Mix My Drums From Stage?

[STELLA]

Did a quick search, didn't find what I was looking for. So, do any of you folks mix your drums from stage, and send a single signal to the sound board/person? I'm in a situation that makes me feel this is the best solution to the drum mix problem. And no, we can't sack the sound person, it's the lead guitar players wife... If I can do it reasonably do this, I will. Plus, I can use the same board @ home to record? I'm thinking of a small board, w/efx built in. I have good mics (SM57s & a Beta 52) and plenty of cables.

Thanks, in advance.

[Northern Redneck]

Since its the guitar players wife you might get away with it, but most pro soundmen will tell you to stuff it.

Im not a big fan of mixing onstage simply because what you are hearing isnt what the audience is hearing.

[Dad3353]

Good evening, Mike...

Would a training course for the sound lady be totally out of the question..? There would probably be a venue in your area that can offer this sort of thing, I would have thought. A couple of sessions with a pro would give her the basics for getting, not just the drums, but the whole band, to sound right. I had been doing lights for a rock band for a few years, but had the opportunity to have a week-end course, and, despite a fair bit of (modest...) experience, I learned quite a few things. We were half a dozen or so, and had a great time, too. Shouldn't cost the earth (much less than another console...), and all the band (and your ever more numerous spectators...) will all benefit.
Worth looking into..?
Hope this helps.
(...and no, it's far from ideal to mix from stage. Not impossible, but the results will, imho, be very deceiving. Not recommended...)

[rmandelbaum]

the problem withyou sub-mixing is youcant hear yourself in the FOH mix.

is there anyway to have a a friend play your kit with your band and show her how to mix your drums?

[longgun]

Since its the guitar players wife you might get away with it, but most pro soundmen will tell to stuff it.

Im not a big fan of mixing onstage simply because what you are hearing isnt what the audience is hearing.

+1 rarely does it sound the same.

[STELLA]

Thanks for the input. I did a little more research on the topic, you're all correct, it ain't gonna work.

The big issue here is, well, they don't really know what they are doing. Mr. & Mrs. X come as a package, Mr. is a good guitar player, many years on stage. Mrs. runs their PA and helps set up & tear down. She takes a sound man cut only when we run the "Big PA". Most of our jobs entail only setting up mics on the vocals, but, we do play a bigger place, from time to time, that requires the full PA. The sound is usually fair, at best. I'm really torn as to what to do. If I were to send a mix to her, I could say I'm just trying to make it easier for her. But, if I begin to voice an opinion about the quality of the sound, feelings will be hurt. (I saw this happen at a benefit my old band played a few years back w/ these two running sound)

I need to come up with a gentile way to discuss it with them, this is not going to be fun...

[rmandelbaum]

how about this, at the next gig, set up a recorder in the room. Of course you simply want to hear the band ;-)

then review it with the band, with all ears on it make some suggestions,

Just a thought

[longgun]

how about this, at the next gig, set up a recorder in the room. Of course you simply want to hear the band ;-)

then review it with the band, with all ears on it make some suggestions,

Just a thought

That sounds like the best way to approach it....make it seem like it is her decision to fix the sound

[rmandelbaum]

ask her advice on how to fix the things you point out

[STELLA]

Good idea. She is running sound for a side band her husband & I play in Friday nite. playing through the "Big PA". I think I'll do just that.

[Northern Redneck]

What exactly is wrong with the sound?

[atomcorr2]

WOW Stella , your from greensburg,,,, uniontown here...

[STELLA]

What exactly is wrong with the sound?

The biggest problem, from what I can tell, are the levels. In one job, the kick is too loud, then lost. The snare also gets silly loud, then goes away. The toms all sound like mush, no definition between my 12" tom & the 16" floor tom. I don't think they have enough rack effects to cover the drums, at all. Just enough to cover 3 vocal mics. Basically I can't get any decent sound through their PA at all.

I've played, the exact same set up, with 3 other sound people, with stellar results. Not to be "that guy", but, I'm very conscience of my dynamics, I play very evenly, and am crazy about the tune of my stuff. I get very frustrated when my wife tells me my kick mic isn't working, ect. This is becoming quite an issue with the whole band. The keyboard/2nd guitar/vocal guy is ready to pull the litte hair he has left out. The bass player doesn't use his stage monitor anymore, ("cant hear the S.O.B., why use it), and the lead singer/acoustic guitar wants to fire her! We are at a real loss...

[Texdrumr]

I'm confused. I thought ideally I would have each drum mic'd, an overhead or two, all run through my own line mixer; and then from this go out to the main board. That way I can control the volume of each drum, and not take up so many inputs on the motherboard. Is this not the case? I'm still new and have only played unplugged gigs so far, but I have been building my inventory of mics, cables, mixer, etc.

Maybe I'm translating everything above incorrectly, but it sounds to me like the line mixer I bought was a waste. Yes? No? Thanks.

Randy

[rmandelbaum]

technically you are correct, this will work but it means the person mixing FOH (front of house) has no control over how you sound in the mix. if you need more snare out front for example they can not turn it up, it would be your entire kit that would be turned up.

i do know a gut that splits his mics, send all of them to FOH but also feed them to his own mixer. then he takes a monitor mix of everything else into his mixer. once he gets everybody but him set he adds himself in. now what he hears in his in-ears is how he wants it and the FOH person still has complete control. he also can ad a click into his own mix

[Northern Redneck]

I'm confused. I thought ideally I would have each drum mic'd, an overhead or two, all run through my own line mixer; and then from this go out to the main board. That way I can control the volume of each drum, and not take up so many inputs on the motherboard. Is this not the case? I'm still new and have only played unplugged gigs so far, but I have been building my inventory of mics, cables, mixer, etc.

Maybe I'm translating everything above incorrectly, but it sounds to me like the line mixer I bought was a waste. Yes? No? Thanks.

Randy

The problem is the mix that sounds good to you onstage may not sound good out in the audience. You might think "Man I cant hear my kick" but since the kick is designed to project outwards, it might be just screaming and annoying to the audience. Thre is a good reason why the soundman should always be set up at the center point of the room.

[Texdrumr]

The problem is the mix that sounds good to you onstage may not sound good out in the audience. You might think "Man I cant hear my kick" but since the kick is designed to project outwards, it might be just screaming and annoying to the audience. Thre is a good reason why the soundman should always be set up at the center point of the room.

Thanks for both of the responses above. But...isn't this why we do a 'sound check' before the gig starts? To get all these issues worked out? Again, I'm new to this.

[Northern Redneck]

Thanks for both of the responses above. But...isn't this why we do a 'sound check' before the gig starts? To get all these issues worked out? Again, I'm new to this.

The room changes as it fills with people. Guitar players turn up. Drummers get caught up in the music and start playing louder, singers voices get tired.

[STELLA]

Redneck is correct, sound changes thru the night. These guys are 100% on target, mixing on stage isn't the ideal situation. The only way I can see to do it is to have almost constant communication with the soundman. But, that would be tough to move a slide in the middle of a song...

[STELLA]

WOW Stella , your from greensburg,,,, uniontown here...

HELLO UNIONTOWN!!!