Where on the stage do you put your amp?

[dudabrad]

I had an epiphany today. Most bands that I see performing in concert seem to have all their amps, cabs, etc. at the back of the stage facing forward. Yet, a lot of churches (mine included) have the guitarists place their amps facing back (just like the monitors). Why is this?

Do you face your amp forward (miked or un-miked) towards the audience, or backwards facing you? Why?

[stephen]

After a lot of trial and error, mine is leaning back, and facing towards me, and I'm stage left of the amp. It gets the least omount of bd acoustics effect for our stage, and I can hear myself, and its not overpowering anyone. My volume is low enough that it has to be mic'd through the house, or I wont be heard at all.

[TheBigKevDogg]

definately leaning back in front of me. i've tried having it behind me but in order to get it loud enough for me to be able to do my thing it would be too loud for everyone else, so this has worked great! I use a mic (SM57)

[stephen]

I use a mic (SM57)

The work horse of microphones! I love SM57's!

[TheBigKevDogg]

I use a mic (SM57)

The work horse of microphones! I love SM57's!

gotta love em! I actually have micing question but I think I'll start a new thread so I don't hyjack :-)

[MrMike]

I'm at stage left, and I put my amp to my left firing across the stage/platform. That way I can hear it and so can the rest of the band, and the impact of my stage volume on the FOH mix is minimized.

[Swarty]

I have my cab in front of me, leaned back like a wedge monitor. My amp is on the floor (well, actually I'm usually on a stupid riser with the bass player and/or the acoustic player)...usually just off to my left. I used an SM57 for eons until we got Beta 57s. The reason for having the cab in front is to cut down on the stage volume without sacrificing the interaction between the amp and the guitar. If you have a cab behind you pointing out the guitar will be very loud in the first few rows, and the mix is not going to be good in that area. I did play an outdoor gospel thing a couple weeks ago, and brought an old 50w top and 4x12, put myself on the far end of the stage so I wouldn't annoy the singers. It was great, as I seldom get to play the big rigs anymore! But it would not work for a worship service in the auditorium/sanctuary.

[dmw]

Amps are usually lined-up behind the musicians when they are needed to help project a forward "wall of sound" to reinforce the overall sound of the performing group. Or, it could be that the players just want a big stage sound and it helps players hear each other. Mostly it's because that's just the way they're accustomed to doing things.

If you don't need alot of SPL on stage, because the musicians are mainly relying on the monitor mix, then placing an amp in front or beside you, angled-back, is a good way to do it. That way the player is just using the amp for his or her own personal monitor, and the sound heard from the amp ought to be pretty close to what's heard by the audience through the sound reinforcement system, assuming it's mic'd.

[Larry Wallwart]

I have mine on a tilted stand in front of me. Pointing at my head.

[Larry Wallwart]

I had an epiphany today. Most bands that I see performing in concert seem to have all their amps, cabs, etc. at the back of the stage facing forward. Yet, a lot of churches (mine included) have the guitarists place their amps facing back (just like the monitors). Why is this?

Do you face your amp forward (miked or un-miked) towards the audience, or backwards facing you? Why?

the reasons I do it:

1. so the sound man will put me in the mix. If the amp is facing forward he will hear my stage volume and won't put me in the mains.
2. whoever sits in line with my amp will hear ONLY me.
3. I can turn my amp up to a decent volume and not blow away the front row.
4. So I can hear myself.

[leecow]

Generally sitting behind me on a tilt stand with the level low enough that it doesn't bugger up the stage volume or house mix. Mic'd with either an SM57 or Sennheiser E609. Monitoring level is probably half amp and half monitor system when using wedges and 80/20 with IEM (typically use only 1 ear bud).

[SAguitar]

We put all our amps on the floor in front tilted up like a floor monitor. We've been doin' that for about 5 years now, and it has helped on keepin' the stage level down a bit. :cool:

[Brian]

I put Fender tilt back legs on my Boogie a long time ago. It really helps to hear yourself. When I was playing Rock n Roll in big rooms mic'd, like SA I set my Boogie up in front, tilting it back like a monitor. That worked very well with the FOH crankin even with the open back. I'm not sure how well that would work with an open back cabinet in church with FOH <100db SPL without some baffling in front.

In Church, like leecow I have my Rivera on a nice QwikLoc stand that tilts back. It's also an open back cabinet. It's in the backline but turned down. I use an Aviom to dial up my own mix in my IEMs so I can hear my guitars. Even at low volume and using the Sedona's Parametric EQ, there might be feedback with my Taylor if it were in front of me.

Even my tiny little Evans has a tilt back stand built in... a surface mount spring loaded handle. Works Great! It's closed back but I'm not individually mic'd with the big band so it's backline facing front. There would likely be feedback with my L5 if it were in front of me. Best for me if my amp is behind and to the left with both my L5 and Taylor.

[RainCaster]

I always used my Crate Acoustic like a stage monitor, and let the board use the XLR tap. Tilted back, I got a nice low level signal to hear myself. The sound mix has always been a challenge and that amp never had enough oomph to fill the room when our mix was bad.

Then I upgraded my Tele to a 120W Vox Valvetronix. Now I have the HP to fill our sanctuary and it stands behind me. I no longer have to rely upon the random nature of the mix board to achieve balance. I did spend a Saturday alone in the sanctuary repositioning the 4x12 cab to minimize standing waves and other bad things. Then I marked two corners on the floor with blue tape. We have a volunteer janitorial crew that always varies, so I never know where the amp will be left.