What you need to know if you are going to play live! Don't make the same mistake!

A

AlexL

Member
I wanted to share this because it such significance. I wish I had done this months ago.

Listening to recordings of our playing in the live venue (from a Zoom recorder), my guitar always seemed to be drowned out from the mix amongst the drums, bass, vocals and even the keys. I basically was only heard in the background...very frustrating because I was supposed to play the lead position.

I would repeatedly have to remind the sound guys to make the needed adjustments.

That was until I noticed the second guitar player being heard loud and clear.

I re-read through this forum and recalled the discussions on how important it is to turn up your midranges on the EQ

So, I went into edit of each of the 4 patches that I use. Within edit of the amp block, I paged to the EQ panel. I adjusted the ranges from a flat horizontal line to one that is shaped like like a frown...one with the midranges set higher than the bass levels on the left and the highs to the right.

The results: Last night, my LP "sang out" into the venue. It was as if I was mic'ed to a real amp stack. Never had my Axe II sounded so awesome!

Granted, in the studio, it sounds a bit more harsh. Higher mids can come out more like a megaphone. But if you want to be heard LIVE, it cuts through mix and into the venue.

Just wanted to share this...wish I would have considered your recommendations sooner.
Don't make the same mistake
 
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Happy for your discovery...

...what you've discovered is at the HEART of why there is so much debate (still) regarding the Ibanez Tubescreamer pedal. Boutique cork sniffers are always claiming a better sounding pedal is out there and refuse to use the little green box. But what they fail to realize, and what you have noticed, is that by itself, the sound of a tubescreamer pushing an amp is actually sorta harsh... but in the band mix its the absolute PERFECT frequency response to push you into the forefront with GOOD tone.

This is also why its very difficult to get the AxeFx to work well live. Some have luck, but to really get the unit to excel, you need to be able to edit the patches on the fly and with so many parameters, its very difficult to fine tune your tone in a band mix...because you can't just tweak a knob or two with your toe like you can in a real rig scenario.

In the end, setting up patches at home that sound nasally and a bit harsh is probably going to play better in a band context and thats VERY hard to do.
 
Gamedojo said:
Happy for your discovery...

...what you've discovered is at the HEART of why there is so much debate (still) regarding the Ibanez Tubescreamer pedal. Boutique cork sniffers are always claiming a better sounding pedal is out there and refuse to use the little green box. But what they fail to realize, and what you have noticed, is that by itself, the sound of a tubescreamer pushing an amp is actually sorta harsh... but in the band mix its the absolute PERFECT frequency response to push you into the forefront with GOOD tone.
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I totally agree - Look at my Avatar Pic <--- This Ibanez Overdrive II is the original Tubescreamer and now very rare and mostly sitting in wealthy pedal snob collections - You should see how high $$ the offers to sell it have been. I even sent it to Analog Mike to add an AC barrel plug input and an LED and even he made me an offer and used a photo of mine in his pedal book. Many of those "ohhh dude, that was my first OD, wish I never sold it". And the reasons are always "my sound has never been as good again" "That was the magical sound in my head and I lost it".


OP -> You hit the nail on the HEAD - And a Global EQ is in the AFXII for just this reason. Now you can get your mind back to playing instead of worrying about your tone problems live. (sucks when you are playing live and can only think about your disconnect with the audience). Might as well just go home if that's the case. Pump the MIDS live!!
 
AlexL said:
... my guitar always seemed to be drowned out from the mix amongst the drums, bass, vocals and even the keys. I basically was only heard in the background...very frustrating because I was supposed to play the lead position.

I would repeatedly have to remind the sound guys to make the needed adjustments.
Click to expand...

The cymbals will always eat your highs and the bass guitar and bass drum will always drown out your lows. You get the mids (especially the upper mids) to live in. That's just the reality of playing with other instruments. And as a guy who plays with a 2nd electric guitarist AND a keyboard player AND an acoustic player, my advice is always listen to what the others are doing and then be somewhere else sonically. Play an octave higher (or lower depending). Voice your chords differently than what the other guitar player is doing (listen to Malcolm and Angus Young-- they do this perfectly).

I've been a Standard user since 2009. The hardest thing for me to initially do was cut thru the mix. Once I figured it out it was smooth sailing. I routinely have sound guys tell me that I sound great with all their eq's flat. The biggest compliment you can get tone-wise IMHO is "I didn't have to do anything to your signal".

Cheers,
-AL
 
My solo boost is a Filter block, not with NULL, but with PEAKING. Gain is +6db for a fat Mids boost centered on 770Hz with Q about 0.3.

Use this when you want to DOMINATE the mix.
 
xrist04 said:
My solo boost is a Filter block, not with NULL, but with PEAKING. Gain is +6db for a fat Mids boost centered on 770Hz with Q about 0.3.

Use this when you want to DOMINATE the mix.
Click to expand...

Sometimes, the simplest ideas are the best.

I've frequently found that my null-filter boost sometimes put my overall level too high while still not letting my tone cut through enough. I just tried your tip with the PEAKING filter type instead, and I can now use much lower boost values, get less of a "blast of level boost" and yet cut through like a knife!

Thanks for that, Xrist! Simple, but very very effective.
 
xrist04 said:
My solo boost is a Filter block, not with NULL, but with PEAKING. Gain is +6db for a fat Mids boost centered on 770Hz with Q about 0.3.

Use this when you want to DOMINATE the mix.
Click to expand...
I used to do that with my Ultra, but these days I get a similar effect by using X/Y amps. I usually use the same amp within a preset, but change the EQ and master volume to get the thickening of the mids I like along with a bit more sustain from the boost in the master. This is for my mid to hi-gain presets.
 
Friends, I had understood that you have to climb the media and the EQ horizontal figure would remain as a form of pyramid. Is that right? because they understood what the frowning and I'm unclear whether the media have to rise or fall. Sorry for my English, I'm from Argentina and I'm using the google translator
 
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