Masel
Oud Junkie
Posts: 367
Registered: 6-18-2006
Member Is Offline
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Amplifying my oud
Hey everyone, I've got my first paid gig playing two songs on the oud for some guy putting on a show. I have a pickup and will plugin direct to the
mixing console, but in case the sound engineer doesn't know, what frequencies are most present in the oud? I guess mid and lower mid (400-800hz?) or
am I wrong?
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Jason
Oud Junkie
Posts: 734
Registered: 9-17-2005
Location: Louisville, KY
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Mood: Loving my oud
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You really have to play it by ear for each instrument. Just start off with the EQ set flat and work from there. Generally you need to boost the
upper mids/highs to give it more presence in the room.
It also really depends on the PA and the room you're playing in. Some rooms can be very boomy or very tinny.
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Lintfree
Oud Junkie
Posts: 171
Registered: 2-9-2007
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Mood: No Mood
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It depends on the pickup and the oud and where the pickup is placed. A combination of a pickup and a microphone works very well for accoustic ouds.
The monitor cabinet and where it is placed in relation to the instrument is important. Don't aim it directly at the oud. And try not to have too much
low end come through the monitor. All oud players who play accoustically have feedback problems and the better the oud the more easily it will feed
back. Get a long cord and play it from the audience at soundcheck. The boxy tones are around 6K, the ones that feedback the easiest....on my Mustafa.
I'm assuming you are using a piezo pickup under the bridge. Find a club with P.A. system with a graphic equalizer and go in after hours and ask the
sound person to help. Buy him a beer or two or coffee. Like was said above, start flat and find the frequency that feeds back first. Take notes. Go
from one frequency to the next and find the ones that just sound bad. Take notes. It won't take long. But sometimes you will contour the sound so that
it doesn't feed back and you've taken all the warmth and soul out of the oud and it will sound like a telephone earpiece. No feedbak but sounds bad.
Don't play too loud. One key to keeping the warmth in the sound is to lower the feedback frequency a little and boost the nearest frequencies above
and below it. The Hassenger method.
I've played ouds live since the 60's with every kind of pickup known to man and the only sure cure that sounds good for me is a Najarian electric oud.
No feedback, ever and sounds great. D.L.
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Masel
Oud Junkie
Posts: 367
Registered: 6-18-2006
Member Is Offline
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Hey thanks, didn't have time to take notes etc. but the soundman was good and did a good job. The gig was fun, thanks for you help!
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