[sdiy] OT: Live Sound advice needed

[Dan Gendreau]

Hi all,
Sorry for the OT, i'll try to keep it brief...

Ive just recently started giging with my band Mode7 at house parties and
clubs. We use Synths, Sequencers, Drum Machines and sometimes Turntables.

Things sound great when we are practicing at normal sound levels, but
when we are at a gig and the amps are cranked(not clipping or
compressing mind you), it seems like the EQs and dynamics are very
different. Some quieter parts are not audible at all and others drown
out the rest. The end result is that our music sounds very different (and
IMHO a lot worse) at live PAs than when we are just jamming at home at lower
volume levels...

I know we could be doing any number of things wrong, so instead of asking
"whats wrong" I will instead ask those of you with live PA experience:
How do _you_ usually handle setting up for a live PA?

Do you do anything with compression before the amp?

Do we need to monitor at higher levels when we are practicing and really
piss off the neighbors? :) I suspect at the least that we need to EQ the
amps a little better in our practice area.

How would you recommend EQing at the gig(or at home for that matter)? Is
there a specific tool like a frequency gen/analyzer that works well? Maybe a
DIY project?

And no, Throwing in a CD, and faking it may be easy, but its not an option I
would care to try. :)

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
-Dan G.