Warning live sound engineers

[lepersmeesa]

Hey guys,

You may of seen a post I put up a while ago concerning my bands new live setup using a laptop with backing vox etc. I was just wondering what would be the best way to explain to the sound guy how to mix the backing levels with the rest of the band.

I have done it myself at our practices with vox and backing running through the PA, and get get a good level pretty quickly.

The other thing Im worrying about is we have some subdrops during the set, and I dont want to blow their PA, so again, best way to communicate these issues. Any info/advice would be much appreciated.

 

[MartijnPaauwe]

If your communication with the sound guy is good (and if the sound guy aint an arrogant amateuristic son of a monkey) i think it shouldn't deliver a problem
The subdrops shouldn't be a problem either with a good PA system, always put a DI box in the chain with the laptop -> soundboard though because :
1) You DONT want you're backing vocals with an annoying humming, and you'll get a hum when inserting the laptop outs directly in the mixer
2) If the output from the laptop is too loud you will always have a -20dB option

I hope the info is enough

 

[-Gavin-]

We have this exact same problem...

We're gonna be using a click at all the summer fests as well as some extra playback keyboards (Extra brass, choirs, strings) underneath as well as subdrops...

Just bought a tranzport and will do Laptop - Edirol UA-25 - ART ZDirect passive DI - Mixer.

 

[lepersmeesa]

Ok cool,

Well basically at the moment, I have got two balanced jack to male XLR's coming out of two outputs on my Digi 003R.

You can't see the wiring, but thats what we are dealing with, do I still need DI's?

 

[Kadmium]

Do I still need DI's?

Nope, not with balanced outs.

 

[punkrockacademyfightsong]

I´d say that it´s pretty important to check the laptop signal with the loudest sound that´s gonna come out of it. if the soundguy ajusts his gain, level and perhaps DI pad to this then there shouldn´t be any problem with anything not handeling the signal during the show. just make it clear that that is the loudest sound that´s gonna come out of it and that everything else should be audible.

 

[ahjteam]

We're gonna be using a click at all the summer fests as well as some extra playback keyboards (Extra brass, choirs, strings) underneath as well as subdrops...

TIP: NEVER EVER route the click thru the FOH/monitor-console, take it straight to the drummers mixer. A drummer that I mixed for one tour also plays in the backing band of a highly successful Finnish female rocksinger (that shall remain unnamed), said that it was quite horrible to hear "tik tik tik tik tik tik" from the festival PA. And of course, the drummer didn't hear the click at all.


Summa summarum: Everything else to the monitor-engineer for distribution, but take the click straight to the drummer