Should the whole band pay for the pa?

[guitarsjb]

Re: Should the whole band pay for the pa?

My band had this discussion yesterday..we are borrowing my husbands PA for our rehearsal space, and the "guys" decided we need speaker stands for the speakers to get the sound off of the floor..well good point, BUT...I said, if you want stands you buy them. The PA is my husbands, the mic stands and mics are mine, the music stands are mine, I paid for the last 3 ads we ran in the paper, I checked on T-shirts...etc. I realized I was doing MOST of it (and they were letting me, can't blame em, it's easier LOL)..but I made it known I was DONE...I need some help. So, guess what, we are getting no stands..now we can "make it work" with the speakers on the floor, and I am fine with it. Any investments need to be arranged up front, so if the band breaks up it's decided who gets what and who pays for what...JMO. And now they know I am not willing to do it all, it is a band situation, and if they want anything extra, they need to chip in or buy it themselves... [img]/images/graemlins/refuse.gif[/img]

[Emthrax]

Re: Should the whole band pay for the pa?

[ QUOTE ]
the kicker? he's had all these years (never replaced it) but was so trashed at our last show that he left it. now he's talking all nostalgic about his fucking mic stand...but he won't buy a new one!! he says he'll use one of mine!!! [img]/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Stick a bottle nipple on his mic. [img]/images/graemlins/baby.gif[/img]

[Deneb]

Re: Should the whole band pay for the pa?

If singer is using it, he pays for it. Have him buy a powered mixer or something, a decent mike and a few decent speakers.

I have a PA now, I've got an EV 24 channel board, 2 crown 2000 watt Power amps, a QSC 1200 power amp, some EV pro monitors (just the speakers are, they are in junk cabs) and some other junk. I've got no FX or power conditioners, limiters nadda.

Then again, I don't need it. where we play, we pay a sound man. In the long run, it costs more to pay a sound guy to bring his gear, but when it's not a serious band, it's worth it.

[DSS3]

Re: Should the whole band pay for the pa?

Guitarists pay for their amps and guitars. Drummers pay for their drums and cymbals. Bassists pay for their basses and amps.

So why shouldn't a singer pay for his mics and PA's?

[Cleveland Metal]

Re: Should the whole band pay for the pa?

A good singer knows he can get or do whatever he wants if the band wants him to stay, sorta like a hot chick you might date. They use the concept that "YOU want them around" to their advantage to never have to pay for anything...

Many "bitches" do that, male or female I guess...

[diablomozart]

Re: Should the whole band pay for the pa?

well...i gotta raise the obvious question that no-one has here...if there are backing vox...lol...gotta play devil's advocate sometimes...lol...d.m.

[Cleveland Metal]

Re: Should the whole band pay for the pa?

I can barely play guitar, definitely do not ask me to sing...

[lerxstcat]

Re: Should the whole band pay for the pa?

A GOOD PA is much more costly than the average guitar rig (you're not average John!) and should be used by the whole band for backing vox, micing all instruments, etc... You will usually sound like crap if everything isn't miced and then mixed. Your amp may sound great to everyone standing directly in front of it, but the audience member 5 feet to your left won't hear it that well. If it's all mixed through the PA, everyone is heard everywhere. This is the case where a band needs to go in together, and keep track of each member's investment. If he or she leaves, buy them out or they get a piece of gear of equal value.

The "buy your own PA" vibe towards the singer lessens the cohesion of the band. If you're pro you know you need a decent PA that can handle all instruments miced and mixed. If you're a garage band, ad only the singer uses the PA, then yeah it may be on him. However, since singers are much scarcer than all other instruments, there's competition, so if you won't provide a PA, another band will, and then you have no singer, and no way to audition singers either.

If your band is serious, a PA is part of the cost of doing business, fair or not. It will
give you the power to accept a great singer with no gear into the band, over a half-assed singer who has his own PA.

Death, taxes and PAs; 2 unavoidable and the 3rd indispensable.

[markD]

Re: Should the whole band pay for the pa?

this is true. what i have wholly neglected to mention in my digs about my singer is that i bought the PA. in fact, i didn't mind too much because it is needed. i make back some of my money by renting it out to people sometimes.

[lerxstcat]

Re: Should the whole band pay for the pa?

That's a great point; my buddy has a nice PA and so does his drummer. Together they can field a concert-level system suitable for national acts in outdoor venues. They make a LOT of money renting out small, medium and large systems and running sound when they're not busy playing or recording. Their PA gear has paid for itself many times over.

Of course, my buddy IS the singer as well as the guitarist, so he'd have the PA no matter what...

[Shawn Lutz]

Re: Should the whole band pay for the pa?

it depends on the talent level of the singer [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

I think vocalist should own their own PA gear. If the band plays through it occasionaly then throw in some cash for higher watts and large enough board to mic the entire band and drums.

I always hated that, I've been in bands where the vocalist just brought a mic. I was in other bands where the singer had it going on from a gear perspective, speakers, amp, stands, board and mics.

[rocksoldier]

Re: Should the whole band pay for the pa?

Thank you all for the help!

I think i´m just gonna get the whole band to pay anyway.
To me it´s worth it just to get the damn pa, so we can PLAY.

It ain´t that much money anyway when 5 people are sharing the cost.

Of course the logical thing would be that the singer payed, but whatever, as long as we get this rehersal place (at the old one we shared with 3 other bands, here we are alone) i´m happy.

[RacerX]

Re: Should the whole band pay for the pa?

[ QUOTE ]
he's had all these years (never replaced it) but was so trashed at our last show that he left it.

[/ QUOTE ]

He was trashed....or the stand was? [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[jgcable]

Re: Should the whole band pay for the pa?

The singer should pay for it. There is nothing worse than a singer complaining about equipment. The lazy SOB's show up to rehearsal with a crummy SM58 and a mic stand and THATS IT!! Meanwhile, the other musicians have spent more money on frikkin strings than the singer has spent total. Tell him that if he wants to be heard, he will need amplification, just like the guitar and bass players do. If he feels the band should chip in for the PA, promptly send him a bill for his portion of your amplifiers.

[markD]

Re: Should the whole band pay for the pa?

he was!! the stand was surprisingly mint for being 17 years old!! i'm surprised he never used this pick up line: "hey baby, you and my mic stand have a lot in common...you're both 17 and sweet!!! i'm gonna man handle you the way i do my stand. look out baby!!" [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]