Routing Question

[jneau]

Hmm.  Which I didn't know that existed.

I love what my DriveRackPX does for the sound.  So far we've always had access to the venue when nobody is around so launching the rocket hasn't been an issue.  I've been wondering what people do when they show up to a venue with a PX around 4pm and there are already 20 people in the room...

[yigba]

With the original DriverackPA I never RTA'd a room with people in it because of that pink noise. I always had simply set the system flat in an outdoors environment and went with that in the rooms I play, with minor adjustments.

The PA2 lets you RTA the room without the jet sound - but background noise may be an issue because when I RTA'd with PA2 outdoors sometimes it had to redo one of the mic settings due to "background noise". The original PA simply had you turn up the pink noise volume until the mic got the signal level it needed.

[JMc]

Haven't noticed anyone else mention this, but if you're using compression on your vocal mic, kill it. 

[yigba]

I have a Springsteenesque voice - I absolutely have to compress my vocals.

[Wynnd]

I use a lot of compression on Preachers.  Those guys will go from a whisper to a real loud shout in the same sentence.  With compression I'm able to bring the whisper up to listening level and prevent the shouting from hurting the audience or my equipment.

[JMc]

All I know is, as soon as I got rid of the compression on my vocal channels, I've never had a problem with feedback.  Zero.  And I can belt out the vocals too.  Like Eric Burdon - it's all a matter of mic technique.

[RoadRanger]

You can really only use significant compression on vocals without monitors unless you love feedback. I do generally set the compression thresholds at -17dB on the vocal channels and use them just to shave off the occasional extreme peaks.

[Wynnd]

You've got to get a preacher on your system to understand my usage.  And no, I rarely use any compression of musicians and singers.

[yigba]

Just did another gig this past Saturday and could not get the system to feedback at all even trying to invoke the AFS module in the Driverack PA2.

The Audix OM-6's seem to have worked magic for my rig.

[WK154]

Glad you found the problem and as I stated before it's best to stop problems at the source than to band-aid them down the road. The OM-6 are hyper-cardioid the SM-58 are cardioid. For tight performance spaces the narrower pickup pattern of the OM-6 will be much better to avoid stage wash. The next step would be noise cancellation mics. I personally like the OM-2 over a SM-58 for cardioids.

[jneau]

How close does a vocalist need to get to the OM-6?

And I would assume you need to be pretty much directly in front of it then...

[WK154]

As close as is reasonably possible and your setup should take that into consideration (at sound check). A lot of vocalists don't know how to use mics and that is sad.

[yigba]

A lot of vocalists don't know how to use mics and that is sad.

I completely agree. My bass player who sings backup is still getting used to the OM-6. I love it.

And yes, you have to be right on top of it. But no low mid feedback anymore!!