"YOU'RE TOO LOUD!!!"

Goatman · #1 08-24-2009, 11:25 AM

Last night I my electro-rock band had our first gig at this nice place in San Jose called Avalon, and it went really well and we had a great time. However, our set started with a little problem...

In the mad rush to load all our equipment on stage after the prior band, I was sweating like a dog and completely paranoid that I would forget something. We're a trio, but our frontman uses two keyboards and a guitar, in addition to our drummer using an electric kit and me with my spacey pedals (yeah, we have a lot of toys...)

I do the rapid sound check - making sure that I have volume equity under control whenever I step on my big muff - and right before we start, I realize that the -10db button is pushed in on my GK Backline 600. "Crap! I'm not gonna be able to hear my cab through the earplugs!" I quickly turn it off and think "The house has a direct out, this isn't gonna affect the mix, right?"

WRONG!

We play the first song and I think "Wow, they put a lot of my bass in my own monitor, that was nice of them

..." The sound guy comes running up in the middle of the song:

Me:

Him: You're too loud!
Me: What?
Him: YOU'RE TOO LOUD!!!
Me:

Apparantly I was completely crushing the entire venue with a tyranical monstrosity of crunchy rumbly-ness

I do my best to left-hand tap my part while I adjust the volume on the head, but to no avail. I manage to fiddle the gain knob and my on-board volume knob enough to get it under control.

For the entire evening I am second-guessing everything because while I would usually set on-board volume at 9 o'clock clean and 6 for FX in order to have volume equity, it's now like 2 and 4..

Everything adjusts fine after the 2nd song and everyone says that we had a good mix from the third song onward. Phew! I explain to the sound guy afterwords that I've never used the direct-out on my amp before, to which he gives me this look that says "I'm refraining the urge to slap my forehead right now"

But halfway through the set, the sound guy treated us to a little light show as a result of the rocky start -
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mike_kong/3851593165/

Lesson learned: Don't push buttons after sound check! -10db is my friend!

EDIT:
In retrospect, here's page 7 of my manual -
"The Direct Output signal is only effected by the -10db Pad, and Tuning Mute controls."
oops... :P

HailCorduroy · #2 08-24-2009, 11:53 AM

I have the Backline 600 and I always keep the -10db button turned on. If I don't, it clips like crazy. And I don't have active pups.

Goatman · #3 08-24-2009, 12:35 PM

I never have it on during practice, since it's more of a challenge to be heard in that situation (small space, right next to the drums) so it threw me for a loop when it leaving it off became volume overkill once a house PA was involved.

As far as clipping, I had that same problem when I went through a dissapointing experiment with steel strings. I do have active pickups, but normally only boost mids when i need to tap or solo. No nickel strings have given me clipping problems.

RustyAxe · #4 08-25-2009, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goatman

Lesson learned: Don't push buttons after sound check!

Yeah. As bass player, guitar player, singer and sound guy for our band I'd like a dollar for every time one of the other guys thinks the mix needs a little more "this" or "that", or thinks "I'd rather stand over THERE", after we've done a sound check. I'd use the money to buy them a clue.

OtterOnBass · #5 08-25-2009, 11:05 PM

10 db is twice the amount of physical energy. Yes I imagine you were rocking the house at two times the volume level you should have been.

kb9wyz · #6 08-25-2009, 11:34 PM

Not to be contrary, but 10db (on a log10 scale) is 10X the amplitude, mathematically. So when you say "physical energy" is that to say the volume increase of the extra 10db equals the speakers moving 2X the amount of air?

I just know the math, not the physics.

modulusman · #7 08-26-2009, 09:43 AM

IIRC every 10db increase means it is twice as loud.

Dave Vader · #8 08-26-2009, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HailCorduroy

I have the Backline 600 and I always keep the -10db button turned on. If I don't, it clips like crazy. And I don't have active pups.

Oh, I just got one of these, and the manual says that the clipping every now and then is normal. Maybe I should push the button? Though I only get a clip on an open E from my Passive basses. Although I haven't taken it out anywhere loud yet.

HailCorduroy · #9 08-26-2009, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Vader

Oh, I just got one of these, and the manual says that the clipping every now and then is normal. Maybe I should push the button? Though I only get a clip on an open E from my Passive basses. Although I haven't taken it out anywhere loud yet.

I don't get a lot of clips from a Jazz, but my P-bass makes the clip light look like it's Christmas. I pretty much keep the bass volume all the way up, so maybe I should nudge it down a bit. But, it's still plenty loud even w/ the switch in.

kb9wyz · #10 08-26-2009, 10:37 PM

Right on.

NickInMesa · #11 08-26-2009, 10:58 PM

Uh... you know you have a volume knob on your instrument, right?

Goatman · #12 08-27-2009, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickInMesa

Uh... you know you have a volume knob on your instrument, right?

Exactly why I freaked out, I had to play the whole show with the instrument's volume knob hovering around the brink of silence due to the high output of the head. Which was due to my unfamiliarity with how the Backline handles direct-out...

Lazylion · #13 08-29-2009, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Goatman

...I was completely crushing the entire venue with a tyranical monstrosity of crunchy rumbly-ness...

You say that like it's a bad thing...

Intune · #14 08-29-2009, 10:02 AM

Acoustic 301 cab for years. "Oops, sorry..."

rllefebv · #15 08-29-2009, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lazylion

You say that like it's a bad thing...

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-robert