Board direct FOH / Speaker cab / mic

A

axepilot

Inspired
I have to say that after several gigs with my Axe FX (SS power amp - Mesa 4x12 with V30s - stereo) I'm going to stay pat with just mic'ing the speaker cab for FOH. I have this rig sounding excellent to my ears and it really fires me up when I play it. I don't want to get involved in how the FOH sounds based on my speaker sim settings, IR's, etc and the sound man - too many variables to worry about in the heat of battle. I know my rig sounds good, so it's up to the soundman to simply make me sound right based right off of a mic.

For you guys that run cabs on stage and board / FOH direct, just how in the world do you get your cab sims dialed in venue to venue?

Right now, I'm sticking with the the single sound I can control.
 
MisterE said:
Simple, I listen to my monitors ;)
Click to expand...

And, trusting the soundman and monitor EQ, if your sound / cab sims are off, what do you do? Tweak on the fly?

Just how do you tweak those cab sims,IR's, etc, and trust they will work in every venue direct FOH?

Leap of faith?

No slam intended.................................it just seems like a big juggling act to me.
 
I don't tweak my cab sims, at least not on stage.
Do you change your cab on the fly? I don't think so.
You trust your cab will work in every venue don't you.
I'd like to think that my sounds been tweaked enough before I use it on stage.
I'm sure that the cab sim/mike sim I'm using is the same everywhere.
When using a cab you can never rely on that.
There's always the chance that the soundman doesn't position the mike right, or doesn't use the sam the others did.
And a different mike can make a big difference in sound.
At least I am sure I get the same combination every time.
If it sounds good through my monitors, the soundman should be able to get it right.
 
Hmmm... I'm not changing my cab sim sounds from venue to venue. They stay the same. In fact the only time am adjusting things are when I plug into powered monitors at the gig. Output 1 goes to FOH output 2 either goes to powered monitors or effects returns of backline amps. Then i use global EQ 2 to get these to sound right on stage. My sound out in the house has sounded great from day one. Most sounds guys have an easier time tweaking my sound from from the direct outs then mic'ing amps. If it doesn't sound good for the room then they will tweak it. That is what they do. :) They will also tweak you mic'd cabinet if need be.

If you've found a system that works for you though, you probably should stick with it. Or wait until you have plenty of rehearsal/sound check time to try things out. Then you may find yourself lovi....I mean liking going direct. :)

Tough choices when things sound good, huh.

Larry
 
Same here,

I made my sounds on my Adam A7 monitors. They are detailed and don't colour to much.

I've noticed that they sound the same on a PA as at home.

Of course we have an excellent sound man and that helps
 
i always thought if you go through a real guitar cab etc. that you should mic it... it's gonna be way too different a sound to have a direct line to FOH and a cab on stage... how can they possibly sound the same!?

that said, i go completely direct, out 1 to FOH and 2 to a powered monitor. i sound check with all monitors off so i can hear what it sounds like out of FOH, even if it's from on stage behind the speakers... anything will help me know what the audience (ultimately the most important listener) hears.

then i turn up my monitors and play the gig. i just... love going direct!
 
OP, there are way more variables for inconsistency in a mic'd cab set-up than direct. Using the best of mics, trying every mic placement imaginable and running a state of the art PA system with all JBL SRX series speakers, I was not once ever able to reproduce my stage sound exactly FOH. It was good but different. On the other hand, after changing to direct with FRFR monitors, my sound was great the very first gig and has been consistent from room to room ever since. I don't miss the amp/cab set up one bit. I am sold on my Ultra running direct!
 
The real question behind this seems to be:

What's more important, how I sound to myself on stage or how the audience hears me?

I battle with this all the time. I enjoy hearing a nice cranked up guitar or bass cab pumping behind me on stage, but after switching to direct from the Axe-FX, our soundguy seems to be really digging the signal he's getting from me to FOH. I listen to playbacks of our live gigs now and I'm more present in the mix and the clarity of my sound has taken several leaps forward. People continuously remark on the clarity of my playing in the FOH now. And the cool thing is I can use different "cabs" for different sounds now. 2x12 Blues on my Vox stuff, Bogner 4x12 on my ODs, etc. I can't get that from miking my one guitar cab, which by the way was chosen because its a good compromise between clean and OD. So for me, direct to FOH is the way to go.

Now... why do I still have instrument specific cabs on stage with me? Because I like to hear it that way on stage. But what's going through the mains is not exactly what I'm hearing on stage. So... I'm still looking into the FRFR thang, but haven't found a solution I really like yet.

I posted this on TGP, might as well stick it here too:
"I'd love to have a 300 watt non-tube powered FRFR monitor that could be used vertically or as a wedge with built in wheels, a telescoping handle and a 2-3 space rack built in. That would be slick. Just in case any FRFR builders are reading, hehe."
 
i'm going to try going direct for the first time next show

i love sending output 2 to a tube poweramp and 4x12 though... simply coz it keeps that 'raw' sound that i like
 
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