May Issue - FOH Online

Taking Godon the Road
Over the last several months, I have talked
to you about installing worship sound
systems, dealing with the church hierarchy,
training volunteers, getting paid, etc. What
I have not spent any time on is mixing church,
gospel and worship groups and going out on
the road with a
worship band.
So, this
month I will attempt
to shed
some light on
these two subjects.
I know a lot of you out there have spent a
lot of time on the road. For many years, I toured
with a rock outfit, and spent as long as a year on
the road. However, that was when I was in my
twenties and my mantra was the same as most
of my predecessors — “sex, drugs and rock ‘n’
roll.” I don’t really have to tell you that those
three demands won’t fly with a praise and worship
group today. But what I have found working
with live worship bands is that they are just
as fired up about what they are doing as any
rock group. They are just fanning a different
fire. Anyway, I have recently begun mixing “out
of town” weekend dates with a 10 member pro
By MarkAmundson
By JamieRio
Gospel band called Firm Soundation, and if you
will read on I will tell you all about it.
Early to Rise SS
A little over a year ago I got a call to supply
sound for a wedding. When the band showed
up, I recognized the guitar player from a church
I had been mixing at, and the drummer was a
guy I had played music with a few years earlier.
The group played nothing but worship music
for the wedding. Everything from current gospel
tunes to old black spirituals. The band was really
good and lots of fun to mix. As a matter of fact,
the wedding was
very uplifting, not
to mention the
rockin’ southern
barbeque that
was served. Anyway,
almost a year
goes by and I get a call from Ray Sidney (the
band leader) that the group needed sound for
a Los Angeles Zoo gig. The same band was playing
there for a two-day gig during Black History
Month (February). I once again had a great time
mixing the group, and I really enjoyed the music.
Well, a few days after the Zoo gig I got a call from
Ray again asking me if I could supply sound for a
handful of out-of-town dates. We worked out the
dollars, and I agreed to provide sound and my
personal mixing skills. The first show was not to
far away at the Pala Indian casino near San Diego.
My office is in Pasadena, Cali., so I had only about
a two-hour drive. The only thing that is a little dif-
“Sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll.” I don’t
really have to tell you that those
three demands won’t fly with a
praise and worship group.
While not a “true” live sound system, the
Fender Passport series of portable
sound systems have been around
for many years, and the PD-500 is the latest
and greatest version to date. This compact 53pound
system makes for a totally usable portable
“public address” system and is capable of
reinforcing modest live or recorded music with
good fidelity.
The Gear
RT
From the overhead, the PD-500 looks like a
charcoal grey football, with the triangle speaker
cabinets sandwiching the master control unit
that contains the mixing control surface and
stereo power amplifiers. With six XLR input
channels, two stereo line source input channels,
two-band channel EQs (with a three-band master
EQ), a monitor mix send and panning for the
stereo output amplifiers; the Passport PD-500
offers plenty of flexibility for even professional
sound persons. The PD-500 also comes with a
digital effects processor built-in, so a bit of ambience
can augment the singer’s performance.
And, like previous Fender Passports, the front
panel ergonomics are ever evolving, and intended
to be easy-to use and non-intimidating
to technically challenged operators.
Each speaker cabinet is stuffed with drivers
on the grille, with two 8-inch Celestion low/mid
woofers, with a 1-inch diaphragm compression
horn tweeter between the woofers to handle
the high frequencies. Each 4-ohm speaker cabinet
has Neutrik NL4 Speakon jacks (which allow
the use of NL2 or NL4 plugs) on the grille, and
It may not be rock ‘n’ roll, but the band sure rocks
www.fohonline.com
ferent is that I had a 6 a.m. stage call. You see, Ray
and his group specialize in performing at gospel
brunches. That’s right
— you go to brunch on
a Sunday and hear some
inspiring worship music.
So instead of being up
at 3 a.m. getting in from
the gig, I am up at 3 a.m.
going to the gig. It’s really
the same, only upside down.
Road Dogs and Choir Boys SS
The Firm Soundation back-up band consists
of drums, bass, keys and guitar. Some of the guys
are old road dogs that found God, and the others
are church boys who like to rock. Every single one
of these guys is an “A” list player and knows what
their instruments are all about. Setting the band
up is the same as any group.
I mic them up, make them sound great and
hold them behind the singers. Ray’s group is
all about the singing and the praising and the
preaching. I’ve got Ray plus a four-girl-one-guy
back-up singing group. The vocals are the most
challenging thing with this band. The entire vocal
group is pro, and they all have solo songs during
the show — but none of these singers have the
same vocal qualities. I think Ray picked them because
of the uniqueness of their individual voices.
This is a great asset during the solo songs but
is an equalization challenge when I want them
to sound like an angelic choir. I guess if it wasn’t
a challenge it wouldn’t be fun. Of course, lots of
Sound Sanctuary
Instead of being up at 3 a.m.
getting in from the gig, I am
up at 3 a.m. going to the
gig. It’s really the same, only
upside down.
Fender Passport PD-500 Sound System
the system comes with a pair of 22-foot speaker
cables (16 gauge) with NL2 plugs going to the
back of the PD-500 control unit. Each speaker is
driven by a separate 250-watt at 4-ohm audio
power amplifier with front panel master volume
controls with a pair of 10-LED bargraphs to track
overall levels. And to keep weight controlled, the
power amplifiers are fed by a common switching
power supply.
The PD-500 provides all the cues needed to
stay in the non-distortion zone. Each channel
level includes a bi-color LED (green/red) that
provides peak signal detection for presence and
near peak. Setting the levels is just a matter of
speaking into the mic at performance levels, setting
the level just before peak, and setting the
master volumes to the desired loudness. Each
PD-500 also has a global phantom power switch,
for use with condenser mics. And, for good measure,
there is a one-button “feedback killer” to
minimize squeals from the sound system.
Behind the Passport PD-500 control unit is
a latched compartment for stowing the speaker
cables, two mic cables, an “iPod/walkman to RCA
plugs” patch cable and two mic pouches containing
two usable cardioid dynamic mics with
on/off switches on them. While the microphone
quality is what I would call entry-level, it is serviceable
for speech work.
The Gigs RT
Both in the shop and out at the gigs (a corporate
gig and a wedding reception), the Fender
Passport PD-500 gets great marks for size,
weight and ease of use. The PD-500 does not
come with tripods, but
I had a pair of 1 3 / 8-inch
stands that worked fine
for the tasks. The 22foot
speaker cables do
not always work with
every setup scenario,
but since the interfaces
are Speakons, a couple
of my big rig 4-wire, 12gauge,
NL4 connectored
cables still worked
fine.
The Passport PD-
500 does have a few
weaknesses for trying
to be everything for all
small gigs. The power
amplifiers have noticeable
hiss above halfway up, while the mic preamps
stayed clean throughout their range. The
digital reverb was way too limited and sounded
bell-like to my critical ears – so go easy on its
use. And the maximum clean volume was not in
keeping to what I think 500 watts should do to
these Neo-magnet-ed drivers.
But the Fender Passport does offer very nice
fidelity at a modest amount volume when set
up right. I substituted a Heil Sound PR-20 mic
for the Fender mics, and the PD-500 came alive
instantly. And with the amount of channels you
get, the clean preamps, useful EQ and the patching
flexibility the Passport PD-500 will certainly
be a good fit for many applications.
monitors are necessary up front, but the singers
only want three mixes, and the band wants
three, so I can monitor
from my board. I think
the real difference with a
gospel group compared
to a rock or blues band is
the vocals, so they get as
much attention as they
need.
The other thing that really needs attention
is my general language onstage or in the green
room. It’s a worship band for God’s sake, so no
foul or crude word usage. Besides, there are a lot
of women in this group, and they will certainly
not tolerate me talking like a punk.
The other thing that I have to get used to is
praying before the show or before a meal. I have
no problem praying with anybody for just about
anything; I am just not used to praying with the
band. I’m only a few shows into this new adventure,
but so far it’s been a lot of fun. Next weekend
I will be out in Palm Springs at a wedding/
gospel brunch double-header. I haven’t decided
how far I will travel with this group, but considering
all the hell I raised as a rocker, I think it’s a
good idea for me to stick with them for a while.
It has definitely tightened up my live vocal mixing
chops, and it’s good for my soul in general.
The only thing that is a little bit of a drag is I am
used to getting a cocktail after the show. I never
really liked soda that much.
Send your requests to jrio@fohonline.com.
Road Tests
What it is: Portable P.A. System
Who it’s for: Small combos and public
speaker type gigs
How much: Fender Passport PD-500 $1999
MSRP ($1399 street)
Pros: Lightweight, tons of flexibility,
easy to use
Cons: Hissy master volumes; digital reverb
and power output questioned
Web site: www.Fender.com/passport
2007 MAY
29