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Question on live band sound systems


jvs1670

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Many times when you go to see bands in clubs and bars you end up looking how the speakers and sound equipment is set up.  I noticed that many musicians put a mic on a boom and place it in front of a monitor or speaker.   It seems obvious that they are then going to amplify that sound.    Isn't that going to introduce a ton of distortion as compared to traditional ways to amplify the sound.   I would love to understand what they are doing and why.

 

BTW I just went and saw Sonny Landreth last night and he was awesome, and yes he had one of the monitors behind him mic'd up which is what got me thinking about all of this.

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They're mic'ing the guitar cabs, that's the only way to get the actual tone of the amp and speaker.  In this case distortion is good and desired.  Say for instance you play with a Marshall stack with a tube amp.  You want that Marshall sound to be amplified through the PA system, so you set up your cab and put a microphone in front of it.  

 

The only other way to do it is to go direct, but you lose all the tone, you'd have to use an emulator for it to sound even remotely right, then the on-stage amps would basically be used as PA amps.  This works well for acoustic guitar, basically you only need a DI box for it, and you can get away with it on bass, but with electric guitar, usually not so much.  You're too dependent on the final sound of the amp.  

 

LoudGuitar_03_mikedorangecab.jpg?IAoEYOX

Edited by MetropolisLakeOutfitters
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Also keep in mind that they're usually not just using normal microphones that you sing into, they specifically make microphones that can handle the high SPL's in this situation.  

 

http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/18_Cab_Mics_You_Should_Meet

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