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Organ & Bass
The British call it “direct injection.”
No, not like John Belushi doing speedballs at the Chateau
Marmont, but the use of D.I. boxes.
Our new friends Shawn and Kevin are dealing with their bass
and organ issues, let’s see if we can be of any help
to them...
Hello Old Soundman!
HELLO, SHAWN!
I am a bassist joining a new band where everyone uses in-ear
monitors.
HAVE I EVER HEARD OF THEM?
WHAT GENRE ARE THEY IN?
DON’T ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS!
I own a high quality DI/preamp that I have been using on
most of my shows for three years now, and in previous in-ear
situations with it, I've been perfectly happy with no stage
volume.
THE REASONS I WAS ASKING THOSE OTHER QUESTIONS WAS TO DETERMINE
IF THE “ACT” IS OF A STATURE THAT THEY CARRY THEIR
OWN STAGE.
BECAUSE THEN, INSTEAD OF PROVDING YOU WITH AN AMP, THEY CAN
BUILD IN A WOODEN OR METAL 4x8 PANEL FOR YOU TO DANCE AROUND
ON, WITH 18 SHAKERS ATTACHED TO IT UNDERNEATH.
SINCE THOSE LITTLE IN-EAR THINGIES CAN’T BRING BASS,
THE FINAL FRONTIER, TO YOU ALL THAT WELL.
YOU’D LIKE THOSE VIBRATIONS, WOULDN’T YOU, SHAWN?
IT WOULD BE PRETTY GOSH-DARN IRIE!
YOUR FEET ARE SMILING JUST THINKING ABOUT IT, AREN’T
THEY? YOU CAN TELL US THE TRUTH, IT’S OKAY, YOU’RE
AMONG BASS FRIENDS HERE.
AWW, THE NAME IS BOOTSY,
BABY!
Given the choice, would you rather have a bass amp on stage
at all, or not?
IT TOTALLY DEPENDS ON THE VENUE AND THE GENRE, SHAWN, I’M
SERIOUS. I’M NOT PLAYING AROUND HERE, PAL - JUST THINK
ABOUT IT.
IF YOU GOT A TECHNO DANCE BAND OR PSEUDO-REGGAE OUTFIT, DO
YOU REALLY THINK THAT THOSE LITTLE FRONTFILL SPEAKERS ALONG
THE EDGE OF THE AMPHITHEATRE STAGE ARE GOING TO KICK THE BASS
TO THE PEOPLE RIGHT OUT IN FRONT OF YOU?
NO, YOU NEED THAT SVT, OR BETTER YET, FOUR OF THEM, LIKE THE
MORON
IN KING’S X. OR YOU CAN DO THAT WACKY THREE-AMP LO-MID-HI
THING LIKE TOM PETERSSON OF CHEAP TRICK USED TO DO.
IF YOU ARE PLAYING “NEW
COUNTRY”, THEN YOU DON’T NEED AN AMP.
IF YOU ARE PLAYING SOME KIND OF PSEUDO-STAIND
SEVEN STRING WEIRDNESS, YOU NEED AN AMP.
Although I'd love being able to leave my amp at home and
just bring the DI, my main interest is for the best overall
sound for the most people listening.
Thank you for your help!
Shawn
YOU’VE GOT A GOOD ATTITUDE, SHAWN! I WISH YOU PLAYED
IN MY BAND, THE DIRTY OLD SOUNDMEN.
ALSO, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAVE A LOT MORE AUTONOMY THAN OUR
BELEAGUERED AMIGO, KEVIN. DIG HIS CRAZY SCENE …
I just posted this question on forum,
I ASSUME YOU MEAN THE LIVE
AUDIO BOARD WHEN YOU SAY THAT. THE ONLY THING THEY’RE
GOOD FOR IS TELLING YOU WHAT SIZE FUSE YOU NEED FOR SOME ANTIQUE
AMP FROM AUSTRIA.
YOU KNOW THAT ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER’S FATHER BUILT AMPLIFIERS
AND SPEAKERS, DON’T YOU? JUST WATCH, NOW THE PRICES
OF THEM ON E-BAY ARE GOING TO SKYROCKET.
BUT THAT’S NOT YOU, KEVIN!
YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT YOUR ORGAN!
… but I would also like to hear your opinion.
YOU’VE COME TO THE RIGHT PLACE, KEV-MAN.
If a church
organ’s speakers are located above the choir mics,
and interfering with the mix, would it not make sense to abandon
the speakers and tap it into the sound system with a d.i.
box?
SOUNDS LOGICAL TO ME.
I tried it for awhile, sounded great, but the organist
got upset and forced me to disconnect!
I would appreciate your opinion.
Thanks,
Kevin
WE HAVE ARRIVED BACK AT THE AGE OLD DILEMNA OF THE HUMBLE
SOUNDMAN.
POLITICALLY, WE ARE NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THE HEAP, MOST OF THE
TIME. THE YOUNG SOUNDMAN DOESN’T WANT TO BELIEVE ME
WHEN I TELL HIM THAT I HAVE WORKED AT 6,000 SEAT VENUES WHERE
I HAD LESS CLOUT THAN THE JANITOR.
YOU ARE HAVING A PROBLEM THAT IS IDENTICAL TO THAT OF SO MANY
OF OUR BRETHREN AND SISTREN, WHICH I HAVE DISCUSSED BEFORE.
THE POWERS THAT BE BRING US IN TO HANDLE THE SOUND, BUT THEN
THEY WON’T LET US HANDLE THE SOUND!
YOU DON’T TELL ORGAN
MAN HOW TO PLAY, DO YOU?
OF COURSE NOT, YOU’D GET FIRED. BUT THIS ORGANIST
THINKS HE CAN TELL YOU WHAT THE BEST WAY TO HANDLE THE AUDIO
IS, AND YOU CAN’T SLUG HIM, BECAUSE YOU MIGHT GET ARRESTED,
IN ADDITION TO LOSING YOUR JOB.
PRAY FOR A PERSON WHO (FOR JUST AS IRRATIONAL REASONS) THINKS
THAT YOU ARE THE MAN! IT IS POSSIBLE TO MEET SUCH INDIVIDUALS,
AND WORK FOR THEM OVER TIME.
IT’S NOT THAT WE ARE PULLING THE WOOL OVER THEIR EYES,
THEY INDEPENDENTLY DECIDE THAT WE ARE THE MAGIC MEN (OR WOMEN)
AND KEEP US AROUND AND TREAT US GREAT.
IT’S A WEIRD PHENOMENON, I KNOW. BUT I HAVE MADE THOUSANDS
OF DOLLARS FROM IT.
YOU DON’T DO ANYTHING OTHER THAN WHAT YOU WOULD NORMALLY
DO, BUT ALL OF A SUDDEN CONFETTI IS SHOWERING DOWN ON YOU,
SOMEBODY HANDS YOU A GLASS OF CHAMPAGNE AND A SPOTLIGHT HITS
YOU WHILE AN UNSEEN VOICE SHOUTS “WHATTA GUY!”
OKAY, MAYBE NONE OF THAT REALLY HAPPENED, BUT THAT’S
WHAT IT FEELS LIKE.
LUV
- THE OLD SOUNDMAN
