Live sound changing??

[mixmkr]

So yes...I understand about guitar tones and performance patches created in the studio or home will sound different live...mainly due to ambient acoustics, the speakers and so on.

What I've successfully done, is create in my home setup, but using my IEM. I know for the most part how they will translate to typical FOH...and at that point, let the sound crew tweak....as I generally trust them. I'll walk out front of the FOH to occasionally double check and am usually happy.

I use a variety of guitars from SG to Strats to Gretsch... and just bought this SE 24.. which I've ended up liking very much.

I use a Helix on stage going into Yamaha stage box, DANTE to low end Yamaha digital mixers ( but newer models) out to Sennheiser G4 IEM system to my Westones.

All my guitars sound in my IEM when live thru their individual patches, as they do thru my IEM making the patches away from the gig. It's been an effective way for me to get good live sounds.

However enter the PRS. my new PRS patches thru the Helix sound incredible...part of this new love affair and why I've loved this SE. it stays in tune (with new lockers and nut) and plays great.
But my live sound is brittle, especially with the coil tap. The coil tap is glorious at home and pulls off a Strat in 2 & 4 just fine...or screams with the rest of them. And I wanted to morph into the PRS as a more "all around" instead of switching so much...something I can see the PRS is entirely suited for. to the point I'll be looking at a higher end PRS... but this SE is killer for live.

But why only with my PRS is my sound suffering live unlike my other guitars? I bought some GraphTech saddles which everyone here, says to avoid like the plague, but they might warm up the sound, even more than brass.

The only thing different between my monitoring chains is the 200 ft of DANTE and the booth boards....and I say NO EQ, to start off. It's only the PRS that is translating different. I'm new to this brand...but I'm stumped. I'll try theses saddles and different strings first.

But help!

EDIT...for testing purposes I've used a guitar cable live instead of the wireless....and the same "brittle" thin sound.
In my studio..it all kicks butt...in a very good way.

 

[mixmkr]

To summarize my above novel, a current live sound board can't be selectively screwing with my PRS only...right??

 

[Gtrbldr]

Well, difference between @home and @live is mostly volume. Not just the venue. Higher volume results (amongst others) more perceived high end, and less mid frequencies.

I'd say: tro to dial in on higher volume. Also: you mention you used brighter guitars as your benchmark. Strats, gretsches. It might be you dialled in more treble to compensate for the extra midrange in your PRS, which should sound great at home, but al higher volume might result in a thin, maybe even piercing sound. Especially with the splits.

 

[JasonE]

Well, difference between @home and @live is mostly volume. Not just the venue. Higher volume results (amongst others) more perceived high end, and less mid frequencies.

I'd say: tro to dial in on higher volume. Also: you mention you used brighter guitars as your benchmark. Strats, gretsches. It might be you dialled in more treble to compensate for the extra midrange in your PRS, which should sound great at home, but al higher volume might result in a thin, maybe even piercing sound. Especially with the splits.

This was my first thought as well. This is one area that a lot of guys struggle with modelers. You have to dial them in at the volume you are going to use them at. Your presets will sound a bit dull and dark at a lower volume but will sound balanced at the live level.

Another thing I though of is if it is only this one guitar that you don't like the sound of, try adjusting the pickups a bit to see if you can even it out. Take the treble side of the pickups down a little. A little can go a long way on this when playing at live volumes.

 

[Gtrbldr]

By the way: I do not dial them in at live volume, (anymore): made my profiles doing that and I always check with FOH how they tweaked my sounds. However I do dial them in with a background track to get it to fit in the mix. Mostly that is about what my place is in the fabric of a song, but it helps to dial in as well.

 

[mixmkr]

Thx for the replies. To clarify, I'm getting the sounds while monitoring thru my IEM at the same volume I use the IEM when playing live. So I understand about the Fletcher Munson curve and that stuff too. My only differences are the soundboard and all the converters at the stage box, mixer to the Sennheiser transmitter, DANTE runs, etc. And with all those converter differences, I'm not really hearing any change actually with the guitars.

What the BIG difference is, hearing the sound against the band thru my IEM. I think that's a big ommision when dialing in tones...so at home, I'll also play backing tracks thru the IEM as well to try and simulate, best I can. It helps me set volumes on the Helix too. Really gettting my brain to smoke, thinking about it, I tend to think that is THE difference, because my PRS can get so crystal clear, is actually just wonderful.... but of course playing solo.

I was wondering kinda if others had any similar situations...which I can see probably isn't very frequent, if at all, among others.

And last...I gotta say...even with the 85/15 "s" pickups.... I realize these aren't the "best" pickups thru PRS...but they do a pretty darn good job. They're not leaving this guitar for now. I've got the GraphTech saddles...and we'll see how that goes...if it just robs the sound or helps out in the direction I'm looking towards.

Thanks again all.

 

[BigChrisW]

I understand this... I use a Helix directly through the PA and monitor system. I switched from my main guitar being an HSS strat (Suhr Thornbucker Plus in the bridge) to a DGT SE. What I've found is that I had to re-EQ my patches to suit the DGT; I now have different patches depending on the guitar. Both sound fantastic. Playing them at gig volume through a PA is necessity for me to be sure I'm happy.