need input...

[lowfrq]

I play a 4 different bands. One band insists on putting everyone
( cover band w/2 guitars,drums, & bass) through the PA regardless of the venue.
The 3 other bands I play in don't do this.
The feedback I get back from people in the audience is usually that it's too loud & muddy sounding.
I brought this up at a band meeting last week & was told that's the only way to control the volume level of the band. I think that's what the volume knob on the amp is for?
I play through a b-1500/acme, so low end/ volume is not a problem for me
I would as much info as possible because I'm going to print this out && show it to the band! thanks!

 

[M0ses]

They are wrong. But you shouldn't need Tb to tell you: the audience already has. If they refuse to take that into consideration, you're better off leaving because they won't change for ANYONE. They're excuse is nothing but that; that's not the only way, they're just not being smart enough to do it the right way.

 

[tobie]

Which is too loud & muddy - the PA band or the non-PA bands? In general PA is the way too go, simply because the soundman can make adjustments on the fly, as needed. It's very hard to consistently achive a balanced setup directly from the stage.

 

[JimmyM]

ya, i very rarely play without pa. if it's muddy, maybe your stage volume is too loud. or maybe you guys need a better pa or at least some lessons on mixing and slotting frequencies.

 

[happycat]

I am constantly surprised by the number of people who just play too loud for their PA. Turn down and let your sound guy do his job. If you are playing too loud for the PA, there is nothing your sound guy can do. He can't turn everyone else up - ears start to bleed when the sound gets too loud.

On stage, make sure everyone can here each other. If you can't here everyone else, consider turning your own volume down. If that doesn't work - try getting everyone to turn their amps in towards the band a bit more instead of at the audience.

Not only is this my experience, this is a common theme in so many threads about live sound (i.e. guitar/bass amps over powering the PA, the band not really thinking that the PA is (should be) the primary sound source for your audience)

 

[tobie]

I am constantly surprised by the number of people who just play too loud for their PA.

I don't think that's the issue here - unless I've misunderstood something. 'Having said that' - I totally agree. In general I prefer the monitor volumes to be controlled from the PA as well - specially guitarists under a certain age's monitors! If it's too soft to your liking, you can ask the soundman to turn the volume up - but he/she should decide when it's starting to interfere with the house sound.

 

[Muaguana]

You need a better sound guy, IMO.

 

[mcapote]

ya, i very rarely play without pa. if it's muddy, maybe your stage volume is too loud. or maybe you guys need a better pa or at least some lessons on mixing and slotting frequencies.

wow you read my mind, im a pa newb and I pretty much figured out the same thing hahaha. my band sounded 100 times better through the PA but we dont try and max it out either.

 

[TimmyP]

In most rooms, with most bass rigs, there will be at least one or two notes from the rig that are too loud for the band mix - and this is with the bass off in the PA. So the mixperson has to settle for a boomy, unsatisfying mix, or crank everything up to match the bass's hot notes - making the mix TFL.

I find that most PA's have a nasty bump somewhere between 60 and 100, usually around 80 (I think this is because most folks have never heard a PA or a hi-fi that has proper bass response, so they don't have a good reference). If you have this problem and the bass hot note problem, it's really gonna suck.

 

[Hoffman6000]

in most of the bands of my lifetime, in a small club the drummer controls the volume of the stage. If you have a loud drummer, put a plexiglass shield around him if he refuses to play softer. The guitarists will fall into place automatically because they will complain they can't hear the drummer over their amps....SO TURN DOWN!!!!, then the singer won't have to have his monitor cranked to the point of feedback anymore, causing the House mix to clean itself up, giving your engineer a big smile because he finally has control....The audience will react by rejoicing whilst the women swoon you and buy you drinks, because now they can finally understand the incredible lyrics you're laying down!

In summary, Stage volume Down = a better control of the house mix. The lower the stage volume, the better the control.(and the less hearing loss of the band memebers)