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  #46  
Old 08-12-2022, 07:45 PM
lkingston lkingston is offline
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Default Evolve 30M post-live use update

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I’m doing a 70s themed party this afternoon (August 12, 2022). The sound at sound check was just so amazingly good! Perfect really!
Not a great gig sound wise. Nowhere near as good as I thought it would be at sound-check.

There were several things going against me. Low reflective ceilings, an audience of older people, many wearing hearing aids, everyone was talking because it was a party, and when I played they just started talking louder. The 120 degree spread (vs. the 180 degree spread of a Bose column) really shows itself once the volume goes up a little. Loud volume was completely inappropriate for the audience, but there was no other way I could hear myself. My Bose S1 Pro as a monitor would have really helped significantly.

I would have been better of just using my Elite Acoustics D6-58 behind me. It would have been more volume in my ear, with a quicker falloff over distance that would have made everyone happier.

I really think I just need to avoid any sort of gig where I am just background music going forward.

Last edited by lkingston; 08-12-2022 at 08:07 PM.
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  #47  
Old 08-12-2022, 09:48 PM
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Chriscom Chriscom is offline
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Originally Posted by lkingston View Post
Not a great gig sound wise. Nowhere near as good as I thought it would be at sound-check.

There were several things going against me...
It can be so site-dependent. I've never done this in the field, but I can think of some indoor venues where I wouldn't want the 180-deg. spread of my Bose L1M2--harsh surfaces left and right that would bounce around the end of the shoebox. The somewhat more point-source of a 30m seems like a better fit there (and others who have played in the place I'm thinking of verify that). On the other hand, there's an insanely horizontal left-right place I'm trying to get booked at, and despite all the extra cables and pieces I'll probably bring my L1M2 there instead of the 30m.

As for being background wallpaper--occupational hazard, lovely if you can avoid it!
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  #48  
Old 08-13-2022, 05:30 AM
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Methos1979 Methos1979 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lkingston View Post
Not a great gig sound wise. Nowhere near as good as I thought it would be at sound-check.

There were several things going against me. Low reflective ceilings, an audience of older people, many wearing hearing aids, everyone was talking because it was a party, and when I played they just started talking louder. The 120 degree spread (vs. the 180 degree spread of a Bose column) really shows itself once the volume goes up a little. Loud volume was completely inappropriate for the audience, but there was no other way I could hear myself. My Bose S1 Pro as a monitor would have really helped significantly.

I would have been better of just using my Elite Acoustics D6-58 behind me. It would have been more volume in my ear, with a quicker falloff over distance that would have made everyone happier.

I really think I just need to avoid any sort of gig where I am just background music going forward.
Bummer that it didn't go as you thought it would. I try to never get my expectations up for any gig so I'm not disappointed if it doesn't go well but I'm delighted if it does. I've gone to keeping my D6-58 in the trunk as a backup in case of EV30M failure, power failure, power unavailable or need for a monitor. There's been a few times I could have and probably should have used it for a monitor.

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It can be so site-dependent. I've never done this in the field, but I can think of some indoor venues where I wouldn't want the 180-deg. spread of my Bose L1M2--harsh surfaces left and right that would bounce around the end of the shoebox. The somewhat more point-source of a 30m seems like a better fit there (and others who have played in the place I'm thinking of verify that). On the other hand, there's an insanely horizontal left-right place I'm trying to get booked at, and despite all the extra cables and pieces I'll probably bring my L1M2 there instead of the 30m.

As for being background wallpaper--occupational hazard, lovely if you can avoid it!
I've got a thread over in the main forum all about being background music called 'Getting paid to practice'. After playing a couple of these gigs (vs. the ALF gigs where people ARE listening to you) we're considering not playing them anymore if we can avoid it.
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  #49  
Old 08-13-2022, 07:00 AM
lkingston lkingston is offline
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Bummer that it didn't go as you thought it would. I try to never get my expectations up for any gig so I'm not disappointed if it doesn't go well but I'm delighted if it does. I've gone to keeping my D6-58 in the trunk as a backup in case of EV30M failure, power failure, power unavailable or need for a monitor. There's been a few times I could have and probably should have used it for a monitor.



I've got a thread over in the main forum all about being background music called 'Getting paid to practice'. After playing a couple of these gigs (vs. the ALF gigs where people ARE listening to you) we're considering not playing them anymore if we can avoid it.
With a monitor, I could have played at a fraction of the volume. My hearing is very limited (one side deaf and the other side impaired). I play an involved type of fingerstyle, and I really need to hear what I’m doing. If the audience just wants background music that they can talk over and I am hearing the same level as they are hearing, it isn’t enough. Either a monitor or in ear monitors would let me give them less.

I do hate being background music though.
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  #50  
Old 08-14-2022, 05:43 AM
willymartin willymartin is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lkingston View Post
Not a great gig sound wise. Nowhere near as good as I thought it would be at sound-check.

There were several things going against me. Low reflective ceilings, an audience of older people, many wearing hearing aids, everyone was talking because it was a party, and when I played they just started talking louder. The 120 degree spread (vs. the 180 degree spread of a Bose column) really shows itself once the volume goes up a little. Loud volume was completely inappropriate for the audience, but there was no other way I could hear myself. My Bose S1 Pro as a monitor would have really helped significantly.

I would have been better of just using my Elite Acoustics D6-58 behind me. It would have been more volume in my ear, with a quicker falloff over distance that would have made everyone happier.

I really think I just need to avoid any sort of gig where I am just background music going forward.
More people are listening than you think. A trick we use is actually lower the volume. Another is to do a small section of acapella...you'll notice the crowd go very quiet. Otherwise...it's a paid practice and you might have lower pressure and more fun. Try new things (leads, key changes, a medley/Mashup, new pedals, etc). My band plays almost all originals and grow a ton on stage... on nights where we relax and experiment with talking crowds.
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  #51  
Old 08-14-2022, 06:55 AM
lkingston lkingston is offline
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Default Evolve 30M post-live use update

My problem is that I’m half deaf, so I can’t lower the volume that much and still play. I am completely deaf in one ear and impaired in the other. If I was just strumming chord shapes, it would be different, but I am playing fingerstyle arrangements of the parts a whole band would play. I need to hear myself clearly. just need a monitor, IEM, or guitar amp in addition to the column for the times when I can’t compete with a talking audience.

Last edited by lkingston; 08-14-2022 at 08:46 AM.
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  #52  
Old 08-14-2022, 04:07 PM
tbtxaz21 tbtxaz21 is offline
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Just being background music isn’t the best but I agree with the paid practice idea. It also kind of makes us work harder in a fun way to see if we can “get” the room, so to speak.

But it’s better than just playing to bartenders, which we’ve done too. Lol
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  #53  
Old 08-14-2022, 06:46 PM
lkingston lkingston is offline
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When I play out plugging into any other PA system, I use an acoustic amp so that I can hear myself. I haven’t been doing that with the 30M because I have control of it. I think I just need to use the small amp with the 30M as well. Not because of any deficiency in the 30M, but because of my hearing loss.
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