Wow! A lot of responses. Thank you guys so much. I'm trying to answer the spirit of everyone's questions and concerns.
Stupid question, but you are all tuning to the same frequency (i.e: 440 etc.)?
We all tune to 440. Also, just to clarify again, we record all our shows, and the recording sounds spot on start to finish (unless there's an actual mistake). No one is even remotely out of tune in the recording.
Are you wearing earplugs?
No. I'm open to it though, if you think it would help me. We actually weren't playing terribly loud last night.
I do experience that too sometimes and I've found it only happens on large venues with when I'm using predominantly low end like reggae for example. Never heard it with any gig where I'm using a more full range sound.
This very thing happened to me this past weekend on the second of the two large festival gigs i played. I used a different bass for each gig and a different rig but on the last gig I was using a mesa boogie 2x10 and a walkabout head. Tuned up at soundecheck and noticed the slightly flat sound and in fact it was more evident when I asked for more volume in my monitor as the gig progressed. I too have wondered in the past if it is a phasing issue as between the cab and the monitor adn the side fills. I don't use effects at all so that is not a component and it is the same situation whether or not i'm using ear plugs or not. I'd be interested in finding why that is.
As a slightly aside point. A few years ago I had some custom moulded ear plugs made and found that when I use them on gigs where I slap, the pitch again sounds slightly flat. I called the company who made them and they said this is something that has been mentioned to them a few times but they currently have no idea what the reason is. It doesn't happen when playing any other finger style and most of my gigs don't involve slapping so I continue.
Interesting. This sounds like it's definitely a version of what I experienced recently.
Sorry, my bad.
OP, is it possible that you are getting some room reflections in specific places?
Some of the worst places I have gigged (on vocals) was in those huge tents they put up for festivals. If the fills and monitors weren't set up correctly, and there was dead space, it caused all kinds of weird cancellations that made the music sound completely different (as in unrecognisable in some points). Could it be possible that you are experiencing this to a lesser degree somehow?
Extremely possible. Both of the last 2 gigs, where I know for sure that this happened, the stage dimensions where very unusual to me. Last night was in a hybrid theater/art gallery, and there were all sorts of weirdly angled walls and overhangs. right around the stage where I was.
No one wants to say it:
YOU MAY BE INSANE.
Just a thought.
I've talked to myself about this and both of us agree that it's the others and not us.
Definitely has happened to me and it is not a result of ear problems or ear fatigue. In fact, the time I experienced it most was a very small room that didn't want us loud (and we weren't). It seems to happen when we have to set up in corners rather than against a single plane back wall. So it must have something to do with how the sounds reflect off the corner walls.
We all experienced it, did tune checks, still sounded to us out of tune, but people out in the room said it sounded in tune.
So yes, this is real. Don't understand the physics of it, but I have experienced it.
I feel like we may be on to something here. Let's form a support group. Really though, it's nice to have some of you guys say that you've experienced this. It makes me feel less insane.
This has definitely happened to me. I usually wear a single earplug in the ear that faces the band, and I generally have a very good ear for intonation. It's always incredibly stressful
Its usually in situations where i have a little trouble hearing myself, so whatever problem might be happening is hard to distinguish. Also, the most recent time this happened was when i gigged a bass i hardly ever play with at shows. Im thinking now that maybe it was more that i wasn't used to how it fit in the mix, therefore something sounded "off" from how i usually sit with the mix. Not sure how else to explain it.
Yeah, stressful is about how I'd describe it, too. It sucks to constantly retune between songs, see that nothing was off to begin with and know that you are playing the songs correctly.
Great post. And a relief to read the responses. This has happened to me many times even when just practicing at home. Tuner says it's good, but is still get a sense of something being not quite right (other than my playing limitations). I figured it was my ears failing. Maybe it isn't that, which would of course make me feel better about it.
I'm glad you find comfort in some of our posts! I was hesitating about posting this, lest someone call me a scrub, but it appears to be a problem that quite a few people have had. Thanks for the post!
Are all your tuners in the band accurate? Could be the guitar player.
That was an issue in a band once, we assumed all tuners were accurate.
Are you using effects ?
Loud stages and poor monitors give me that affect sometimes.
I appreciate the suggestion about checking the tuners. I use a pedal tuner and the guitarist uses a clip-on (we are the only pitched instruments in the band at the moment). While I have some doubts about the accuracy of his clip-on tuner, the recordings of us playing are perfectly in tune. It appears to only be an issue on the stage. That's the main problem I'm trying to address. The actual intonation of our instruments is not causing a noticeable issue in any recordings.
Thanks again to everyone who responded. I'm getting some ideas for how I might prepare for this situation in the future.
