Anyone who likes gigging NOT loud?

[2saddleslab]

My first band was LOUD and it was not at all strange to have bottles falling off the back bar from the sheer volume.

My current band can still play loud stages but most of our gigs are sit down scenarios and we make it our mission to play quiet enough for both patrons & staff. That effort is really appreciated by everyone and that's a win/ win.

 

[JC BASS 91]

Our band plays at a reasonable volume. No ear pro required for any of us...or the audience. I love it!

 

[micguy]

During my tenure as FOH engineer for a large church, we were instructed to mix for 95 dB peaks, which for me is just on the verge of uncomfortably loud. Churches are wild.

Assuming you’re talking A weighted/ slow, that’s where my church lives as well (I did FOH for a decade and a half)

 

[seescottrock]

Assuming you’re talking A weighted/ slow, that’s where my church lives as well (I did FOH for a decade and a half)

Yep, should've specified, dBA

 

[Derek Kay]

I find that if I can play cleanly and clearly enough my volume is less of a problem and more of an asset.

 

[Geogio]

I gig at low volume.
I was in a few rock band that were kind of loudish but clear ( yacht rock sort of), a 22 piece big band and I was in more than a few of those tent meeting Hammond B3 Church bands that were always smokin' hot & loud. Some acoustic gigs backing flatops and mandolins... no metal.

 

[jdwinva]

I prefer to play as well as listen to bands that are not too loud.

 

[Wasnex]

Moderating SPL was a priority when I was in charge. In the mid 90s I built a system with IEMs, electronics drums, and no instrument amps. The system was very well received because of the how quietly we could perform. In fact we started getting more gig requests.

There are things that can be done to control volume with a traditional set up as well. For the drums you can use shields. The choice of sticks, heads, and how the drums are tuned is also significant. Of course the drummer is the biggest factor. Playing drums quietly is a skillset, and many drummers refuse to accept that it can be done. To do it successfully requires practice.

For amplified instruments, IMHO the key is to aim the speakers at the players head. This assures the player hears the loudest sound coming from their rig, rather than aiming it at someone else. A lot of players don't like hearing the direct sound coming from their rig and prefer pumping the room and monitoring off the diffuse field, which tends to significantly raise the stage volume. Unfortunately a lot of players will refuse to change or adjust their approach.

The last thing that comes to mind for me is monitors. I suggest trying to work out the best acoustic mix on stage before adding anything to individual monitor mixes. Then only add things to the monitor that you can't already hear well. I find that high passing the monitors a bit higher than 100hz is also very useful. Build up in the low and low mids can mask the mids and make it harder to hear. Thinning out this frequency range usually helps everyone hear better; including the audience.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I am just curious to know how many people are gigging without playing loud.

I understand that this is not only a matter of want but also of can. I am used to attending rock concerts, where the crowd is so loud that the band needs to be louder so that they can be heard over the crowd noise, and then you need earplugs to keep your hearing safe.

Luckily, there are also other types of gigs. Last year we attended a concert at a local museum, the band played fairly quiet music (the focus was on the vocals and the lyrics), and even though all instruments had electric amplification, the volume was very pleasantly low. It helped that the crowd was seated, and expected to behave appropriately for being in a museum. At the end, you could hear everything perfectly.

So I wonder how many of you regularly play non-loud music, thanks to the chosen genre and venues.

With the average age of our clientele it doesn’t matter, they just turn down their hearing aids..LOL!

Seriously, the rhythm section of our band is not loud relatively speaking. HOWEVVVVERRR… our 5 vocalists are deaf as a post and each of them have a cranked 2000 watt monitor pointed at their knees that are focused right at my head.

No, I don’t like playing loud, but I do like playing in concert with a nice stage presence.

 

[ezstep]

Our band learned a long time ago that if you are too loud, the crowd will leave. If you are too quiet, they will stop talking to listen. Somewhere in the middle is the happy medium.

 

[GretschWretch]

I'm in a number of bands; permanent members in two and sit in with two when needed. One of the permanent bands is a 60s tribute called the Hullabaloos. We play everything "from British Rock to Woodstock" - Beatles, Kinks, Manfred Mann, Moody Blues, The Band, Canned Heat, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, Beach Boys, etc. With a lot of these songs, the emphasis is on the vocals (four of us sing lead AND harmony), so we try to keep volume down, depending on the venue. We have been asked to turn up twice, but seldom turn down.

Are you aware that there actually was a sixties British band called the Hullabaloos (aka the Bleached Boys)?

The Hullaballoos - Wikipedia

They actually cameoed in sales literature for Guild.

 

[BazzaBass]

I play church gigs - ampless, in in ears. I have zero control over how loud I am in the room - that’s all on FOH. The quietest place in the auditorium on these gigs is on stage. I get some idea of how loud I am in the audience by how much my feet are shaking, but in a few places that have concrete stages, you don’t get that - there I have no idea how loud it is.

Is it still fun?

 

[Wasnex]

I’m GenX but I’m still cool for my age and not at all afraid to admit I prefer to play loud. Now amps in general are smaller I’m typically limited to only 2 12” but I only play to rock and I only go see live music for the same reason. Flame away but cool is always beating uncool. There’s more to rock’n’roll than enjoying your dinner and saying woo.

Rock the Effe On

I view this as a matter of professionalism. If the audience wants loud, the give them what they want. However, IMHO it's a problem when band members want loud, but the patron/audience does not.

 

[2thAche]

Pretty much every gig I try to get our volume down. Guitar almost always is too loud out of the gate.

Personally I'm over loud as somehow a good thing. I'd rather hear a band sound good than sound loud.

 

[rtslinger]

Only play a hair above the drums or at the same level. We have two vocalists that need to be heard, we support them.

 

[KohanMike]

I play bass uke with a 35 person uke group and don't play very loud, but enough to keep the group in tempo. When 5-6 of us play for the kids in UCLA/Mattel Children's Hospital, I use a Blackstar Fly3 duo bass amp that hangs over my shoulder, and keep that on the lower side roaming from room to room.

 

[Dincrest]

In one band I played in, the drummer had an electronic kit so we could play lower volume gigs at house parties. We'd be no louder than a stereo. We'd give the party-goers a rock show in their house without being loud enough to disturb the neighbors.

Some of those house party gigs bring me fonder memories than the larger shows/venues we played.

EDIT: I've played my fair share of loud/raucous shows and had fun (albeit while wearing earplugs), but when this one show got so loud that the police shut it down before we even got to play... that sucked.

 

[bassliner50]

We are devoid of guitarists thankfully, so volume is well controlled and balanced among piano, bass, drums, horns and voices. I'm spoiled.

 

[Smooth_bass88]

FWIW, I've had several gigs recently where they have an SVT for backline. Not that I crank it up loud, but I definitely push it a bit. It just sounds so darn good

 

[red_rhino]

I cannot, and will not, play in loud situations anymore. Visiting my daughter recently, she took me to a pinball/video arcade museum (all you can play for a flat fee). Had a wonderful time, but my ears were ringing for a couple of days due to the overall din of the play area. It wasn't even that loud db-wise, but I'm very sensitive to it these days.

Drummer has a high-end E kit that sounds great and allows us to play at any volume, even in smaller bars.

The number of drummers that know how to control their volume yet still play with power and groove are very few and very far between. Drummers with E kits are the only drummers I will consider playing with at this point. I have a strong preference for playing with percussionists rather than kit players.

My gear is already on the smaller side, but I'm looking to downsize even more as I restrict myself to duos or trios going forward. I love to play, and I'd like to preserve my hearing so that I can continue to enjoy it.