What's you gigging p/a?

3938 Views 40 Replies 10 Participants Last post by robare99, May 18, 2018

allthumbs56

Discussion Starter · May 9, 2017

So much talk about active systems and subs that it's got me thinking about upgrades to our current rig. Anybody using an active system? With or without a sub or two? Whatcha got and how's it working out?

Currently we use a Yorkville M1610 powered mixer and 2 Yorkville 15" Elites for FOH and 3 powered 10's for monitors. Only mic the kick and my DRRI (to spread the sound a bit). Never used a sub. I'm thinking of going active FOH and maybe adding a sub and micing more. We're playing small to medium bars mostly 50 - 100 patrons.

Thoughts?

1 - 18 of 41 Posts

robare99

· #8 · May 16, 2017 (Edited)

3

My rig:

FOH: Yorkville Unity15's over LS800p's
Monitors: YX12's, YX15 for bass, NX750p for the drummer

Mixer, power amps etc.

Presonus RM32AI
Presonus CS18AI

Power:
Peavey Distro
IPR3000 for the Unity15's
IPR1600 for the YX12's & YS15's

Mics:
SM58's vocals
sM57, e609 guitars
e902, e906, 90°sm57 for drums
Radial DI's for acoustic guitar and keys

Lights:
Top: 4 - Chauvet Intimidator Spot Duos
Middle: Blizzard 3NX wash lights
Bottom: Martin Minimac Profiles
Antari HZ300 hazer
2 ADJ Fury Fog Jetts
DMXIS controller

Why I don't go all active? This stuff is all paid for.

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robare99

· #10 · May 16, 2017 (Edited)

4

allthumbs56 said:
This is some great stuff!

Overkill for my humble little bar pursuits and my poor back perhaps. How about the weekend warriors?

No doubt. We go all out since we are mainly an event band. It's nice having individual monitor mixes etc. For bars we scale back the setup depending on the gig. This one had a low overhead roof so we skipped the top movers:

We skip the movers for outside gigs. Don't want to get any insects in them, shorting them out or anything.

This gig was on the road so we skipped the lights and filled the trailer with drums, guitar amp, bass amp etc.

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robare99

· #11 · May 16, 2017

3

It all loads into my 5x12 gear trailer that fits into my garage so I can leave it all loaded up for the next gig., safe & sound. It's quite the trailer pack. 3D Tetris.

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robare99

· #13 · May 16, 2017

5

I think 4 hours from tailgate down to sound check. It usually takes 3 hours to tear down. We usually have the luxury of setting up the night before, and tearing down the morning after the gig. (Weddings etc)

I started with the FOH and a Yorkie Powermax16 mixer. I bought the gear to do all ages shows for my kids. I would rent monitors & a snake until it became a better idea to buy them.

Later I started a small company. Moved to an original Presonus StudioLive24 with QSC power amps. Slowly bought road Cases for everything. The gear trailer was next, then started I to update my light rig.

We started with home made lights I had from being in another band in the 90's. They worked out pretty good and really didn't owe me anything by the end. They looked half decent.

Then I upgraded to this:
6 pinspot 360's on top
8 blizzard 3NX
4 Chauvet Intimidator 1.0 scanners
Radio antenna truss

Upgraded to 11 blizzard 3NX and 4 Martin Minimac Profiles to replac the intimidator 1.0's

Looked great but the truss was now the weak point. I didn't want to take any chances so I replaced it with 2" diameter 11" triangle aluminum truss & better stands.

Then finally bought the spot duos for the top.

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robare99

· #14 · May 16, 2017 (Edited)

5

Everything is stored in trunks

All loaded up

Blizzard 3NX's and Fab5's

Spot duos

Minimacs

I do sound on the side with my small side company. Mainly bars in town, a bit in the next town. Bigger gigs like prom, Canada day, rodeo etc etc.

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robare99

· #16 · May 16, 2017

Man 4 or 5 times a month playing. I think we have 8 gigs so far, for the year. But I'm busy into August doing sound as well

robare99

· #20 · May 17, 2017

High/Deaf said:
Epic Fail on the bar's part. One of you can still get out!

_____________
Wicked system, @robare99 . I've used those Unities a few times and they are a great box. Highly desired in the Home Theatre world as well - as are the Danley's that their tech is licensed from.

Q: Do you have a light guy / LD or do you have them all programmed for the show? I've never seen so many lights without a dedicated operator - but it's been a couple decades since I did anything that extravagant.

I run it myself. I've done the programming in my basement, using DMXIS. I then use a behringer FCB1010 to control it. That has 10 foot switches, bank up and bank down foot switches and 2 "volume" pedals. There's 10 banks so you get 100 available scenes per bank on DMXIS.

I organize them in the following way:

1: verse
2: verse
3: chorus
4: chorus
5: chorus
5: solo
7: solo
8: solo
9: finish
10: big finish

There's the odd variation. One volume pedal controls the hazer and the other depending on the gig will either control the lights shining on the band, or the Fog Fury Jetts which are a pyro style effect. Basically a smoke machine with led's around the nozzle.

Here's a couple examples.

It would be better with a light guy & sound guy but that's just more mouths to feed.

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robare99

· #22 · May 17, 2017

Thanks! We do pretty decent for private events. With the odd bar, you basically take what they give you. It's fun bringing Robbie's Rock n Roll Roadshow out to play.

robare99

· #23 · May 23, 2017

I also provide sound & lights for a couple venues in town. Keeps me busy.

robare99

· #26 · Jun 1, 2017

Captn Platypus said:
You guys have got some crazy set ups. Is bringing your own PA a requirement for a lot of places? I think I've only had to provide one for a very few special events.

We always play halls etc that don't provide any sort of PA.

sambonee said:
That's awesome man. You could easily get sound gigs for $300-$600/ night. Sweet ride.

Thanks! I get $300 - $500 for sound only depending on the gig and $700 - $1000 for sound & lights, again depending on the gig.

sambonee said:
Now don't tell me you play a daisy rock!!! Lol. Just kidding. I do play a set neck daisy rock!!

What's daisy rock?

Reactions: 1

robare99

· #28 · Jun 1, 2017

Ahhhhh. No I'm an Ibanez guy.

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robare99

· #33 · Jun 2, 2017

Nice! NX55's would make great monitors.

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robare99

· #34 · Jun 2, 2017

High/Deaf said:
OH YES!!! Been there, done that - it feels like a million times. I don't know how many PA's I've sorted out - should have charged the venue more for that than we got for the gig.

It you sort it out so it makes sense. The you come back a month later and it's right back to the original shit show again. That's when I give up.

robare99

· #36 · Jun 3, 2017 (Edited)

For me, it was a Theater I was booked for a number of gigs. The mixer was installed poorly, not using aux's for monitors, etc etc. I went and checked it out, made a list of what was needed and bought what I needed. Rewired things to make more sense. Came back a week later and it was all back to the way it was.

So I just gave up and used my rig instead. Didn't bother with the installed gear.

robare99

· #37 · Jun 12, 2017

3

They put in a new stage at my main venue. The bands love it!!

Before: we just set up on the dancefloor

Now: proper stage. Wrangled an extra $100 to use my light rig.

It's pretty sweet!!

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robare99

· #38 · Jun 27, 2017

Picked up a new mixer. StudioLive16 Series 3

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robare99

· #39 · Jul 4, 2017

$400 to update my photobucket account.

No thanks

robare99

· #41 · May 18, 2018

Looks like photobucket is back.

Yasssss!!!

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