Garage Days

[synjindog5150]

Hey Rockers,
Bassist turned singer, I can dig having been in the back line up just needing to turn the volume knob for more sound when I can't hear my self, but as a singer now, how do I best deal with over all volume levels of everyone when I can't hear my self singing... I tried a wedge but the host's PA is only 400Watts (I have a 2500watt system my self but they have no room for it so I am left to rely on the host PA) and can't slave/drive my wedge with any real volume that I can hear. I have now gotten ear monitors but because of the way the host has the band set up the two back up mics just pick up the guitar cab and the drums and shove them into my ears alonge with what little vocal sound I can get of my own... any real suggestion would be helpfull. I don't want to piss off the band because they have been together for many years and I'm the new guy with only three days logged in... but I can't even sing in the right pitch or with any real dynamics because I have to push so hard just to kinda hear my self. I am getting in responce to my delema that I have been given the hottest mic the host has and that the PA is plenty loud and they can hear me, but yet I can't hear my self over the guitar and drums to be truly honest the bass is more or less non-audible like me but he stands next to his amp so he can at least hear him self. if I can't fix the situation I may just have to move on to a better one. am I going mad for the wrong reason or what? what do you guys think? I need some feed back from singers who are in or have been in my situation. thanks

[Seafroggys]

tell everyone else to turn down.

[TriggerNYC]

the in-ear monitors didnt help? i hope you arent paying the host for doing sound lol. if its at a club. i just now realized youare prob in someones basement.

do one of two things. 1) tell everyone else to turn down (thanks froggy) or 2) put the wedge on a chair or table closer to your ears, and get rid of/ reposition thosemics bleeding the guitar and drums

btw idk what kind of mics you are using, but for practice, sometimes the "dullest" mics are best. if everyone has a really hot mic (or unkowingly a condenser), they pick up a lot. sometimes $6 radipo shackmics are best for small room practice bc they only pick up whats 2" infront of them.

[synjindog5150]

Thanks Trigger... the tip on mics could help

[synjindog5150]

Yea seafroggy I have gone the polite way and asked for some help from them by turning down a bit but I just got smiles and a little bit of grief for the asking. these guys though they are kool guys and can play just great... have been together along time.... and have gone through a few singers..... and from what I have gathered they were just your average budy who gets talked into singing in a band because he knows the songs.... I on the other hand care about my voice and tone and wether or not I sound good to the crowd even if its just a back yard party. I'm no rookie... but I think they might prefer one... to bad to cause I like this band they can play.... unlike most who play for fun only.. weekend rockers.. who mostly suck even for garage a band.

[TriggerNYC]

you guys are doing covers im assuming? where do you play? in or around nyc? maybe ill come check you out.

[Aaron]

Give them a gig or two of a grace period, then explain your predicament again but NOT at a gig. When you're just having a chat, whether it's after a practice or just at their place, explain how you're going to perform better if you can hear yourself clearly and how that'll effect the sound of the band as a whole.

[Aus_rock_god]

Hey Rockers,
Bassist turned singer, I can dig having been in the back line up just needing to turn the volume knob for more sound when I can't hear my self, but as a singer now, how do I best deal with over all volume levels of everyone when I can't hear my self singing... I tried a wedge but the host's PA is only 400Watts (I have a 2500watt system my self but they have no room for it so I am left to rely on the host PA) and can't slave/drive my wedge with any real volume that I can hear. I have now gotten ear monitors but because of the way the host has the band set up the two back up mics just pick up the guitar cab and the drums and shove them into my ears alonge with what little vocal sound I can get of my own... any real suggestion would be helpfull. I don't want to piss off the band because they have been together for many years and I'm the new guy with only three days logged in... but I can't even sing in the right pitch or with any real dynamics because I have to push so hard just to kinda hear my self. I am getting in responce to my delema that I have been given the hottest mic the host has and that the PA is plenty loud and they can hear me, but yet I can't hear my self over the guitar and drums to be truly honest the bass is more or less non-audible like me but he stands next to his amp so he can at least hear him self. if I can't fix the situation I may just have to move on to a better one. am I going mad for the wrong reason or what? what do you guys think? I need some feed back from singers who are in or have been in my situation. thanks


Assuming the PA in question has a mixer, I'd plug your monitor into the Aux send, and put ONLY your voice through to your monitor (aux send knobs on each channel, have only yours up). You don't need to hear the people that are backing you up, you're the lead singer, they should be following you not the other way around.

[Motleyguy]

wrong... everyone should be following the beat or tempo... so if it isn't a click, you should be following the drummer, who could be following a click.

[Seafroggys]

Lead singers are overrated in importance

[Aus_rock_god]

wrong... everyone should be following the beat or tempo... so if it isn't a click, you should be following the drummer, who could be following a click.

In the studio, yeah, but if you're in a small room with a guy bashing the living f*ck out of the loudest acoustic instrument ever invented you're going to hear him weather he's coming through your monitor or not.


On that note, another option is to have the PA speaker in the other corner of the room, facing you, so you cop the full brunt of the speaker. You'd just have to face the speaker directly and point the end of the mic towards the speaker to avoid feedback.

[Motleyguy]

In the studio, yeah, but if you're in a small room with a guy bashing the living f*ck out of the loudest acoustic instrument ever invented you're going to hear him weather he's coming through your monitor or not.


On that note, another option is to have the PA speaker in the other corner of the room, facing you, so you cop the full brunt of the speaker. You'd just have to face the speaker directly and point the end of the mic towards the speaker to avoid feedback.

Oh you will hear him, and it doesn't help with the volume issue. But he's still the guy you should be following, as should the whole band. And I hope by "end" of the mic you meant, the connector end.

[Aus_rock_god]

Ooo yeah, otherwise I would have said "business end".

By saying "You don't need to hear the people that are backing you up, you're the lead singer, they should be following you not the other way around" I ment the backup vocallists, not the entire band.

But no-one really follows anyone at the end of the day, because if someone f*cks up (vocallist comes into a verse late, for example) and everyone else doesn't compensate ("oh well, let's play this riff twice and try coming into the verse again, and hope the singer doesn't f*ck it again") you all look like a bunch of dang fools.

[Motleyguy]

true that homie, hence practice makes perfect. Drill that ****.

[Aus_rock_god]

Word. Lol.

[rastafar]

Move out of the garage will be the best way to get a better sound and better relationship between the band and your voice :)

You can check this one to get on the way out of the garage and into the scene: http://www.bestmusicbusiness.com/

Jah Bless
Jah Love

[Tripp_chaos]

Everyones gotta start somewhere... and Garage days was a weird movie...