Unexpected resonations during a gig?

JansenW · #1 07-13-2008, 01:47 PM

While playing a church gig one morning, I found that my low A flats would resonate through our church air-conditioning ventilation system and cause a nest of birds to start squawking loudly. It was kind of cool to have command of a chorus of birds during the weeks that followed. Our band were all smiles when it happened.

Do you have any resonating stories?

Araillac · #2 07-13-2008, 02:09 PM

It's not exactly resonation or maybe it is but when I have my amp on in my room, if I change the speed of my fan, the amp goes pop. so if it turn the fan down to the lowest it's like, pop pop pop. Kind of fun when you're bored.

Wally Malone · #3 07-13-2008, 02:14 PM

Many years ago played at an outdoor park and when a Bb was played the peacocks would call. They were really busy when we played Night Train in Bb.

Wally

**cheezewiz** · #4 07-14-2008, 07:54 AM

I play a local hall frequently for weddings, which was built for "big band" shows in the 40's. The acoustics are HORRIBLE, but the funniest thing is any time I hit a "G" the flood light built into the ceiling right above the drummer on the stage rattles like it's going to fall on his head any second. I've had TONS of fun with that one numerous times.

mkandolf · #5 07-14-2008, 08:13 AM

At our church we have a 'temporary' stage set up that we play on. All the bassists that play in the P&W band use the same Ampeg amp. My Fender P will rattle the stage on certain notes and none of the other basses do.

Also if I'm singing, there's a certain combination of vowel sounds and notes that the mic really distorts on. That happens on any mic except the lead.

f'nar f'nar · #6 07-14-2008, 09:25 AM

In one of the music stores in my town if you wander into the bass section, crank an amp and play an A on the E string, all the accoustic guitar strings in the store vibrate. It's amusing.

Brittain · #7 07-14-2008, 10:32 AM

Yeah I've got one ¬¬

Whenever I'm playing 'Carry On My Wayward Son' (for pure comical factor)

My dad resonates and busts in either with an Acoustic guitar or just singing and demands to play the entire song.

bassman1185 · #8 07-14-2008, 01:15 PM

A couple of years ago, my old band was practicing in our drummer's basement. I took my bass off for a break, and knocked it against a ceiling light fixture. It was one of those "lightbulb in a bowl" style fixtures, and it cracked. I apologized.

Anyway, a while later, we're playing and we hit a big heavy break down, and the vibrations are so strong that the cracked light BREAKS and falls on my head.

WyrdoBass · #9 07-14-2008, 09:01 PM

whenever i have my cello out on it's stand and I'm playing bass, it always ends up making really wierd sounds lmfao

Joel S. · #10 07-15-2008, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Araillac

It's not exactly resonation or maybe it is but when I have my amp on in my room, if I change the speed of my fan, the amp goes pop. so if it turn the fan down to the lowest it's like, pop pop pop. Kind of fun when you're bored.

That's an electrical issue. Pops like that can damage speakers (not too likely unless it's really loud), so you might want to try moving the fan to a different outlet, or use a surge protector on the amp.

I got YELLED at by a sound guy for turning off a mixer while the amp was still on many years back.

In response to the OP: A C anywhere on my bass resonates really badly in my room and shakes the whole house. Makes it hard to learn songs...

Gard · #11 07-15-2008, 03:14 PM

Resonances at gigs?

How about these: The saga continues: the legendary 'Farting During a Show' Fart II Thread

Yeah, I've had that happen, hollow stages are notorious for having mechanical resonances that match notes on the bass guitar. The fun thing is finding the unique one for each venue!

ggunn · #12 07-15-2008, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gard

Resonances at gigs?
Yeah, I've had that happen, hollow stages are notorious for having mechanical resonances that match notes on the bass guitar. The fun thing is finding the unique one for each venue!

When those vibrations in the hollow stage travel up the mic stands (especially the kick drum mic) and send the room into roaring LF feedback, gee, that's fun, huh? ;^)

JansenW · #13 07-15-2008, 03:50 PM

Perhaps most rooms have a resonant frequency somewhere in the range of the bass.

An annoying resonance is with the drummer's the snare drum springs.

Joel S. · #14 07-15-2008, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JansenW

Perhaps most rooms have a resonant frequency somewhere in the range of the bass.

An annoying resonance is with the drummer's the snare drum springs.

ugh, I saw the Roots and Erykah Badu at the Fox in St. Louis. Sound was HORRIBLE, bass resonated so badly it was impossible to make out any notes or clearly hear what was going on.

It's not like the Fox is a dump either: http://www.fabulousfox.com/
Guessing it's because it's more theater than concert venue.

DudeistMonk · #15 07-15-2008, 04:44 PM

Quote:

In response to the OP: A C anywhere on my bass resonates really badly in my room and shakes the whole house. Makes it hard to learn songs...

My low B's and E's cause the heating vents above my bed to resonate (other low notes too, but not as much as B and E) I've been meaning to look up why this is.

Joel S. · #16 07-15-2008, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DudeistMonk

My low B's and E's cause the heating vents above my bed to resonate (other low notes too, but not as much as B and E) I've been meaning to look up why this is.

Resonance frequencies: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resonance

All kinds of things come into play as to what it is for a given item, but yea.

The resonance in my room is mostly due to it's layout and the position of the speakers. I've been meaning to fix it, but I need to get new monitors first. Been using a 7-8 year old AIWA system.

TheDarkReaver · #17 07-15-2008, 07:04 PM

I keeping setting off the drummers snare on the snare drum, that's about it really.

WyrdoBass · #18 07-16-2008, 12:33 AM

this just proves how awesome bass is-- we have the power to make stuff vibrate (and sometimes break)

fourstringdrums · #19 07-16-2008, 12:43 AM

My music area is in our finished basement. A few years back I used to be able to play a particular note and if there was a cricket in our bulkhead chirping it would stop and only when I played that note.

Pstewart · #20 07-16-2008, 02:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassman1185

A couple of years ago, my old band was practicing in our drummer's basement. I took my bass off for a break, and knocked it against a ceiling light fixture. It was one of those "lightbulb in a bowl" style fixtures, and it cracked. I apologized.

Anyway, a while later, we're playing and we hit a big heavy break down, and the vibrations are so strong that the cracked light BREAKS and falls on my head.

That's pretty metal.