Re: Vortex w/ headphones

["T.W. Hartnett" <hartnett.t@apple.com>]

>Does anyone really know how well the audience can
>here this?  How much of a difference does it make?
>
At some point, I  set up a few loops and set them to infinite repeat.  
This gives me an opportunity to walk around the venue and see what the 
sound is like.  There *is* a difference for the audience playing in 
stereo, but I'm not looking to give the audience a "perfect" stereo 
image, but rather a 3-D sonic construction.  Recently I've gotten into 
angling the speakers towards a wall and up at the ceiling to get maximum 
dispersion.  It gets difficult to tell exactly where the sound is coming 
from, particularly if I "hide" the speakers behind a chair or something.

>I guess, at least, if nothing else, the musician (you)
>will hear it and perhaps be more inspired... but it
>seems like a lot of trouble to go to if people can't
>hear it.

Since I already had the necessary speakers and power amp, it wasn't that 
much trouble.  The load-in/set-up time for two speakers vs one is 
miniscule in light of all the other gear I already have to load in.

>Doesn't bypassing PA cause problems for the poor guy
>trying to mix the band?  Or are you guys playing solo?

My looping gigs are usually solo, or if not, with someone else who is 
also packing their own amplification.  A lot of gigs are in 
non-traditional spaces which don't have a PA (theatre lobbies, 
coffeehouses, building foyers).  The places that have PA's are usually 
pleased that they don't have to hassle with it, once I explain that I 
understand the idea of appropriate, comfortable volume.

Travis Hartnett