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Band-mates won't dial it down...................

#41
DWBass said:
Ok, I'm dealing with an extremely loud drummer and guitarist. For some reason, they can't grasp the concept of letting the PA do it's job!! Drums just slams on his snare. We play on a small stage and he gets frustrated when told to control his volume. Guitarist is just loud! Plays the wrong chords and chunks along needlessly!
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Oh boy. a two for none sale!! Fire them both!

Seriously, record a song on stage from the house with them playing as loud as they usually do. Keep your’s and everybody else’s volume to an appropriate level. Then play it back for them and ask the question, “Does this sound balanced to you?” If they say yes, there is no cure.

As for your drummer’s frustrations playing quieter, like your frustrations don’t matter?
 
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#42
TheArchitect said:
It's not the 80s anymore
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You’re right. It’s not. Keep separating. This train doesn’t go in reverse.
1722878359153.jpeg
 
#45
I've posted this fix before. I started out with a 2 15 cabinet. Couldn't get the two guitarists to turn down there Marshalls. Soundman was frustrated.

3rd in a 4 night gig. I showed up with two fridges and close to 2000 watts pointed cross stage. Told the sound man to let it fly. Guitarists whined... I let thm know it was the only way I could hear myself, unless they turned down. They turned down and pointed thier amps towards their heads and away from their knees.

Sound man thanked me... when volume crept... my volume escalated after giving the soundman a signal.

In the end the foh did it's job, and the guitarists eventually got smart... but.... getting rid of that problem just increased my noticing their infantile behaviour in other areas... I left within a few months.
 
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#46
DWBass said:
Ok, I'm dealing with an extremely loud drummer and guitarist. For some reason, they can't grasp the concept of letting the PA do it's job!! Drums just slams on his snare. We play on a small stage and he gets frustrated when told to control his volume. Guitarist is just loud! Plays the wrong chords and chunks along needlessly!
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Get out of there as fast as you can and find some real musicians who understand that it’s not about them.
 
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#48
DWBass said:
Ok, I'm dealing with an extremely loud drummer and guitarist. For some reason, they can't grasp the concept of letting the PA do it's job!! Drums just slams on his snare. We play on a small stage and he gets frustrated when told to control his volume. Guitarist is just loud! Plays the wrong chords and chunks along needlessly!
Click to expand...
That doesn't sound like your normal gig, new band?
 
#50
Seems like a failure by those bandmates to understand the size of the venue and the volume needs. It's a recipe for diminishing gigs and frustration. I don't tolerate any situation which is too loud for the context.... and context is everything. I played an outdoor jazz gig recently with a great drummer friend and even outdoors, I did not need earplugs to play with/near him. I usually need plugs indoors, even with a quiet drummer. We're gifted with drummers around here who understand dynamics and volume control, but past a certain point.... they're acoustic drums and they have to be hit. Some drummers are willing to take responsibility for that. As far as the guitarist goes - loud AND wrong chords is just..... no.
 
#51
Al1885 said:
What kind of music are you playing? What is your venue? Restaurant, wedding?
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Music: R&B, Soul, Funk, Pop
Venue: Rivers Casino/Portsmouth, VA
Small stage playing to a small area. The guys don't get it. They think we're playing outdoors to a couple thousand people.

Stage
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Area playing to...
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There is a full PA with subs and mains flown high. Why they need to be loud is beyond my comprehension! I wear ear plugs to save my ears and lower the volume that gets to my ears! The stage doesn't look that small when empty but imagine 10 people on stage. Doesn't sound too bad out front but onstage.....it's just blaring loud!!
 
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#56
factory presets said:
Used to double those up when I was cutting out concrete repairs. Had a fire drill once. They had to come and get me.

Probably no onstage applications at all.
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I’ve worn the regular foam ones playing live before on local festival stages.
Local festival stages here tend to be pretty loud.
My personal threshold is around 90ish db ish for 15 to 20 minutes, then I breakout the plugs.
 
#57
factory presets said:
Not every day you see a singer comfortable with someone playing the wrong notes.
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Well....she's not a musician so................says 'good job everyone' after each gig. I just shake my head.

I've been complaining. Falls on 'DEAF' ears (pun intended) and tends to upset folks. So I come here to complain! :rolleyes:
 
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#60
Small stage? I'd say the PA is mainly there for vocals and a little extra oomph for the bass and rest of the band.

Oh. Casino? That's not too small. It also depends on how the PA speakers are set up. I prefer to have sound coming from the amps. It's a live band, not a puppet show with a stereo on.

Aside:
I was in this psycodelic stoner doom metal band a long time ago. Orange amps. Two stacks of 4x12s. They were most of the way up even at band practice. That was too much.
But, that's not really out of the ordinary for that sort of thing. 🤷🏽‍♀️
 

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