:encouragement:I think the OP's original question has been mostly answered. What would I do? Just let him learn it for himself in his own way, he'll come around... And the Scott's method is what I would do for a real gig situation if it were me.
In a technical snafu on a reunion gig this past summer, I ended up mic'ing one of my FBT 12ma FR/FR monitors with an SM-57. I know, why didn't I just plug the xlr into the jack on the back of the FBT? Long story short: Beautiful sunset during sound check, Rain storm, (actually, a torrential downpour) Mixer not working, Audience ready, no sound out of AXE Rig, Got it working that way in 20 seconds. To be honest, I forgot all about the jack on the back, but in hindsight, the XLR cable wasn't really long enough to reach without moving the monitor, etc...
I couldn't really tell how it sounded out front, I can never really tell, and I'm usually never satisfied with it, so I didn't really think about it, I just played and had a lot of fun. I can't believe how many positive comments I got on my tone. The phrase "Sounds better than the actual album" was used more than once. (It was a cover band).
While I think mic'ing a FR/FR monitor is not going to sound
as good as direct, I think because of the Fractal's superior tone, along with the FBT being coaxial, and James Santiago's cab IRs, my FOH tone probably sounded better than my last amp did even mic'd... Just sayin' we're gettin' spoiled here... just my $0.02, YMMV.
oh that's like the time someone put 2 microphones on my lead singer so he would be louder through their 100 watt pa system. cuz 2 is louder than 1. duh.
In the good old days, didn't they used to use 2 mic's with one polarity reversed, like when the Beatles played Shea's Stadium, for example? Sing into only one, and you should be able to get more gain before feedback? Just a thought.
You hit upon one of the downsides as my job as a software developer talking with customers and project managers who dig in their heels.
Has this drummer never heard of a bass player named Geddy Lee from a little band called Rush? Geddy goes direct on all of Rush's live shows.
This discussion reminds me of a number of different scenarios related to technology changing, and attitudes that change later, after people learn the truth for themselves. I just saw Rush on the last tour, Clockwork Angels, and Alex Lifeson is now also going direct to FOH along with Geddy, although it's a more elaborate setup with amp heads through Palmer DI boxes, and AXE-FX II for effects, as well as completely replacing his acoustic guitars, but it is interesting to consider that there are no speaker cabinets used on-stage.
In a different scenario, I distinctly remember reading an old interview with Alex in a guitar magazine, I was reading it around 1989, but the article was from the early 80's. In it Alex was stating that Transistor amps just never sound as good as Tube amps to him, and he could never use them. The irony was that I had just seen them when Alex was touring with Gallien-Krueger Transistor guitar amps, which, of course sounded great, but new 80's Transistor tone, like The Big Money, or Time-Stand-Still type tone. He eventually did go back to Tube Amps. But now? no Cabinets! Young Alex in that interview would've never believed it, just like the young me reading the article then would've never believed I could get this amazing AXE-FX II tone and feel through headphones/nearfields. Every FW update, I get a new rig. But more like a tractor trailer rig, full of amps, cabs, and echoes, did I mention the stereo tape echoes! I'm going to play my guitar now... I'll be back in a couple of weeks...
Rick
