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What are you fav CD's to set up a PA pre-gig?


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Originally posted by Ear Abuser

Anyone have a favorite spoken word recording for testing purposes?

 

Just nick an mp3 off any Southern Baptist church website - or a televangelist for that matter :D Plenty of dynamic range there!

 

AS

 

PS - I am a Bible-bashing Christian myself, so no offense... :)

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I was hoping someone would suggest a good clean (PG), well recorded comedy recording. I actually downloaded some Bob Newhart stuff once but the audio quality was pretty marginal. I'm looking for something to use as source material while walking the room to test for intelligibility.

Come to think of it, some of that televangelist stuff would qualify as comedy......and if your system makes that stuff intelligible, it' s probably working miracles.

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Generally I will listen to whatever I've been working on in the studio, as I'm the most familiar with that. Otherwise, I'm more of a noise guy, and I'll spend time running analysis over music listening. I'm also a big fan of using my old Turbosound phase testers generator for analysis as well, it is very helpful in setting delay times, and for determining RT60 time. I'll often feed it to the stage and have the ME send it through the wedges as well. This works particularly well for lower level shows, where much of the stage volume is part of the house sound. I'll set a wedge where I think the middle point of the acoustic band will be centered, run the phase click through that(pointing toward the house) and then time align the system with that, starting with the closest speakers to the stage and moving out.

 

Once I've got the rig fairly dialed in, I'll toss on whatever suites my fancy to walk the room. Often times it is far removed from the genre of music that will be the flavor of the night, such as classical for a rock show, country for jazz, etc. However I tend to pick music that is not overly produced, ie, not alot of effects, especially reverb. Older AC/DC comes to mind....

 

A big key is watching spl levels, and eqing at the levels you intend to mix at.

 

For spoken word, I've got tons of VO stuff that I've recorded to choose from, both male and female, that I keep on my Ipod for just this purpose.

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i like to listen to somthing im familiar with, that is close to the type of music that is being performed. my prefrences being....stealy dan, supertramp, dave mathews, jellyfish, don henly, floyd, im not picky as long it is mixed well, and i know what is supposed to sound like.

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Depends on the genre of the particular gig.

 

I do a lot of singer/songwriter acoustic stuff. Where accuracy over spl is important so, I will usually try some female vocals.

Paula Cole, Norah Jones or, something I have recorded and familiar with.

Stealy Dan, Dave Mathews...good.

 

Rammstien...humm.

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Originally posted by Dan Magers


Rammstien...humm.

 

You've heard of them?

 

:)

 

I can't tell if the Old Soundman is serious or sarcastic sometimes - his advice is usually dead-on.

 

I'm trying to find Rammstein - no luck so far......

 

Sorta related to the original question - How do you guys EQ the FOH with the CD's you mentioned?

 

RTA? Ear? SMAART? Or other?

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Originally posted by unichord



You've heard of them?


:)

I can't tell if the Old Soundman is serious or sarcastic sometimes - his advice is usually dead-on.


I'm trying to find Rammstein - no luck so far......


Sorta related to the original question - How do you guys EQ the FOH with the CD's you mentioned?


RTA? Ear? SMAART? Or other?

 

Pick up a copy of the Lost Highway soundtrack. It's got a couple Rammstein tunes pluss a bunch of other stuff that is sure to raise a few eyebrows. :cool:

 

-Dan.

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Originally posted by IsildursBane



Pick up a copy of the Lost Highway soundtrack. It's got a couple Rammstein tunes pluss a bunch of other stuff that is sure to raise a few eyebrows.
:cool:

-Dan.

 

Just purchased Reise, Reise by Rammstein.....raise a few eyebrows is right!

 

As usual the Old Soundman is dead on with his advice. HUGE low end - great drum mix - very present vocals, acoustic guitars, synth, vocal chorus, metal guitar (recto) - lots of spoken word as well.

 

All in German - so I have little idea what they're saying - Sonically reminds me of a cross between Pink Floyd, Gustav Mahler and White Zombie. Very intense. I like it

 

Great for dialing in the drums....might not work so well at a wedding or company party though....

;)

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Originally posted by Audioeast

i like to listen to somthing im familiar with, that is close to the type of music that is being performed. my prefrences being....stealy dan, supertramp, dave mathews, jellyfish, don henly, floyd, im not picky as long it is mixed well, and i know what is supposed to sound like.

Have to admit you got good taste, just worked out the bass line on Josie, which was not one of the easiest, but lots of fun.

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Originally posted by ashivraj



Just nick an mp3 off any Southern Baptist church website - or a televangelist for that matter
:D
Plenty of dynamic range there!


AS


PS - I am a Bible-bashing Christian myself, so no offense...
:)

 

I work for a Southern Baptist Church...

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Originally posted by Stingray5

Have to admit you got good taste, just worked out the bass line on Josie, which was not one of the easiest, but lots of fun.

 

 

 

my kids would dissagree......

 

that is a whoppin Bass line ........dont you lose that number!

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Toy Matinee - Toy Matinee

Freddie Jones Band - Take The Time

4Him - The Message

 

This is, of course, after dialing in the system. Once I'm happy with it, I put in something by the artist or in the same genre, depending on whether it's private or if the prospective audience can hear the system from nearby. Tour Managers and artists generally don't want you playing music through the system that the band will be playing in the show. ;)

 

I have a trance CD that was one of a few used to make "flower" centerpieces for a record company, corporate event I worked, in which the flowers were two CD's glued back to back. They were all bad CD's the label had extras of. But I took a few home to listen to and, at least, came away with the trance CD with a lot of low end to really challenge systems. ;)

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Originally posted by fantasticsound


This is, of course, after dialing in the system. Once I'm happy with it, I put in something by the artist or in the same genre, depending on whether it's private or if the prospective audience can hear the system from nearby. Tour Managers and artists generally don't want you playing music through the system that the band will be playing in the show.
;)

 

When I saw Trans-Siberian Orchestra just after Christmas, they had the same 3 TSO songs on repeat/loop before the show. :freak:

 

-Dan.

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