Rehearsal questions (volumes, positions etc.)

[abyssofdreams]

We've recently moved to our new rehearsal place.
A 30 square meters room ( 5x6meters, 16x20 feet ), we share it with 3 other bands so our stuff (drumkit, amps...) is using just one corner of the room spreading to one side towards/along the length of the room if that makes sense.

We are completely unsatisfied with the overall sound when rehearsing and cannot figure out what exactly is making the sound über-loud and muddy.

We made sure it's not the playing itself, so we can exclude this factor^^

Setup is this:

2x 5150 with each an 4x12 cab, one like 12 inches lifted from the floor, the other one like 20 inches from the floor. Both slightly angled towards the drums.
No monitors, PA just for vox.
Basscab below one 4x12 cab from the guitars.

Postgain on the amps is around 2 - 2.5

I hope my description is not too confusing, I can upload a pic if needed...

My general question is:
Where do you place each instrument if only a small amout of space is available and what volumes do you dail in when rehearsing?

 

[smy1]

The best sound we had in rehearsal was when everyone was standing in a circle and was far away from his amp and all amps were directed at the drummer.

Oh, and make the drummer mute his hats (with a towel inside) and cymbals (by sticking duct tape onto it). The lower you can get the volume of the drummer, the better. Rehearsal rooms are not for sounding awesome, but for rehearsing ...

 

[pifos_2]

the idea of muting some part of the drums is a great.

 

[HeadCrusher]

yeah, if you can get drummers to do so! retards, some of them... :zombie:

 

[abyssofdreams]

what about gain on amps?
anyone know at what peak volumes you practice? 100db?

 

[smy1]

Turn down gain on amps. Makes everything much punchier. Lose high end on bass, too. Unless you play in a maiden cover band. It's impossible to determine volumes cause they will be perceived differently depending on the arrangement.

Consider buying Rockwool and putting it in cheap sacks and stacking that in the corners. That alone should help a lot.

 

[wishtheend]

My band plays in a room about 25x25 , so we ran big heavy blankets right down the middle horizontally to the entrance to seperate a couch area, and the other half the actual jam spot. Of which drummer is angled in the corner of the wall and blanet - facing the other corner. Bass is positioned a few feet from the wall on the other side about equal where the bass drum is. Guitar to either side kinda of at a curve making our line in a 1/4 circle.

Main thing is just volume. I always have the guitarists check last. Bring up any drum mics just to where you have the presence. Start when them completely down and just bring them up enough. The bass, bring up until you have a good presence that doesn't cover up the kick drum. Then one guitarist at a time bring up slowly until they have just enough volume to through the mix (but not so much to overpower cymbals)

 

[Soundlurker]

Definitely invest in some rockwool and cover it with cheap fabric.