Re: Engineering Live Loopers

[John McIntyre <mcintyre@pa.msu.edu>]

On Mon, Apr 7, 2008 at 7:16 PM, darren perry <darrencperry@live.com> wrote:

>> Basically, do most people rely on sending a stereo output to the front 
>of house sound desk? DO you mix your tracks live? Does anyone else send 
>multiple outputs to give the engineer something to work with?
>>
>> 
>>
I am not cruel enough to send multiple outputs to the engineer.  I 
learned long ago from people's comments that there is a big disjunct 
between what I am physically doing and what they are hearing.  During 
one practice session with my eighties New Wave band, the drummer threw 
down his sticks and pointed at me, saying, "I know you're making that 
sound.  But your hands are doing the same thing whether the sound is 
there or not."  That was true.  I was making the sound with my effects 
pedals, including a volume pedal at the end of the chain so sometimes 
the sound was there and sometimes it was not. 

At the present I am playing a lot of Theremin, but often not obviously.  
I run the Theremin through a volume pedal and often bring up the pedal 
for a drone tone that I can vary by simply  leaning  into  or  away from 
the  pitch  antenna.  While I am doing this I will  often be waving one 
paw over an Air  Synth  and striking a guitar with the  other.  Add in a 
loop on the digital  delay  (which  is  usually  played at  half  speed  
and  backwards,  and the poor  engineer  dealing with me for the  first 
time doesn't stand a chance.

Of course, neither does the audience,  which  is a bit of  a problem. (-8

Actually, now that I think more about it, my gigs so far have mostly 
been small enough  that  I am the  engineer:  stereo  out  to  two  
mono  amps.   When  playing  with  Defenestra  and  Reverend  Wolf  I 
send  a  stereo  out  to  people  who  know  me. Reverend Wolf has yet 
to play in public so that question is mute.  With Defenestra, Will 
Soderberg, the band leader, mixes everything and sends a stereo send to 
the house engineer.  We have had problems with house engineers who think 
they can effect the sound of a single instrument.  (Usually they're 
trying to turn the trumpet down.)  April  22nd  I'll  be  playing  a  
club with a PA.  I'll let y ou know how that turns out.

John McIntyre
mcintyre@pa.msu.edu