Playing the Axe FX Outside with Lots of People!

oddb0d

oddb0d

Inspired
So last Sunday we had our annual out door service. There were probably around 1500-2000 people. It was a REALLY hot day which made things interesting. I am glad to say everything went really well. I was very daring a tried a few FIRSTS for this session. I got my Future Sonic Ear Monitors back on Friday after an adjustment. First time to use an IEM setup and no floor wedge. The sound guy had a floor wedge on the floor but we switched it off. In fact it came in useful for me to hide some sheet music for songs I wasn't too familar with...

The setup I used for that day was:-

Fender USA Start (Area 58s and 61) -> X2 XDR95 Wireless -> Axe FX Ultra -> FOH -> HOUSE MIX -> DBX IEM -> PSM400 -> Future Sonics Ear Monitors. I used the Rocktron Midi Mate for my foot controller. Still waiting on my Liquid Foot.

I have to say right of the bat I've never heard such a great sound while playing live. It was amazing!!! I often struggle to get a good balanced mix where I can hear the vocals, keys, bass, drums etc. This was no problem.

Here's a picture from the day. Great venue, and the sound was great. Rented a monster system from Sound on Stage.

amphqb5.jpg


And here's me with my rig...

matthewnl5.jpg


Tone wise I used just 4 basic tones. A modified Stratified, A dotted 8th delay AC30 preset I've knocked up, East Wes and Crystal Echoes for the outtro of a song.

I LOVE this thing (AXE). Set up was SOOOO easy, my tone was what it was at the indoor gear sound check gear test. It's dependable and predictable. I ran the rig in stereo, the sound guy commented on how nice the guitar sounded and really liked the stereo delays. They seemed to work pretty well.

Future Sonics Ear Monitors
I cannot rave these things enough. The headroom and depth of these guys is amazing. I've never had such a big sound while on stage it was awesome. It was like standing in front of a high quality line array but without "feeling" the music in your body. Having said that if you look where I stood I got quite a big of "felt" sound from those speakers. The bassist asked me if he should get a new guitar or the Future Sonics! No brainer I told him, night and day, you will play so much better when you can hear...

DBX IEM
This did a great job, I am very happy with it. Not only piece of mind with volume peak control, but also the reverbs and compression are first class.

I am so very glad with the whole set up. I am 99% happy with my current setup. I still need to do some extra tweaking of the sounds at this kind of volume, but they are definitely in the ball park. It was amazing playing outside, never done that before, just hearing the guitar ring out across the city was awesome.

Before the service I played a bit of Bad on the Crystal Echoes setting with a dotted 8th setting. That felt amazing. I could have spent all day playing like that.

It blows my mind that I have this AMAZING rig for under $5k!!!! Could not have dreamed of this 5-10 years ago, heck, even 2 years ago!!! This is amazing!
 
Very cool.

So you have a DBX in-ear setup with Future Sonic drivers? I'll assume the IEM is wireless?
 
Scott Peterson said:
Very cool.

So you have a DBX in-ear setup with Future Sonic drivers? I'll assume the IEM is wireless?
Click to expand...

He's using a Shure PSM400 for wireless IEM.


Glad you had a great gig!
 
Scott Peterson said:
Very cool.

So you have a DBX in-ear setup with Future Sonic drivers? I'll assume the IEM is wireless?
Click to expand...
Yeah, the DBX IEM is just a IEM processor (eq, compression, reverb and peak limiter). The DBX IEM Is then plugged into a Wireless Shure system. For last Sunday I was borrowing a PSM400 as my P6TR (PSM600) had not arrived.

The PSM400 was do-able for the session, but compared with the P6TR it was night and day. The PSM400 had quite a few dropouts for a few miliseconds here and there not enough to make it impossible to play but just kind of annoying at times. There was a level of fizz to the sound too, not that crystal clear. Then I plugged in the P6TR on Thursday and I was like WOW!!! THIS IS HUGE!!! The sound was amazing. So much clearer, no dropouts, even when I went out of the bedroom and down into another room (around a couple of corners too!).

If anyone is considering a wireless IEM, don't buy anything less than a Shure PSM600. That's my advice. I managed to get a new one for $825 from an authorized dealer! www.ggvideo.com
 
oddb0d said:
Scott Peterson said:
Very cool.

So you have a DBX in-ear setup with Future Sonic drivers? I'll assume the IEM is wireless?
Click to expand...
Yeah, the DBX IEM is just a IEM processor (eq, compression, reverb and peak limiter). The DBX IEM Is then plugged into a Wireless Shure system. For last Sunday I was borrowing a PSM400 as my P6TR (PSM600) had not arrived.

The PSM400 was do-able for the session, but compared with the P6TR it was night and day. The PSM400 had quite a few dropouts for a few miliseconds here and there not enough to make it impossible to play but just kind of annoying at times. There was a level of fizz to the sound too, not that crystal clear. Then I plugged in the P6TR on Thursday and I was like WOW!!! THIS IS HUGE!!! The sound was amazing. So much clearer, no dropouts, even when I went out of the bedroom and down into another room (around a couple of corners too!).

If anyone is considering a wireless IEM, don't buy anything less than a Shure PSM600. That's my advice. I managed to get a new one for $825 from an authorized dealer! http://www.ggvideo.com
Click to expand...

I think maybe the 400 you were using might have some issues. My band has been running 200's for about five years straight and I've never had a single drop out. While I'm sure the 400's and 600's are clearer and higher quality, none of them should be dropping out.
 
deadringer said:
oddb0d said:
Scott Peterson said:
Very cool.

So you have a DBX in-ear setup with Future Sonic drivers? I'll assume the IEM is wireless?
Click to expand...
Yeah, the DBX IEM is just a IEM processor (eq, compression, reverb and peak limiter). The DBX IEM Is then plugged into a Wireless Shure system. For last Sunday I was borrowing a PSM400 as my P6TR (PSM600) had not arrived.

The PSM400 was do-able for the session, but compared with the P6TR it was night and day. The PSM400 had quite a few dropouts for a few miliseconds here and there not enough to make it impossible to play but just kind of annoying at times. There was a level of fizz to the sound too, not that crystal clear. Then I plugged in the P6TR on Thursday and I was like WOW!!! THIS IS HUGE!!! The sound was amazing. So much clearer, no dropouts, even when I went out of the bedroom and down into another room (around a couple of corners too!).

If anyone is considering a wireless IEM, don't buy anything less than a Shure PSM600. That's my advice. I managed to get a new one for $825 from an authorized dealer! http://www.ggvideo.com
Click to expand...

I think maybe the 400 you were using might have some issues. My band has been running 200's for about five years straight and I've never had a single drop out. While I'm sure the 400's and 600's are clearer and higher quality, none of them should be dropping out.
Click to expand...


It sounds like he might have been getting signal interference.
 
Amphibian said:
Anybody ever tell you that you look like Joe Satriani?
Click to expand...
Uh... Not until now... Wish I could play like him!! I think I saw Joe play 3 times. First time was back in Hammersmith in London on The Extremist Tour! It was amazing....
 
oddb0d said:
Amphibian said:
Anybody ever tell you that you look like Joe Satriani?
Click to expand...
Uh... Not until now... Wish I could play like him!! I think I saw Joe play 3 times. First time was back in Hammersmith in London on The Extremist Tour! It was amazing....
Click to expand...
Actually that reminds me on that tour I think on drums was Greg Bissonette. It was either that tour or a later one... Anyway, I will get to see him in a month or so at the Thriving Musicians Summit at Lincoln Brewster's church. That should be fun. I wonder if he is still in contact with Satch?
 
deadringer said:
I think maybe the 400 you were using might have some issues. My band has been running 200's for about five years straight and I've never had a single drop out. While I'm sure the 400's and 600's are clearer and higher quality, none of them should be dropping out.
Click to expand...

Interesting.... I got the same issue in two different cities which is weird. Any suggestions on what to do when that happens (apart from trying a different signal). I assumed it was the PSMs as I read that drop outs are "expected" according to the Shure Website as the receiver is too small to have diversity on it (you cannot put antennas at least not meaningfully.)
 
oddb0d said:
deadringer said:
I think maybe the 400 you were using might have some issues. My band has been running 200's for about five years straight and I've never had a single drop out. While I'm sure the 400's and 600's are clearer and higher quality, none of them should be dropping out.
Click to expand...

Interesting.... I got the same issue in two different cities which is weird. Any suggestions on what to do when that happens (apart from trying a different signal). I assumed it was the PSMs as I read that drop outs are "expected" according to the Shure Website as the receiver is too small to have diversity on it (you cannot put antennas at least not meaningfully.)
Click to expand...

If it is in the range of digital TV signals you can still run into issues in multiple markets. Shure has a site that you can enter the city or zip (can't remember) and it will tell you what to use to avoid problems. Also if it was the 400 that has issues, it won't matter what city you take it to. However, it does say on their site dropouts are to be expected. yuck!
 
oddb0d said:
deadringer said:
I think maybe the 400 you were using might have some issues. My band has been running 200's for about five years straight and I've never had a single drop out. While I'm sure the 400's and 600's are clearer and higher quality, none of them should be dropping out.
Click to expand...

Interesting.... I got the same issue in two different cities which is weird. Any suggestions on what to do when that happens (apart from trying a different signal). I assumed it was the PSMs as I read that drop outs are "expected" according to the Shure Website as the receiver is too small to have diversity on it (you cannot put antennas at least not meaningfully.)
Click to expand...

I wish I had suggestions but I can't think of any. Maybe we're just lucky?
 
Oh BTW, in that same FAQ it says "never use rechargeable" because they don't last as long. This is no longer true. There are recharables that last longer than alkalins now.
 
javajunkie said:
Oh BTW, in that same FAQ it says "never use rechargeable" because they don't last as long. This is no longer true. There are recharables that last longer than alkalins now.
Click to expand...

I just switched over to rechargables this weekend and wasn't very happy. They lasted considerably shorter than regulars. I'm thinking I bought cheap shitty recharagables.
 
deadringer said:
javajunkie said:
Oh BTW, in that same FAQ it says "never use rechargeable" because they don't last as long. This is no longer true. There are recharables that last longer than alkalins now.
Click to expand...

I just switched over to rechargables this weekend and wasn't very happy. They lasted considerably shorter than regulars. I'm thinking I bought cheap shitty recharagables.
Click to expand...

which rechargeables are you using?
 
javajunkie said:
deadringer said:
javajunkie said:
Oh BTW, in that same FAQ it says "never use rechargeable" because they don't last as long. This is no longer true. There are recharables that last longer than alkalins now.
Click to expand...

I just switched over to rechargables this weekend and wasn't very happy. They lasted considerably shorter than regulars. I'm thinking I bought cheap shitty recharagables.
Click to expand...

which rechargeables are you using?
Click to expand...

http://www.all-battery.com/index.asp?Pa ... ProdID=523
 
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