Damn Soundmen Wannabes!!!

[jackcregg]

Possibly my first ever annoyance at someone at a gig.

We were playing the interval at someones 40th birthday party and we've been told we have to keep it down because evreyones eating.

Fine

By the time we've actually started because we had ANOTHER sound check, after the pointless 2 hour one we had an hour earlier, we started. By now everyones stopped eating and watching us. But nooooooooo. According to our "soundman" everyones still eating and we have to turn down. So we play our first song and during it he starts messing with my tone controls so that i am now at a quiet bedroom level.

Thankfully after this song someone took him out of the room to get him a drink or something and the volume on everyones amps goes from 0.5, to 11

When he came back in the look on his face was amazing.

Best expression ever.

A mix of ,and

[Steve]

And on some sound guy talksound.com is a post that starts

"Damn rockstar wannabee's!!!"

At 13 years old, you have the opportunity to be the first kid on your block with a professional attitude. Don't squander it.

IMHO

[Jimbob Jones]

I would agree with Steve in that maybe you shouldn't have turned all the way to 11, but the sound guy turning you down to below bedroom volume is taking it a bit far. But I suppose that all depends on the room; I played a hotel meeting room once and my amp was turned below the 1 mark and everyone (including me) could hear me perfectly.

[jackcregg]

But i was standin six inches away from the amp and couldnt hear myself
And possibly the worst thing was he still trying to turn me down

[cricketfever32]

luckily, i am the soundman for my band mwhahahahaha *feels all powerful* amps to 11 is the best way to rock, but for a party scenario (depending how loud your amp is) i'd go maybe halfway so that people dont have to scream at the top of their lungs to talk

[geoffkhan]

Originally Posted by jackcregg

But i was standin six inches away from the amp and couldnt hear myself
And possibly the worst thing was he still trying to turn me down

One of the reasons soundmen exist is because they are able to hear the big picture from their vantage point better than you will be able to.

I mean, even if the soundman isn't very good, the whole idea of having someone run sound is that you're leaving the mix up to them. It's never a good idea to annoy the person running sound.

Maybe next time just have them set up a sound shield around you, and then you can play as loud as you want.

[fenderhutz]

Who was getting paid by someone else here?

[jackcregg]

Thats why im saying hes a sound man wannabe

Hes a half deaf physics teahcer whos only musical knowledge is the Major guitar chords

I have absolutely nothing wrong with soundmen, but i have something wrong with people declaring themselves to be soundmen when they have no way of being capable of managing a band mix

[jackcregg]

Originally Posted by fenderhutz

Who was getting paid by someone else here?

If your on about the soundman he wasnt getting paid

He's just the drummers dad who has proclaimed himselve to be the soundman

[fenderhutz]

No I meant were YOU getting paid. As a paid musician at a function you have the last decision on anything.

[jackcregg]

No we werent getting paid but no one cared about the volume, we actually got a better response loud

[Steve]

Originally Posted by fenderhutz

No I meant were YOU getting paid. As a paid musician at a function you have the last decision on anything.

Hmm....around here, the guy with the checkbook in his hand has the final say.

But, if it''s a freebie, I guess you get what you pay for.

It's great that you had some fun and get some miles under your belt. My point is this:

There will be a lot more times when you will have to take direction that you would just as soon ignore.

I've been doing it a looooong time and I can count on one hand the number of times I've been told to turn up.

I could wallpaper a house with cocktail napkins that had TURN IT DOWN! written on it.

It's all part of the deal you gotta deal with. Welcome to the machine.

[geoffkhan]

Originally Posted by Steve

Hmm....around here, the guy with the checkbook in his hand has the final say.

I've been doing it a looooong time and I can count on one hand the number of times I've been told to turn up.

I could wallpaper a house with cocktail napkins that had TURN IT DOWN! written on it.

It's all part of the deal you gotta deal with. Welcome to the machine.

+1

Even when the people in the venue are paying attention to the band and digging it, I've had the management tell my Jazz quartet to turn down. Not that we were playing really loud in the first place (though alto sax can really fill a room), but like Steve says; they're paying you, so you do what they say.

It's good to learn to play quietly anyway. I find a lot of people play pretty passively when they're at a low volume they're not used to. It's a natural tendency, but don't think that volume has to be related to the effectiveness of expression.

[Yngwie 4String]

I absolutely refuse to turn down, but I tipickly play drunken metal parties, and bars ao it is rarely a problem for me.
I give you props man.



All Men Play on 10

[Mike11121]

Originally Posted by geoffkhan

It's never a good idea to annoy the person running sound.

Amen! Our good friend and uber-soundman, Cyril (think large, like a truck - RIP) always kept a few "special" treats for support bands who forgot geoffkhan's mantra or mistreated his gear.

I recall him:
1. Applying a pitch-shifter to the vocalist's foldback channel after the singer trashed 2 mics.
2. Applying a 1/2 second delay to the drum fold after the drummer provided some unsolicited and aggressive sound engineering "advice".

He also told me that wiring a 50 watt heater element into the back of a Marshall bin was the surest way to keep a guitarist's volume under control, and that no guitar amp ever made could compete with a 5' Sabian gong.

With crew like that, no wonder we did Ok.

Mike

[rusty66]

If any sound guy, professional or not fiddles with the knobs on my amp, He would soon be walking funny with the pointy end of my bass inserted somwhere that isnt pretty. Especially if its a freebie gig!

Good on you jackcregg!

rusty

[MikeBass]

Originally Posted by 4StringFury

I absolutely refuse to turn down, but I tipickly play drunken metal parties, and bars ao it is rarely a problem for me.
I give you props man.



All Men Play on 10

That kind of attitude will keep you right where you are now.
And if thats the goal you set for yourself- playing drunken metal parties, then great.

But you won't last more than a set in a professional setting.
Even in metal.

You'll get beyond the "All Men Play on 10" when the gigs stop rolling in.

I can rock as hard as anyon from a whisper to a roar from my amp.

[MikeBass]

Originally Posted by rusty66

If any sound guy, professional or not fiddles with the knobs on my amp, He would soon be walking funny with the pointy end of my bass inserted somwhere that isnt pretty. Especially if its a freebie gig!

Good on you jackcregg!

rusty

Gotta agree here.
Don't touch my rig unless you ask. And then don't be mad if I say "Umm....NO!!!"

Now if it's a volume issue, and I'm in mid song, I'm sure it can wait another 2 min to be turned down to acceptable levels- for each of us.

But none of my basses really have a pointy end. Rounded blunt ends yes.That might actually be better eh!?!?

[Vandelay]

Originally Posted by 4StringFury

I absolutely refuse to turn down, but I tipickly play drunken metal parties, and bars ao it is rarely a problem for me.
I give you props man.



All Men Play on 10

I see in your profile that you use a 20-watt amp. If that's the case, go ahead and play on 10.

Rage on, bass warrior.

[Diggler]

Two hour soundcheck?!?

Are you an orchestra??