Members skier4467 Posted June 17, 2009 Members Share Posted June 17, 2009 Hi. My new band has its first gig this weekend!! I'm excited but nervous too. I'll be running the PA, as well as playing guitar, singing, and recording the show. I have 2 big questions: 1) Should I set the monitor levels first or the main first? 2) Whichever I set second, should I have the first's volume off or at the level I set it up for? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GCDEF Posted June 17, 2009 Members Share Posted June 17, 2009 I'm a guitar player in a band that also happens to own and usually run the PA. I like to get the stage levels set first. That way you know what's going to be coming off the stage and you can mix the house accordingly. If you do the house first, adjustments to the stage mix can mess up the house mix. Based on that reasoning, you'd want to leave the monitors on when you mix the front. That's how I do it. The pros may have a different approach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Lopp Posted June 17, 2009 Members Share Posted June 17, 2009 That's interesting, GCDEF. I usually set the house mix first, then set the monitors. The rational being the house mix may affect what the band needs to hear in the monitors. Whereas, our monitors usually do not affect the house mix. Either way, we usually do additional tweaks to both after initially setting both levels. However, I'm no pro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Lopp Posted June 17, 2009 Members Share Posted June 17, 2009 Oh, and regarding question #2, we keep the stage mix on when setting the monitor level. Either way we would keep the first mix on when setting the second mix because they can affect each other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members srp72ee Posted June 17, 2009 Members Share Posted June 17, 2009 I'll be running the PA, as well as playing guitar, singing, and recording the show. I hope you have enough arms to do all of that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GCDEF Posted June 17, 2009 Members Share Posted June 17, 2009 That's interesting, GCDEF. I usually set the house mix first, then set the monitors. The rational being the house mix may affect what the band needs to hear in the monitors. Whereas, our monitors usually do not affect the house mix.Either way, we usually do additional tweaks to both after initially setting both levels.However, I'm no pro. I find that most times on stage I hear very little from the FOH speakers so they have little to no impact on the stage mix. As a guitar player, I really don't like hearing myself in the monitors, so I like to get a comfortable stage mix going just with the stage amps. Once that's set, you can adjust the house around it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fireax Posted June 17, 2009 Members Share Posted June 17, 2009 That's interesting, GCDEF. I usually set the house mix first, then set the monitors. The rational being the house mix may affect what the band needs to hear in the monitors. Whereas, our monitors usually do not affect the house mix.Either way, we usually do additional tweaks to both after initially setting both levels.However, I'm no pro. I'm not a pro either, but that's how I do it too.It seems to work for us, same rationale, and why change.I am looking forward to hearing what the experts on the board think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members samkokajko Posted June 17, 2009 Members Share Posted June 17, 2009 I start with a line check if I have time. Get some basic gain settings. Then I do monitors and mix house as I go. Doing a little of both at the same time can be important as any changes you make in gain to accomodate one will effect the other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members session_of_jam Posted June 17, 2009 Members Share Posted June 17, 2009 I would set the house, then the monitors, (while the house is running). The only way you wouldn't hear the mains on stage would be if your monitors were loud enough to drown them out. But if thats the case, then I would be concerned what your loud monitors are doing to the house mix. Of course if you are playing at Madison Square Garden, there is a completely different set of circumstances, including the fact that you would not be running your own sound. But in a club or something, I would set the mains first, then bring up just enough monitor to hear your self sing. Listening more carefully, is always better than bringing the monitors into the volume wars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Shaster Posted June 17, 2009 Members Share Posted June 17, 2009 In a perfect world you want to optimize your FOH settings and then apply them to the monitors. If you've set up "source x" in the monitors first and then find you've got to change gains, switch mics, pad the channel..., you'll have to do the monitors all over again. But if your mixing from the stage, the hardest thing to do is deal with monitors while you're playing, so I personally devote a fair bit of time to the monitors when I'm running sound from stage. In other words, if I know I shouldn't have issues with a particular source, I'll do the monitors first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chris K Posted June 17, 2009 Members Share Posted June 17, 2009 my process (mix from stage)....check gain/levels on each input > dial in monitors since they have most potential to feedback > dial in FOH > small 1minute soundcheck while I am out front to hear the mains > make FOH corrections > 1 tall captain N coke > JAM! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GCDEF Posted June 18, 2009 Members Share Posted June 18, 2009 The thing about doing the house first you may need to adjust amp levels to get the stage mix right. When you do that, you trash the house mix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author Craig Vecchione Posted June 18, 2009 CMS Author Share Posted June 18, 2009 1. Backline. 2. Monitors. 3. FOH (with monitors and backline on) 4. Readjust monitors to performer preferences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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