Recommend a rackmount mixer for submixing drums

[boomerweps]

For IEMs, feed an OH or two and the kick into the monitor mixer. THAT cuts down on channels and the drummer ought to be able to balance himself (herself).

 

Route the full kit direct to the main mixer. The OH and kick can be direct out or split from the monitor mixer to the main mixer.

 

As a drummer and PA tech (rarely get to run sound), IMHO a drummer CANNOT mix themselves as a full kit adaquately. They can only come close with isolation headphones, still the LF seeps though.

 

Boomerweps

[Thunderbroom]

 

How many mixes do you need? Are mono IEM mixes okay?

 

 

Vocals (4 total)

 

Drums (7 total):

Kick (1)

Snare/HH (1)

Toms (3)

Overhead (2)

 

Bass (1 total)

 

Lead Guitar (1 total)

 

Rhythm Guitar (2 total):

Tube Amp (1)

Acoustic Amp (1)

One of these is used by the keyboardist who also plays guitar on a song or two

 

DI Box for Singer's Acoustic Guitar (1 total)

 

Keyboards (2 total):

Piano (1)

Motif (1)

 

That's 18 with no spares. We're likely going to want an ambient mic or two on stage with the IEM setup.

[DaBender]

I'm a real novice at this stuff, but I think you just articulated the number of channels, not the number of mixes. :-)

[Special J]

You shouldn't have to submix anything. Run kick, snare, and the 2 overheads through your monitor mixer. Enough of the toms and hi hat should come through the overheads to make your drummer happy. Experiment with the placement of the overheads until it sounds natural and balanced to the drummer (this placement should work well enough for FOH too). It helps to have nice large diaphragm mics for OH's, but it's not necessary. I used this set up as a drummer for several years. It took a bit of getting used to at first (as IEM's will for anyone), but it worked great. Another hint - have your drummer get ear-buds with dedicated low end drivers such as the Shure SCL5.

[Thunderbroom]

 

I'm a real novice at this stuff, but I think you just articulated the number of channels , not the number of mixes . :-)

 

 

Whoops!

 

Seven mixes. Stereo is ideal but mono is okay.

[Thunderbroom]

have your drummer get ear-buds with dedicated low end drivers such as the Shure SCL5.

 

 

He and I (bassist) as well as both guitarists are definitely getting the 5's. I think the keyboardist and out two lead singers are going with the 4's.

[Special J]

 

Because: With reasonable monitor capabilities and a reasonably job of submixing those voices, the performer(s) can somewhat effectively balance the mix when necessary, and those voices can be bumped somewhat more effectively as a whole as opposed to the drums IMO. I tend to tight subgroup keys and backing vocals more-so than drums... and when I need to bump the keys or backing vocals, I bump the groups more-often than picking individual input channels to bump. I also subgroup the drums, but I find myself reaching for the individual input strips a lot more often with drums than with keys or backing vocals.

 

 

I think you're looking at this from a FOH standpoint and not a monitor/musician standpoint. If you're on in-ear monitors the thing the singers will need the most is control over individual voices, which you won't get from submixing vocals. I could agree with submixing keys though.

[W. M. Hellinger]

 

I think you're looking at this from a FOH standpoint and not a monitor/musician standpoint. If you're on in-ear monitors the thing the singers will need the most is control over individual voices, which you won't get from submixing vocals. I could agree with submixing keys though.

 

I believe you are correct... I was: Thinking some drum submix kluge was making it to FOH.

 

I re-read the OP... I now realize Thunderbroom is probably intending on submixing the inputs going to just the AH MONITOR board... and the FOH mix will not be dealing with submixed drums. I believe I completely mis-understood. I thought the idea was to submix the drums to accomodate the monitor board, and the sub-mixed drums was to be fed to both the monitor and FOH board.

 

If I got it wrong in the first place and got it more correct the second time around: oops... I hope that's the worst mistake I make this week. Sorry about that. Forget everything I said about my rather strong stance against submixing drums. My sincere apologies to anybody who got their panties all bunched up on this subject.

 

I'll just stick a bag over my head and go away now... for awhile.

[Rbts]

When I have shopped for rack mixers, I always come up with this Ashly Mixer , even though I can never afford it. I think it would be reliable, and offer good sound.