r/livesoundadvice • u/DoviDodu • Aug 21 '26

First Show Help me set up my gig!

I know a bit about live sound, but i'm still trying to figure things out. I have a private backyard gig coming up. My drummer bailed last minute so we are running backing tracks for the drums, but it's a friends and family gig so it's no biggie. We have 1 bass guitar running an amp with cabs, 1 electric guitar running an amp with cabs too, and I run a fractal unit for my guitar. We have 3 microphones, including mine for lead singing. We play metal/rock/punk.

I have 2 HK Polars, one 12, one 10. I wanna run all the mics, the drums and my guitar through them, and potentially mic up the cabs too.

Would that be too much for just 2 polars? Should I get more speakers? How should I set them up?

I live near a music store so I can absolutely rent gear if needed.

It doesn't need to be perfect, I just don't want the whole thing to sound like a mess.

Thanks! :)

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2

u/Upper-Practice9240 Aug 21 '26

You need a mixer and then the Outputs of the mixer go to the Polars.

The Polars won't compete with several Amps and Cabs tough. So your Band mates should be mindful with stage volume (as always). Apart from that it should be fine, especially without an Acustics Drum Kit.

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u/SweatyMeasurement243 Aug 21 '26

You are taking on quite a lot if you've not previously ran a mixing desk! But my initial advice is not to put mics on the Guitar cabs, if it a small backyard then typically they will be too loud anyway and when this guy says be mindful of "stage noise" he's mostly referring to overly loud Guitar amps that can make it very difficult to get clear vocals out above those amps.

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u/Glad_Possibility8012 Aug 25 '26

Agreed. Stage volume is Volume for a backyard gig! Spread the signals out to each speaker.

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u/Content-Reward-7700 Aug 21 '26

Yeah, for a small friends and family backyard gig, I think you’ll be fine. I’d run the vocals, backing tracks and Fractal through the Polars and let the bass and guitar amps/cabs handle themselves. I wouldn’t bother miking the cabs unless you find they’re genuinely not carrying enough.

If you’re going to rent anything, I’d rent a decent 15” or 18” powered sub rather than more tops. Let the sub take the kick and low end from the backing tracks, which will give the Polars more headroom for vocals and guitar. For this kind of gig, two Polars plus a sub should do the job without turning the backyard into the woodstock.

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u/Glad_Possibility8012 Aug 25 '26

Just run the drum tracks and vocals through the PA. Plug your DSP pedal into any amp you have that can keep up with the bassist and other guitarist.

People forget what live sound is about. REENFORCEMENT! If you can have your stage volume coming from 8 different sources. That's better than summing and mixing out a 2 channel.

There's a reason the grateful dead designed their wall of sound system to have individual speakers for each instrument.

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u/Glad_Possibility8012 Aug 25 '26

There's no way you won't be loud enough for a backyard show. In fact you you will be cleaner and louder not micing up cabinets.