Giggin': Setting up PA in active restaurant

[Klef]

I've witnessed musicians drinking after a couple of songs. It loosens them up, which is fine, but it dulls their ears as well and then they boost the volume and then the patrons are yelling at each other to be heard.

[TRW1]

I've played a few restaurants in the Atlanta area where they had tables set up in the spot for the musician. I had to wait for the customers to finish to even bring in my gear. This is where a Soloamp or similar type all-in-one PA is a lifesaver- setup is maybe 15 minutes and there is no need for any monitors.

When I was playing as a duo, our first song was always the same, "Knocking On Heaven's Door." That was our soundcheck song. One of us would EQ the other while we played it and we could alternate the vocals as well until we had a reasonably good mix. By the end of the song, we would have built up to the two guitar parts and vocal harmonies for a big finish. To this day, that song drives me right up the wall having played it so many times. But it worked, so if you have a similarly simple song you and your partner can play during setup it sure beats the sound of "check....check...check."

[bmc]

In small rooms like that, one speaker on a pole can often be enough.

I like the idea of the loop to check levels. Clever idea.

[[email protected]]

If you're going to be playing a lot of restaurant-type gigs, invest in a Bose L1 or Compact system. It will save you hours of setup and breakdown time, almost never feeds back, and fills a good-sized room at moderate volumes. I can generally have my sound up and running in about 20 minutes from arriving at the venue.

[El Conquistador]

Originally Posted by TRW1

. This is where a Soloamp or similar type all-in-one PA is a lifesaver- setup is maybe 15 minutes and there is no need for any monitors.

+1 on this. I am a SoloAmp guy, so, it really is no big production to set up with patrons on premisis.

Steve