Accessories A/B Volume Switch/Pedal

[Veggie Dave]

This is probably more for those live players who use clip-on mics, but other live musicians may well be able to help, too.

I'm in a show at the moment where it would be really helpful to supply the FoH with two separate volume levels - one is the full line level for solos and prominent sections/phrases, the other is for when the sax needs to be really low in the mix. Obviously, if you're using a mic on a stand then this is a doddle. With a clip-on mic, on the other hand, mic control isn't possible. Of course, if this was a big production, the sound engineer would do the hard work and I could forget all about it. But it's not, and you can't expect an engineer who's never worked with you before to remember which songs and which sections require which volume level.

I've found a few examples of A/B volume pedals out there but only the Boss one seems to be relatively easy to find. Has anyone had any experience of doing something like this?

 

[Merryfisher]

I use tc electronic spark booster pedal, just step on the booster button when you have a solo

 

[Dr G]

I use tc electronic spark booster pedal, just step on the booster button when you have a solo

Good call. One could similarly switch in their EQ pedal with variable level adjustment (e.g. Boss GE-7). Recall that pedals with variable level can be set lower as well as higher - your choice as to what you want it to do when engaged.

 

[Veggie Dave]

Good call. One could similarly switch in their EQ pedal with variable level adjustment (e.g. Boss GE-7). Recall that pedals with variable level can be set lower as well as higher - your choice as to what you want it to do when engaged.

When you can't see the forest for the trees. Such a simple solution.

 

[Zasterz]

I hope this doesn’t seem “know-it-all-ish” but how about just using the instrument’s natural dynamic capabilities? I use a clip-on mic and I have solos as well as blendy-blendy parts and I can do them both without changing my mic volume. It seems like it would be distracting to use a pedal for that- and this is coming from someone who plays a lot of guitar shows as well with pedals galore. But unlike the electric guitar which has a certain dynamic range when picking more gently vs harder, the sax’s range seems so much wider, more like the human voice. I can play at a whisper and I can scream. Why not just set the PA for the loudest you will be and then play softly when you need to?

 

[Veggie Dave]

You probably won't be surprised to hear that the difference in volume is not within the dynamic range of a saxophone. I can, and do in this particular show, play very loud. I can also play so quietly that my breath is as loud as the note. However, in a live situation, that whisper is still loud through a PA (especially if there's some compression in the FX chain for some reason), plus that breath is a very high frequency and it can and will cut through the mix.

I don't want a breathy sound, I need a full sax but at a really, really low volume in the mix - I'm trying to replicate a studio mix not something that could happen naturally in a rehearsal room or on a stage. Obviously, there's then the stage bleed to consider but that's a different issue. At the moment I just don't play at all in the sections I'm trying to fix because it sounds better with nothing rather than something way too loud.

 

[Pete Thomas]

I agree it's quite common in many situations (where there is sound reinforcement) to need to rely on backing off the mic or mixing to create dynamic control that cannot be done purely with the way you blow. Yes, you may want the sound of a saxophone played hard and loud, but lower in the mix.