We rehearse with headphones to hear us. We have a small rehearsal space and when you turn up all the instruments everything gets lost in a muddy sounds.
I don't think there's a bar band on the planet who hasn't fought with crappy acoustics in an all-too-small rehearsal space, and it's even harder for rock guys since we want the drummer really pounding on it. Modern tech that lets you rehearse with headphones, and everyone having a separate monitor mix, can make a huge difference in hearing everyone during practice. And of course, when you can hear what everyone's doing, that's when you find the groove.
Mixing, whether a live band or in the studio, is every bit as much an art form as playing guitar, and probably takes as long to master. It's like learning a whole new instrument. When you get a band together, it's not uncommon for there to be a roomful of great musicians, but nobody who really knows mixing. In the old days when you set up in a storage space and just prayed the wedges were loud enough to hear the vocals, that didn't matter so much. These days, with the kind of setup you guys have, you can get a radio quality mix in your headphones when rehearsing.
That's an incredibly cool thing for us to have. However, to get the most out of it, you need to treat your mixing chops as seriously as your guitar chops, at least in terms of getting warm and fuzzy with the basics. I've been screwing around with recording since the 70s and I still watch a ton of videos and try to learn new things. Here are a few good channels to get you started. I'll link to guitar specific episodes but I encourage you to explore the channels. Tons of good stuff out there. No matter what gear or DAWs they're using, the principles they talk about will translate directly to your headphone mix at rehearsal.
Warren Huart's Produce Like a Pro
If I recall correctly, he's mixed Aerosmith, Ace Frehley (KISS) and others.
Recording Revolution
This one's about carving EQ holes. Graham focuses on the home recording audience and assumes you don't have decades of experience or a gazillion dollars worth of gear.
Anyways: I bought the Crank'n'go pack and give M Britt a last chance. I will try to execute everything you guys said on here and if it doesn't work I will know that those profiles are simply not for me
Tons of good stuff in this pack. I'd say if you can get what you want at home in your headphones, you'll know it works for you since that's the actual guitar sound. Then it's just a matter of getting the mix right for everyone in rehearsal.
Good to see you around again Chris.
Good to be seen.