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Author Topic: Cover bands  (Read 22210 times)

Bob Kidd

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Cover bands
« on: December 10, 2016, 03:56:34 AM »

Being a house tech can be frustrating at times. Mixed cover band tonight that is good but like most leans on tracks. From my end mix was good and dance floor packed. People complimenting sound. They lead singer came out into crowd a couple of times during the night interacting. At end of night he felt the mix should have had tracks more out front. "Vocals, then tracks". Felt people need to feel it. Now band included drums, bass, guitar... thought a lot of sound guys tend to do same thing. Guitar doesn't need to be out there. So I said  "they should feel bass and kick in tracks , like your live kick and bass"? Smh. Basically turning this into a glorified Karaoke show. I'm venting, but frustrating when you take your job serious in providing a well balanced mix only to find all I needed to do is crank the tracks. Lol
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Mike Christy

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Re: Cover bands
« Reply #1 on: December 10, 2016, 06:32:02 AM »

You're lucky to at least some some instruments on stage, all we have around here locally is $%#$& DJs... (A new live venue opened here last year, and closed this year, Gary Green with Scott Kirby actually closed it down...)
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Randy Pence

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Re: Cover bands
« Reply #2 on: December 10, 2016, 06:38:04 AM »

You're lucky to at least some some instruments on stage, all we have around here locally is $%#$& DJs... (A new live venue opened here last year, and closed this year, Gary Green with Scott Kirby actually closed it down...)

the market has spoken
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Rick Powell

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Re: Cover bands
« Reply #3 on: December 10, 2016, 12:57:03 PM »

Ha! Wants more Bass and kick in tracks, when you've already got bass and kick live onstage?  :) :) :) Might as well have mimes, not musicians.  We use tracks sparingly, mostly keyboard parts or sound effects to fill in for the keyboard player we don't have. I refuse to put an instrumental solo or background vocals on our tracks, and to put duplicate parts for our drums, bass or guitar would be unthinkable. If you're going to that extent, why pay musos to show up on stage when you could have a singer or 2 singing to karaoke tracks who wouldn't have to split the $$$ 5 or 6 ways?  I know, I've seen big boy bands have an excessive # of tracks, but I still think a competent band playing their instruments live has an appeal that a pre-fab band doesn't have.



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Jay Marr

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Re: Cover bands
« Reply #4 on: December 10, 2016, 02:20:43 PM »

I play in a cover band and we use a Roland spdx sampler to trigger sounds because we don't have keys.
If the singer wants more tracks....then he doesn't have confidence in his band or product.
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Tim McCulloch

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Re: Cover bands
« Reply #5 on: December 10, 2016, 02:45:38 PM »

Ha! Wants more Bass and kick in tracks, when you've already got bass and kick live onstage?  :) :) :) Might as well have mimes, not musicians.  We use tracks sparingly, mostly keyboard parts or sound effects to fill in for the keyboard player we don't have. I refuse to put an instrumental solo or background vocals on our tracks, and to put duplicate parts for our drums, bass or guitar would be unthinkable. If you're going to that extent, why pay musos to show up on stage when you could have a singer or 2 singing to karaoke tracks who wouldn't have to split the $$$ 5 or 6 ways?  I know, I've seen big boy bands have an excessive # of tracks, but I still think a competent band playing their instruments live has an appeal that a pre-fab band doesn't have.

I worked with a show band producer that did a lot of cruise ship work.  Trax on a MiniDisc triggered from stage, had click, BGV, bass, guitar and sound effects.  The "performing" bassist and guitarist were ghosting their parts and I was not to use them in the live mix (window dressing panto); the live BGV were doubling the track and if a singer was off I was to remove him/her from the live mix.  I think I did 2 runs with them before I needed to find a different neurotic to work for...  He had some really good players that were only heard in their headphone monitors.

There is a franchise of sorts that features the nerdy, early techno-pop music of earlier-era MTV.  They use tracks extensively as replacements for keyboardists and rhythm guitars and some BGV (depending on the cast).  Everything you see on stage is in the mix, the guitarist IS that good and the front man singer can hit the high notes every time.  Someone spent a lot of time on the trax, though, because I've never had to work to make everything fit together.

Last night I had a cover band opening a show for a reality TV band.  No keyboards (2nd guitarist covered), no tracks, just get up on stage and play and sing your ass off.  They finished right on time, got their stuff off the stage quickly and a good time was had.  Opening acts (especially local support) that "get it" get rebooked.
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"If you're passing on your way, from Palm Springs to L.A., Give a wave to good ol' Dave, Say hello to progress and goodbye to the Moonlight Motor Inn." - Steve Spurgin, Moonlight Motor Inn

duane massey

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Re: Cover bands
« Reply #6 on: December 10, 2016, 04:21:12 PM »

And THIS is why I really wish I would have chosen something besides trumpet or keyboards as my primary instruments.
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Duane Massey
Technician, musician, stubborn old guy
Houston, Texas

Steve Oldridge

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Re: Cover bands
« Reply #7 on: December 10, 2016, 07:59:31 PM »

Opening acts (especially local support) that "get it" get rebooked.
Think my cover band did 75+ gigs last year and we're up to 70 (?) this year, with 2 more to go.. and 22 booked for 1st 1/2 of '17 already.

NONE of them used tracks..   nobody in the band wants them..
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William Schnake

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Re: Cover bands
« Reply #8 on: December 10, 2016, 08:01:44 PM »

You're lucky to at least some some instruments on stage, all we have around here locally is $%#$& DJs... (A new live venue opened here last year, and closed this year, Gary Green with Scott Kirby actually closed it down...)
Mike, side note, I have worked with Scott Kirby several times from Illinois to New Jersey to Florida.  Haven't thought of him for some time.  Small world.

Bill
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Rick Powell

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Re: Cover bands
« Reply #9 on: December 10, 2016, 08:10:23 PM »

And THIS is why I really wish I would have chosen something besides trumpet or keyboards as my primary instruments.

The old joke... Q: what do you call a trombonist with a pager?: An optimist.
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ProSoundWeb Community

Re: Cover bands
« Reply #9 on: December 10, 2016, 08:10:23 PM »


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