Currently hitting the small-club circuit with New Orleans funksters Galactic during the band's Freestyle 2004 tour, front-of-house engineer Jereb Carter (who has also manned the FOH board for Garage a Trois) shares some insight into creating perfect sound in close quarters.
Is it harder to work in smaller venues?
Small venues can be easy and fun to mix. However, some bars can be a less-conducive mixing environment with loud patrons and small, unkempt P.A.s!
How much production gear do you carry?
I carry an outboard rack that comprises a PCM81, SPX-2000, TC Electronic D2 Delay, six dbx 166 comps and a Sony R500 DAT machine. I use this to supplement house P.A.s that sometimes don't have all I need to keep a consistent sound. For in-ears, we use Shure 700 Series. I use mostly Audix mics, with the exception of one 421 for guitar and one SM58 for sax. The Audix mics sound natural for drums, and the OM Series have great rejection for vocals and are very road-worthy.
Do you have any “must have” pieces of gear you travel with?
For kick drum, I always carry an Audix D6 and a SansAmp distortion pedal for snare: Do not try this at home!
Do you have any favorite venues you like to work in?
It's hard to say, but being from Colorado, I am biased. Some of my favorites include Red Rocks Amphitheatre, the Fillmore in Denver (and San Francisco), the Fox Theatre (Boulder), the Rico Theatre and Tipitinas in New Orleans. All these venues sound great and have some of the best staffs in the country!
What do you like to do when you're off the road?
I enjoy spending time with family and friends, playing music, snowboarding and the occasional bonfire!
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