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Author Topic: distortion help  (Read 7219 times)

John Luty

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distortion help
« on: November 22, 2012, 07:02:07 PM »

Ok first set sounded great second set was good too but by the end of the third set vocals were getting distorted .Is it possible that the amps are getting hot? could it be that the speakers are getting weak? I didn't make any changes other than SLIGHT changes like turning up a solo then dropping it back down 
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Jeff Young

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Re: distortion help
« Reply #1 on: November 22, 2012, 07:22:14 PM »

Ok first set sounded great second set was good too but by the end of the third set vocals were getting distorted .Is it possible that the amps are getting hot? could it be that the speakers are getting weak? I didn't make any changes other than SLIGHT changes like turning up a solo then dropping it back down

Its my understanding that as the night wears on temperature changes, humidity changes and the like can alter system responses. Singer could be overexerting, or the system is seconds away form detonating. Pretty sure there will more informed answers however.
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g'bye, Dick Rees

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Re: distortion help
« Reply #2 on: November 22, 2012, 07:27:23 PM »

Ok first set sounded great second set was good too but by the end of the third set vocals were getting distorted .Is it possible that the amps are getting hot? could it be that the speakers are getting weak? I didn't make any changes other than SLIGHT changes like turning up a solo then dropping it back down

Not enough information.
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Scott Harris

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Re: distortion help
« Reply #3 on: November 22, 2012, 09:18:31 PM »

How did it sound in headphones?  Was it only distorting on the vocals?
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Robert Weston

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Re: distortion help
« Reply #4 on: November 22, 2012, 11:29:14 PM »

Ok first set sounded great second set was good too but by the end of the third set vocals were getting distorted .Is it possible that the amps are getting hot? could it be that the speakers are getting weak? I didn't make any changes other than SLIGHT changes like turning up a solo then dropping it back down

Did you meter the vocal channels?  Did you meter any of the channels?

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Tim Perry

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Re: distortion help
« Reply #5 on: November 23, 2012, 01:34:39 AM »

Ok first set sounded great second set was good too but by the end of the third set vocals were getting distorted .Is it possible that the amps are getting hot?

probably not

Quote
could it be that the speakers are getting weak?

probably not

Quote
I didn't make any changes other than SLIGHT changes like turning up a solo then dropping it back down

Often the band plays louder as the night wears on.  Even if you didn't push anything up you may have either exceeded the system limits or run into a gain structure issue (maybe preamp overload or running out of headroom at some point in the audio chain).
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Mark McFarlane

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Re: distortion help
« Reply #6 on: November 23, 2012, 02:42:13 AM »

...
Often the band plays louder as the night wears on.  Even if you didn't push anything up you may have either exceeded the system limits or run into a gain structure issue (maybe preamp overload or running out of headroom at some point in the audio chain).

+1.

Did you recheck that the preamp gains were set properly during the third set?  Are you watching them for overdrive as the night wears on?  The tendency for bands to 'get louder' (at least at my lowly level) happens in every show I do requiring adjustment to the preamp gains throughout the night to keep them from clipping.
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Mark McFarlane

Jordan Wolf

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Re: distortion help
« Reply #7 on: November 23, 2012, 10:46:36 PM »

Ok first set sounded great second set was good too but by the end of the third set vocals were getting distorted .Is it possible that the amps are getting hot? could it be that the speakers are getting weak? I didn't make any changes other than SLIGHT changes like turning up a solo then dropping it back down
John,

Are you listening to the mix constantly, or are you mixing in-between playing?  Also, if you're not out in the audience area, what you're hearing may not be reflected in the audience as a whole.
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John Luty

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Re: distortion help
« Reply #8 on: November 23, 2012, 11:05:07 PM »

John,

Are you listening to the mix constantly, or are you mixing in-between playing?  Also, if you're not out in the audience area, what you're hearing may not be reflected in the audience as a whole.
Yes I'm just the sound guy for my son's band so I was FOH  the whole time .The distortion wasn't bad but it was bugging me (I'm the type of person that if I'm going to do something I'm going to make sure everything is perfect )
I'll be the first to admit I don't know everything about running sound and every time I do it I learn something Just trying to eliminate future problems
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Re: distortion help
« Reply #9 on: November 23, 2012, 11:52:25 PM »

Yes I'm just the sound guy for my son's band so I was FOH  the whole time .The distortion wasn't bad but it was bugging me (I'm the type of person that if I'm going to do something I'm going to make sure everything is perfect )
I'll be the first to admit I don't know everything about running sound and every time I do it I learn something Just trying to eliminate future problems

Go back 5 posts to Roberts question.

Do you have headphones and know how to solo the channels?  If so, is the distortion present when soloing a channel?

Check each segment of the signal path and find out at what point the distortion starts.

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ProSoundWeb Community

Re: distortion help
« Reply #9 on: November 23, 2012, 11:52:25 PM »


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