Originally Posted by: maggiorI think the guy running sound wanted the sound to come purely through the PA.[/quote]
You are thinking exactly right. Majority of sound guys want total control over the mix. And the smaller the room, the harder that is to do without everything being line-in.
I've had FOH guys tell me to turn down my half-stack in a big hall. :rolleyes:
[QUOTE=maggior]
He hung the mic so the chord was wrapped around the carry handle of my amp (a combo amp) putting the mic laying against the grill of my amp.
Should the mic have been on a stand and moved back a bit? Can't you attenuate the signal coming from the mic?
Yes, the mic should have been on a stand. That hanging it over the amp thing is lame & I've also had to deal with that too many times. But moving the mic around isn't going to fix the battle with the sound guy. He can turn the mic up or down as needed, but the issue is the SPL coming out of the amp.
Ben mentioned a classic fix: turn your amp around. This works great sometimes. But not always. Especially if the amp is open backed, then sound is coming out the back as loud as the front. Also, if the stage is against a wall, it's just bouncing back at you.
Finally, you can't hear & react to the sound coming out of your amp. Which is the problem in the first place!
The best fix is exactly what sound panels & baffles are for: to isolate & control sound. You've probably seen the expensive clear plexiglass version in front of drums or amps.
We used cheap workarounds for years. You can put your guitar case in front of the speaker to block how much sound is getting to the sound guy. You can throw a blanket over the whole amp & mic. You can build a simple plywood wall to put right in front of the amp (cheap plexiglass baffle!). If it looks too amateur, then paint it flat black. :p Or put your band's logo on a banner. :)
Whatever you do, try to work with the sound guy. Keep him on your side. If the sound guy doesn't like your attitude you're asking for nothing but trouble.
Hope this helps!
