Let's talk about live sound hardware: mixers, mics, monitoring systems, PA, playback systems, lights & c.

HotRats

HotRats

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Believe it or not in the last 25 years I've played only in bars/pubs and venues that had a resident PA, shared stage with bands that owned a PA or borrowed one few times.

Now I'm back in the area where I've grown up and here - just like it was 25 years go - you have to own and manage your PA if you want to gig.
The band I'm in right now needs to update things (I don't even know exactly what they have) and I'd love to read about your setups and steal ideas.

I also think that sharing gear choices, comments and real life experiences about how your gigging band manage to deliver their shows might be useful and inspiring for every one.

Beware, e-drums are not allowed, here. LOL
 
we dont play shows were we have to bring the pa but at the diy venue i run i have a pair of QSC k12.2s that are ceiling mounted, a mackie 18" powered sub and an allen and heath cq-12t mixer. sounds really good.


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I have a QSC Touchmix 30 pro for my mixer. I like the feedback elimination feature and the presets QSC dialed in for instruments and vocals. I'm using their cardioid subs QSC KS212c and it really reduces the low end on the stage. For mains and monitors I'm using Atomic CLR's. I also have 2 Yamaha DXR15mkii's in use as monitors for drums and bass. I saw on the Talkbass forum some guys recommending that those could handle even a low B and carry the room for bass. Guitars and bass are usually Fractal. Drums are the trick. I find I usually end up using the mic on the kick live.
 
TravisG406 said:
I have a QSC Touchmix 30 pro for my mixer. I like the feedback elimination feature and the presets QSC dialed in for instruments and vocals. I'm using their cardioid subs QSC KS212c and it really reduces the low end on the stage. For mains and monitors I'm using Atomic CLR's. I also have 2 Yamaha DXR15mkii's in use as monitors for drums and bass. I saw on the Talkbass forum some guys recommending that those could handle even a low B and carry the room for bass. Guitars and bass are usually Fractal. Drums are the trick. I find I usually end up using the mic on the kick live.
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Do you bring lights or other special stuff?
 
My band has also been using the QSC Touchmix 30, and while it is complete overkill for the dive bars we play, I used it to run sound at an outdoor music festival this weeend and it slayed. 2 x subs, 4 x 12" (2 for mains, 2 for vocals) for FOH, 4 x 10" for monitors. Mixed everything from DJ's, to singer/songwriters, to 90's punk bands, to instrumental surf bands, to reggae bands, my 6 piece Dead tribute & the School of Rock kids.

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HotRats said:
Do you bring lights or other special stuff?
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Lights is one area that I never have GAS for :puppet but I have 4 disc shaped Chauvettes that my drummer bought and kind of gave to me/splits custody with me. I really need to up my game on that stuff...
 
I picked up an Allen & Heath ZED60-14FX 14-channel Mixer with USB Audio Interface and Effects about 10 years ago for use when hosting jam sessions at home and small venue gigs. It's a lot of analog mixer for your money, and it is still an actively marketed and sold product.

It's quite compact given the number of channels and 13 x 60 mm faders.

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The built-in FX are definitely usable, and with an integrated USB interface, recording live mixes to a laptop is a breeze.

It has 2 high impedance 1/4" inputs for direct guitar capture, and 8 excellent sounding microphone preamps. Each channel strip has a 3 band eq with a dedicated Q control. Multiple busses and monitoring options round out a solid mixing platform.
 
gearJunkie said:
I picked up an Allen & Heath ZED60-14FX 14-channel Mixer with USB Audio Interface and Effects about 10 years ago for use when hosting jam sessions at home and small venue gigs. It's a lot of analog mixer for your money, and it is still an actively marketed and sold product.

It's quite compact given the number of channels and 13 x 60 mm faders.

View attachment 50242The built-in FX are definitely usable, and with an integrated USB interface, recording live mixes to a laptop is a breeze.

It has 2 high impedance 1/4" inputs for direct guitar capture, and 8 excellent sounding microphone preamps. Each channel strip has a 3 band eq with a dedicated Q control. Multiple busses and monitoring options round out a solid mixing platform.
Click to expand...

This is probably the kind of mixer this band needs but I was looking also at the digital A&H offerings and the CQ12T is super cool.
 
HotRats said:
This is probably the kind of mixer this band needs but I was looking also at the digital A&H offerings and the CQ12T is super cool.
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For me, there is definitely a "satisfaction" factor associated with analog mixing, be it the zero latency, direct parameter control, or lack of menu diving.

I bought mine 10 years ago, and digital mixing has advanced a long way since then. If I were to get a new mixer now, it would most likely be digital.

Even with digital mixers, good mic preamps are essential, and I'm sure that the A&H digital offerings will have the same or better quality preamps than the ZED60. That CQ-12T looks tasty and would be high on my list if I was in the market for a new mixer.

:beer
 
I have been running my current lineup for a good while now. I use 2 QSC K12 tops on top of 2 QSC KSubs. I use 2 QSC K8.2 speakers for monitors and run it all with a Behringturd X32 compact tour model digital board. I connect a router to the board and run it from my iPad, or I will give the iPad to my wife out front and tell her to adjust volumes of anything that is blatantly too loud or too quiet. This setup isn't too big but delivers great sound and it works for me both indoors and out.

I use Shure and Sennheiser microphones across amps, drums and vocals.

I use Chauvet lights. I have a Gig Bar and two sets of their LED par 64 lights. I usually just set them to an automatic setting that changes with the beat of the music.
 
The last function band I was in, the singer had a Harbinger PA. Reminded me of the old Peavey systems where the mixer was in a fuzzy head shell. It usually did a better job than I expected but had minimal channels and piss-poor Preamps.

Our singers health was deteriorating so I became the PA guy. We'd use his Harbinger system but started to add pieces to the mix. I already had a QSC K8.2 that I'd let our singer use, I eventually got a Behringturd XR18 and used the Harbinger as a power amp, bassist got a cheap but functional dual IEM system (I had a Shure system already), I had just acquired a Yamaha power amp and was on the hunt for some speakers of my own when our singer died, along with our band.

So now I almost have a whole PA except for some passive speakers and stands.
 
The Behringturd Wing Rack is hard to beat if you consider going in-ear and either by app or optional mini mixer make your own monitor mix. It has enough Aux outs so you could even get stereo sub mixes for each band member.
Adding the P24 gives you 16 faders for your monitor mix and it’s even got a little ambience mic built in that you can add to your mix for room and audience feel.
Of course you can also have a great FOH mix on the Wing.
 
I've been using the Midas MR-12 for years and it's never let me down. All the X-AIR/M-AIR stuff is built like a tank. I love having a digital mixer because all the settings are stored and just come back up when the thing boots up. Since both of my bands are fully digital (direct guitars, bass and e-drums...wanna fight about it?) the only variable ends up being needing to adjust mic gain if a venue is stupid enough to put the PA mains behind the stage instead of at the sides. It's a thing here. But I hope we see more digital mixer innovations in the future.

I've been debating getting a 1U mic pre to run through my Axe-FX to use that as a mixer instead. I'm already using it for guitar, bass and drums so why not vocals as well? Still got some CPU power to spare in my live presets.
 
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