Performer, Electro-Voice and Dynacord Present:
Rehearsal Space Rehab
Last month we met the winners of Electro-Voice and Dynacord’s Rehearsal Space Rehab contest, the Gates of Berlin. They’re one of the Atlanta area’s hardest working rock bands, but their PA system was limiting their productivity at rehearsals. Due to low wattage and a poor monitor situation, the band was having some serious difficulties hearing their vocals and their keyboardist while writing new material. Poor quality and short supply of microphones were also contributing to the band’s problems. This month, our experts from Electro-Voice and Dynacord help the band remedy its sound woes using their knowledge, experience, and high-quality pro sound gear...
Part 1 Recap: The Diagnosis
Due to changing rehearsal spaces, general wear-and-tear, and the recent addition of keys to their lineup, the Gates of Berlin had been increasingly feeling the aches and pains of not having a proper Public Address system. When the band began developing more background vocal parts, the need for a good monitor system for both their live performances and rehearsals became even more apparent.
OLD PA System Stats
• 600 watt 6-channel powered PA head
• One wedge
• One “Realistic” speaker
• Two mics — no name
OLD PA PROBLEMS
• Trouble hearing lead vox
• Trouble hearing background vox
• Keyboard levels too low w/ full band volume
• Not enough/poor quality mics
• Not enough wattage overall
• Not enough monitors
Meet Our Experts:
Josh Bartunek is the Global Product Manager for Electro-Voice Pro Music Speakers. Before working at E-V, Bartunek worked as a sales representative for various instrument and pro audio manufacturers including JBL Professional, Crown International, Sennheiser, dbx, Soundcraft, Lexicon, and Waves. He also worked as a recording studio engineer at Thunderclap Recording in Hammond, IN, and prior to that he was playing guitar in various independent bands.
James Edlund is Public Relations/Artist Relations Manager for Telex Communications and its brands Electro-Voice, EV Blue, Midas, Dynacord, Klark Teknik, Telex, and RTS. Before working at Electro-Voice, Edlund worked on and off as a studio sound engineer, and had stints in live sound and fronting his own indie-rock band, 10w40. Edlund has also lent his talents to other projects, including Captain Yonder, with whom he recorded at Dave Fridmann’s TarBox Road Studios in Casadaga, NY.
Part TWO: The treatment
PROBLEM 1: How did Electro-Voice’s Experts arrive at the proper size system solution for the band?
Edlund: “A number of factors were considered, including the number of inputs the band required, as well as how they were going to use the system. Once we were able to determine this, we settled on a 16-channel live mixing desk, the Dynacord PowerMate 1600, to work as the heart of a system that would function well as both a practice PA and something the band could bring on the road, if needed. Because this band wants to use the system as both a rehearsal and touring PA, we decided to look at making sure that much of the equipment was in some way integrated. For example, the Dynacord PowerMate mixing desk has a built-in amplifier, which eliminates the need for a dedicated and separately racked power amplifier. All of this saves space and time when loading in and out of the tour van. It also reduces weight and potential strain on the band while they’re on the road.”
What about the monitors and mains?
Edlund: “Of course, there were also considerations made with regard to how many monitors were needed, how best to power these and with what, as well as the band’s needs to hear everyone’s separate instruments and mix.” Bartunek: “We were trying to keep things light for touring load-in and load-out purposes, but we also wanted to give these guys some real power that supported their big, rock sound. That’s why we opted for the 15-inch ZX4s for monitors and mains. These speakers are light but durable enough to drag around to shows. The ZX4s are also powerful enough to handle any live sound concern. We also included a drum fill from our Force I Series that is loaded with two fifteen-inch drivers. The whole system is perfect for rehearsals at higher volumes and can be broken up in a number of ways to take on the road to supplement smaller venue systems.”
PROBLEM 2: What mics would work best with the Gates of Berlin’s vocal situation?
Edlund: “Given the style of this band’s music, the relative level of SPL [Sound Pressure Level], and the number of members in the band, there were a few considerations to make. We felt that the mics that would work best, given the band’s volume, were going to be something very reluctant to feedback. That’s what you find in the N/D967, a supercardioid microphone that has high gain before feedback, meaning a mic that enables you to turn it up louder without it feeding back. The 967 also includes the EV-exclusive personality switch and high N/DYM(r) sensitivity. These mics also feature a unique removable front grille assembly and pop filter for easy hygienic cleaning.”
PROBLEM 3: What EV microphones would be best for the Gates of Berlin’s drummer? What are the benefits of these mics?
Edlund: “Starting with the bass drum, we went with an EV N/D868 dynamic microphone, which is a very legendary kick drum mic. Less ‘1980s’ than some bass drum mics, the 868 has a very rounded-yet-tight sound, what some players have described as “Memphis-like.” On the toms and snare, we have a collection of Electro-Voice N/DYM and Cobalt family microphones, including the N/D468, N/D478, and Co4. For overheads we have the Electro-Voice RE200 condensers. EV mics like these have been the favorite of drummers like jazz legend Billy Cobham, as well as players like Black Label Society’s Phil Ondich and Danzig’s Johnny Kelly, to name but a few. So overall, these are rock steady, powerful mics that can convey a wide range of dynamics and withstand lots of road time.”
PROBLEM 4: How can the band take a portion of this incredible PA with them for small gigs or as a monitor set-up for bigger rooms?
Edlund: “We really designed this PA to be modular. For smaller gigs, the band can simply reduce the number of monitors and carry one monitor and two main speakers. As for playing larger gigs, this PA is going to work fine to nearly a thousand person capacity rooms. For crowds much larger than that, it would be a matter of simply bringing in a subwoofer or two. Then, with the challenges you get trying to aim sound in venues that hold a thousand and above, the band might want to consider some kind of DSP and external processing or loudspeaker controller to make sure that the system is optimized and reaches every listener in the venue.
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