Output Level Difference Rythm/Solo for Livegig

Quad Cortex
1

Hey Folks,

i’ll play my first show in 2 months with the QC so i want to figure out anything beforehand.
I own the QC 2 years now, i’m pretty familiar with all the I/O Settings, Level Adjustments, Splits etc.
One thing i’m not that sure about is how big of a difference the Solo boost should/could be.

At the moment my base Output is at -14db while my Solo scene goes up to -9.8.
For rehearsals that works for me (IEM+PA) but is this applicable on the stage when FOH gets the signal?

Whats the level differences for your rythm/lead vs solo scenes?

2

I usually have Global Output a -6 db.

Then, per Scene, I have Rhythm sounds at 0 db and solo sound at + 3 db.

Works nicely for me.

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3

Couple of things:

  1. Before the show, make sure you speak to the sound person running FOH about the differences in volume in your scenes, and your tone in general. During sound check, if they set gain level based on your rhythm tone, and then you go into your solo scene during the show… Could be disastrous. Just have that conversation.

  2. “I want MORE LOUDER” is fine for a practice room, but it’s a much different ball game at concert levels. “Cutting through the band” for soloing has more to do with EQ than volume. Maybe focus more on dialing in a midrange boost or shift, rather than an overall volume boost. Your sound person may thank you.

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4

That seems like quite a jump. I look for around 3dB in volume between rhythm and lead. Make sure you use a dB meter and your ears to dial in the volume differences.

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5

This is a big brain move i haven’t thought about (forgot about)
Using an EQ would be a great solution especially for FOH.
I’m trying to figure something out and lowering the db gap to max 2-3db as suggested by the others!

6

I use a gain block set at +5 for my lead scene and that seems to cut through nicely. We usually run our own PA but the times we have used a sound engineer, they never had an issue with it.

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7

I agree with the suggestions for using an EQ block as the booster. With the Fletcher/Munson factor at work in stage volume situations, EQ should be tied to volume for the best results. Sometimes you can even get away without an increase in volume just by sculpting the frequencies

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8

Regarding EQ use for solos, I like to use a low cut, nothing outrageous, but enough to shift the balance to the low mids. I DO NOT like a huge tubescreamer type high mid bump. Yes it cuts through, but in the most nasal and unpleasant way in my opinion.

So, roll off extreme lows. Boost overall volume. That is my approach.

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