Good Gig

Last night's gig was fun. Denny wasn't able to make it due to a prior engagement, but a guy that Emily works used to run sound and is a real audio geek. So we were going to meet there half an hour earlier than usual so I'd have time to set up the board and all that shit. But when we got there, the place was packed with people and there was crap all over the tables and the stage. Some goddamned silent auction. So that blew our plan all to hell. Even so, we managed to get things set up in record time. It really helps now that everyone else is getting better at knowing how to plug in the PA and lights.

The 2 Stray Cats tunes were a hit, as was The Letter. Kim's new wireless worked very well. We did quite a bit of research before we decided on the Line 6. It's the only one that can handle the low B on her 5–string. It's digital and uses 4 channels, using 2 for low freqs and 2 for the highs. It sounds pristine, just like she's hard–wired to the head. The only bad part is that it's Line 6, so it's good audio quality in a very cheap case. They tend to make good, affordable stuff for beginner types. When we were deciding on this model at Guitar Center, the battery cover wouldn't close. They tried swapping it with another one, but it had the same problem. Poorly designed plastic shit. I was able to almost get it to work by filing away in a bunch of places, but still no dice. We'll get here a little velcro pouch for it instead. That'll at least hold the cover closed and make it so the transmitter can go inline with her strap instead of perpendicular.

The other problem with it was the batter clip. It's made of molded plastic and has a rim around it that hits the rim around the top of the fucking Radio Shack rechargeable batteries we had to get. Fifteen bucks a pop. Everybody says to never ever buy a battery from RS, but we couldn't find NiMH 9 volts anywhere else. Regular Duracell alkalines don't have that rim, so they fit. But I also filed down the rim on the clip so the rechargeables now fit. However, the rechargeable she started the night with went dead 3/4 of the way through the 1st set! She popped in an alkaline and it lasted the rest of the night with time to spare. Maybe NiMHs need to be charged and used a few times before they get to full capacity? I don't think so. I'm guessing it's just because they're fucking $15 Radio Shack pieces of shit.

We got her a small rack to put the receiver in, and I even managed to find the ears that came with her amp. But I hate the rack. It's SKB, which normally makes good shit. But this must be from their line that should be named Let's Skimp and Save Money. It only has one real cover, on the front. The back one is just a flat piece of plastic that sort of locks into place with 2 swing–down levers. But that means that access from the back is severely limited because the hole is so fucking small. I've convinced her to take it back and we'll find a real one somewhere.