHRASHador of Chugz
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Georgia
I have a question….


Is there way to boost mic level in live situations?

At rehearsal fader is maxed out and we still struggle to hear vocals… if we turn amps down then I cant hear myself and at low vol playing sucks….

Gear at rehearsal is pretty used and could do with new updates….


Anyone have an idea how to solve this issue without feeding back like hell…?

Thanks
 
Ramo said:
I have a question….


Is there way to boost mic level in live situations?

At rehearsal fader is maxed out and we still struggle to hear vocals… if we turn amps down then I cant hear myself and at low vol playing sucks….

Gear at rehearsal is pretty used and could do with new updates….


Anyone have an idea how to solve this issue without feeding back like hell…?

Thanks
Click to expand...
Stupid question time for me....
What mixer/pa head/ preamp are you using?
The make and model would be fine. A photo would be good too.
 
Ramo said:
I have a question….


Is there way to boost mic level in live situations?

At rehearsal fader is maxed out and we still struggle to hear vocals… if we turn amps down then I cant hear myself and at low vol playing sucks….

Gear at rehearsal is pretty used and could do with new updates….


Anyone have an idea how to solve this issue without feeding back like hell…?

Thanks
Click to expand...
You need a better PA
 
At higher levels feedback might be an issue too.
You need a graphic EQ at minimum but mic and speaker placement is huge.
Set your amps where you can hear them best and turn them down some! Set the PA speakers aiming at ears. We really need a pic of the setup.
Sometimes it just doesn't have enough volume for the space and you have no choice but to turn down to more reasonable levels until you get something else. Even still, at some point the vocal levels will max out and you are done
 
Use a Compressor to squeeze it down and get more volume bang for your buck. Or a simple minimal knob Limiter will also work great.

Also, try a little distortion on the lead vocals in addition to help him cut through the mix. Not a whole lot because obviously feedback is an issue.
 
Ramo said:
I dont know make/model I have to check when Im back at rehearsal.

It has small mixer desck and 2 PAs speakers ( next to drum kit.)
Click to expand...
Next to drum kit..... I see now in one of your videos.
I would put them out front where you guys can hear them better and less feedback.
Here are a couple pointers, if I may.

Firstly, 4x12s are not all that friendly to smaller areas, the beaming properties mean that sound doesn't spread really well till out about 15 feet or so. So I would set the amps where you can hear yourself well enough to drop the volume a little.

You could try setting up FACING the drummer. While this is opposite of a performance, the main objective here is to to be able to work on songs and besides getting more visual cues for drummer, it may help with the setup.
Right now, the speakers are BEHIND you. aiming at the front end of the mics. Whoops! A big recipe for feedback. Set them in front aiming at you if you keep your current arrangement. If you face drummer, leave em where they are but get them on the floor between you and the drummer as close as you can.

You might need better speakers and an EQ ultimately. Until then, speakers MUST face the back of the mics towards your ears. If they can't keep up you must reduce overall volume. Less fun tho that may be at least you can accomplish something.

Once you hit feedback, you are done. There is nothing else you can do. So start with a decent set up - get the speakers facing the back of the mic or better, at about 30 - 45 degrees off axis at the back. Make suer your amps are set pointing where each of you can hear the other, and reduce volume as necessary within the limits of those speakers. There is no magic pill past that that allows very loud stage volumes and underrpoweered speakers. Also easier on the singer too. Wait till you add bass!!
 
I should add - when you st up like this you also get bleed from the drums and guitars into the vocal mics making the problem worse.

Set your amp flat on wall beside drums, face the drummer, put speakers on floor in front. After that, if volume is pinned on speaker and on mixer, ya got no more!!
 
mcblink said:
We got a 2nd PA system and connected them. +floor wedges in front of the vocalist.

Also beware the volume wars.
Click to expand...
We never um.. rehearse much with my current band....
That said, the odd time we do we are in a garage - a terrible place soundwise. We set up in a semi circle in front drums facing him. We each have our amps - small practice ones, true - behind and beside us. Then we each have a small but mighty 650 watt monitor on the floor in front of each of us with feedback suppression to boot. The main objective is to hear everyone and ourselves. Drums are loudest that's how it is.
 
Jethro Rocker said:
We never um.. rehearse much with my current band....
That said, the odd time we do we are in a garage - a terrible place soundwise. We set up in a semi circle in front drums facing him. We each have our amps - small practice ones, true - behind and beside us. Then we each have a small but mighty 650 watt monitor on the floor in front of each of us with feedback suppression to boot. The main objective is to hear everyone and ourselves. Drums are loudest that's how it is.
Click to expand...
We're in a small single car garage sized space. It was a small living quarters at one point, but we've put some work into it. It's got A/C and heat, we've removed walls, rugs covering the majority of the concrete floor, packing blankets all around and acoustic treatment foam haphazardly stapled to the ceiling (that was falling in when we started there lol)

20220114_145511.jpg

The mic is currently facing towards the camera instead of how it's pictured here, (old pic, but not much has changed in regards to speaker/amp placement.) There are 2 floor wedges right in front of the mic facing the same direction/at the vocalist, and behind where I'm standing here is 2 more of the PA speakers in the corners facing back towards the drums, also where we parked the bass player and his amp, pointing towards the drums as well. It's quite small for 5 dudes but it actually sounds pretty good in there, as long as we all know our places and avoid the volume wars lol

Drums are the loudest for sure, and kind of what we all have to set our volumes around as well.
 
mcblink said:
We're in a small single car garage sized space. It was a small living quarters at one point, but we've put some work into it. It's got A/C and heat, we've removed walls, rugs covering the majority of the concrete floor, packing blankets all around and acoustic treatment foam haphazardly stapled to the ceiling (that was falling in when we started there lol)

View attachment 86180

The mic is currently facing towards the camera instead of how it's pictured here, (old pic, but not much has changed in regards to speaker/amp placement.) There are 2 floor wedges right in front of the mic facing the same direction/at the vocalist, and behind where I'm standing here is 2 more of the PA speakers in the corners facing back towards the drums, also where we parked the bass player and his amp, pointing towards the drums as well. It's quite small for 5 dudes but it actually sounds pretty good in there, as long as we all know our places and avoid the volume wars lol

Drums are the loudest for sure, and kind of what we all have to set our volumes around as well.
Click to expand...
Looks perfect! Very hard to fill a space with only 2 speakers. Put em where they can be heard!!
The 2 beside the drums could go on floor in front of you if you guys did singing as well.
Nice setup!!
That way you hear your own amp reasonably as well.
 
Man, my band practiced almost talking level and the drummer used electric ones for practice. One thing I should state is that when you are real loud, in reality you cannot tell how "off" things may be - when everything is blasting it seems to all sound together and right. Just fyi.

I remember practicing with a potential band at an audition and they were obscenely loud and I really could not understand why. We played Moni Moni and my E string was tuned down 1/2 step the whole time. We never noticed a thing.
 
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