Playing noise/feedback issues with P.A.s ?

[gunslinger_burrito]

I guess this goes here. I play a lot of drone and noise, and would like to play a greater variety of venues, but I have an issue I'd like some advice on. The one time I miced my amp there came a point where the feedback I utilize would not go away and after turning off all my pedals, the looper, and my AMP, I literally had to run over to the little PA and turn EVERYTHING off to get rid of it, so as not to deafen everyone with super-loud bass feedback. Any of you guys that play noise have advice for things like this? I have some local-ish clubs I want to play, but I'd like to avoid the embarrassment of going through something like that if I can. Do I just need an experienced sound guy? I know that sometimes sound guys don't know what to do regarding noise musicians....

thanks doods

[sonidero]

We were just next door talking about this...

viewtopic.php?f=149&t=28255

[gunslinger_burrito]

I know how to use my mixer (I have one similar to the one in the pic of that thread) for purposes like that, but my issue was that the feedback was somehow getting into the PA and I couldn't kill it when I wanted to. It just kept rising. I use feedback not in a chaotic way, but in a controlled way. If I can't kill it when I need to, then there are problems....

[skullservant]

I had the same problem back when I used to play noise sets regularly. Ended up just opting for a doom-sized amp and cab so I didn't have to get mic'd or go through PA's. That way I could control every aspect of the sound. But I know that isn't logical. You could always ask if instead of mic'ing they could run a DI off your output signal to send to the PA and then also split that signal to your amp. I ended up doing that a lot

[gunslinger_burrito]

Hmmm. That's a good option. I wouldn't be playing a very big space. The places I was looking at were bar-sized, maybe a tad bigger. I'm using a Fender Deville 410, and have been splitting the signal to a second 112 amp. Maybe running one signal to the Fender, and one to the PA? I mean, Sunn O))) mics their shit, but I know they have crazy tech setups too...

[skullservant]

The places I played that had PA's sound about the size you're describing. You could really even run the Fender, 1x12, and PA if they have a decent stereo DI. If you had a stereo signal going out, you could plug one directly into the Deville, the other could split 1 into the DI and 1 into the 1x12.

[gunslinger_burrito]

And running a direct line into the PA seemed to prevent the "eternal feedback of doom" thing from happening? Unless I'm not up to speed on my tech-stuff, I was figuring that my problem stemmed from the fact that the feedback got into the PA via the mic, which would seem to explain why when I turned off my amp and gear it kept going....

[sonidero]

What I was saying was that if you have your own mixer before it hits the PA you should have a way to cut ALL the noise...

[skullservant]

Yeah dude. I only had unintentional feedback happen once, and I realized after that set that I had the gain channel on my amp on and cranked haha

But running a line direct through the PA would forgo the need of mic'ing up, which seems to be the problem. If you're going direct in, it would literally just be your chain going into the PA instead of into a an amp, then a mic, and then into the PA. There seems to be a lot more room for problems in the later.

And that definitely seems like a mic issue the way you're describing it!

[gunslinger_burrito]

What I was saying was that if you have your own mixer before it hits the PA you should have a way to cut ALL the noise...

Ahhhhh. Ok. Good idea. Thanks doods.

One time having this issue, it was definitely a matter of having things miced. The other times (un-miced) it was something else, though I'm not sure what. EVERY time, I think the bass feedback generated by my Eau Claire Thunder was the culprit. Which I found sort of funny in a cool way.

[Bassus Sanguinis]

I know some of my friends make a good use of mini mixers, and I probably should try that out but... :whatever:

My bass amp has a decent DI, the sound guys are usually happy to use that, and also my amp is mic'd. Most of the time the 600watts amps back line is - at clubs - enough for the feedback too to be hair-raising enough, even if it doesn't come from the PA. If not, the soundguy CAN give it a boost.

I believe any old school 100watts tube amp should be enough for most clubs, actually, with a DI from the signal chain right before going to the amp. It helps if the soundguy is familiar with Your stuff and an idea about what it is You expect from him.