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Re: EQ sweepingI thought we WERE talking about mains. This is just one approach and it will definitely clean and tighten up the overall mix and showcase the vocals. Those boards are very limited with the channel strip EQ being only 3 band with a mid sweep. My experience with them is the EQ does not sound very good when you start boosting. This is more a classic rock and country style of mix and we are talking JV equipment. Of course it will depend on the microphone technique and the mics themselves and the tuning of the instruments but I have found it to hold true in most of those situations. We are talking small stages and smaller systems. The amount of garbage coming through the drum mics will usually account for almost half of the lack of clarity. The 10k overhead and hi hat thing just adds a little sizzle to the cymbals if needed. 10k is usually the top shelving band on those type of boards as well (12k on the Behringer sx2442fx). Remember we are dealing with a lot of stage volume and bleed from the cymbals on these smaller shows. I am also presuming there are no noise gates in use on the toms.That 500hz to 800hz range is an important part of EVERY instrument but you can't have it all competing for the same spot at once and expect any kind of clarity at all. I am suggesting very slight scoops in different parts of that range except for the drums to make a little room for the vocals. Virtually every classic rock and country record is mixed with elements of that technique. The other thing is stage volume accounts for a significant part of your overall sound as you do smaller and smaller gigs in the JV world. The term sound "reinforcement" has a real meaning at that level.Those are good points about the low end problems as well but those boards can't really address that very well except for the 100hz low cut filter and a low shelf at 80hz. The mid is a wide bell curve and really does not work for things like that. It is all a compromise at that level of board but you can still get a good sound with what you have to work with all things considered.This is not addressed at you Evan because I know you use speaker delay but for everyone else if you have the capability of delaying the mains to the backline it goes a long long way in cleaning up the overall sound and makes it where you are not competing for stage volume with the actual instruments but rather reinforcing them as needed.
Re: EQ sweeping
I thought we WERE talking about mains. This is just one approach and it will definitely clean and tighten up the overall mix and showcase the vocals. Those boards are very limited with the channel strip EQ being only 3 band with a mid sweep. My experience with them is the EQ does not sound very good when you start boosting. This is more a classic rock and country style of mix and we are talking JV equipment. Of course it will depend on the microphone technique and the mics themselves and the tuning of the instruments but I have found it to hold true in most of those situations. We are talking small stages and smaller systems. The amount of garbage coming through the drum mics will usually account for almost half of the lack of clarity. The 10k overhead and hi hat thing just adds a little sizzle to the cymbals if needed. 10k is usually the top shelving band on those type of boards as well (12k on the Behringer sx2442fx). Remember we are dealing with a lot of stage volume and bleed from the cymbals on these smaller shows. I am also presuming there are no noise gates in use on the toms.
That 500hz to 800hz range is an important part of EVERY instrument but you can't have it all competing for the same spot at once and expect any kind of clarity at all. I am suggesting very slight scoops in different parts of that range except for the drums to make a little room for the vocals. Virtually every classic rock and country record is mixed with elements of that technique. The other thing is stage volume accounts for a significant part of your overall sound as you do smaller and smaller gigs in the JV world. The term sound "reinforcement" has a real meaning at that level.
Those are good points about the low end problems as well but those boards can't really address that very well except for the 100hz low cut filter and a low shelf at 80hz. The mid is a wide bell curve and really does not work for things like that. It is all a compromise at that level of board but you can still get a good sound with what you have to work with all things considered.
This is not addressed at you Evan because I know you use speaker delay but for everyone else if you have the capability of delaying the mains to the backline it goes a long long way in cleaning up the overall sound and makes it where you are not competing for stage volume with the actual instruments but rather reinforcing them as needed.
