Old Roolz for Bands thread, retained for posterity - aberdeen-music

Flash@TMB · 07-09-2004, 18:15

The purpose of this information is to ensure that gigs are rewarding for bands, their fans, The Moorings Bar, and our customers.

We host gigs because we love live music. However the extra costs involved in doing so more than chew up any increase in sales, something that is probably true for most venues. Please appreciate that we are effectively working for free, and would appreciate a reasonably smooth ride

Instruments & Equipment

All the larger pieces of equipment should be delivered to the bar no later than 7.30pm. Bands should unload all their instruments and equipment into our cellar on arrival, until such time it is required on stage. Bands do not get access the stage until the sound engineer is ready for them. All equipment should be removed from stage between bands and returned to the cellar, otherwise the stage becomes crowded, and equipment may be damaged or go missing.

The house has instuments available in case of any malfunctions including broken strings. Please take time to tune a house guitar in advance, so that it is ready should you break a string mid-performance. We will change broken strings during your performance and (try to) retune your guitar accordingly.

Performance Times

Bands are typically allocated a 1 hour slot that is inclusive of all setup and pack away time. There is no requirement for a soundcheck but we do perform a quick line & level check just prior to each performance. The exception is where the band has an item of equipment that's likely to prove problematic - under those circumstances please contact us in advance to discuss. Performances usually start between 8pm and 9pm depending on the number of bands. Live music must cease by 0045am, and power to the stage is cut at 0100.

Backline

Bands are urged to contact me in advance in order to discuss the rest of their backline requirements, OTHERWISE THE FOLLOWING DEFAULTS WILL APPLY:

Bands are expected to use the house drum kit, because there is insufficient time to dismantle and erect drumkits between performances. Bands are also expected to use the house Ampeg bass amp and 4x10" cab, this has a valve preamp stage meaning that we get valve sound through our DI. If there is a powerful reason for using your own bass amp, then please contact me to discuss this in advance of the gig. Bands are encouraged to use the house Marshall 4x12" angle cabs which are routed through Marshall Powerbrakes.

Swapping elements of the backline between performances reduces the actual time available for performing.

Drums

The house kit is maintained in good working order, regularily treated to new skins, and benefits from a weekly tune up. Every gig we further refine how the house it's sound is processed through our PA so we tend to get a better sound from the house kit.

The house drumkit includes double kick pedal, snare, cymbals, hats... pretty much everything. You are welcome to use all those components. Most drummers take along their own hats, cymbals and additional cymbals (+stands). We reserve the right to veto the use of any hats/cymbals that are cracked, worn out, or of exceptionally poor quality. We anticipate that most drummers will want to take along their own snare drum.

Bass

The bass is direct injected into the mixing desk and where possible blended with a feed from the AKG D112 bass cab mic. This house amp is an Ampeg SVT250Pro which is 400W with with a 4x10"cab. It sports both valve preamp and output stages. Bass can also be heard and felt through the floor of the stage as this is sited over the FOH bass bins. The bass sound will also be directed through the sub woofer of the drum monitor since the drummer is sighted slightly behind the bass amp. This also helps transmit bass to the far side of the stage.

Guitars

The house has three Marshall Powerbrakes which are utilised to drive the valves at the appropriate level whilst keeping the volume under control.

Each speaker cab is mic'd up in order to drive the sound to the rear of the room via the PA system. The PA offers perfect sound reproduction.

We will not entertain the use of a malfunctioning amp or speaker. Our goal is to provide optimum sound quality regardless of badge engineering/brand/product placement considerations. We get the blame when it doesn't sound right, so we must insist that everything works!

The guitars are routed through all monitors.

The house has two Marshall 4x12" angle cabs, a Marshall DSL 100W head, an Engel Powerball 100W head, and a Marshall 1x12" 100W Combo.

Keyboards

We will usually direct inject any keyboard and route them to all monitors.

Other Instruments

Accoustic instruments should be preconfigured for amplification. This usually necessitates a suitable mic, coil pickup, feedback destroyer, or cap. This is especially ture of banjos (AKA the microphone with strings) and mandolins.

Bagpipes, harmonicas and horns rarely present any problems, whistles are usually OK. We can also route these through amps and speakers should that be required.

It may be necessary to soundcheck certain instruments in advance, so please contact us beforehand to arrange this.

Vocals

The house mics are EQ'd into the vocal monitors. For the best results all the house mics are of the same type. There is a choice of SM57 or SM58s. The use of alternative mics are discouraged as this is likely to lower the threshold at which feedback occurs. The mic leads reach for 10m, and it is permissable for the vocals to be performed out in front of the stage because the mics will not feedback. A Shure radio mic will also work fine.

We will endeavor to patch vocal FX throught the monitors.

Everyone

Please resist the temptation to play your instument when the sound engineers head is next to the speaker or drum involved as this will only make him deaf and impact badly on the sound of your performance. <--- not a joke!

On a serious note it IS worth contacting me in advance to discuss your specific requirements. This post is only a set of standard guidelines - we are prepared to be flexible... consider this the going in position

Let us know how you want to sound and we'll do our best to match it.

If you consider these guidelines to be unreasonable, then that would indicate that The Moorings Bar is not a suitable venue for your band to play.

Comments

Any comments or advice are welcome, this post is regularily revised as people suggest alternative approaches.

Sue Denim.. · 08-09-2004, 06:27

And also ensure that all vocalists sing within the frequency of 300hz - 3Khz otherwise those in the audience will not hear you. (Unless you are a bat or something)

Sue

08-09-2004, 08:53

i dont mind sitting through a soundcheck, me and my friend did a few weeks ago

but i really think that you should speed things up a bit, there was so much fannying about in the soundcheck we watched, (the aubl gig)

if you are losing customers during soundcheck get the bands to pull their fingers out and act a bit more professionally, i also thought that the pa sounded really guff in that particular soundcheck!might have been better when there were more people in the venue, but the low frequencies were non existant and so were the snares

Flash@TMB · 08-09-2004, 12:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by stuartmaxwell

i dont mind sitting through a soundcheck, me and my friend did a few weeks ago but i really think that you should speed things up a bit, there was so much fannying about in the soundcheck we watched, (the aubl gig)

if you are losing customers during soundcheck get the bands to pull their fingers out and act a bit more professionally

We usually manage 4 bands in 2 hours. There's a 15 minute changeover between bands so that typically leaves 15-20 mins to soundcheck each band. The monitors have been causing us problems due to their relatively poor quality, meaning I can't apply as much volume as the bands would like. Last Saturday I hired in some new very high quality ones to try out, and plan to do the same again this weekend with even better ones. Ultimately we'll buy whichever ones work out the best. This will make life much easier for everyone as well as ensuring that we remain broke for another year.

Quote:

Originally Posted by stuartmaxwell

i also thought that the pa sounded really guff in that particular soundcheck!might have been better when there were more people in the venue, but the low frequencies were non existant and so were the snares

Yes EXACTLY!

But err that's the point of a soundcheck... like to err to CHECK the SOUND. I welcome any criticism of gigs - but soundchecks???

If it sounded perfect at souncheck then all you'd hear during the gig is low frequencies (unless nobody showed up). Part of my job is to compensate for the difference that 150 bodies are going to make to the sound. I guess another option is to order a lorry load of cadavers to simulate this but it's probably easier on the nose to just trust mu judegment

The sound checks last Saturday went even worse (much worse) but the resulting sound during the gig was close to what I was aiming for although I believe I can still improve on it. On Sunday the sound was even better.

Frosty Jack · 08-09-2004, 12:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flash@TMB

Part of my job is to compensate for the difference that 150 bodies are going to make to the sound. I guess another option is to order a lorry load of cadavers to simulate this but it's probably easier on the nose to just trust mu judegment

The main concert hall in the Sydney Opera House is fully furnished and lined with specially imported Pine. This particular wood was chosen as it has exactly the same density as the human body, therefore the acoustics are almost the same whether it is full or not. It has the second best acoustics in the world.
FROSTYFACT.

08-09-2004, 13:01

i wasnt criticising, i was just pointing out

i was just peeved that bands were taking 20 mins of playing the same chord and tuning!!?

Flash@TMB · 08-09-2004, 13:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by stuartmaxwell

i wasnt criticising, i was just pointing out

i was just peeved that bands were taking 20 mins of playing the same chord and tuning!!?

Yeah they all do that. Just get up on stage and start making noise without regard for anyone else in the bar. I guess they're trying to perfect their sound. I've given up getting stressed out about it.

Flash@TMB · 08-09-2004, 13:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frosty Jack

The main concert hall in the Sydney Opera House is fully furnished and lined with specially imported Pine. This particular wood was chosen as it has exactly the same density as the human body, therefore the acoustics are almost the same whether it is full or not. It has the second best acoustics in the world.
FROSTYFACT.

LET ME STATE THIS QUITE CLEARLY... THE ANSWER IS NO. NO FUCKIN WAY. WE JUST FINISHED REDECORATING FOR CHRISTS SAKE.

BTW Where has the best accoustics in the world? Don't say Claire's Bar.

08-09-2004, 13:14

they have a feckin bedroom and a sound engineer to perfect their sound

!!!!

imprinted · 08-09-2004, 19:41

I think flash is the sound engineer?

(could be wrong - only been to one gig there (real shocks and cuts were playing))