Topic: PA Mains != SBD output

[EverydayJones]

So, here's something I've encoutered as we've been gigging a lot lately. Why is it that a soundboard Tape Out is never representative of the main PA speakers?

I've had people come to my shows and do an audience recording and it sounds great...but if I listen to the soundboard recording, the guitar is WAY overpowering the vocals.

I know some of you on here have recorded bands via soundboard (some I have heard) and they sound great.

Anyone know what might be going on here?

[pfife]

The soundboard tape is taking into account stage volume.

For instance, if you are in a small club, and the guitarist's amp is super loud on stage, that means its only got to be turned up a little in the PA.  All you get is the little in the PA on a soundboard tape.  Same with drums.

Since vocalists have no amp, they have to be cranked on the PA - that's why many soundboard tapes at smaller venues have loud as hell vocals.

Edit:  IOW, the soundguy is mixing for the room - if the guitar is loud on stage, he doesn't need to turn it up much in the PA. 

Hope this is clear.

[EverydayJones]

We go straight into the PA...no amps on stage and we are both in-ear monitored.

[pfife]

what goes straight in?  Anything going in w/ higher gain is going to be effected in the same manner (I believe...)

[EverydayJones]

I'm not sure what you mean, but my guitar goes directly to the soundboard as well as vocals and those are sent to the main PA.

[pfife]

I'm not sure what you mean, but my guitar goes directly to the soundboard as well as vocals and those are sent to the main PA.

guitar though pedals?  Pedals (ie. distortion) will make the input signal hotter, and thus require less volume boast by the PA.

[Tim]

what kind of instruments are we talking about specifically? same room or different rooms? describe the rooms...

details will help

as a general rule of thumb though straight sbd tapes in small rooms and bars never are representative of the sound in the room...

[dklein]

the guitar is WAY overpowering the vocals.

I think previous posters may not have read that clearly - it's more common to have vocals overpowering the instruments with on-stage amplification.  Even if you were using guitar amps, this would be the opposite effect.  You must be getting a different mix from the tape out.  Lotsa boards have alternate outputs that can be mixed differently than the main out that feeds the p.a.

[pfife]

the guitar is WAY overpowering the vocals.

I think previous posters may not have read that clearly - it's more common to have vocals overpowering the instruments with on-stage amplification.  Even if you were using guitar amps, this would be the opposite effect.  You must be getting a different mix from the tape out.  Lotsa boards have alternate outputs that can be mixed differently than the main out that feeds the p.a.

I could still see the vocals as needing less amplification that a guitar doing directly in...

Hard to say though.... hard to put what I am trying to say in better, more technical terms too...

[eric.B]

the mix from the soundboard main outs to the PA amps is dependent on the room(or at least it should be)..  if the whole band is mic'ed (drum kit, guit cabs etc) and the venue is small, then obviously the drum kit is going to have to be less in the mix because the drum kit is the loudest instru. on stage..  usually you would like the vocals to be up front, well, this means that the vocal track going out to the pa's is going to be the loudest(hence loud vocals on a sbd tape)...  guitar is another story..  If the cab. is mic'ed, then there would be some stage guitar going straight out into the crowd, which means the pa level of the guit. track would be less..  that is unless the guitar is running straight into the board, then I could see the guit. being real loud in the mix.. 

understand rubber band?