• From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2008-10-26
  • Posts: 2,926

Topic: Any tips on a small stage setup...?

OK so I'm in a group that has 6 instruments and a extra guy for singing so 7 piece band.  3 guitars, 1 bass, 1 drum kit, and a keyboard (kind of like the Eagles only we suck)  We are playing our first paying gig next Friday and I was wondering if anyone had any tips on a stage setup.  We have a lot of stuff already and we think we are ready for an outdoor gig we are doing in August but this indoor gig has us stumped because it has very low ceilings and might be very cramped.  We have a power mixer thats 400 watts per ch. @ 8ohms, 2 Yorkville 15inch Main speakers rated at 700watts @ 8ohms, 1 16 channel snake, 4 cheap Peavy monitor wedges, 1 Crown XLS802D rated at 500 watts per ch @ 8ohms, 1 crown XLS402D rated at 300 watts @ 8ohms, 1 24 ch. mixing board, and about 14 vocal and instrument mics.  We were ramping up for an outside gig which we are totally ready for but after seeing the size of this room we are sure we don't need to mic all the amps or the drums and there is no room for monitors.  Volume is a major concern as well because its a birthday party so we need to stay low.  So if anyone has an idea of how to set this up I'd be very happy!  thanks in advance.

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2 Reply by Wolf5150 (edited by Wolf5150 2010-07-20 07:13:14)

  • Registered: 2009-09-01
  • Posts: 43

Re: Any tips on a small stage setup...?

Tell me 1st how you plan to set it up ?  big_smile

In small venues, drums rarely need more than a mike on the kick and and overhead for everything else.
There's usually enough projection from the snare to carry into the overheads.

  • From: Edgewater, FL
  • Registered: 2007-12-08
  • Posts: 5,046

Re: Any tips on a small stage setup...?

Sure.

Drums back center.  Bass and keys stage left.  Guitars stage right.  Singer in front of drums.

Mains on out side of stage on pole stands.  Mics across front to power mixer, power mixer to mains.  Power mixer monitor jack out to smaller Crown bridged.  Mixer amp to 1 monitor per side.  You will need some monitors.  Instruments wil bleed through your vocal mics.

Keep it simple for smaller indoor gigs and watch the guitar volume.  If you can't hear the vocals clearly then don't compete.  Crank it on solos  smile

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  • From: Edgewater, FL
  • Registered: 2007-12-08
  • Posts: 5,046

Re: Any tips on a small stage setup...?

Wolf5150 wrote:

Tell me 1st how you plan to set it up ?  big_smile

In small venues, drums rarely need more than a mike on the kick and and overhead for everything else.
There's usually enough projection from the snare to carry into the overheads.

Respectfully disagree.  Unless the drummer's a pantywaist, DO NOT mic the drums in that room.  Mic no instruments.

Trust me... I'ved grumbled at you plenty, now I'm telling you the truth. 

MuchExperience
Doc

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  • Registered: 2009-02-10
  • Posts: 470

Re: Any tips on a small stage setup...?

If the amps are going to be on the floor you might have to mic them.
This being because if it is packed, then all the guitar sound will simply absorb into the front row and well...nobody else will hear you. (Im taking it the stage isnt very high?)

  • From: Edgewater, FL
  • Registered: 2007-12-08
  • Posts: 5,046

Re: Any tips on a small stage setup...?

Jimi_lp wrote:

If the amps are going to be on the floor you might have to mic them.
This being because if it is packed, then all the guitar sound will simply absorb into the front row and well...nobody else will hear you. (Im taking it the stage isnt very high?)

Lean'em back.  Put 'em on chairs.  Have a troll stand there and hold them.

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  • From: Detroit
  • Registered: 2006-06-02
  • Posts: 5,807

Re: Any tips on a small stage setup...?

have the drummer not play as loud. that usually dictates guitar volume.
once that is set, instead of someone turning up their amp - that person should have everyone else turn down.

- Nic from Detroit... posting on JB's Forum since 6-2-2006
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  • From: Harrison, Arkansas
  • Registered: 2006-04-21
  • Posts: 3,155

Re: Any tips on a small stage setup...?

In small rooms I've found that you don't need to mic anything. If everybody has adequate gear, all you should have to do is have someone make sure everything's audible. I usually like to do that by being out in front for a soundcheck. Is the bass audible? Is the other guitar audible? Is my guitar right? Are the vocals right? Then just set up and go at it.

"And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make"

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9 Reply by jakey (edited by jakey 2010-07-20 14:49:10)

  • Registered: 2010-03-20
  • Posts: 536

Re: Any tips on a small stage setup...?

bigjeffjones wrote:
Jimi_lp wrote:

If the amps are going to be on the floor you might have to mic them.
This being because if it is packed, then all the guitar sound will simply absorb into the front row and well...nobody else will hear you. (Im taking it the stage isnt very high?)

Lean'em back.  Put 'em on chairs.  Have a troll stand there and hold them.


Amp stands- one of my best investments. Makes a HUGE difference, esp if you're playing without wedges. £25- cheap as chips.

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  • From: Detroit
  • Registered: 2006-06-02
  • Posts: 5,807

Re: Any tips on a small stage setup...?

I bought some $40 amp stands from Guitar Center. They are awesome. no more bending over to adjust combo amps, and also elevates your speakers more to ear level (doesn't have to be as loud then).

Another thing I've done at small venues back when I had a 5150 half stack  big_smile  is turn my cabinet around facing the wall. Other times I've put blankets over it. I have a plexi shield that I use now for my combo amp, but haven't used it for gigs yet.

- Nic from Detroit... posting on JB's Forum since 6-2-2006
Ask me about my handwound Great Lakes Guitar Pickups
Since 2010, Bonamassa fans have taken advantage of my JB friend discount = my cost + shipping. cool
  • Registered: 2008-04-02
  • Posts: 671

Re: Any tips on a small stage setup...?

The first thing I would do is ditch 2 guitar players  lol ...............seriously.
No P.A.= Vocals out of an amp.
No instuments miced.
No guitar amps rated higher than 30 watts (except the bass amp he can use whatever he wants).  smile
Small drum kit=bass drum, snare, tom-tom, a crash, a ride and highhats.

Thats what I would do.
Good Luck,
Jack

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  • From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2008-10-26
  • Posts: 2,926

Re: Any tips on a small stage setup...?

Everybodys had some great advice, although if I had to ditch 2 other guitar players one of them got us the gig in the first place so I guess I'd be on the chopping block.  I really like the idea of turning the amps around facing the wall we might try that this weekend for our practice.  Right now I'm thinking we will not mic the drums at all because he's 280 lbs of muscle and gut, we are going to mic the other instruments and run them through a monitor but not the mains and I have a amp stand so my buddies are going to use milk crates.  Vocals only through the mains.  There are 2 rooms we could be playing in and one is a loft so we are pushing for that one as the space will be larger... oh and no stage at all.  Got to love the big time gigs.

fuzzy wuzzy wrote:

The first thing I would do is ditch 2 guitar players  lol ...............seriously.
No P.A.= Vocals out of an amp.
No instuments miced.
No guitar amps rated higher than 30 watts (except the bass amp he can use whatever he wants).  smile
Small drum kit=bass drum, snare, tom-tom, a crash, a ride and highhats.

Thats what I would do.
Good Luck,
Jack

AD3THREE's Website

  • From: Was NY now FL/GA line
  • Registered: 2007-12-16
  • Posts: 2,855

Re: Any tips on a small stage setup...?

If it's a small room, you might want consider plexi-shielding the drum kit. Definitely put the combo's on stands. Or like Jeff said, get some trolls to hold them! You might think Jeff is joking around, but you really should take his advice to heart. He's no newbie. He knows what he's talking about. A wise man indeed.

Stay safe, learn & have fun! But definitely watch your gear!

  • Registered: 2009-10-27
  • Posts: 250

Re: Any tips on a small stage setup...?

Spider wrote:

If it's a small room, you might want consider plexi-shielding the drum kit. Definitely put the combo's on stands. Or like Jeff said, get some trolls to hold them! You might think Jeff is joking around, but you really should take his advice to heart. He's no newbie. He knows what he's talking about. A wise man indeed.

Stay safe, learn & have fun! But definitely watch your gear!


I put my guitar combo amp on a table or chair and YES.....watch your gear at all times.  I make someone sit and watch dog my gear even when playing in neighborhood bar where I know everyone--never left unattended....never!!!

15 Reply by bigjeffjones (edited by bigjeffjones 2010-07-21 22:15:52)

  • From: Edgewater, FL
  • Registered: 2007-12-08
  • Posts: 5,046

Re: Any tips on a small stage setup...?

Spider wrote:

If it's a small room, you might want consider plexi-shielding the drum kit. Definitely put the combo's on stands. Or like Jeff said, get some trolls to hold them! You might think Jeff is joking around, but you really should take his advice to heart. He's no newbie. He knows what he's talking about. A wise man indeed.

Stay safe, learn & have fun! But definitely watch your gear!

Thanks Spider, my brother.  But he's gonna mic the amps and run 'em through the monitors.  roll  How ya gonna hear the vocals?  If he were my son I'd hit him with a stick.   lol

I'm through
GoodNight

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  • From: Lancashire
  • Registered: 2008-02-26
  • Posts: 700

Re: Any tips on a small stage setup...?

I do this sort of gig every week, Jeff is 100% correct. We go about them 2 ways depending on space if we have space we use 1 monitor for vocals only! If we don't have space I put the speakers behind the band we don't really suffer from feed back.

Guitars of which there is 2, 1 left 1 right, bass next to the drummer at back vox front of drums all amps except bass on a chair. Oh and both me and the other guitarist use a 18w (me) and 15(w) him its more than enough for almost all our gig gigs. Anywhere bigger usually supplies a pa if not I Mic guitars and put the thru pa but NOT the monitor. If theirs one thing I've learnt its that guitars can be too loud even if there on low.

  • From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2008-10-26
  • Posts: 2,926

Re: Any tips on a small stage setup...?

See we are going to mic the amps because our drummer swears if we don't he won't hear us so.  I think he's full of crap but we are cattering to him there.  Our plan was to blast the vocals through the PA and have the guitar turned really low in the mix.  Like I said there is 7 of us and if we get spread out it makes it extreamly hard to hear the other side Stage Right will have stage Left in the mix and vocals while Stage Left will have stage right in their mix plus all the vocals.  Then our good friend who the band is named after will stand in a corner telling us to turn up or turn down our amps.  The mains will have nothing but vocals coming out. 

Oh and I checked into the Trolls they are on back order from under the bridge until August so maybe our outside gig they can hold the amps.  One of them has a nervous twitch and makes a cool tremelo sound with amps and a bit of reverb.

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  • Registered: 2007-11-04
  • Posts: 404

Re: Any tips on a small stage setup...?

I've done this kind of gig with lots of guitar before.

I put the drums back center.  Split the guitars so the rhythm guys are on opposite sides. Lead guitar more toward the middle on either side next to the lead singer.

The bass on one side the Keys on the other. 

This way your splitting up the amps and the bass and Keys have some seperation. It will even out your sound if you are not micing the amps. 

I'd run vocals and maybe a bass drum mic into the PA and see how that sounds. The drummer will have to make due and if its a problem bring him up stage a bit and keep the amps as far behind him as you can. 

Thats whats worked for me but every gig is different.  So good luck.

-Jeremy