How I Set Up Live Band Sound for a Small Town Festival

How I Set Up Live Band Sound for a Small Town Festival | Tips, Examples, Suggestions

Рет қаралды 21,231

Күн бұрын

Tips for multi-band / event audio for a small town festival & providing live sound reinforcement (and lighting). How to plan for and handle multiple bands. Cable management. How I handle events like this. Things to expect Suggestions for improving efficiency and working in a logical manner on the stage. Includes a look at the equipment, including audio and DMX lighting devices. K & M mic stands, Shure and Sennheiser mics, Yorkville speakers, Behringer and Midas digital mixing consoles and stage boxes, and other items.
~~~~
Chamsys MagicQ Software:
chamsyslighting.com/
Patreon (PDF Tutorials, Behringer and Midas Files, Charts, Video Scripts, etc.):
/ alanhamiltonaudio
►►►►Affiliate Links:
►►Sweetwater Sound-
►Midas DL32 32x16 Digital Stage Box on Sweetwater Sound:
imp.i114863.net/DVvjgq
►Behringer X32 Digital Console on Sweetwater Sound:
imp.i114863.net/9Woz3Y
►K & M 210/8 mic stand on Sweetwater Sound:
imp.i114863.net/e4Lb3j
► 14ga Multi-tap style stringer AC cable on Sweetwater Sound:
imp.i114863.net/qnaevn
►Shure SM58 on Sweetwater Sound:
imp.i114863.net/GjMAkE
►Drum Mic Bundles on Sweetwater Sound:
imp.i114863.net/Gj9VB6
►Chauvet AN-2 Art-Net to 2 Uni DMX Node on Sweetwater:
imp.i114863.net/vnJo3N
►Audio Snake Cables on Sweetwater Sound:
imp.i114863.net/7mzeX3
►►Amazon Affiliate Links:
Elite Core Fan to Fan Audio Snake:
►amzn.to/3CpadOy
Elite Core SuperCat Cat5e STP Ethercon Ethernet Cable:
►amzn.to/3CemEg4
(This is the proper cable for Behringer / Midas AES50 connections)
►TP Link Wireless Router (as connected to the X32 in the video) on Amazon:
amzn.to/3T8XlDb
►Pop-Up Style FOH Tent with Black Top (as shown in video)
Cable ramps and other items in video that are on Amazon can be found at this link:
www.amazon.com/shop/alanhamil...
Equipment used to make video:
►Sony ZV1 Camera on Amazon:
amzn.to/3HJWd3f
►Canon EOS M50 Mark II on Amazon:
amzn.to/3avOr1s
Fduce SL40 Podcast Mic (narration mic) on Amazon:
amzn.to/3frSrCB
~~~~~~~~~~~
Other Channel Videos-
Drum Mixing Tutorial Playlist:
• Drum Mixing Videos
Micing Live Drums for Kenny Aronoff:
• How I Mic Drums For Li...
3 Tips For Aspiring Live Audio Engineers:
• Live Audio Mixing: The...
Direct Boxes - What are they? How to use them? Direct Box 101:
• DI Box - What is it an...
5 Tips for Mixing Live Vocals:
• 5 Tips For Better Live...
Building a Concert - Production for Trace Adkins:
• Ever Wonder What Goes ...
My 5 Most Used Adapters for Live Sound:
• What Are My 5 Most Use...
Behringer XR18 Channel Walkthrough:
• Understanding the Behr...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Using affiliate links costs the viewer nothing extra, but the channel can earn commissions from any sales.
“As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”
"I earn from purchases made from affiliate links"
0:00 Intro
0:07 Duo Onstage
0:15 What do cable paths look like?
0:41 House Audio Snake
0:46 Backline AC Stringers
0:58 Cable Ramps
1:02 Stage Monitors
1:15 Midas DL32
1:27 Drum Monitor
1:33 Talking About Bands
1:45 Specific Tips
1:48 Prep Area
1:58 Label Mic Lines
2:26 What Gets Set Up, Must Get Taken Down
2:44 Lighting
2:51 Ethernet/Art-Net
2:55 ChamSys MagicQ Lighting Software
3:07 Chauvet AN-2 ArtNet to 2 Universe DMX
3:14 Challenges of Small Shows/Stages
#livesound
#alanhamiltonaudio

Пікірлер: 44

@AlanHamiltonAudio Жыл бұрын

No flown speakers... no monitor console... no US/MS/DS or cable bridge trusses... no SL250... no 3P power... no national acts. This video is a look at a small town festival that could be AnySmallTown, USA. In this case, since the bands are not fulltime, each band isn't likely to arrive at the same time, all together. It'll be mostly "Throw and go"- Peel one band off, put another band up as they arrive for their set. Line checks will also be soundchecks. On Saturday was 2 sets from the duo seen in the video, with a break in between for a parade downtown and then a full band that was self-contained onstage and just sent me L-R-Sub. So they were able to set and soundcheck during the parade, and then we restarted with the duo's 2nd set after the parade.. Quickly struck the excess from the stage and it was ready for the headliner. Friday night was a couple of full bands, plus a duo, and the 1st band had some guest musicians/vocalists during their set that we also had to accommodate. This is where things like the subsnakes and a festival patch come in handy- kzfaq.info/get/bejne/fKtifrWbndypdZc.html I always say it but likes and subscribes are always appreciated. And comments as well. The KZfaq algorithm likes video engagement like those things! Leave me any comments or questions. Feel free to share the video link. I didn't have much of a clip to show it, and the text blurb goes by quickly, but I'm using a pop-up style FOH tent with a black top on it. That black top helps cut down on reflections and sun bleed to help you see digital mixing screens, laptops and tablets on a show day. I have an Amazon affiliate link on my Amazon page here if anyone is interested in more info on that: www.amazon.com/shop/alanhamiltonaudio Other Channel Videos- Drum Mixing Tutorial Playlist: kzfaq.info/sun/PLWtgwSNlxTjMsX8H1K87UcAP17zYSZqsT 3 Tips For Aspiring Live Audio Engineers: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/qquIZbOj3MzMXZs.html Direct Boxes - What are they? How to use them? Direct Box 101: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/bM-nipiQrsedhZc.html 5 Tips for Mixing Live Vocals: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/pbZkpseh0NGymI0.html Building a Concert - Production for Trace Adkins: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/o5iUfdVmzLibZ5s.html My 5 Most Used Adapters for Live Sound: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/iayqg8tkur-ln3k.html Behringer XR18 Channel Walkthrough: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/rrajhrN8m7ivqok.html

@Bettys_Eldest Жыл бұрын

Until COVID I ran the entertainment for a charity beer festival (capacity 1,100) every year. I would have around a dozen local acts ranging from performance poets, through choirs to punk bands perform over the course of the day. Limiting drum mics to four, I was able to squeeze everything into a Behringer XR-18 digital mixer. To make it practical to work with a team of only three or four, as well as PA I provided backline and drum kit. Bands need only bring their instruments (drummers just their snare and cymbals). Small acoustic acts could have a couple of hot spot monitors, otherwise everyone else used iems, freeing up space on stage and also controlling volumes as we were located in a residential area. One of my team was dedicated to iems and mics, and generally charming the performers. Cleaning the headsets and fitting new ear tips between acts and helping acts fit or remove bodypacks etc. Performers were given a choice of Sennheiser mics, which were rotated and cleaned between acts. Anyone wanting an SM58 could bring their own. All cables and sockets were labelled, with a plan of cable changes produced for use between each act. In the weeks before the festival acts gave me details of where performers would be located on stage, what their AC power and instrument amplification requirements were, and an idea of what everyone wanted in their monitor mix. "Draft" mixes were set up in the XR-18 for every act. Four of us could get acts up and performing within 15 minutes of the previous act finishing. Initially we had a couple of acts who declined to appear as they wanted to use their own backline. In each case I gave these bands a couple of tickets to come to the festival, having listened to other bands play, most agreed to appear the following year. Some guitarists came to my home before the festival to try out the available backline amps, and I met a jazz vocalist at soundcheck for one of her gigs to try out mics. She went for an e935, she has since bought one to replace her SM58. Try to make things as simple as you can. Don't forget to test every piece of kit before you use it. I would spend a weekend checking everything. XLR cables are kept on reels. One full of 10 cables, another with 5 or 6m, and the last with assorted short lengths. Linked together on a reel I can check the whole lot with a cable tester in a couple of minutes. It's only if there is a bad one that I need to check them individually.

@AlanHamiltonAudio Жыл бұрын

Planning and preparation! I love it! That's how you have a successful event, and day... and keep stress levels low.

@jonkilowatt4442 Жыл бұрын

I’m a new subscriber! Enjoy your videos as they are to the point, not dragging it on like others. Simplistic, yet very informative!

@AlanHamiltonAudio Жыл бұрын

Thanks! :)

@MorrisLiveProductions 10 ай бұрын

Thank you soo much for this insight wow

@AlanHamiltonAudio 10 ай бұрын

You are so welcome!

@ChhotuSoundBaheri Жыл бұрын

Super 💓

@toddleach1108 Жыл бұрын

I have found that running stereo guitar patches to downstage for modeling floor units is now a common request. So that's my plan. Then, I have an extension xlr cable to patch the guitar left side and send to back for amp mic config if a player is on an amp vs modeler. So, both scenarios are covered.

@AlanHamiltonAudio Жыл бұрын

Good plan. The 12 channel DS subsnake has us covered if that scenario should arise in a patch like this. Usually, 4 DS vocals is about all that is need (as far as DS) for acts, so a couple of spare vocals and the rest of the channels can be whatever might end up close to DS subsnake and needing connected. It's generally just been acoustic guitars on the DS (and e. gtr amps US) when I've been at the venue in the video. But, it's all in the type of acts booked. Some places will have a wider variety of acts and throw more curveballs my way.

@aghoeghosa9180 Жыл бұрын

Am I new subscriber. I don't know anything about sound but I will be glad to learn 🙂

@AlanHamiltonAudio Жыл бұрын

Welcome!

@BjorgenEatinger Жыл бұрын

Super 😎 love your work. Is the Chamsys software still free?

@AlanHamiltonAudio Жыл бұрын

Yes. The chamsys software is free.

@rolandalston542 Жыл бұрын

You didn’t didn’t mention them in the video, did you mic the guitar and bass amps, use DI’s, or just have the amps bypass the PA? I have set up some small shows without having electric guitar and bass though the PA, and it was really hard to control the mix. Also, do you mic your drums for a small event like this one? Thanks so much for these videos, Alan!

@AlanHamiltonAudio Жыл бұрын

Oh yeah... Definitely mic'ed and DI'ed instruments. We essentially used a festival patch like I talked about in an earlier video: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/fKtifrWbndypdZc.html We made sure to have enough lines for the largest kit we'd see, and plenty instrument lines on each side of the stage (upstage) and then used whichever ones were needed at the time for each band or group. Same principle for DS subsnake and vocals and acoustics. I had 32 channels available to me with the X32 out front connected to a Midas DL32 onstage. IIRC I just had one dedicated line for bass with a long enough cable that each could reach USL or USR. I just DI'ed the basses. Didn't DI and mic them. This stage was small enough that it was simple enough to move it as needed. Sometimes I will do two dedicated bass lines on a festival patch and have one USR and one USL. That way, no matter what side a bassists places his/her amp, I'm covered with a line just a few feet away to connect to it. Guitars were mic'ed with SM57's. Drums were all Senn E604s (even snare). No bottom snare mic. B52A on the kick. I don't recall on the hat if I used the SM81's or SM94's or something else. DI's were Whirlwind IMPs. I had some active DI's there in the workbox but everything was fine with the Whirlwinds. Nobody had anything with a piezo that maybe could've benefitted with an active DI. The 2nd night there was a band with that was self-contained onstage so they were on their own mics and IEMs. They just sent me a L-R-Sub feed and their engineer mixed from a pad. That's why I was able to strike the DS mics and wedges like I showed in the video. I'm not sure what mics they were using. Even though the stage area was smallish overall, there was a decent sized crowd there as the day went on and especially later. And the venue does have a decent-sized backstage area which is great for band prep and dead case storage. And air conditioned greenrooms that are off to the side area too! :)

@djsummersausage Жыл бұрын

Hey Hoosier, do you cross paths with Chris Ramsey from Bloomington? I used to work with him.

@AlanHamiltonAudio Жыл бұрын

I have but haven't seen him in a few years now.

@2m0nster Жыл бұрын

❤😊

@huntercurry Жыл бұрын

Hey Al!

@AlanHamiltonAudio Жыл бұрын

Hey Hunter!

@AdamWhiteAcupuncture 22 күн бұрын

If I am at a small festival like this and show up with my own MR18 (for IEM and multitrack recording) rig (with ART S8 splitters to connect our guitars, mics, keys, drums into FOH stage box), is this a standard situation that the FOH engineer will be OK with? It also seems like setting up mics could take more time than allotted? Any suggestions?

@AlanHamiltonAudio 22 күн бұрын

So this is 100% a recording rig and isn't providing the band's IEMs/monitors? You're providing mics, stands, cables, etc... and splitter... but you still need the provider to provide monitors as well as FOH rig (obviously)? That does change the equation a bit... but I'm not sure if that is what you're asking either.

@AdamWhiteAcupuncture 18 күн бұрын

@@AlanHamiltonAudio Thanks, yes, this is what I was asking. I appreciate your videos and expert advice. Getting a nice recording of shows in multitrack format seems to require quite a bit of prep with running all mics into the splitter. I guess with all that prep work, makes sense to make some in-ears available to give options to the band in addition to the FOH engineer on the stage monitors.

@AlanHamiltonAudio 16 күн бұрын

@@AdamWhiteAcupuncture Yes, adding IEMs to the package would make it make a whole lot more sense to the provider. In that case, not only are you supplying your own mics and probably cables, but you're taking the responsibility of mixing monitors off the provider's plate. And being a traveling rig, it's likely already mostly dialed in for the ears and just needs a few tweaks and you're band is ready to roll. So, not only less trouble for the provider, but less time overall. BUT... if it's just about recording... then the provider will still have to do everything they would've done anyway, AND accommodate for the recording rig. They might be less enthusiastic about that, because it's more or less putting more on their plate and another place things can go wrong in the signal chain. Things could still go wrong even if it's doing ears too... But then there's more margin of error to chase it down because it's not taking time away from the provider getting THEIR monitor rig ready for the band versus just troubleshooting a mis-patch or noise. Also, with the rig doing IEMs, if there's a mispatch, it's kind of easy troubleshooting to find it... If FOH has kick on the snare line it's easy to figure out what got off by a quick process of elimination. But what if FOH and house monitors are wrong but the bands recording rig is 'right'? Or vice versa. Lots more to troubleshoot including something that's not even the provider's equipment. Soooo while most people would still accommodate and patch the recording rig in, especially if it was advanced days or weeks beforehand with the sound company, there will be resistance by some. And circumstances where it's maybe just not feasible due to lack of time for mistakes and lots of bands to move on and off the stage. Maybe in cases even where it was advanced, but the show day has had issues and the schedule gets tightened to keep it all on the rails. Definitely, incorporating IEMS into the equation is going to meet the least resistance.

@AdamWhiteAcupuncture 16 күн бұрын

@@AlanHamiltonAudio Thank you for putting perspective on recording with and without IEMs and the potential burden on FOH and pushback I might expect. I have considered a hybrid where FOH does stage monitors and one or two band members use our IEMs, but this sounds like it might be a big headache with more chances of miscommunication and failure. The easiest solution seems to be to get either a stereo out of FOH or multitrack out from FOH to send to our recording device/software (usually Logic). I imagine this might be somewhat customary. It seems that many venues use the Midas M32, so I believe that has either a USB out, USB stick port, or internal recorder. Thank you for your input, I understand that IEMs plus recording will be greeted more warmly by the sound man/engineer for the reasons you have stated. Incidentally, I was at a show yesterday and 10 feet back from the stage peaks reached 108 dB!

@TimmyP1955 Жыл бұрын

Sub-snakes and marked cables are far too rare on small shows ;-(

@AlanHamiltonAudio Жыл бұрын

You got that right! And neither thing is all that expensive. One is just some tape and a Sharpie. ...And there used to be sub-snakes on eBay all of the time. I assume that hasn't changed. Especially with bands going digital and using stage boxes in place of main snakes and selling the analog stuff... Heh, but they could still be using the old analog snakes as sub-snakes. One person's trash is another person's treasure.

@Pinkybum Жыл бұрын

That one time I had to mic up a glockenspiel - it was horrible! And accordions - the worst!

@BjorgenEatinger Жыл бұрын

Small cartridge condenser on the glockenspiel...beautiful sound.

@Pinkybum Жыл бұрын

@@BjorgenEatinger not if you are trying to monitor it too!

@andyevans2336 3 ай бұрын

Glockenspiels are relatively easy, SM 57 with a high pass of 125hz or so, accordions with or without amp? Use a D.I. Send mix to house, keep out of monitors if they have an amp, you’ll do okay. Try mixing the band Hillstomp, that is an experience!

@Pinkybum 2 ай бұрын

@@andyevans2336 That was the problem - the performer was saying they couldn't hear the glockenspiel above the on-stage music and I couldn't turn it up in their monitor without feeding back. In-ears are the solution!

@SuAmigoElilegal Жыл бұрын

Question monitor stage set up pls. We have to band 2 guitars and one bass guitar and 2 vocals. We usually put 2 monitors on the front and the power sub in middle of 2 monitors. The problem we r getting is that when we increase our bass guitar volume , our sound for guitar it diminishes and kind of muffles as the bass which we use bass eq Bout 60 herz frequency. The bass sounds just great and front speakers good but only issue is on the monitors. Any suggestions please

@AlanHamiltonAudio Жыл бұрын

I just saw this question under the Mixing 101 video and answered there. I'll copy and paste that answer here too: What I would look at is your overall EQ on the monitor output(s). I'd make sure I was using the HPF (low cut). At least 60 or 80Hz ... But probably/possibly 100 or 125Hz if you still have issues after trying something more conservative. I definitely wouldn't run them with no HPF engaged. Also, make sure you aren't boosting any bass/low frequencies in your monitors on the overall monitor output EQ. These two things will help with headroom and keeping mush out of the stage mons. And that should help clean them up. Also, make sure you aren't over-EQing them and cutting a bunch of mids or highs out of them. That would just exacerbate the problem. It's like throwing a blanket over the wedges, and it really gets noticeable when the band is playing, stage volume is happening, and now the monitors and the critical vocal range can't cut thru. Plus, any low stuff will seem to take over. Those are generic suggestions... I suppose a more detailed question might be whether you're even putting bass guitar into the monitors or is it just the bleed getting into them? The above should help either way, but if you're putting bass into the mons, is it because the bassist doesn't have a stage amp? If he/she does have a stage amp, is there not enough bass guitar coming from it that you still need it in the monitors? If you do 'need' it in the monitors, on the bass guitar channel, and the above didn't help enough, I'd probably look to make sure and HPF the bass guitar there. I'd do that anyway... Definitely 40Hz no matter what in a case like this if you aren't already. But I instead might even try 50Hz-60Hz... I might in this case do it at 60-80Hz. If the monitors can't reproduce the lows without trouble, there's no point in asking them to do it. And if the bassist is heavily boosting then that roll off might help you both. It's also possible he/she is boosting well below what is actually needed/wanted as far as the center frequency goes, and to get what they want to hear they have to put a ton of low EQ into it to get the actually frequency that is more to the right to actually increase enough to matter. BUT if the frequency was better centered (or if it's a low shelf, the knee freq is better selected) then it might not take nearly as much boost to get what they want to hear. And this all assumes a low end boost is the proper answer anyway... It's probably best to try subtractive EQ as the first line of equalization. First the high pass filter, then cut away where things are too much. For example, if there's a cut at 250Hz, that naturally leaves a louder low end and upper response in the overall frequency response. A little deeper dive on Bass mixing/EQ in this video: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/fLSRasSnyLu5g4E.html

@SuAmigoElilegal Жыл бұрын

@@AlanHamiltonAudio ok so I have a passive mixer and I use the mains outputs L/R towards the 18 power sub with a crossover of 80 heartz then to to L/R top speakers . Now these speakers do not get any lowers heartz because they get cut on the subwoofer so everything working great. Now from your comment I believe you are telling my that my monitors are not getting any frequency cuts correct. I run my monitors from my mixer from a monitor output and there is no option to cut any frequency like a HPF or low cut on monitors. So when we r playing live and and the bass player stars playing those EQ 60 or 30 heartzn, our monitors volumes demishied or we lose guitar volumes is like we lose frequency from guitars . Now is it because the sub is in the middle of the monitor Or because there is nothing like a crossover into those monitors and are actually getting all the bass. If that is the issue how can I add a crossover. The 2 monitors do not have a y settings for that at all they r 2 simple harbingers 12s we use for monitors

@AlanHamiltonAudio Жыл бұрын

@@SuAmigoElilegal What brand/model is your mixer? Your monitors are powered, powered from an amp, or powered from a powered mixer? Are your monitors fed from an aux send/mon send (from the mixer), or are they just getting the house feed from the mixer (same feed going to your mains)?

@SuAmigoElilegal Жыл бұрын

@@AlanHamiltonAudio Behringer Xenyx X1222USB passive mixer. I'm using power speakers all . I'm using the (mon) output on the mixer for my floor monitors. And for my mains ,the L/R outputs that go to subs , get cut on the settings and then up the the tops speakers. But how do I know they r getting the same feed house from the mains and getting or not getting frequency cuts. When the bass player plays the guitar , there is loss of frequency on the monitors as if they get muffle or something and my guitar and voices sound diminish

@SuAmigoElilegal Жыл бұрын

@@AlanHamiltonAudio i founded this on the model i have :aux send 1 (mono) is wired pre faded . Not sure what that mean or does this mean what u said earlier about sending the house feed or not sending to the mono ouput