Conference napalm::guitar

    
    I've noticed that only one band is using Keyboards.  That does make
    life a lot easier on the engineer.
    
    I'll be bringing a half-stack with channel switching capabilities.
    While my band does go on second, anyone who would like to use it
    is welcome too.  Send mail to ERASER::BUCKLEY to notify.
    
    On a side note, it seems the bands in this jam are very `guitar'
    orientated...it should prove to be interesting.
    
    wjb

    wjb what sort of amp is it? or should I say what sort of marshall
    is it?
    
    I think we're on last but I'll use it if it's still there....
    
    does it have reverb?
    
    dave

    Our group is going on third, and I'll be using my Seymour Duncan
    Convertible 100, which also has channel switching (and reverb).
    It has a single 12" speaker, but puts out a lot of sound and should
    be ok with the PA regardless of the size of the hall. I'm willing
    to let others use it, and I wouldn't really mind using others' stuff,
    except that in my experience it takes time to get used to the sounds
    out of an amp you aren't familiar with. I've had this for about
    six months and I'm still learning how to get the sounds I like from
    it. Since it's so small it would be pretty easy to get it on and
    off stage. Also, I don't use any effects except the channel footswitch,
    so that simplifies setting up.
    
    Our group is the group with the keys, and they will be going through
    their own amp (John Mackay, who will also be playing guitar through
    the same amp). Also, Karen Q will be using a third amp. I don't
    know if she would be comfortable playing through the Marshall (Karen?).

    As far as the bass goes, the only bad thing I remember from FallJam was
    that Dan D was complaining that he couldn't hear himself on stage. I
    think if the bass is going through the PA and the amp is used just as a
    monitor that should be ok. 
    
    Another thing, we would like to use acoustic guitar on some of the
    things we are doing. I have a Martin with a Seymour Duncan transducer
    pickup, which doesn't sound bad, but I usually run this through a
    PA. The question is, will I need a monitor amp for this as well?

    In case this is getting confusing, here's our configuration:
    
    	Karen Quatromoni (vocals) (guitar2) (guitar4)
    	John Mackay      (vocals) (guitar3) (keys) (guitar4)
	Ram Sudama	 (vocals) (guitar1) (guitar4)
	Miguel Melendez	 (bass)
	Kevin Mara	 (vocals) (drums)
	Ed Bernstein	 (vocals) (percussion)

    where:
    
    	guitar1 = Gibson into Seymour Duncan 100
    	guitar2 = Ibanez into Peavey (or Fender Bandmaster)
    	guitar3 = Fender into Sunn
    	guitar4 = Martin acoustic into ???
	keys    = Roland synth into Sunn    

    One other question, Bill, does your Marshall have tremolo?
    
    - Ram

    Re: .1
    
    What do you mean by saying that it looks like the bands are mostly
    guitar-oriented?  It looks to ME like they are all DRUM-oriented!
    
    I mean, they do ALL have drums...
    
     	Some people are so self-centered.............   :^)

    
    They ARE mostly guitar oriented!  Drums are fine, but they provide,
    for the most part, no harmonic influence over a band's timbre.
    
    So there!
    
    ;^>
    
    Re: marshall.
    
    It's a GK preamp (clean and dirty sounds) fed into a Marshall as
    a power amp (for a little post-eq). The marshall has no tremolo,
    or reverb. Howvever, it does run a quick delay about 100ms that
    sounds a little like reverb (adds space regardless). Plus I have
    my chorus and delay units in the rack. It's versitile, but different
    than say Ram's Seymour.
    
    the GK preamp has an effects loop so you can plug in whatever.
    
    wjb

    	Miguel asked me to donate my bass rig again.  (If you want to
    hear what it sounds like, show up and see my band at The Channel
    on March 12).  This is the setup:
    
    	GK-800RB 		100watt/300watt biampable power amp 
    				active tonal circuit
    				hi boost, mid contour, lo cut filters
    				10db cut (for active basses)
				lo-impedence direct out
    	Peavey 1820 cabinet	2-10", 1-18" speaker
	DBX 160X compressor	A *must* when you're going into the
    				mains
    	SPX-90 processor	For those that want chorus or other
    				stuff.
    
	Dan's bass problem at Falljam was an EQ thing.  He used a P-bass
    with the amp set up for Mark Schmieder's Guild Pilot (with active EMGs).
    Quite a difference in that front end!  After I had a chance to play
    with it, we dialed in a pretty killer sound. 
    
    	If you feel uncomfortable about getting a good sound out of
    that rig, *ask me for help* and I'll be happy to assist you in getting
    the sound you want!

    i can bring my effects...a midiverbII, and a very ancient (12 bit)
    digital delay..I'll need the delay anyway for myself...and even
    a rack compressor if necessary
    
    dave

    
    	TOMATO TARGET will have Fred Abatelli on bass (Fender Precision).
    	He'll want to use Stevie Klostershowman's rig... since he doesn't
    	even own a bass amp!!
    
    	I'll be bringing my Boogie again.  I'm pretty sure I'll be using
    	an Ibanez effects rack... just so I can sound like Pat Martino,
    	and Joe Pass, and... oh, never mind... yo' Bucko!!  Are you
    	ready for our all "Bruce" set??
    
    	Don't like Jamaica!!!  I love her!!!

    
    Yo T-D,
    
    You're on 5th, so by that time I'll be ready for anything!
    
    ;^>
    
    wjb

    
    	Bucko,
    
    	I'm expecting half the audience to use the bathroom during
    	our All-Bruce-tribute-set so you may want to "go" just
    	before we get on... Bruce fan that you and the other half
    	of the audience are ;^)
    
    	TpD
    

    
    	If the Bass goes into the Mains direct and the stage amp is
    used simply to monitor, how does the bassist control his personal
    EQ? I've been in at least one "jam" situation where "you get what 
    you get" ends up being quite inadequate....
    	Steve's suggestion of using the DBX to pre process the Bass
    signal prior to the Mains mix is necessary, I believe. Shall we
    let the EQ for the bass be determined at the amp head, with
    compensation for volume level only done at the Mains mix?
    	Personally, I can bring EQ and compression stomp boxes, if
    necessary, to help out. I'm sure Steve's DBX unit is the one to
    use, however. Please consider that different bassists will need
    to adjust EQ to suit their instruments, in the final archetecture.
    
    	Joe
    

    
    Re: -1 and tone.
    
    Depends one where the Engineer takes the tap off the bass.  For
    my gigs, if the bassist has an active bass, or a good P bass/J bass,
    they have good tone unto themselves, and I'll take the direct box
    off the inst. One could also take the direct box off the amp.  I
    believe Stevie K's rig has the ability to do this thru the XLR out
    in the back of the power amp.  In that case you'd get all the pre-eq
    that his system has to offer, and is why the DBX reall helps the
    mains.
    
    Alot of what `comes out' really has to do with what's going on back
    at the board...it really is the `final say' in things.

    I am assuming that all of the volume level mixing is going to done
    through the main board. Actually this worries me a little, because
    way back when I used to play clubs they didn't have sound systems
    and we were responsible for our own mix. I'm just afraid that the
    sound person, being unfamiliar with our group and material, will
    screw up our mix so we don't come out anything like we expect. But
    I guess we just have to trust that they know what they are doing,
    and have enough experience with different groups to do the job right.
    
    Can anybody who is gigging regularly these days address my concerns?
    I'd feel a lot more confident if I knew that this isn't a problem.

    - Ram

    
    	Another advantage to using Steven's DBX is that no matter what
    bass/pickup combo is being used, the output level is always pretty
    much the same. So, if someone has active EMGs and the next guy has
    stock P-Bass pickups, the DBX easily compensates for the relative
    loudness difference between the instruments. On the EQ side
    of things, I believe the player should set the overall flavor, while
    the PA engineer only compensates for room effects and/or equipment
    limitations.
    
    	Guitar amplifiers and their corresponding adjustable factors
    are such MEGA-personal choices that I would not even attempt to
    promote a "community" setup...(I dont think I'll be able to convince
    one of my band's members *not* to use his new Marshall anyway)...I
    do think it's a trivial matter whether or not to set up a couple
    of guitar amps for each group, er, BTW, what's the line to the board 
    for guitar; Hi, LoZ or will they be miked?
    
    	Sorting out 10 or so factors on a "foreign" amp is not a trivial
    task and some players may not achieve what they want by starting time.
    Wha? 10? ; pre, post, bass, mid, treb -  X2  - for "lead" and "rythm"
    switch states. If we want a virtual "plug 'n go" situation, I'd
    recommend that guitarists bring their own setup, all setup, so all
    you'd have to do is provide 120VAC and place the monitor mike 6" from
    the speaker.                    
    
    	Joe
           
    
    	Joe Jas

    As a veteran of 3 DECjams, I feel I can address your concerns.

>   I'm just afraid that the sound person, being unfamiliar with our group 
>   and material, will screw up our mix so we don't come out anything like 
>   we expect.
    
    Without question, this WILL happen.  However, it won't matter.  You'll
    have a good time and the mix will be more than good enough for
    folks will enjoy it.
    
    If the PA guys are good, everything will work out fine if not exactly
    how you'd like it to be.  If the PA guys are NOT good... well...
    it's hopeless.  There's nothing you can do.

    	db

    That's what I figured. Another question about the stage layout:
    
    Has anybody seen the club inside? I know Miguesl has, and he described
    the stage to me somewhat, but I'd like to know more about how much room
    there is, where the drums and amps will be located, etc. We have six
    people in our group, and we need to be positioned so that we can see
    and hear each other, as well as making a good appearance. It would help
    if we could plan in advance how we will set up rather than waiting
    until we show up. For example, because of the restricted space at
    FallJam the drums were pushed pretty far back, and the drummers were
    therefore not very visible (at least I assume that is the reason). It
    would be nice if we would know this beforehand, so we could avoid
    things like expecting the drummer to count off a song or giving visual
    cues, requiring the rest of us to turn around with our backs to the
    audience while we are playing.

    Of course, I realize there are some performers who like to play
    with their backs to the audience.
    
    - Ram

    RE: .13
    
    	The only solution to having things work out close to perfect
    is by having your own soundman that's intimately familiar with
    your material, your equipment, your voices and your tastes.  Even
    then, circumstances are never ideal and you only approximate what
    you'd *like* to sound like.  The guy that runs sound for us was
    the engineer on our last recording project.  He's the only guy that's
    able to get close to the "Social Animals sound" live.
    
	But be fair to the soundman.  You said yourself that your band
    doesn't have experience going through the mains with everything.
    There's a responsibility there, too.  First and foremost make *sure*
    you can hear what you need to during the soundcheck.  A soundcheck
    is as much for you as it is for the soundman.  

    
    re: .16
    
    	Drummers typically go to the back of the stage.  The drum riser
    at The Channel is nearly 25' back from the front of the stage, yet
    our drummer counts off every tune without any problem.  If you need
    a visual cue, turn around and look at him.   The Falljam setup is
    fairly standard for any of the places I've been.
    
    	Anyway, for Falljam the organizers made up a floorplan for each
    of the bands.  If you have special requirements, adjust your floorplan
    accordingly.  

    I'm not complaining about the FallJam setup, I'd just like to know
    what we are dealing with at the Uptown. I'm sure this is not the
    case, but I've played in places where the stage was so small that
    the guitar players had to stand behind the drummer to avoid knocking
    the cymbals over when they turned around. Like you said, we should
    put together a floor plan beforehand, but first we need to know
    something about the floor.
    
    To be more specific:
    
    How large is the stage?
    
    Is it all on one level, or are there risers, like for the drums?
    If there are risers, where are they and how big an area do they
    cover?
    
    Where will the "fixed" equipment, like the bass amp, be located?
    
    
    I expect that noone has this information yet. I'm just requesting
    that if someone does get it they post it here, or in the MUSIC notes
    on SpringJam.
    
    Thanks.
    
    - Ram

    We are working some of those question. Look for the information
    by the end of next week on the music notes file.
    

    Hi Everyone,
    
                Just wanted to ease up some of the concerns about the
    stage. Uptown has hosted such bands as Til Tuesday, Robin Lane,
    Johnny Winter, and Face to Face just to name a few. they all had
    no problem running around on the stage. Some of them even used the
    in house equipment. Also about a month or so ago they hosted a 
    Zoncaraz show which included a 7-8 peice band with no stage problems
    what so ever. 
                Hope that helps a little on the concern department.
                  
    
    Mike___

    Hey wjb is your amp going to be the 'stage' amp? I'd prefer not
    to have to drag an ammp along for the ride down from Laconia...
                                     
    I intend to bring a MIDIverb II, a digital delay and one stomp box
    a tube screamer(may not need this but...)
    
    dave

     
    Re: dbII
    
    No, there is a stage drum set and bass amp, however, the powers that be
    (guitarists) say they wanna use their own amps. This is understandable,
    no?  So, there is no `stage' guitar amp, BUT, if you don't wanna drag
    one down from Laconia, you are welcome to use mine.  I will still be
    there when the time comes for you to play (I def wanna check out LA
    East!). 
    
    Send mail for details.
    
    wjb
    

    Hi, folks!  Long time no note....
    
    Anyway, looks like MUSIC is bumming, so here's the scoop on the
    stage at Uptown.  The stage is completely flat, about 20'x10'
    (that's from dynamic memory - could be larger).  It's about 5'
    off the floor in front, and about 2 or 3 feet of the floor in back.
    Stage left has an elongated bar area radiating from the stage,
    center stage has a pit in front of it, surrounded by bleachers,
    and directly facing a large vid screen (yes, YOU'RE on Candid
    Camera!  (Dunno if they'll be filming this event or not, though.)).
    Stage right (the moment you've all been waiting for) has, after
    a two or three step dismount, plenty of room basically reserved
    for bands to get their schtuff together and ready to throw on stage
    quick-like.  The only hitch is that (I think) this particular dismount
    point is the only one on the (elevated) stage, so one band has to
    get it off before another can get it on (if we can talk like that).
    Plenty-o-room for cabs in the front corners, they'll supply cabs
    & monitors (I think, again... Maybe I think too much (thanks, Paul!)).
    
    I think that's about all the valid info I have, but if anyone has
    questions, please send me mail - due tp the new psuedo-job, I'm
    terribly busy, and can only note on odd rainy fridays.
    
    Ciao
    Jon 

    That's helpful, but it would be nice to know a few more details.
    Like where the drums, bass amp, monitors, and other fixtures are
    going to be located, for example. We'd like to know how we will
    have to arrange ourselves beforehand, so we can decide who is going
    to stand where. I don't appreciate last minute surprises, such
    as, "You have to stand on this side of the drums, but there's no
    room for your amp over here, so it'll be on the other side, and
    to adjust your volume you have to either crawl across the front
    of the stage or decapitate the drummer with your guitar."

    - Ram

    ok, here's a (roughly proportional) picture to help.
                                        
    			_________________________________
    			|	p    	d	k	|
   b1 	b2	      ##|	      	 		|
   b3 	b4  	      ##|	g2	g1    	b	|  
    		       	\BS_____M_______M_______M_____BS/                        
                                                         
where:	b1..b4 are bands waiting in the wings    
     	# are steps                              
    	BS are BIG SPEAKERS (pointed at audience)
    	M is monitor                             
    	other letters are band positions (6 here)                                                
                        
So, basically, there's a lot of room, and it's not too cramped.  
    The pictures lies a little, six people might start to get a little
    tight, but it would still work.  You have room to set up your sound
    just the way you want (within reason).  And, as shown, you'll be
    all set up right next to the stage where you can check it out first-
    hand and make small changes.    
                                    
    The soundboard is across the pit, no problem.  The stage is symmetric,
    no problem.  Arrangement of shared equipment ought to be discussed
    between the sharers and the sharees (sharee bayaybee) based on this
    picture, assuming noone will check the place out beforehand.
    
    ANYTHING ELSE?
                              

    
    	Looks like 'shared' equipment should be to the right of stage
    (as you face it) to give you more room to move stuff up 
    and down the stairs.
    
    

    Just wanted to say good luck and have a great gig to all of you
    in the Springjam.

    Trying to recruit a singer...

    
    I second .28!  Have a blast everyone.  I truely wish
    that I could be there but being in Seattle makes 
    that rather impractical.
    
    frank