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Gotta love sound guys

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Jrussblues

Jrussblues

Feb 10, 2012
1,584
2,631
Prairieville, LA
#1
So, I show up set up and run di off of the back of my head.
We sound check all of the monitors and I hear okay let's play one. I think, okay, I didn't get monitor check, but that's cool I'm sure he's got something dialed in. Well...apparently there was nothing dialed in. So after the song I get with him and explain the prob and he says sorry he will figure it out. I say okay and go sit down in the bar before the gig. It's about that time that I notice a terrible buzz coming from the mains...narrow it down...it's my rig. So we run di, shut off the amp and try a number of things...turns out it's just the board.
We start to play our first set and my monitor is still dead, get it fixed (new cable) and now I have guit and some vox but no bass.
Long story short I have to kick my cab back and stand right in front of it for the rest of the show.
This has been my experience with sound guys as of late. Mostly I am forced to play from muscle memory rather than feel and it flat out sucks.
Any ideas on how to not piss off the sound guy but still get it through that I actually need to hear my instrument (especially since they all want me turned down to nothing on stage).
Also, I don't like in ears so that's out.
Thanks!
 
#3
Hi,

It seems like you have drummers and guitarists that play to loudly and a sound man who doesn't really know his job. About all you can do is be polite and keep asking for what you need. Bring a bigger rig to the gig. If you have to, get it up off the floor and point it at your head so you can hear it. Or invest in your own bass monitor, like a Kickback amp, and run a line from your main rig to feed it.

Whatever you do, don't piss off the sound guy. He can really make your life miserable. I wish you the best of luck.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff
 
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#4
I have the opposite problem at one venue.. there's so-o-o much kick/bass in FOH that I can HEAR it thru the IEM's I use.
Stage volume on my amp is completely worthless - so no point in turning it up for the guitar player.

But yeah, FOH engineers can ruin your gig.. work WITH them. Remember that the rest of your band may also be asking them for things, and they may also be running sub-par gear and "nursing" it to make it work.

It's ALWAYS best to ensure you can hear yourself on stage (since you don't use IEM's) and Cliff's suggestions of bigger amp or monitor feed off the amp are great! You need to hear yourself... FWIW - there's a reason why folks use IEM's.. I'm totally wireless and run IEM's off our own mixer (whether PA is house or our own) so I have a consistent mix in my ears EVERY gig.
 
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#5
I recently had the pleasure of working with a really good sound guy. When the sound guy knows what he's doing (or she for that matter), it's a great experience. There are plenty of people out there who aren't very good, but when a good one comes along, it really shows how great things can be. Of course, then everyone can hear any mistakes, but that's a good problem to have!
 
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#6
Gaolee said:
I recently had the pleasure of working with a really good sound guy. When the sound guy knows what he's doing (or she for that matter), it's a great experience. There are plenty of people out there who aren't very good, but when a good one comes along, it really shows how great things can be. Of course, then everyone can hear any mistakes, but that's a good problem to have!
Click to expand...
Keep in mind that this is also true for bass players, singers, guitarists or any other musician. :woot:
 
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#7
I have bad experiences with sound guys not putting any bass in the monitors. The majority of the time I have asked for more volume I don't get it. I've solved this problem by buying a more powerful amp. I now shouldn't need a monitor anymore. I can just hope for in the house mix the sound guy realizes my band sounds best being able to hear all four members.
 
#8
I'd of just stood there playing my bass until it came up in the monitor where I liked it and then said to the sound guy "That's good thanks".
 
#9
Speaking of sound men, my band now wants to mike the drums and run all the instruments thru the PA and instead of using stage monitors, use earbuds for each other to hear. I prefer my own bass amp to a PA any day. Unless it was at a large ball park or stadium, then I would use the PA. But I will never get to play a ball park or stadium because I'm "Mediocre Bass Player #1006."
 
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#10
I'm playing fretless, so I really need to hear myself, so I can adjust if I get a finger in the wrong place.

Although it throws me off if I can't hear myself.

I've been at jams, playing guitar, where I wasn't sure if I could hear myself--so I'd play an obviously wrong chord, if I heard it, I could zero in onit an hear myself--if I could't hear it, something needed to be adjusted so I could.
 
#15
I have worked with some pretty nasty guys in the past, now I simply do what I have to do to hear myself. The band is the entertainment, not the guy sipping drinks behind the soundboard. We also have a band policy about volume which has worked out pretty well-so far. Sometimes you gotta do what ya got to do.
 
#16
When I can, I always tell the sound guy to NOT put anything but bass, kick and vocals in my monitor. No guitar and no hi drums. I also realize that in 90% of the situations I play in, I am not going to be able to hear myself, so I rehearse that way a lot. Weeks before a gig, i will turn my amp down at practice, or face the cab at the wall, or turn up just my bass EQ (or mids or hi's) just to replicate any situation. If i know where we will be playing, i will try to replicate that environment.

There are some places where i can't even play by position b/c the light situation is bad, so I will sometimes turn off the lights, or play eyes closed. There is one place where the sound guy also thinks he can do lights, and lets just say that it is a good thing that I am not prone to seizures....

I can honestly say that in my long past of playing, i rarely run into bullheaded sound guys. I run into a lot of ignoramuses, but usually can talk my way into getting those types to do what I want. I also run into a ot of guys who are REALLY deaf, and crank the red fader way higher than it needs to be. These guys usually work in the smallest venues....
 
#17
xUptheIronsx said:
I can honestly say that in my long past of playing, i rarely run into bullheaded sound guys. I run into a lot of ignoramuses, but usually can talk my way into getting those types to do what I want. I also run into a ot of guys who are REALLY deaf, and crank the red fader way higher than it needs to be. These guys usually work in the smallest venues....
Click to expand...
There's also a lot "house" guys that like to wield their "power" and do things the way THEY want to or are used to. There's no fighting with them.. a little schmooze (and a drink) goes a long way with those guys..
Reality is most are trying to do the best they can.. much like we are.
 
#18
The first two people I introduce myself to at a gig are the venue manager and the sound person. Be friendly and start a conversation. More often than not of there is a problem in the system the sound person will bring it up in the conversation. That way everybody is on the same page, and it gets rid of the "Us Vs. Them" mentality.
 
#19
Any time I have had to work with a sound guy it has typically degraded into one of two scenarios...
-screw it, I'll just play by feel alone and hope my timing is on and i'm not playing too loud/quiet
-screw it, I'm just going to turn up loud enough to hear myself. He can figure out the FOH mix without me.

Both are frustrating, neither is particularly satisfying. But, I can at least hear myself play in one of those scenarios.
 
#20
Maybe a wireless headset Mic is the answer. That way you can stand in line with your Cabinets. Just a thought as I do not sing. Regardless, I don't understand why a Sound Person would want anything less than to hear everyone in the band. I certainly know people who only listen to the Drums or just the Guitar etc... But the Sound guy/gal is supposed to be a professional and striving to get the best Mix out in the crowd. Sometimes that means rolling the bass way down due to a loud stage rig. Either way, I need to hear myself to enjoy the experience. I also prefer to hear "My" sound which is coming out of my Cabs.
 
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