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One Man Set, Will This Work?

moster78moster78 Posts: 1,591
edited August 2006 in Musicians and Gearheads
So here's the deal, my older brother is throwing a house party in two weeks, and I was debating doing a short little solo set of some cover tunes, just me, my guitar, amp and a mic. The only problem is, the only thing I have to run the mic into is a Roland MicroCube. Do you think that'll suffice to compete with my 15W Fender Blues Junior? Now, I don't envision myself playing in front of more than 10 or 20 people, so I don't need ridiculous levels of volume, but do you think I'll be able to strike a balance between the two so one doesn't drown the other out?

And any song suggestions out there that'll sound good just me and my lonesome. So far I have debated doing the following:

Interstate Love Song
Elderly Woman
Something
Hurt
Rockin in the Free World
Everlong

Thanks in advance everyone!
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    should work out fine for levels.

    my advice on the songs is to pick about twice as many as you need because some will turn out to not work in the solo context.

    there are tons of songs i'd love to play on my own but i can't get them to work for one reason or another.

    and have fun.
  • keeponrockinkeeponrockin Posts: 7,446
    Thats a pretty solid set. Just check the balance before and you should be alright. You could always go acoustic as well.
    Believe me, when I was growin up, I thought the worst thing you could turn out to be was normal, So I say freaks in the most complementary way. Here's a song by a fellow freak - E.V
  • moster78moster78 Posts: 1,591
    keeponrockin wrote:
    Thats a pretty solid set. Just check the balance before and you should be alright. You could always go acoustic as well.

    There's more to my song selection, its just a matter of what I can work out in the next two weeks. I'd go acoustic, but I just prefer electric.
  • Survo-Survo- Posts: 72
    Play Gone $$
  • moster78moster78 Posts: 1,591
    Survo- wrote:
    Play Gone $$

    One, I don't know it, two, I kind of want to stick to one tune per artist, just to mix it up. Plus, its a new song that most people don't know, want to stick to stuff people will know. The key, I think, will be getting just inebriated enough to get up there, but not so much that I can't play. =)
  • likepilateihaveadoglikepilateihaveadog Posts: 1,083
    Survo- wrote:
    Play Gone $$
    so true, if only I could sing...

    :(
    Teamwork. Rawk. Pwnage. Infinite Possibilities. YIELD. Hells yeah.
  • keeponrockinkeeponrockin Posts: 7,446
    Creep is always a good tune. I know I'll get flamed, but Wonderwall is always a good choice as well.
    Believe me, when I was growin up, I thought the worst thing you could turn out to be was normal, So I say freaks in the most complementary way. Here's a song by a fellow freak - E.V
  • moster78moster78 Posts: 1,591
    keeponrockin wrote:
    Creep is always a good tune. I know I'll get flamed, but Wonderwall is always a good choice as well.

    STP's Creep, or Radioheads?
  • the unseenthe unseen Posts: 372
    johnny cash's version of rusty cage works solo.

    moster78 wrote:
    So here's the deal, my older brother is throwing a house party in two weeks, and I was debating doing a short little solo set of some cover tunes, just me, my guitar, amp and a mic. The only problem is, the only thing I have to run the mic into is a Roland MicroCube. Do you think that'll suffice to compete with my 15W Fender Blues Junior? Now, I don't envision myself playing in front of more than 10 or 20 people, so I don't need ridiculous levels of volume, but do you think I'll be able to strike a balance between the two so one doesn't drown the other out?

    And any song suggestions out there that'll sound good just me and my lonesome. So far I have debated doing the following:

    Interstate Love Song
    Elderly Woman
    Something
    Hurt
    Rockin in the Free World
    Everlong

    Thanks in advance everyone!
  • HailHailVitalogyHailHailVitalogy Posts: 5,205
    Yeah the microcube should work...I have a little 5 watt microcube and I've used a mic for it, and it works nicely
    2003: Uniondale, MSG x2 | 2004: Reading | 2005: Gorge, Vancouver, Philly | 2006: East Rutherford x2, Gorge x2, Camden 1, Hartford | 2008: MSG x2, VA Beach | 2009: Philly x3 | 2010: MSG x2, Bristow | 2011: Alpine Valley x2 | 2012: MIA Philly | 2013: Wrigley, Charlottesville, Brooklyn 2 | 2014: Milan, Amsterdam 1 | 2016: MSG x2, Fenway x2, Wrigley 2 | 2018: Rome, Krakow, Berlin, Wrigley 2 | 2021: Sea Hear Now | 2022: San Diego, LA x2, MSG, Camden, Nashville, St. Louis, Denver | 2023: St. Paul 1, Chicago x2, Fort Worth x2, Austin 2 | 2024: Las Vegas 1, Seattle x2, Indy, MSG x2, Philly x2, Baltimore, Ohana 2
  • keeponrockinkeeponrockin Posts: 7,446
    moster78 wrote:
    STP's Creep, or Radioheads?

    Radiohead's
    Believe me, when I was growin up, I thought the worst thing you could turn out to be was normal, So I say freaks in the most complementary way. Here's a song by a fellow freak - E.V
  • moster78moster78 Posts: 1,591
    keeponrockin wrote:
    Radiohead's

    Cool, I'll have to look into that one.
  • HailHailVitalogyHailHailVitalogy Posts: 5,205
    I forgot to mention that I did a little set like this about 2 months ago with my acoustic...it was actually me and my friend joel and we switched songs to sing but we both played acoustic....it was a little longer but I think the set was something like...

    Last Kiss (I sang)
    Won't Back Down (I sang)
    Nothingman
    Fake Plastic Trees (Radiohead)
    Tangerine (Led Zeppelin) (I sang)
    Wish You Were here (Pink Floyd) (I sang)
    Rockin In The Free World (Both switched singing)
    Indifference

    Good little set, we played infront of about 30-35 people sitting down on the floor :) The persons party (Moster it was in Lindenhurst, so that is like 2 towns from you :) )we played at had a little PA so we used that

    By the way for anyone wondering what happened to those "acoustic covers" i just got my acoustic back today so I will be working on them this week!! hopefully by the weekend I will have some shitty recordings of them :)
    2003: Uniondale, MSG x2 | 2004: Reading | 2005: Gorge, Vancouver, Philly | 2006: East Rutherford x2, Gorge x2, Camden 1, Hartford | 2008: MSG x2, VA Beach | 2009: Philly x3 | 2010: MSG x2, Bristow | 2011: Alpine Valley x2 | 2012: MIA Philly | 2013: Wrigley, Charlottesville, Brooklyn 2 | 2014: Milan, Amsterdam 1 | 2016: MSG x2, Fenway x2, Wrigley 2 | 2018: Rome, Krakow, Berlin, Wrigley 2 | 2021: Sea Hear Now | 2022: San Diego, LA x2, MSG, Camden, Nashville, St. Louis, Denver | 2023: St. Paul 1, Chicago x2, Fort Worth x2, Austin 2 | 2024: Las Vegas 1, Seattle x2, Indy, MSG x2, Philly x2, Baltimore, Ohana 2
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    i'm back up to 16 songs that i have solid and presentable in a solo form after about a week.

    my goal is to hit 60, keeping about 1/3 of it as my own songs. then i think i can go back out and play evening shows on my own.

    if i can work up the nerve.
  • moster78moster78 Posts: 1,591
    exhausted wrote:
    if i can work up the nerve.

    Thats my issue, and where the alcohol comes in. I know I can play, its the singing that worries me. But hopefully I'll be relaxed enough and everyone else will be too drunk to really mind.
  • keeponrockinkeeponrockin Posts: 7,446
    moster78 wrote:
    Thats my issue, and where the alcohol comes in. I know I can play, its the singing that worries me. But hopefully I'll be relaxed enough and everyone else will be too drunk to really mind.

    Haha, you'll do fine. I'm really self consious about my singing to.
    Believe me, when I was growin up, I thought the worst thing you could turn out to be was normal, So I say freaks in the most complementary way. Here's a song by a fellow freak - E.V
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    i think everyone is. there's no way to hide it. you just have to work with what you have.
  • HailHailVitalogyHailHailVitalogy Posts: 5,205
    moster78 wrote:
    Thats my issue, and where the alcohol comes in. I know I can play, its the singing that worries me. But hopefully I'll be relaxed enough and everyone else will be too drunk to really mind.

    Yeah, well I know I suck at singing but I can sing songs like Last Kiss, Wish You Were Here, and Wont Back Down pretty darn good but everything else blows...about 2 years ago I sang RITFW infront of like 1500 people, and everyone said the instrumental was amazing but my vocals sucked! ha

    I think I'm going to go take some singing lessons! :) I'm serious, I would love to sing in a band! Even if it's backup like Stone
    2003: Uniondale, MSG x2 | 2004: Reading | 2005: Gorge, Vancouver, Philly | 2006: East Rutherford x2, Gorge x2, Camden 1, Hartford | 2008: MSG x2, VA Beach | 2009: Philly x3 | 2010: MSG x2, Bristow | 2011: Alpine Valley x2 | 2012: MIA Philly | 2013: Wrigley, Charlottesville, Brooklyn 2 | 2014: Milan, Amsterdam 1 | 2016: MSG x2, Fenway x2, Wrigley 2 | 2018: Rome, Krakow, Berlin, Wrigley 2 | 2021: Sea Hear Now | 2022: San Diego, LA x2, MSG, Camden, Nashville, St. Louis, Denver | 2023: St. Paul 1, Chicago x2, Fort Worth x2, Austin 2 | 2024: Las Vegas 1, Seattle x2, Indy, MSG x2, Philly x2, Baltimore, Ohana 2
  • samquigleysamquigley Posts: 220
    Back to the original question, I'm inclined to think that unless people are going to be sitting, quietly, in rows in front of you, your Microcube's gonna struggle.
  • keeponrockinkeeponrockin Posts: 7,446
    I still reccomend going acoustic, and all the songs you mentioned work acoustically, but thats just me. Also, take requests, that gets people into it.
    Believe me, when I was growin up, I thought the worst thing you could turn out to be was normal, So I say freaks in the most complementary way. Here's a song by a fellow freak - E.V
  • moster78moster78 Posts: 1,591
    biffhardon wrote:
    Back to the original question, I'm inclined to think that unless people are going to be sitting, quietly, in rows in front of you, your Microcube's gonna struggle.

    I tested it out a bit last night in my apartment, and although I didn't have the guts to sing full blast into the mic, I think the cube can handle it, especially if I put it as far away from the guitar amp as possible.

    As for the acoustic, yeah, they'd all work as acoustic tunes, but I also want to play some more rockers, so acoustic wouldn't work like that. Plus, I don't really enjoy playing acoustic anymore. Sad, I know, but I prefer electric.
  • HailHailVitalogyHailHailVitalogy Posts: 5,205
    moster78 wrote:
    I tested it out a bit last night in my apartment, and although I didn't have the guts to sing full blast into the mic, I think the cube can handle it, especially if I put it as far away from the guitar amp as possible.

    As for the acoustic, yeah, they'd all work as acoustic tunes, but I also want to play some more rockers, so acoustic wouldn't work like that. Plus, I don't really enjoy playing acoustic anymore. Sad, I know, but I prefer electric.

    Speaking of which...

    I love the sound of a "one man" song when you play songs like Immortality with an electric with a little bit of overdrive and on the neck pickup...sounds heavily with my traynor :D

    also...when I first read this I thought you ment the song "Sad" and I played that on acoustic last night, it sounded freakin amazing...for the chorus just play the open chords :D
    2003: Uniondale, MSG x2 | 2004: Reading | 2005: Gorge, Vancouver, Philly | 2006: East Rutherford x2, Gorge x2, Camden 1, Hartford | 2008: MSG x2, VA Beach | 2009: Philly x3 | 2010: MSG x2, Bristow | 2011: Alpine Valley x2 | 2012: MIA Philly | 2013: Wrigley, Charlottesville, Brooklyn 2 | 2014: Milan, Amsterdam 1 | 2016: MSG x2, Fenway x2, Wrigley 2 | 2018: Rome, Krakow, Berlin, Wrigley 2 | 2021: Sea Hear Now | 2022: San Diego, LA x2, MSG, Camden, Nashville, St. Louis, Denver | 2023: St. Paul 1, Chicago x2, Fort Worth x2, Austin 2 | 2024: Las Vegas 1, Seattle x2, Indy, MSG x2, Philly x2, Baltimore, Ohana 2
  • moster78moster78 Posts: 1,591
    So I messed around with the setup a little more last night, and I think the cube might not be enough. I don't have a PA or anything, but my roommate offered to lend me his 40W Fender Deluxe amp. Is running vocals through a guitar amp a bad idea? Any other ideas?
  • HailHailVitalogyHailHailVitalogy Posts: 5,205
    moster78 wrote:
    So I messed around with the setup a little more last night, and I think the cube might not be enough. I don't have a PA or anything, but my roommate offered to lend me his 40W Fender Deluxe amp. Is running vocals through a guitar amp a bad idea? Any other ideas?

    I sometimes run a mic through an amp if we don't have a PA...its not a bad sound...you just have to turn up the volume more than you would for a guitar
    2003: Uniondale, MSG x2 | 2004: Reading | 2005: Gorge, Vancouver, Philly | 2006: East Rutherford x2, Gorge x2, Camden 1, Hartford | 2008: MSG x2, VA Beach | 2009: Philly x3 | 2010: MSG x2, Bristow | 2011: Alpine Valley x2 | 2012: MIA Philly | 2013: Wrigley, Charlottesville, Brooklyn 2 | 2014: Milan, Amsterdam 1 | 2016: MSG x2, Fenway x2, Wrigley 2 | 2018: Rome, Krakow, Berlin, Wrigley 2 | 2021: Sea Hear Now | 2022: San Diego, LA x2, MSG, Camden, Nashville, St. Louis, Denver | 2023: St. Paul 1, Chicago x2, Fort Worth x2, Austin 2 | 2024: Las Vegas 1, Seattle x2, Indy, MSG x2, Philly x2, Baltimore, Ohana 2
  • moster78moster78 Posts: 1,591
    HailHailVitalogy wrote:
    I sometimes run a mic through an amp if we don't have a PA...its not a bad sound...you just have to turn up the volume more than you would for a guitar

    Yeah, thats what I had to do with the cube. The volume was pegged and the gain wasn't far behind just so I could hear something out of it. Of course a little too high and I got nasty mic feedback.
  • HailHailVitalogyHailHailVitalogy Posts: 5,205
    moster78 wrote:
    Yeah, thats what I had to do with the cube. The volume was pegged and the gain wasn't far behind just so I could hear something out of it. Of course a little too high and I got nasty mic feedback.

    If you want, I have a friend who might have a small PA, nothing big...just 1 speaker and a head...I can come drop that off for you if you want...when is this gig?
    2003: Uniondale, MSG x2 | 2004: Reading | 2005: Gorge, Vancouver, Philly | 2006: East Rutherford x2, Gorge x2, Camden 1, Hartford | 2008: MSG x2, VA Beach | 2009: Philly x3 | 2010: MSG x2, Bristow | 2011: Alpine Valley x2 | 2012: MIA Philly | 2013: Wrigley, Charlottesville, Brooklyn 2 | 2014: Milan, Amsterdam 1 | 2016: MSG x2, Fenway x2, Wrigley 2 | 2018: Rome, Krakow, Berlin, Wrigley 2 | 2021: Sea Hear Now | 2022: San Diego, LA x2, MSG, Camden, Nashville, St. Louis, Denver | 2023: St. Paul 1, Chicago x2, Fort Worth x2, Austin 2 | 2024: Las Vegas 1, Seattle x2, Indy, MSG x2, Philly x2, Baltimore, Ohana 2
  • moster78moster78 Posts: 1,591
    HailHailVitalogy wrote:
    If you want, I have a friend who might have a small PA, nothing big...just 1 speaker and a head...I can come drop that off for you if you want...when is this gig?

    Cool man, I appreciate it, but I'm going to see how it works through my roommates amp first. Its next Saturday, the 26th, and its not a gig per se, just me getting drunk enough at a house party to get up in front of people.
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