On Friday my Death metal band played it's first show. It was outdoors and the sound, most notably my guitar, sounded horrible. I use the Boss MT-2 and GE-7 and a B-52 AT100 halfstack. The cabs were behind and to the side of the drums. The other band members told me that they could not even hear me and feedback from the audience stated likewise. People in the parking lot however, complained about my guitar being far too loud(it was cranked to full blast, so much so that the tone sounded horrible.) I am beginning to think it was the amp placement. Is this possible? If so where should it be placed? Is there a way I can set it up so that I only have to turn the volume halfway up and still sound great? Please provide suggestions, as we intend to play more shows in the future.

you don't have to go full blast on your amp....if the show was worth it's salt then you were running through a sound system...so you could have your amp up halfway because it would be mic'd up....Your sound guy probably just sucked.

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No the sound sucked. Our vocalist's mic could barely be heard. But I'm wondering more in regards to live amp placement. Where can I put and point my junk so the band and audience can hear it well without turning it up more than 3/4 of the way? Because that is where the tone becomes compromised.

you can't... that's why you need to be mic'd up to a PA and have monitors on the stage.

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IMO, half stacks are usually overkill. Plus most 100w heads you have to crank up a good deal before they start sounding good. By then you're blowing the front crowds faces off while ripping eardrums abroad. I've got to where I use my 25w/50w combo for shows and just run a mic so I can be in the monitors and a little in the main mix. Use a mic, it helps so much for you to hear yourself and your band members to hear you.

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I don't think this would be very appropriate... unless you're doing Marilyn Manson covers

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i take it you had no stage monitors?
a good venue will have 2 or 3 stage monitors so the band can hear themselves, as well as huge monitors on each side of the stage to blast sound into the crowd.

the set up should'nt be too difficult, having a an amp on each side of the drummer (not behind, but not too much in front of the drummer, about equal with him) is perfect, you have your left and right guitar (if you're not a noob and know how to use panning ;]) the bass amp can be set up to the side, or next to the drummer, and move one of the amps over.
in a 3 guitar set up 2 amps are on one side of the drummer and a guitar and bass are on the other side.

I honestly think your biggest problem is that it was an outside venue, sound travels, and dissapates, where as indoors the sound has acoustic and reverb values.

it's kinda like farting in a car, if the windows are up, everyone's going to smell it.
if the windows are down it can dissipate and go out the window.

some outdoor venues (such as jannus landing in St Pete) are outdoors yet still have acoustics, Jannus Landing is in the middle of 4 buildings, sort of like a square, it might aswell be indoors without a roof.


try playing an indoor venue, you will only have to turn up about halfway, and if the sound system is good, and everything is mic-ed properly, everything will sound mad good.