DI banned by the sound guy

[kyral210]

Setting up for a gig the other night the sound guy refused to take a DI off my Helix and insisted i use their backline amp (a keyboard amp) that he miced up. He said the PA was worth £20k so couldn’t risk the bass player blowing it.

I think he was being ridiculous, what are your insights?

 

[RattleSnack]

Ridiculous is proper word for that kind of explanation.
There isn't anything about DI versus mic that makes is more dangerous for PA. Danger is minimised by using quality equipment and cables, handling gain, and using tools like limiting and compression.
I would guess he simply has a personal preference he presses on musicians, with vague excuse.
Nothing you can do, just adopt and do your best.

 

[Mike Caldwell]

Calling them ridiculous is being too kind!!!!

You can plug your Helix into my PA any time your on a stage I'm providing sound for.

If I did the conversion right that is not all that expensive of a PA system either.

 

[richntiff]

clown.

 

[Deleted member 365158]

Doofus for sure!
I’ve run my friends helix(s) through my pa… super clean even with crazy fx stacks with bass or guitar. Absolutely no issues. Way cleaner than micing a cab.
It makes no sense to me for someone to not want an isolated signal.

 

[s0c9]

As a sound guy…and musician, there would have been an instant standoff.. in favor of the DI from the Helix.
That guy just didn’t know how to, or didn’t want to deal with it.
I’ll take a DI from a Helix over a mic’d keyboard amp 10 times out of 10. Heck, the keyboard amp probably has a XLR DI out.. most do.

PS: his logic was pure BS.

 

[Killing Floor]

That’s hilarious. Did he think it would be a different signal?

 

[JRA]

i agree = bull- !

but: i wouldn't get my panties in a knot over it (i.e., when in rome...). Another way to look at it: if that's the best (reasoning/excuse) the tech can do = trying to divert/subvert his plan could cause other problems. the last thing any of you would want is poorer sound from a cat who was trying to do things unfamiliar to him, not in his wheelhouse.

if i thought i was dealing with a noob/poser: i'd go along to get along, at least until the gig was over.

that said, the purchasing cost of the PA is meaningless without context.

 

[Zooberwerx]

You would THINK a 20k mic channel comes with a trim knob?!?

Riis

 

[buldog5151bass]

I've learned to roll with the punches with idiotic situations like this. Nothing you can do at that point - he's not going to suddenly see the light, and even if he did, he would just press the "suck" button on his board during your set.

But yeah, he's an idiot.

 

[gln1955]

We have an expression we use at my place of employment (a univeristy) - "Billions for bricks, $#!^ for brains".

 

[Jefenator]

Couldn't go the extra £500 for a decent backline bass amp?
Oh, well... I'd roll with it.
These days I mostly judge a sound crew by how quickly they complete the line check.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Was he hired by the venue or the band? I'm guessing the venue.

 

[Marley's Ghost]

I always have a chat with the sound guy before the show. These guys are usually underpaid and scapegoated. If I sense that there's going to be a problem of some sort I'll lay a 20 on him. An attitude adjustment will follow.

 

[Ellery]

There is an otherwise nice venue that my band played several times, they had a baked in crowd, paid a little and even gave us beer, for originals bands that is really good. But the soundguy was similarly unreasonable, to the point that is and the other band that got us these gigs have all agreed to stop playing there.

 

[EdwardofHuncote]

It's threads like these that make me realize how lucky I've been all these years.

 

[chadds]

Setting up for a gig the other night the sound guy refused to take a DI off my Helix and insisted i use their backline amp (a keyboard amp) that he miced up. He said the PA was worth £20k so couldn’t risk the bass player blowing it.

I think he was being ridiculous, what are your insights?

$20K. That's all?
We aren't supposed to bash engineers here. Oh wait! What if they are ignorant self appointed experts who sit behind a mixing board or ipad?
On point. He actually just sounds limited in experience.

It is true. Humor him and just plug in and get through the gig. He may be operating at the edge of his entire skill set or stress adaptability. The show must go on.

The questions about who hired him leave you the possibility to play there again with a different sound person.

 

[Lesfunk]

20k p.a.

 

[Groove Doctor]

My bass/rig cost $10k alone.

 

[groooooove]

he sounds like a lame sound guy.