Members wheresgrant3 Posted June 14, 2004 Members Share Posted June 14, 2004 Since my return to live gigging in March I've played over a dozen shows. So far my setup has shined in every performance (I get frequent comments how good my keys sound-patch selection, programming, equipment). For the most part I am happy with the out put of my setup. What I'm not thrilled with is the amount of setup time and lack of simplified wiring scheme I have. In my current cover band I play guitar and keyboards. My setup looks like this: Peavey XXX Head w/ Marshall 1936 2x12 cab, Sennheiser Digital 1000 wireless-One power strip SKB pedalboard-Second power strip (from amp to guitar)w/ Vox Wah, Daddy-O OD, Boss Tuner- (2) 18 ft instrument cables In guitar Loop chorus,, Phaser, Digitech Whammy (2) 18 ft instrument cables Korg Triton-(2) 5 ft instrument cables Roland XP30-(2) 5 ft instrument cables Yamaha MG10- 8 channel stereo mini mixer (2) 30 ft instrument cables out to PA (1)15 ft instrument cable to keyboard amp. Grand total: Total setup time 30-45 minutes (ugh) 2 power strips and 11 instrument cables, all of which are all over the place. Lately I've been doing shows sans the Keys amp and just putting myself into the monitor mix, with acceptable results. We play small to mid sized clubs and we have enough PA power (3000 watts subs, mons mains) trhat for smaller places I can live without lugging the amp. Since I'm mainly playing synths (not a piano) can I live without running a left and right output from my synths and just run a mono signal. How will that impact my sound for playing strings, pads and some background organ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members O.K. Johnson Posted June 14, 2004 Members Share Posted June 14, 2004 Grant, Is there some reason you can't run a stereo feed to the house pa system (I'm assuming that's where your mono feed goes)? Keys always sound better in stereo, especially pads if you get any panning effects and swirly types. Helps for sound movement and spacial impact. When you use your keys amp, is it for your personal monitoring or is it for house amplification of your keyboards? Is there a reason you can't continue to send a stereo feed from your keys to the mixer and then to the house PA to get the stereo effect? BTW: With that equipment setup (keys and guitar), setup time is really ok. Cut that in half probably wth just the keys (well..20 minutes anyway). Cables are a problem. Little suckers breed by themselves when you aren't looking. --OKJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wheresgrant3 Posted June 14, 2004 Author Members Share Posted June 14, 2004 Originally posted by O.K. Johnson Grant, Is there some reason you can't run a stereo feed to the house pa system (I'm assuming that's where your mono feed goes)? Keys always sound better in stereo, especially pads if you get any panning effects and swirly types. Helps for sound movement and spacial impact.When you use your keys amp, is it for your personal monitoring or is it for house amplification of your keyboards? Is there a reason you can't continue to send a stereo feed from your keys to the mixer and then to the house PA to get the stereo effect?BTW: With that equipment setup (keys and guitar), setup time is really ok. Cut that in half probably wth just the keys (well..20 minutes anyway). Cables are a problem. Little suckers breed by themselves when you aren't looking.--OKJ I always run a stereo aux out to the PA. Two 30ft cables for left and right. My question is if I run my outputs from my keys using just the left (mono) output will that negate any benefit of running the PA cables in stereo. I'm pretty sure the answer is yes... I just need some confirmation. The keyboard amp is just for monitoring. We have plenty of PA for output and some of the smaller places we play, going through our monitor mix is just fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members protues9 Posted June 14, 2004 Members Share Posted June 14, 2004 for me .. I'm wanting nothing more than my edirol PCR30 .. and a road case with racks.. throw the mixer on top and run the cables.. that's it .. in the future I may buy another controller to run more than one rack at a tome though .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GigMan Posted June 14, 2004 Members Share Posted June 14, 2004 Grant - For a rig that contains BOTH keys AND guitar, I'd say 30-35 minutes is not bad at all for setup time. You have to figure about 20 minutes or so for 1 instrument alone (keys OR guitar), so I'd say you're not doing too bad at all. Let me know when you'll be playing in Vernon, NJ - I'll definitely try to come by and say hey! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members O.K. Johnson Posted June 14, 2004 Members Share Posted June 14, 2004 I don't know the answer, but will talk to a friend who has been doing live sound (big outdoor shows and stuff in-between). I would guess you have run out of inputs on your mixer. Yes/No? If not, is there a reason you can't run the keys in stereo? --OKJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GigMan Posted June 14, 2004 Members Share Posted June 14, 2004 Originally posted by O.K. Johnson I don't know the answer, but will talk to a friend who has been doing live sound (big outdoor shows and stuff in-between). I would guess you have run out of inputs on your mixer. Yes/No? If not, is there a reason you can't run the keys in stereo? --OKJ I think many of you are missing Grant's point: he CURRENTLY runs in stereo, but wants to know if he can run in mono without GREATLY diminishing his sound quality or not, so that he can cut down on his setup time. Obviously, one cable doesn't make or break you, but it seems like a good place to start. Is that what you're asking, Grant? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wheresgrant3 Posted June 14, 2004 Author Members Share Posted June 14, 2004 Originally posted by GigMan I think many of you are missing Grant's point: he CURRENTLY runs in stereo, but wants to know if he can run in mono without GREATLY diminishing his sound quality or not, so that he can cut down on his setup time. Obviously, one cable doesn't make or break you, but it seems like a good place to start. Is that what you're asking, Grant? Gigman.... nail on the head. I guess I wonder what the benefit is that I'm running my keys into a mixer in stereo and then out (in stereo) to the PA. I'm playing in a party cover band and the majority of synth parts are strings, synth, brass hits, organ and some samples mostly for effect. This is not some jazz group, or a solo act... it a loud, in your face band. It won't break me to keep my setup this way, however I'm looking to trim anyplace I can. And BTW... 35-45 mins is just setup... NOT including load in. By the time I unpack my gear, help assemble the PA, run my wires, setup and mic my guitar, setup lights, setup keys, load samples....etc I have barely enough time after a quick sound check to go to the bathroom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Darkstorm Posted June 14, 2004 Members Share Posted June 14, 2004 As is seems pretty reasonable to me. If you could find multi effects pedal that you liked to replace the seperate pedals, would be a useful simplificatin & shorter set up time. But while rest of band watches they could fetch you a beer & other useful things like that. LOL. You should of seen the set up time involved hen I was running 4 keyboards plus drum machine & sampler for my rig. 12 cables for em not counting electrical cables & power strips then stuff for either bass or guitar depending which was brought. Lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members O.K. Johnson Posted June 15, 2004 Members Share Posted June 15, 2004 Ok, now I understand with that clarification. I spoke to my friend who runs sound for a living. He said going from stereo to mono will make your sound appear to be "flat". You won't get the animation some of those patches will have in a normal stereo field nor will you get the depth you would like. He did suggest to go with stereo cables if youw ant to simplify and go into stereo direct out boxes. Those go to the main mixing console. I haven't personally used them (I use a direct box each for left and right channels. Don't know if that helps. --OKJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wheresgrant3 Posted June 15, 2004 Author Members Share Posted June 15, 2004 Originally posted by Darkstorm As is seems pretty reasonable to me. If you could find multi effects pedal that you liked to replace the seperate pedals, would be a useful simplificatin & shorter set up timel. Oh... that is much easier said than done. Obviously you don't play much guitar. Oh the horrors of Boss, and DigiCrap multi-effects units. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GigMan Posted June 15, 2004 Members Share Posted June 15, 2004 Grant - One other thing you could consider is some kind of bundling or tying up of your audio cords, though it may be tricky since your keyboards have the audio outs in a completely different physical space then where your guitar equipment. Sometimes for duo gigs when I run in stereo, I use a Hosa snake that has enough cables on either end to run 4 stereo signals, which for me is sometimes 3 keys and 1 drum machine - and the ends are color coded, which makes life a lot easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GigMan Posted June 15, 2004 Members Share Posted June 15, 2004 ...and don't forget to let me know when you'll be gigging in Vernon, NJ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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