5 Piece Bluegrass Band Sound Help

[tennesseeboy]

Originally Posted by shufflebeat

Apart from my own musical projects I do sound for a loud-ish country/Celtic rock band. Their own system is the Dynacord A-series, 12” on top and 15” subs either side. The system is good, punchy and clear and has paid for itself many times over.

However, I was able to compare the band system to my own at rehearsals not so long ago and the results might be of interest.

I use EV elx200-sp subs (the ones you mention) under Yamaha dxr8 tops and the difference was very apparent. Electric bass and kick drum were tighter, with less of the “overhang” (that I hadn’t really been aware was there - I had been EQing out some flabbiness in the bass and losing some useful Hz’s in the process), mids were much less cluttered, focus was higher up the spectrum which gave much more breathing space for flute/whistle, fiddle and vocals to operate. Reverbs were clearer and more effective with less applied.

I initially thought the was less actual volume until I tried to hold a conversation while the music was playing, then I realised what I was listening to was just a more relaxed, cleaner sound.

Some of the improvement was down the the EVs just being excellent and some was the difference in audio profile between the 8” and the 12”.

Also, very much easier to move around.

Hope that helps.

Thank you. That helps a lot! Which EV sub did you put under the 8’s? That’s good to hear that the sound was “cleaner”.

Right now I’m looking at the EV ELX200-10’s for the tops and one ELX200-12 sub for the bottom. The more I read about EV the more I like them!

[zuzu]

The EV's are very nice but watch out for the handles if you go with condenser mics, those handles can focus their frequency (everything has a frequency) and send it across the stage like the old "acoustic lens" bass cabinets of ancient times. Finding that source was a real head scratcher, ruined a gig for me. You can cover them with a towel or jacket, etc. for condenser mics, with dynamic mics you will probably be fine. Gotta throw that bass out there for sure!!

[gfa]

Originally Posted by Robin, Wales

...

You could get away with single mic'ing at a farmer's market. Two speakers on stands placed well forward, and the band standing close together so you don't need monitors. A single large diaphragm condenser centre stage - the Rode NT1a will do the job for not much money. The bass can play through a kick back bass amp placed behind the band. You will hear it on stage and it will bleed into the single stage mic'. The thing with bass is that it carries a bloody long way. In terms of balance it will be louder at the back than you are getting on stage.

You can rehearse unamplified standing in a semi-circle - and play using the same configuration when either going sans p.a. or when using a single mic' to "lift " the band.

If you do decide to try out the single mic' route then I would suggest getting a 15 band e/q (Behringer make some cheap but good ones) so you can e/q the stage for feedback. There are resources on-line on how to set-up a single stage mic' for a bluegrass band.

When I was in a bluegrass band (playing dobro) we went down the route of a flat stage line, individual mic's for each voice and instrument, monitors etc. But actually switching to a single stage mic' was the best thing we did. It was so much more relaxing, we played and sang better standing in a close arc, had a lot more fun - and got booked more! It was just an attitude change to see the p.a. simply as providing natural support for your acoustic sound. The type of audiences/venues you are playing are unlikely to complain that the band is too quiet - it is normally the reverse!

Perhaps now is a good time to review your whole strategy and try out a few options before you buy.

Yes! Playing single mic (or even double mic) is really fun! Volume can be hard-won, particularly indoors, so an EQ is very helpful to notch out the problem frequencies and gain a bit more volume.

[EZYPIKINS]

When buying a PA. You first have to look at budget. How much are you willing to spend?

In your original post, you stated. Looking a "compact" system.

Are you going to be playing compact gigs?

You will be better served buying the PA that will handle the largest gig you're liable to play.

With these systems comes a learning curve too.

Not sure what kind of $$$ you're getting. May be beneficial to buy small simple system for small gigs. And rent larger system for larger venues.

[Robin, Wales]

Originally Posted by gfa

Yes! Playing single mic (or even double mic) is really fun! Volume can be hard-won, particularly indoors, so an EQ is very helpful to notch out the problem frequencies and gain a bit more volume.

Yes, it is a lovely approach to performing in public. I have a couple of tricks for making it work. The first is to have something soft behind the band, or plenty of space. So there's no bounce back from the rear into the mic's.

The second is to e/q the room: set the e/q flat - turn up the volume until the mic' howls then notch down that frequency. Then turn the volume up again until the mic' squeels and knock down that frequency. Then back the volume off a little. And that's your stage mic' set for the gig.

[tennesseeboy]

Originally Posted by EZYPIKINS

When buying a PA. You first have to look at budget. How much are you willing to spend?

In your original post, you stated. Looking a "compact" system.

Are you going to be playing compact gigs?

You will be better served buying the PA that will handle the largest gig you're liable to play.

With these systems comes a learning curve too.

Not sure what kind of $$$ you're getting. May be beneficial to buy small simple system for small gigs. And rent larger system for larger venues.

You’re exactly right. I was taking the wrong approach before all of y’all’s helpful replies. Our normal gigs are 50-150 people, with most of them being closer to 50-75. And my budget is around $2500. I’ve been talking to our local sound guy and I’ve decided to either get the Yamaha DXR series (2x10’s for main), with a 12” DXS sub for the double bass), or the EV ELX200 series 2-10’s and a 12 sub. They both sound great and have a ton of awesome features. It won’t rattle the windows out of the walls but I think it will give us the sound we need most of the time.

[tennesseeboy]

Do you any of you have any experience with the Yamaha “Bandpass” style sub vs the traditional front firing EV sub and how it would act different when being played through an upright double bass?

[tennesseeboy]

Update, we settled on the Yamaha DXR10s with the DSR12 sub and couldn’t be happier. We played a gig this weekend in a huge barn with 150-200 people and it was more than enough. Thanks for y’all’s help!