Hey guys, I have played some outdoor gigs that could have used mics on my drums. This summer I will be playing a "socially distant" out door one at a local campground that has just opened. I have full of set of mics including a snare mic, two toms, kick and two over head condensers. Plus all the cables and stands. But now I need to know is what to plug into. I was thinking about getting my own eight channel mixer and sending that into the band P.A. Nothing fancy. Does anyone have any suggestions, or brands of one under a grand, new or used? Would this work? If not what is the solution? Any miking advice and tips please!
This is a hard one to give a comprehensive opinion for, because I've only been on the sound-guy end of this.
Drummers will sometimes need to provide a mix in situations where there is no sound guy. It is in these instances where an onstage mixer is beneficial. The objective is to provide ~8-in and and 2-out (a mix sans BD and a solo BD).
In situations with a dedicated sound guy, aux mixers are less desirable. When on-stage mixers are used, their role changes. SG's in the front of the house will want control over the mix, so you're looking at 8-in / 8-out, forego'ing the mixer altogether, or using it as a personal monitor mixer. From a house SG's perspective, drummer mixers tend to be an annoyance. They're just another piece of stage gear that will get knocked over of otherwise fail mid-gig.
Worse yet is the drummer that thinks their snare isn't cutting through and bumps his volume/EQ mid-show. This usually results in the entire house collectively blinking in time with the songs.
My suggestion is:
Forego the disparate on-stage drum mixer and instead invest in a nicer front mixer like a StudioLive AI that features monitor control from an phone/iPad. Perhaps consider adding a non-essential multi-instrumentalist band member that does keys/synth/samples/harmonica/tambourine/harmonies and operates the mixer.
If you feel the burning desire to purchase something that helps improve the band's live sound, I'd recommend a pair of powered bass bins. Something like the Yamaha DX, or whatever brand/form-factor matches the rest of your band's PA.