The Technology

The Believers are very fortunate to have several electrical and mechanical engineers among the ranks. What this means is that the group excels in developing performance solutions that are unique to this band.

In-Ear Monitors

Many years ago, in-ear monitors were only used by major acts. Now many local groups have equipped themselves with in-ear monitors. But in most cases, they still require special monitor sound technicians to control complexity of individual mixes. The Believers started using in-ear monitors over ten years ago and developed a way for each player to control his own individual mix. With the incorporation of wireless technology and the integration of a live communications link for the lead vocalist, the band has been privileged to spontaneous decisions by the lead vocalist which can be communicated to the rest of the band during the performance. The primary benefit of in-ears is for all players of this large band not only to hear themselves well, but to hear the rest of the group regardless of the setup or venue. This arrangement translates into better musicianship, less aural fatigue for the musicians, less equipment, and more consistent performances

A Band Without Amps

Since the band now uses in-ear monitors, it is no longer necessary to have amps and monitors on stage for the band to hear. This arrangement produces a lower stage volume. So much so that if the sound engineers were to turn off the house mix, the audience would not hear the band at all (with the exception of the horns and two specialized amps). The organ amplifier is a Leslie tone cabinet (complete with nostalgic black lights) which was used by many groups in the 60's and 70's to give that classic B3 organ sound. This speaker system contains two speed motors, rotating baffles, and spinning horns inside the cabinet which redirect the sound to produce the characteristic vibrato sound. Another specialized amp is the small guitar amp mounted directly in front of the guitar. This amp is not for the guitar player to listen too, but for the guitar itself. The guitar sound is produced using sympathetic interaction from the amp in addition to state of the art processors. The V-drums are completely electronic which permit the creation of modern sounds in addition to killer traditional drum sounds. This all results in more control of the house mix, a cleaner sound altogether, and satisfied customers that require the sound of the band to be tightly controlled.

Custom Lighting System

Through the years, many versions of the Believers home-brew lighting system has matured itself into a fully capable system which is scaleable from a small to large setup. This permits the crew to configure the optimal setup for the type of event and available power. But don't let a small size fool you. This complex system has many features only found on very high end systems such as 3-dimensional real time control and rapid fixture calibration typically found in robotic applications.

(click for a larger screen shot)

Major features of this system include: 12 animated fixtures (8 Trackspots, 4 movable heads) 32 dimmer channels Real-time xyz 3D control Unlimited scene creation/recall Sync w/ music Rapid calibration Power monitoring Keyboard and Velocity modulated functions Designed for standard 120v/20a house power (up to 120 amps) Sequencing and complex patterns

What does all of this technical talk mean?

The Believers use custom solutions and the technology to look and sound great!