Help Me Understand Live Sound Check Etiquette

[jmone]

Let me preface by saying I'm still very new to gigging. I've been a bedroom warrior for many years and finally found some dudes who have similar level of commitment as me. We find out last minute it's going to be a live sound check. That being said we're a 5 piece rock band and use a variety of instruments live:

1) elec guitar / vocals
2) acoustic guitar / Synthesizer / shakers / vocals
3) keys (piano / Wurlitzer /organ) / sax / vocals
4) drums
5) Bass

We were told to bring amps but there would be PA/Mic support. We had vocal monitors and then a couple of onstage monitors to hear FOH mix. My bass was both DI'd and my cabinet was mic'd. There was also a on-stage sound guy and then a FOH sound guy (not sure who's job it is to handle what)

We get our gear all setup and eq'd and starting noodling waiting for them to tell us to sound check but the stage manager comes to us and says we're on the clock. So we just start playing our first song. The electric guitarist was way too low. Also I guess the angle I was standing my PUs were getting feedback from one of the onstage monitors. I asked the sound guy on stage if there was bass in there and he said "yes" so I should position myself accordingly. The guitarist then turns to me because he can't hear himself anymore and he thinks the bass is too loud. I assumed it was because my backline was too loud so I immediately lowered my amp.

They then lowered me during the next song to the point where I'm no longer audible. By the time we got to the last song, they actually completely removed me from the on-stage monitor and realized I'm now purely coming from my backline which I lowered for the guitarist's sake. I didn't want to reach for the master volume on my amp and potentially ruin their mic'd input and cause trouble so I settled and just continued playing.

At the end of the set I turn to the sound guy who was on stage and asked if I was removed from the mix, and he said "oh you're not coming out of there, but you're heard..."

That being said, how should I have handled this in the future? Should we have said into one of the mics to raise the guitar? Should I have never reached for my master volume in the first place? How should I set my master volume if we don't get a full sound check? Bad sound guys? Honestly just trying to make sense of this all so we know for next time.

Thanks for the help guys!

 

[two fingers]

Was this a situation where multiple bands were playing the same venue/show? If so, it can get tricky to do a real soundcheck for every band.

If you guys were the only band playing, you should have never played a song until the sound guy got levels and EQ done on EVERY instrument/mic channel on stage. It usually starts with the kick drum, goes around the drum set, then bass, then other instruments, then vocals.

Also, there should have been some communication. There should have been some requests for what goes into the monitors and at what levels. They were just sending the full out front mix into the monitors????

Seems like an iffy sound company.

 

[jmone]

Was this a situation where multiple bands were playing the same venue/show? If so, it can get tricky to do a real soundcheck for every band.

Yeah we were 1/6 or so bands varying in genres so I get that it wouldn't be the most ideal situation but honestly our band mix sounded horrible relative to the other bands.

Also, there should have been some communication. There should have been some requests for what goes into the monitors and at what levels. They were just sending the full out front mix into the monitors????

This is where my lack of experience comes in. At first I didn't think they would even put the entire FOH mix on stage. But I began to realize that as my bass became less and less audible throughout the set and suddenly the guitarst was much louder despite us touching our amps. I listened back to some recordings after and it confirmed this for me. Should I have maybe asked more questions before starting? I don't want to come off arrogant to the sound guys but we should have a mutual interest in having the best sound

 

[two fingers]

Yeah with six bands is can be tricky. But you guys still should have been told what to expect. Also, if there's no sound check, you guys should be able to adjust your own levels on stage and let the sound company hammer out the rest as best they can. Next time, do what you gotta do. If the monitors start tearing your heads off, tell them to turn the things down.

This wasn't your band's fault, simply put.

 

[jmone]

Yeah with six bands is can be tricky. But you guys still should have been told what to expect. Also, if there's no sound check, you guys should be able to adjust your own levels on stage and let the sound company hammer out the rest as best they can. Next time, do what you gotta do. If the monitors start tearing your heads off, tell them to turn the things down.

This wasn't your band's fault, simply put.

Even if they micd my bass cabinet? I was hesitant to touch the master volume and f up everything

 

[two fingers]

Even if they micd my bass cabinet? I was hesitant to touch the master volume and f up everything

I am a sound guy as well as a bass player. I would never have put any band (or even bands) in the situation they put you in. That being said, if I had to do that for time constraint reasons or whatever, then I would have to understand that you guys on stage......the reason everyone showed up to the show to begin with....have to be able to hear to perform. And if that means you have to adjust on me on the fly, I will have to adjust quickly as well and we'll get through together as best we can.

Again, if the sound guys you were dealing with don't understand that, that's not your fault.

So, your hesitation to make huge adjustments on stage on the fly is well founded. But sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

 

[jmone]

I am a sound guy as well as a bass player. I would never have put any band (or even bands) in the situation they put you in. That being said, if I had to do that for time constraint reasons or whatever, then I would have to understand that you guys on stage......the reason everyone showed up to the show to begin with....have to be able to hear to perform. And if that means you have to adjust on me on the fly, I will have to adjust quickly as well and we'll get through together as best we can.

Again, if the sound guys you were dealing with don't understand that, that's not your fault.

So, your hesitation to make huge adjustments on stage on the fly is well founded. But sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

Appreciate the advice!