Just a general enquiry that's been bugging me for a while.
Every Queen live show I've seen,ive seen I've noticed Freddie adjust something on the top of his piano (the beginning of Bo Rhap at Live Aid springs to mind,but also Earls Court 77,Wembley 86 etc etc). It looks like it could adjust the volume. It's a small boz with dials he adjusts. Can anyone elaborate on exactly what it does? Thanks in advance.
This is an EQ box to adjust certain frequencies. I used to have information on this device but I believe it has something to do with how loud the piano sounds (with the mic) through a monitor or amp. There was probably an amp close to the piano - and as a result, there might have been some adjustments necessary during concert time.
Reid_Special_98 wrote:
This is an EQ box to adjust certain frequencies. I used to have information on this device but I believe it has something to do with how loud the piano sounds (with the mic) through a monitor or amp. There was probably an amp close to the piano - and as a result, there might have been some adjustments necessary during concert time.
You are correct, it's a device that adjusts the volume of the piano on stage and has no effect whatsoever on what the audience hears. That's why you hear no difference when you see him twiddling the knobs.
The piano mic system was a helpinstil pickup. Basically a humbucker pickup designed to fit on the piano sound board. The output as far as I know was split three ways. One to FOH, one to the monitor desk (stage left) providing a mix for the whole band and one to Freddies two piano monitors via the volume tone and presence control. The last of the three was important to Freddie as he needed to have immediate control of the piano sound in that area of the stage as when he was playing he was not in contact with the monitor mix position (being on the opposite side of the stage and facing off stage).
The control box had no effect on the sound the rest of the band and audience heard.