First show smashing success; need help with bigger show

M

Mitch Miller

Sophomore
Oct 30, 2012
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I'd like to thank all of you for your recent input regarding bridging, limiting and setup of my subs with the iNuke nu3000. Show was an indoor bar gig for (maybe) 50 people, in a 15'x50' bar (pretty small).

This was my first public-performance/hired show. Everything went amazingly well. And on top of it, all six members of the band came up to me and proclaimed their appreciation for how well it went and how well they could hear. And, my contact texted me this morning and said he got more comments than ever regarding how good they sounded, and that I'm at the top of his list for sound providers.

From the back of the room, I was peaking at about 98db A-weighted, slow, but it was everything my rig could do.

They've asked me to be their sound guy for their next gig. An outdoor corporate gig for 1000 people. Aye! My rig definitely is not going to do that. (I've used it outdoors for a 5 piece youth band, but it's no where near concert levels.)

So, I think what it boils down to is what sort of rig is it going to take to make this band sound good for a thousand people outdoors? (Yeah, I know there's just a whole lotta information missing, but I have a feeling those hiring me don't know the answers to those questions, either.)

Thanks again,
Mitch
 
Re: First show smashing success; need help with bigger show

If you don't have the rig for a show, rent it out from someone you have a good relationship with. If you let us know where you are, or find someone on the forums who is near you, they may or may know someone who can provide the rig for you.

Also, corpie gigs don't need the loudest PA, just one that sounds good and isn't too invasive.
 
Re: First show smashing success; need help with bigger show

Max Warasila said:
If you don't have the rig for a show, rent it out from someone you have a good relationship with. If you let us know where you are, or find someone on the forums who is near you, they may or may know someone who can provide the rig for you.

Also, corpie gigs don't need the loudest PA, just one that sounds good and isn't too invasive.
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And DO NOT assume you can just "rent the gear" and hook it up and align it-if you have not done so in the past.

Hire somebody to BRING a rig and set it up/align it.

It also helps if they know what THEY are doing as well. Many people don't and just believe that if you pile up enough gear and turn it up loud enough all will be fine-NO.
 
Re: First show smashing success; need help with bigger show

Mitch Miller said:
From the back of the room, I was peaking at about 98db A-weighted, slow, but it was everything my rig could do.
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In a bar scenario, louder is not always better. I like to set bar rigs to peak at 98db at the loudest point in the room. Louder than that, and people can't talk. If people can't talk, they don't stick around and spend money on drinks. If people don't spend money on drinks, the event is a failure.

Now, as far as jumping from a bar gig with 50 people to a corporate event with 1000 people, that's a completely different matter. No, it's not going to be the same thing at all. You're dealing with a MUCH larger space as well as many many more people. Of course, the entertainment for the event may not be targeted towards the full crowd of 1000 people at once, so you have to really figure out their needs before quoting the job. Some corporate events just want background entertainment in a corner of the event. However, they may want the PA to be able to address the entire crowd, so it will need to be sized accordingly.

As stated by others, hire this one out. You should be able to find a sound company that you can hire to do the job and pass the cost along to the client, making a few dollars for your efforts. If you plan to grow your business, make sure the company you hire is representing YOU and doesn't just come along and steal the job from the client. Yes, there are some companies that will do that sort of thing.
 
Re: First show smashing success; need help with bigger show

Mitch, you need more info than what the band has given you. In "real corporate gigs" it is very unusual for the band to provide PA unless the PA is only for the band's part of the engagement (or the band IS the sole presentation).

If there are executive "talking heads" presenting, you can bet any band's PA will not be up to the task - you're working with some of the most professionally critical people you'll ever meet and if they can't hear the VP In Charge of Nothing Important or there is feedback squealing there will be serious complaints.

All this on top of the non-trivial nature of providing clear, intelligible audio for 1000 pax outdoors...

Get some more info. You may only need to give the corporate sound provider the left/right outputs from your mixer, or you may be on the provider's mixer. Too many unknowns at this point.
 
Re: First show smashing success; need help with bigger show

Thanks guys. Yeah, I'm still waiting for the band to get back to me with answers to some questions. I've a feeling the scope of this could be just to power their performance at some corner of the venue where this gig will be, and that it'll not require rock concert levels throughout and for 1000 people. That's mostly what I need to get answered first, then can move forward accordingly.
 
Re: First show smashing success; need help with bigger show

I have done this. Early set on a patio where we provided our own sound and levels were down so people could talk. And then an after dinner party where some significant system was provided. Either by the hotel or someone hired in. At one event we hired in a large rig and added that cost to the bill.
 
Re: First show smashing success; need help with bigger show

Brian jojade said:
In a bar scenario, louder is not always better. I like to set bar rigs to peak at 98db at the loudest point in the room.
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Is that dBA or dBC ? In either case we must have super loud bars here compared to where you are - I had to fire a band (for the second time :roll:) the other day that bitched about it not "looking" loud although it was 105dBC 40 feet back from the "stage" at the bar - folks seem to expect to have trouble ordering or it ain't loud enough. Strangely the owner thought it was just right and the best it ever sounded in there - glad I had earplugs (which I normally don't mix with). Dunno how folks could stand it close to the stage 8O~8-O~:shock:. Weird room, "stage" in corner of long narrow highly reverberant room, I used a single stack of a pair of TH-Mini's depowered to 450w each and an RCF 310a. Single stack to try to keep it off the walls and keep the intelligibility up, worked great IMO. But didn't "look loud" x(~:dead:.

Speaking of 1000 people, tomorrow back at an outdoor park that holds 1000 but hopefully just a couple hundred as I'm just using the TH-Mini's powered up to ~1200w each center clustered and a pair of RCF 310a's - freebee benefit :uhoh:. I did once cover it packed and had reports it sounded fine a half mile away - with that same pair of RCF310a's solidly limiting over a pair of center clustered 18" folded horns that I rarely use.
 
Re: First show smashing success; need help with bigger show

^ Arg, time to tighten the screws in the 310a's again :uhoh: . Great show, one act was a local "School of Rock". I figured it would be recital hell (if yah know what I mean) but they were actually better than your typical bar band - my faith in the upcoming generation of musicians is restored :D~:-D~:grin:
 
Re: First show smashing success; need help with bigger show

Ron Kimball said:
Is that dBA or dBC ? In either case we must have super loud bars here compared to where you are - I had to fire a band (for the second time :roll:) the other day that bitched about it not "looking" loud although it was 105dBC 40 feet back from the "stage" at the bar - folks seem to expect to have trouble ordering or it ain't loud enough. Strangely the owner thought it was just right and the best it ever sounded in there - glad I had earplugs (which I normally don't mix with). Dunno how folks could stand it close to the stage 8O~8-O~:shock:. Weird room, "stage" in corner of long narrow highly reverberant room, I used a single stack of a pair of TH-Mini's depowered to 450w each and an RCF 310a. Single stack to try to keep it off the walls and keep the intelligibility up, worked great IMO. But didn't "look loud" x(~:dead:.
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So if you ever "un-fire" them again, take both stacks but only turn one up, charging them double for the extra gear of course ;)~;-)~:wink:.
 
Re: First show smashing success; need help with bigger show

David Morison said:
So if you ever "un-fire" them again, take both stacks but only turn one up, charging them double for the extra gear of course ;)~;-)~:wink:.
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Och, the bands 'round here make youse Scots look like big spenders ;) . The place really does have the acoustics of a gymnasium and benefited from a dispersion controlled point source - plus the sightlines would have been messed up by more gear because the band was stuffed in the corner at a 45 degree angle.
 
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