The Cavern in Dallas TX

We played in the teeny club called The Cavern in Dallas a couple nights ago. The first thing I noticed was the placement of the sound board. Its placed under the stairwell of the upstairs of the club, and its literally right in front of the stage. Regardless of the placement of the board, the PA was surprisingly crisp and loud. I am really enjoying mixing in these small rooms on this tour. It makes you follow the rule of "sound reinforcement". Step back and listen to the drums and guitars and bass and judge it as a whole. What needs to be louder? More defined? In small rooms there's no sense in putting a mic on everything and blasting it through the sound system. If everyone can hear the snare drum, don't make it louder.

Meet John Mudd. He's the sound tech at the Cavern. My first impression of him was "Wow, I wish I could be as relaxed as this guy". Thanks John for putting up with all of our gear in your way and my many demands. Ha ha!

Inward Eye / Nico Vega / Neon Trees Tour

Here we go again!

I'll be leaving this Friday to start a U.S. tour with Inward Eye, Nico Vega, and Neon Trees. I'm not going to lie I'm getting a tad excited.

Here's a map of the dates were playing.

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Rena's LA Audio PC80 Phase Checker

A few days ago I ended up using the LA Audio Phase Checker to test the sound rig that gets used at MacEwan Hall at the University of Calgary. This thing is pretty cool.

Its a send and receive based system. The "emitter" sends a pulse through the whole PA and the "receiver" picks up the pulse after it leaves the speaker and instantly tells you if something is in or out of phase with either a green or red LED. You can also check phasing in hard wired situations with the built in XLR mounts whether its a reversed cable, or input, or anything that passes a balanced signal. Its a great feeling knowing that the speakers and components you are using in a rig are perfectly in phase. The kit also comes with a cable tester.

You can get all the details in the LA Audio's data

sheet HERE.

A big thank you to Rena Kozak for showing me this incredible tool. She is the House Audio Technical Co-ordinator at the University of Calgary. She had me in for a couple days of testing and repairing her frequently used sound system. We phase tested every speaker and component in the rig, and now we know that everything is working perfectly. On any given day you can expect Rena to be setting up her rig in either MacEwan Hall, or the smaller Ballroom upstairs. She uses a Meyer rig including 8 MSL-4's for the mains, 2 CQ-2's for audience fills, 4 UPJ-1P's for front fills, and 10 18" Sub cabinets (20 drivers). She has a Yamaha PM5D-RH at Front of House, and a Soundcraft SM16 for Monitors, currently being operated my Mike Rowland.

In picture to the left is Rena is displaying the LA PC80 in front of her pimped out, pink screened PM5D in MacEwan Hall. But don't let the pink fool you, she is a solid Sound Engineer with years of studio and live audio experience and training. She's taught me a lot during my stay in Calgary this month.

Thanks Rena!

Zoom H4n

I just picked up my new Zoom H4n Handheld recorder. Its the newer better version of their already successful Zoom H4.

After having my old recorder stolen in Montreal a few months ago, I decided to buy a new one. I heard rumours a while ago that a better version would be available, and I'm glad I waited. The new recorder boasts plenty of better features, at a cheaper price than I paid for my first H4!

The biggest improvement in the H4n is its ability to simultaneously record with using both its built in stereo microphones, as well as its 2 XLR or 1/4" inputs. That means I can record a live show at the sound board and all in one shot be able to record the room and sound system, as well as a board mix. Awesome.

The other feature that I like is its ability to be used as an external sound card. With 2 available inputs, I am able to potentially use the H4n to set up a Smaart Live rig for Real Time Analysis (RTA) of sound systems!

Some other improvements are a better SD card slot for easier removal without worrying about the batteries coming out, a stamina feature for longer battery life, and a variable mic degree pattern to change from 90 degrees to 120 degrees. It also has a built in speaker for quick reference, and a sturdy case which will definitely help when its bouncing around in my bag.

I've barely scratched the surface on the H4n's abilities but you can go to the official site HERE and see check it all out.

KISS

I was lucky enough to get passes to go see KISS in Calgary a few nights ago. It was nothing less than awesome. Special thanks to Steve Shaw (Tour Manager and Sound for Buckcherry) for getting me into the show. We got a quick tour of backstage and got the privilege to watch the show from the very front of the stage. I don't usually get excited for many concerts but this show was incredible. It was full of pyro, explosions, confetti, fire breathing, and a flying Paul Stanley through the audience.

Front of House had 2 Midas XL4's for sound, and 2 Grand MA's for Lighting. Buckcherry has a Digidesign profile. I was surprised how little outboard effects were used.

Here's some pics.

Holz Kick Drum Ring...Thumbs Down...

You may have read my blog HERE about how to properly install a "Holz" Kick drum ring. My advice is don't even bother buying the thing in the first place. We only had it installed for three shows before the ring came off. I followed the directions perfectly and it still managed to pop off. Its hard to get your $10-20 worth when the thing only lasts a few shows...

We even have photographic proof of the ring falling off. You can see it in the below picture. Special thanks to Vanessa Leclair for taking the pictures of Inward Eye that night. If you ever need an amazing photographer to come take pictures of your show, Vanessa is the top pick. She has photographed pretty much every band that rolls through Quebec. You can contact her at www.vanessaleclair.com and you can see some of her photo's HERE

Cheers,

Matt

The Knobless Bass!

Behold! A bass guitar with no knobs at all! Dave of Inward Eye's bass has been causing problems lately. We took out the tone knob which was great, but when he pulled out his bass at the next show, the new volume pot we put in started acting up. The fastest fix was to rip the sucker right out! I soldered the input jack to the pickups, and soldered all the grounds together and presto. We were a little nervous to plug it in and test it, but when Dave plucked that first string and a growly full bass tone rang out, we were quite pleased. We taped a few picks over the holes to avoid and sweat and dirt from getting into the wiring. I think it looks pretty rock and roll! It's a good temporary fix until the bass gets some attention. It needs to be completely overhauled. I want to make a new pick guard for it possibly in the future. I love custom stuff.

After the show Dave was amazed at how much better of a show he had. He said he didn't even realize how much he fiddled around with the knobs during the set and how much it distracted him from the show. The knob-less bass gave him full freedom and attention to playing, and being a complete maniac on stage. The only downfall is that I have to keep a closer eye on his bass at the sound board, muting it in between songs if need be to avoid the dreaded low rumble of open strings. Its a small price to pay for a solid instrument that sounds 10 times better than it did a few weeks ago.

Full credit for the idea to remove the knobs goes to Steven "Badger" Agnew (Guitar Tech/Stage Manager for Flogging Molly). He recommended it, we did it, and shit did it ever work. Thanks Steve for the advice. I'll be sure to e-mail you when something else breaks and/or needs improving.

Cheers

Matt

Bass Guitar Fix

So Dave of Inward Eye's bass stopped working a few days ago. After having a broken off volume knob, and a no longer working, rusted out, tone knob, as well as a crackly input jack, it was time to open it up and do a little "road-surgury". We were talking to Flogging Molly's Stage Manager "Badger" and he recommended just removing the tone knob all together. So we did. We also bought and installed a new volume pot which turned out being the wrong size, but 15 minutes before the show it went in anyways. The next step that Badger recommended was removing the volume knob too. Dave is game, and so am I.

I was really impressed at how much better the bass tone was after we removed the tone knob. It makes sense though. You are removing a component that causes resistance in the circuitry of the instrument. The signal has a shorter more direct path to travel resulting in better current and voltage, which means a cleaner, fuller tone. Amazing.

-Matt

Another Entertaining Night

So we were packing up the gear after a show and out of nowhere this drunk guy appeared and started throwing punches at the security guards. He tripped and fell into our drums and the security dudes eventually helped him out of the club.

Dont Drink Near The Board!!!

I experienced my worst nightmare in Winnipeg a couple nights ago. I was mixing Inward Eye as happy as can be when all of a sudden the entire sound system turned off. It turns out there was a drunk guy sitting in front of the sound board and pulled out the power cord to the processor for the sound system. I was lucky enough that it occurred during the last 30 seconds of the set. It is the best part of the show though...

Killing Time...

Is This Real?!

I found this set list taped on the wall in Amigo's in Saskatoon. If anybody knows what band this is, or if they even exist, please tell me!

Pilot Speed

I just recently finished a tour with Pilot Speed from Toronto, Ontario. We had a great time on the tour through western Canada. It was a one and a half week, 6 show tour going from Calgary AB to Victoria BC, and back to Saskatoon MB. It was interesting going from mixing a 3 piece power trio to a 4 piece band with keyboards, acoustics, and fancy microphones. The lead Singer Todd Clark used a Shure 520DX "Bullet Mic" in a few songs. It was originally designed for harmonica playing, designed to be held in a cupped hand while playing. On its own it had a top end and midrange-ish "AM radio' kind of sound. It sounded great in the songs he used it in. He modified the mic by screwing a rubber mic clip on it which came in handy in the encore of one of the shows when he decided to mount it on his mic stand. He used it through most of the song "Wooden Bones" which is also the name of their latest album. Check it out on iTunes. Do it. Right now.

Here's some pics...

Appearance on Breakfast Television in Edmonton, AB

Waiting for the ferry to Victoria BC

A hilarious doodle that Ruby made.

Thanks for reading!

Matt

Modified SM57

So I barely had my SM57's for an hour and I had already cut one to pieces...

Here's a rundown of what I did. I melted the hot glue that holds in the transformer by sitting on top of a steaming kettle. I pulled it out, cleaned the glue up, and cut the two end pieces of the aluminum body off with a rotary tool. It took a while due to the XLR side being so thick. I resoldered the XLR connector directly to the + and - on the mic then taped the freshly cut pieces together. If I like the modded mic I will JB weld the two pieces together to make it look nicer. Ugly electrical tape will have to suffice for now though.




I made it smaller so it could fit on a snare drum clamp and not look too huge. Also the smaller the mic is the less chance there is that its going to get hit with a drumstick. It sits a little higher than I would like so I am going to go on the hunt for a different clamp.

Without the transformer, the mic is supposed to be 10dB quieter and have more lows and mids. We'll see when I use it tomorrow!

SM57's!!!

Well I just got my 2 Shure SM57's delivered in the mail today! I bought both of them of of eBay for $130. Pretty sweet deal if you ask me! So why did I get them? To modify them of course! I am going to take the transformer out of one of them and maybe cut the body of the mic down a bit. Bob Strakele (FOH Billy Talent, Simple Plan, Bouncing Souls) told me about how people used to do it in the 70's, and there are numerous articles about it all over the internet so why not! From the articles ive read, removing the transformer attenuates the mic my 10dB and gives it a little more low end, and mids, giving it a darker sound. We'll see!


I want to make the body shorter so I can mount it on a rim clamp or claw or something along those lines and put it on a snare drum. It will also be a nice conversation peice it I make it look good.



Matt

How to Install a "Holz" Kick Drum Ring

The Holz "Snapperz" ring allows a a drummer to put a protected hole in their kick drum skin to allow for the placement of a microphone. A common problem with kick drum skins is that almost all common replacement skins don't come with a hole pre-cut. This means you have to cut it yourself. This is scary because even the smallest flaw in the cutting of a hole will eventually (and usually quickly) evolve into a huge tear, meaning you just wasted $40-$60 on a skin. Also, even if you manage to cut a perfect hole, it is still a weak spot and the smallest abrasion like the skin rubbing up against a poorly placed drum mic can make it eventually tear. The Holz "Snapperz" allows you to not only cut a perfect circle, but also protects the edge of the hole from damage. Its not hard to put these in either. I installed the following one in a hotel room in under 15 mins.

Here's how to install a Holz "Snapper":

1. Clean all surfaces the ring will be touching with alcohol. Peel the wax paper off of the adhesive backing on the "female" ringin the package and stick it carefully onto the back of the drum skin making sure the rim is facing up. Make sure the "Snapper" edge is at least 2" awayfrom the rim of the skin.



2. Carefully begin cutting the hole from the opposite (front) side of the skin by using the pre-stuck ring as a guide. make sure to cut smoothly and consistantly and hold the knife at aprox 2o degrees as shown. Make sure you dont cut into the plastic ring, or cut away any of the adhesive tape.

3. Remove the wax paper from the "male" ring in the pack and place it on a flat surface. You want to start press fitting the female ring over the male ring. Make sure you line up the ring first. You dont want to have to peel off the adhesive tape to start again. Its foam and it will rip. Take your time an make sure the thing is snapped in properly.

4. Admire your work!


Cheers,
Matt

Time Off!

So we have 2 days off in Chicago! Inward Eye played a show at House of Blues in Chicago and we ended up staying here for a couple days before a show in Lansing, MI.
Yesterday we went to the Lincoln Park Zoo, and today I want to go to the Field Museum and see the pirate exhibit. Its nice to have days off in big cities. It seems far to often you end up in a middle of nowhere town with nothing to do for a few days.

Subkick in Action

Well I finally tried out my Subkick! I tried it out at the WasagaDome. Probably not the best place to try it out. The acoustics were FAR from good. It's an echo chamber. Its a big metal and plastic dome that reflects every bit of sound made within its walls. It was weird. I could hear the conversations of people across the dome perfectly. If you stand in the middle and talk, I swear it makes you want to fall over. It sounds like your talking behind yourself! The truss structure seemed a little out of place too. Here's a pic of The Trews soundchecking in the dome of doom.



I wasnt overly impressed with the performance of the subkick. It seemed to lack a lot of the lows I was hoping for. I am going to try and find a bigger speaker, and mount it differently. I think the mic stand I was using may have had a little too much movement/play in it which was taking away some of the punch of the speaker.

It was neat to try it out at Wasaga because Tod Cutler (Sound and Tour Manager for The Trews) was using his homemade Subkick that night too. He was the one who inspired me to make my own subkick actually. His mounting system was far more solid than mine, and naturally his setup sounded significantly better than mine as well. He was telling me that this is his second creation. His first one actually got stolen, and he said his first one sounded better than his current one.


I am going to make a totally new Subkick when I get the time and mount it properly. Eventually I would like to mount one inside the kick drum and test that out.

Stay tuned my fellow sound geeks!

Matt

Inward Eye and Our Lady Peace

I tried the Digi Design Venue today. I didn't like the layout. The profile is way easier to use. Everything is in front of you. The Venue's features seem to be more buried in the software. I admit though that once I got the hang of it it wasn't too bad.

Bottom line, Inward Eye put on a kick ass show...as always.

Homemade Subkick Mount

It's been a while, but I finally figured out a way to mount my Homemade Subkick. I was considering using drum hardware to mount it but I came up with a few drawbacks. A drum stand would be fairly big, and heavy which isn't good for airlines, and if it were to break, or get left behind somewhere the Subkick would be rendered mountless. I decided to mount it using a standard mic clip. That way I could use any standard mic stand and not have to travel with one.

I had a Sennheiser mic clip laying around so I took off the clip part, drilled a hole in the the metal bracket part of the speaker, put the bolt through it with a couple washers, tightened it all up, and DONE. Now I just have to try it out! I am going to use it this weekend in Wasaga Beach at an Inward Eye show. Wish me luck!