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Author Topic: Tonight's show - miniature scale  (Read 14467 times)

Debbie Dunkley

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Re: Tonight's show - miniature scale
« Reply #30 on: August 08, 2015, 12:25:55 PM »

Report from last night...

I had some good quality  rca cables already which I connected via 1/4" to rca adaptors. I patched in from alt out and it worked !! (after I had a friend of mine point out a little volume knob for the alt out)…..
It looks like the band the night before did something wrong to patch in. However, the main problem is the fact that the in house system is completely inadequate as a band PA. I knew as soon as I patched in and tested with my iPod that the levels were far too low.
They allow no lights - I mean ZERO….but they don't provide any lighting at all. The band were in total darkness, couldn't read their notes or see their fretboards…….what a bloody mess !

They have these weird looking teardrop shaped speakers hanging from the ceiling - subs and tops.  I had the levels on the mixer in the red just to get some vocal heard but I couldn't get them anywhere near where they should be.

I had the GM turn his amps up to max and the mixer was still in the red. I had to sacrifice quality to get any kind of vocal to come through.  It was ridiculous……Vocals were drowned out the whole night.
The GM is aware of the problem and has some work to do. However, he is limited by Corporate policy and "All the other restaurants use the same system for bands and it works"……….Good news is that the new agent we worked with loved us and wa so happy we knew what we were doing. The GM also thanked us personally and said we saved the day.

AND we get to do it all over again this evening…Chris is standing in at the same place for a local band who we have run sound for many times - I spoke to the singer earlier today and gave her the good news !!!….AAAAARRRRGGGHHHHHH……..
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Tim Weaver

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Re: Tonight's show - miniature scale
« Reply #31 on: August 08, 2015, 12:46:20 PM »

This is a situation where a Bose L1 for a "bass rig" would be awesome. Set it on stage and run everything through it and just a taste of the mix in the ceiling speakers.
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Scott Carneval

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Re: Tonight's show - miniature scale
« Reply #32 on: August 08, 2015, 02:46:07 PM »

Man this sounds like a nightmare.  I've installed plenty of restaurant systems where I've provided a pair of XLR inputs for a potential band/DJ to use.  But these are intended to SUPPLEMENT the PA, not replace it.  It's more to get sound to the far side of the room, restrooms, patio, etc. and it's explained to the owner/manager.  I would be inclined to turn down any future gigs at this room and explain why.  If enough bands get on board maybe they'll change their tune.  Plus it's just not worth the stress.
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Debbie Dunkley

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Re: Tonight's show - miniature scale
« Reply #33 on: August 08, 2015, 04:44:50 PM »

This is a situation where a Bose L1 for a "bass rig" would be awesome. Set it on stage and run everything through it and just a taste of the mix in the ceiling speakers.
Tim, they are ADAMANT and refuse to let us use ANY PA speakers of ANY kind on the stage - especially subs!. Never heard anything quite so odd in my life.
I also found out that the first band to deal with this on thursday (the one where they couldn't get the house system to work) not only had to use the JBL eon as their only PA all night but had set up a small lighting tree (4 LED slim pars) at the start of the night but were told to take it down after the first set….yeah - really !!
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Debbie Dunkley

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Re: Tonight's show - miniature scale
« Reply #34 on: August 08, 2015, 04:49:31 PM »

Man this sounds like a nightmare.  I've installed plenty of restaurant systems where I've provided a pair of XLR inputs for a potential band/DJ to use.  But these are intended to SUPPLEMENT the PA, not replace it.  It's more to get sound to the far side of the room, restrooms, patio, etc. and it's explained to the owner/manager.  I would be inclined to turn down any future gigs at this room and explain why.  If enough bands get on board maybe they'll change their tune.  Plus it's just not worth the stress.

Right ….I always thought that these types of in house systems were  made for just that reason - to supplement - not to carry the full PA sound. I'm wondering whether this is the GMs first gig doing this, has just come from corporate training and has got his wires crossed (pardon the pun). Maybe this is the company's intention but he got things wrong….
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Debbie Dunkley

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Re: Tonight's show - miniature scale
« Reply #35 on: August 08, 2015, 04:57:41 PM »

One more thing - I kinda shot myself in the foot really by getting the patch in to work properly. If it hadn't, we would have had no choice but to use my DXR12 speakers - yeah thought about that after I realized the in house system was inadequate…..
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Tim Weaver

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Re: Tonight's show - miniature scale
« Reply #36 on: August 08, 2015, 05:13:33 PM »

Thats why the speaker is the "bass rig".

Its kinda the same way lots of big acts use a "vaporizer" when the hotel won't allow fog.
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Debbie Dunkley

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Re: Tonight's show - miniature scale
« Reply #37 on: August 08, 2015, 05:20:52 PM »

Thats why the speaker is the "bass rig".

Its kinda the same way lots of big acts use a "vaporizer" when the hotel won't allow fog.

Sorry - missed that. I probably could have put one of the DSR12s on the stage area floor facing out to the side of Chris (bass player). He could then have put his processor rack on top of it and pretended it was part of his rig. If questioned why vocals were coming through, I could have argued it away by explaining that we always run some vocal through the bass rig …mmm ;D
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g'bye, Dick Rees

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Re: Tonight's show - miniature scale
« Reply #38 on: August 08, 2015, 06:11:30 PM »

What kind of volume do they get for their playback of background music the rest of the day?

Unless there's some kind of leveler in the chain or there's a mic left open on the emergency announcement circuit, they'll be limiting you to playback volume...which is probably around 80 dB max, if that.

Take the money and run.
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Scott Olewiler

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Re: Tonight's show - miniature scale
« Reply #39 on: August 08, 2015, 06:40:25 PM »

Did the GM explain the "No lights" policy? 

I would think the audience would have been complaining all night they couldn't hear or see the band.


I like the secret L1 rig idea. I can just imagine the Gm telling the other bands how your band makes it work.
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Re: Tonight's show - miniature scale
« Reply #39 on: August 08, 2015, 06:40:25 PM »


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