Re: [Harp-L] Amp Placement on stage

["Tom Muck" <tmuck@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

After years of playing in a band I found what worked best for me was to hear myself above all else, so I always have my amp pointing directly at me -- and not in the monitor mix at all. I think you can be much more intricate in your playing if you can hear yourself well. Since I did backup vocals I did not like my monitor to have anything but voice in it -- mine and the lead singer's. I think you also need to hear a mix of everything, so having an amp too loud is not good. Also, what the other band members want to hear is important too. Our singer did not want amps pointed anywhere near him, so that was a consideration, and the drummer did want to hear the amps. If you can't have separate monitor mixes, amp positioning is a bit of hit-and-miss in every different venue, depending on size of the stage, size of the venue, and number of people you are playing to (people absorb sound). Every person has different idiosyncrasies, so if you play with the same people for years you can get the sound right much easier.

The other thing I found for myself is that the way you sound affects the way you play. Every amp has a sweet spot. I tended to play better if I knew my amp was sounding exactly the way I like it. If the soundman tells you to turn down, it might irritate you to the point where your playing is affected. I saw Jason Ricci one night and he mentioned that the soundman had him turn down and put something in front of his amp and he wasn't too happy about it. I don't know if it affected his playing because he sounded amazing.

Tom

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim McBride" <jpmcbride@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2007 9:37 PM
Subject: [Harp-L] Amp Placement on stage


> This question fits nicely into the recent thread about loud guitarists where it was mentioned that some are placing their amps in the wrong place on stage.
>   
>  I've been playing in a guitar harp duo for a a while and we're considering adding a bass. I also play occasionally with a full band. I normally play through a vocal mic into the PA but am transitioning into playing with an amp. I'm looking for some advise on amp placement on stage. Where is the best location for the amp relative to where I'm standing, and does this change if the amp has to be mic'd into the PA.
>   
>  Thanks,
>  Jim McBride
>   
> 
>       
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