Getting band volume EQs right!

So Glad

My band has a problem with volume EQs. I'm the lead guitarist so I like my amps loud (there's a surprise) and I try and get the others to the same or slightly less volume but they always either sound distant or too prominent and it's head wreaking. As well as vocals. I can never get a loud enough PA.

Any tips you can give me on getting the EQ right?

We are composed of a lead guitarist, bass guitarist, rhythm guitarist, drummer and 3 of us sing.

I play Fender Strat through a Marshall mg50dfx with a PODxt Live plugged in the effects loop (ar num num num).

Rhythm guitarist plays a Strat copy through a 50 watt Peavy combo amp.

Bass player a ****ty Harley Benton through a Behringer bass amp.

Drummer plays my ****ing Sonar kit because he's too lazy to buy his own!

Oh, and we play blues/classic rock/psychedelic stuff. We like our volume.

highlydebased

Throw a blanket over your amp...or turn it towards a wall

If all guitars are going thru PA it should be easier to sort volume issue

So Glad

Yes, I was thinking that. That'd involve more wires and inputs in the PAs. Should be worth trying though....

highlydebased

It would....

If you were to do that then the guitar amps would just be used as monitors for yourselves while playing

Savman

Turn the damn guitar amps down.

By the sounds of things, your problem is volume not EQ. Your solution is volume not EQ. You are not using the most powerful tool available to you, your brain, and the answer to your question is surprisingly simple. God forbid, someone has to tell a guitarist to clear the cobwebs from his Volume knob.

If you persist with the "make everything louder than everything else" idea you will face even more problems when you enter into feedback city with Vocal mics. I don't know what kinda PA you're using but if you're only running Vox into it chances are you can position the speakers better or closer to the Vocalists, maybe on floor as wedges. Try turning your guitar amps away from Vocal mics and aim your own amp at your own head.

So Glad

I've tried lowering everything down but then we can't hear anything. Something will be louder etc. etc.

I think that it'll be best to try and get the amps into the PA and use the PA mixer to get it right and use the amps as monitors.

Jeanious

So Glad wrote:

I've tried lowering everything down but then we can't hear anything. Something will be louder etc. etc.

I think that it'll be best to try and get the amps into the PA and use the PA mixer to get it right and use the amps as monitors.

Are ya talkin gigs or practice here? if its practice then puttin the amps through the PA will be no use to ya at all, cos its gonna be the same thing as havin 4 guitar amps to level off instead of two. Id say get the drums and bass to play together for a few bars to get a proper level, then add rhythm guitar then lead then vocals.

no need to put anythin but vocals through a PA in practice ya know, and youre supposed to be in a band, not some volume competition.

Karl Hungus

coyle wrote:

Id say get the drums and bass to play together for a few bars to get a proper level, then add rhythm guitar then lead then vocals.

Now this is some great advice right here. It's better to do things step by step, than to all rush in and fight for dominance.

Rigsby

Speaking as a listener and someone who attends a lot of gigs I can never understand why the general volume needs to be so high especially in the smaller pub venues. I'm sure the music would sound just as sweet at a lower volume. I have often asked the opinions of other people at gigs (thinking I might be the odd one out) and anyone I asked agreed with me.

John

If you can't hear yourself but the volumes are matched then you need to adjust your EQ so that the guitars, bass and the drums are not sharing so much of the same frequencies (i.e. don't boost the bass on your guitar too high or it will become a mess of bassy tones when the bassist plays, etc.). All the knobs on your amp do something for a reason, spend a while figuring out what works and don't rely on the volume knob solely.

Fingers Mcginty

Don't cut the mids too much on your guitar amp.