First outdoor show done-now questions

James85

Yesterday I did my first outdoor show...with full micing of a pop-punk band. I have done a brass band outdoors. I have run a couple hundred indoor shows ranging from Indie to metal. I was running two SRX7152 on an XTI6K and Four MRX single subs, each pair on an XTI4K. Also ran two monitor feeds into MRX mons. I usually use my A&H GLD mixer but opted to go back to the smaller Mackie mixer (which I have not used in years). I also use DR processing in the mains and mons. Same as I have always done for years. The event required some heavy dubstep for the skateboarders. Sounded great at high vol. Amp lights were happy. I dialed in the bands at SC and everything looked good. Once the band started playing all amps started redlighting. The Mackie did not show any clipping on the meters. They were way down on the scale. I had to pull everything way back on the drums and bass to keep the sub amps happy. The mons had to to scaled back to prevent clipping. NEVER had such a runaway system before. This happened for for both bands.

The stage was a portable metal trailer that clam-shelled open. The sound in there was really weird..even for the drums with no micing. I think some of the call for more monitor from the band was to cut through the junk they heard on stage. But I don't get the Mackie showing all OK and the amps going crazy.

Help me sort this out. I think part of it was the outdoor environment. I just did not have the rig to get the kick sounding strong, for example. I suppose pushing each channel is additive and overloaded the amps. Plus the Mackie was not enjoyable at all to use now that I have experienced the A&H.

Thanks,
Jim

Dennis

How often do the two bands play outdoors? If they are not used to it, they will turn up because they can't hear the FOH speakers or their instrument amps bouncing off of a back wall.

James85

They never play outdoors. I have worked with them in the past indoors. But everybody insists on turning up the amps...usually. I just pull the faders down since it does not matter at that point. These guys were not too bad though.