EVERY WEDNESDAY

8pm - 11pm

Blackheath Rugby Club
Kidbrooke Lane Eltham
London SE9 6TE

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FOLKMOB SOUND FAQ

Microphones

What sort of microphones do you use?

They are made by Shure, model ‘SM58’ which is pretty much an industry standard. Technically speaking, these are dynamic mics with a cardioid response pattern.

 How many mics do you have available?

 The club has 3 SM58’s (plus a couple of Shure Prologues, which are of a lower standard). If I know in advance, I can probably borrow a couple more SM58’s.

How close to the microphone should I stand when I sing?

 Stand up close and sing directly into the mic. Being really close has two benefits:

1)      You produce a stronger signal, which makes the soundman’s job easier & reduces the chance of feedback.

2)      If you’re within an inch or so of the mic, a phenomenon called ‘proximity effect’ boosts the lower frequencies in your voice, giving it more body & warmth.

Perhaps the most important thing is to stay at the same distance from the mic; if you keep moving to & fro or from side to side, your voice will appear to get louder & softer. If you need to read sheet music as you sing/play, try to have the mic between you & the music stand.

 I’ve a loud voice, will I overload the mic?

 Don’t worry too much about overloading these mics as they can handle a very wide range of sound levels, including being used to mic the backline at a rock gig. If necessary, I’ll ask you to stand back a little.

 Can I hand hold the mic?

 Yes, of course. Hold the stem of the mic, not the grille and keep your hand still (unless producing a drumming noise via the vocals mic is a part of your act!).

 Can I mic my instrument?

Certainly. It may be worth experimenting to find the best position for the mic relative to your instrument (come early & have a word before we start). It’s important that you then keep the instrument & mic in the same relationship. Try to arrange things so that the back of the mic points at the monitor speaker as this will reduce the chances of feedback, though any instrument with a sound box will tend to act as an echo chamber.

 I’d like to use my own mic, is this OK?

 Yes, should be no problem. We’ve got 48V phantom power from the desk if you need it. It’s probably worth getting in early & trying it out.

Instruments

Can I plug my instrument in?

 Yes. There are several leads on stage, help yourself.

 How should I set the EQ & level on my guitar?

In general, have the EQ more or less flat, unless you’re using it to remove a known pickup problem. Start with the level at about halfway & be ready to adjust it if needed. Some pickups are much more ‘fiery’ than others, so it’s difficult for me to generalise.

 Do you have DI facilities?

 Yes, up to 8 lines can be DI’d.

 My guitar pre-amp needs phantom power.

The desk can supply 48V phantom power to all its low level inputs, including those running through the DI box. If you need to work at line level, I can bring a free standing 2 channel phantom supply with me if you tell me in advance.

 I’d like to take an effects box / tuner on stage with me

 No problem.

That guitar’s out of tune - can’t you do something about it, soundman?

 Not from the desk, no. The tuning of instruments is a musician’s job, not a sound engineer’s!

 

General

You’ve got loads of gear, what’s it all for?

 The stuff at the stage is:

1)      Microphones on boom stands – adjust them to get the mic in the best place for you.

2)      Instrument leads, which are connected to a multiple DI box hidden under the stage. The use of DI reduces the amount of noise in the system.

3)      The unit in front of the centre of the stage is a monitor amp/speaker.

4)      (1) & (2) are connected to the desk via a snake cable which winds on to the drum you can see beside the stage. It’s a lot easier & neater to run a snake than lots of individual cables.

5)      There’s also mains power available beneath the stage.

The stuff at the desk is:

1)      A mixing desk.

2)      A graphic equaliser, to match the overall response of the sound kit to the room.

3)      A power amplifier to amplify the signal for the loudspeakers.

4)      A control box for the overhead lights.

5)      A CD player

6)      A spectrum analyser. This lets me see how much power is being produced at what frequencies, as well as helping during the set up.

7)      A pint. IPA, please.

Come and have a look & a chat by all means, but expect me to get a bit busy from time to time.

 How do I get a turn on stage?

There should be a booking sheet somewhere about the club, just put your name to a time.

 Do you have effects?

There are a number of basic effects built into the desk and the ‘house style’ is to use a hall-type reverb at quite a low level. Feel free to take your own effects unit on stage with you.

 We’re quite a big band, what are your limits?

There are 10 channels available at the desk (if you need more, can I borrow a desk from you?). We’ve got 3 SM58 mics & I can borrow a couple more if needed. We have an 8-way DI box.

 Can I record/video this act?

 Yes, with the performer’s permission. I can arrange for a stereo feed from the desk if you need it.

 Can I make a multitrack recording?

 Yes. If you tell me in advance, I’ll bring suitable leads with ¼” TS jack plugs for your recorder.

 Why do soundmen say “one-two, one-two”?

 It’s a very quick & easy way of checking that everything’s set roughly OK. Say these words to yourself & you’ll see that they are tonally very different. That’s the official reason anyway; the real reason is that I can’t count up to three.

 Do you need a hand?

Yes, please! Even if you’ve never used sound gear before, it’s easy enough to pick up the basics. If you can get to the club early or stay a few minutes after the end, an extra pair of hands is always useful during setting up & taking down. Don’t worry, I’m not going to just vanish & leave you to it and I won’t push you to lift heavy weights.