The gig was this evening, and it went pretty well. I brought along a Jerry Byrd CD to play when I wasn't playing. The "hulu dancers" were a gag act - a bunch of old Shriners in grass skirts and coconut bras. Gag is right! They just ruined my favorite fantasy.

Anyway, the reason for this post is to describe the electronic challenges I encountered in my first solo gig. Here's a diagram of the setup:

I decided to use the computer as a CD player when I wasn't playing, to provide ambient music. I also use the computer to run my rhythm tracks in Band-In-A-Box, which is set up to use Roland Virtual Sound Canvas 3.0 (a pretty decent sounding software synth).

Sounds like it should all work fine, right? I'll continue in the next message...

As soon as I got the sound system and computer set up, I popped in the Jerry Byrd CD and adjusted the level. Then I wired in the steel and started playing along. So far, so good.

Then I stopped the CD and started up BIAB. BIG difference in level. The CD sounds real loud, and BIAB, which uses the WAVE volume control, is real soft. I max out the WAVE volume and just crack the CD volume, and I think I have the right levels. Then suddenly BIAB isn't producing any sound at all.

I close BIAB and the CD player app, and just launch BIAB. Now it works. Whew! Old folks in Hawaiian shirts and mumus are filling the dining hall. I start my show.

Since Sunday I've managed to create twelve Hawaiian rhythm tracks. BIAB doesn't have any Hawaiian styles, so I had to cobble some together myself. Now as I play a slow tune, then a fast one, then a half-fast one, I realize that the volume levels of my styles are all over the map. For each song I have to quickly adjust the computer's volume on the Beringer during the intro, then quickly pick up the melody.

I blend into the ambience, I am the ambience. No applause, but now and then someone will come up and compliment me. Now I know how a piano player in the corner feels. This is cool!

I run through 10 of the 12 tunes. Some are a bit shakey, but the overall sound is acceptable. Dark, but acceptable. Sometimes the Stringmaster cuts like a hot knife through butter. I am having fun. On the 10th tune someone asks me if I could do Tiny Bubbles again. They were listening, and they liked it!

Suddenly the toastmaster calls the room to attention. After the benediction and pledge of allegiance, he talks a bit about how hard it is to find Hawaiian musicians around here, introduces me, and I get a nice round of applause.

Then he says we have a special treat, some hula dancers. I hit the spacebar and kick off Tiny Bubbles, and 4 old geezers in fake grass skirts and coconut bras "dance" into the hall. They put on a horrible show to everyone's amusement. There goes my "steel guitar fantasy" - I'll never ask to back up dancers in grass skirts again!

I break for dinner and put on the Jerry Byrd CD. Walking around the hall, I hear how bad this rig actually sounds. It's really boomy, and it seems like it has a lot of wow and flutter, like an old tape. Is that possible with a CD?

[This message was edited by Bobby Lee on 17 June 2000 at 12:24 AM.]

Looking back, I see that I have three major problems:

1. BIAB and the CD player in the computer don't like each other.
   
2. My cabinets work fine for steel, but they don't sound good for CDs and MIDI bands.
   
3. I need to fix the volume levels of my BIAB styles.

Anyway, I just had to tell someone about all this. I want to thank Jim Baron for the idea and the courage. Seeing his rig gave me the confidence to try something like this. Thanks, Jim.

Neat story! Some good examples of resourcefulness needed on a solo gig. I enjoyed your descriptions of the sound, the people, etc.

I have played some solo vocal/guitar gigs, but never a solo steel gig. It sounds like you pulled off the solo steel gig exceedingly well. I'll bet it sounded great.

And, hey, an encore request for "Tiny Bubbles". The crowd obviously liked what you were doing. Thanks for sharing you experience with us.

I needed two tunings (D13 and A6th). My Sierra Laptop and the front neck of the Stringmaster are both tuned to D13th, so I didn't see any point in hauling them both. If I record these tunes, I'll do it on the Sierra because it has a much better tone.

Here are the tunings I use on the Stringmaster:

     D13     A6
1    E       E
2    F#      C#
3    D       A
4    B       F#
5    A       E
6    F#      C#
7    D       A
8    C       F#  

------------------
D 10 Thomas with 8&6, '61'D-10 Sho-Bud 8&3
S12 Knight 4&4
Nashville 400 and Profex II
81' Fender Twin JBL's
Asleep at the Steel

If I'm missing something please correct me.

So what do you do for Bass or Rhythm Guitar.
I can do without the guitar, but really need a Bass.

I might suggest that "skit nights" at fraternal orgs are not the best place and time.

Not that you ever would, but I'm sure you can see why...

Not that I ever have...

quote:

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Now as I play a slow tune, then a fast one, then a half-fast one, I realize that the volume levels of my styles are all over the map.

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