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Mesh heads on e-drums, silent stage, and IEMs—these take some of the sting out of gigs w/ a very low volume ceiling. At least then the drummer can dig in and the musicians can get their tones at their preferred IEM volumes. Helps of you're playing a bunch of wineries, restaurants, weddings, corporate events, or dealing w/ local noise ordinances. You can dial in the individual instrument tones you want, as well as the overall mix, and the whole thing stays consistent from night to night and scales up as needed.
OK guys - I get your points. I guess it's Jeff's video. The gig, as I said, is contracted - so cancelling is not an option. I guess we just do our best with a bad job - pick a minimum level and if they want it lower, just say sorry - we can't. Much as the silent stage is a good aim for the future, it's not really on the cards for the future with the current guys - one sitting on the fence and one very anti (at the moment).
The comment about the weather could in fact be a blessing if it happens. UK weather forecasts always favour the notion it's going to rain - and if this is the case, maybe they'll re-jig and have it inside. Never wished for rain before - but a good idea.
The comment about the weather could in fact be a blessing if it happens. UK weather forecasts always favour the notion it's going to rain - and if this is the case, maybe they'll re-jig and have it inside. Never wished for rain before - but a good idea.
Most music can be translated well enough at any volumr unless it's metal...and even acoustically.I've heard some good versions of some heavy stuff at very low volume. You guys aren't going there to put on a concert, so the mindset needs to be different. If I had to ID make everyone play an acoustic and have the drummer playing bongos or snare and high hat only ID necessary. If the talent is there then any song will still resonate well enough, provided the performance is sincere. I just don't buy the limitations of certain songs that they must be played louder. I've been forced too many times to have to turn it all down, regardless of genre and managed it well enough to not be stopped and asked to com back again if the opportunity arose.
Dynamic range still exists at low level. If you took it to an absolute extreme you could do the gig with no PA at all, campfire level. Next level up from there the PA is on and the vocalists must use perfect mic control or there is LESS dynamic range available not more.
So quit the whining and get on with it.
So quit the whining and get on with it.
Be pro and do what you're being paid to do. Or don't. Maybe they just 'slipped that in' but they get to do that. Songs with large dynamic range? Reduce the range. I totally get what you're saying but you'll just have to do it. I play in a nine piece band that plays everything you might expect that sort of band to play, including 'God Only Knows.' : ). If we can do it, you can.
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I over simplified. Human voice has quite a lot more dynamic range than any PA invented. Hence the need for mic control to act as a compressor. You never get more dynamic range than unamplified unless someone sits there riding faders, otherwise you always have less.
I was happy up until the lack of understanding in the last posts.
With a tribute band the ENTIRE point is to sound as close to the original as you can. Are you really suggesting that you can remove the dynamics from songs and they still sound as they should?
That would be a new version of the song. Could you ask an orchestra to play Ravel's Bolero without dynamics? Let me make it clear - we have the ability to play the entire set list with an acoustic bass, a cahon, and an acoustic 6 string. Of course we could play at minuscule volume levels, and we could happily sing without microphones - but that isn't the point.
We can play God only knows at a volume level a vicar could whisper over - but it would NOT sound like the beach boys would it?
The organisers have come up with a scheme that might help - we can easily drop the bass and the kick drum level without any major consequences, and they're asking if they can build a wall 25 feet in front of the low stage 20 feet tall out of hay bales - the farmer next door has offered them. We could then raise up the tops, so they fire downwards at an angle, and we won't use the subs at all. The hay bales might be an effective barrier to the HF end carrying. By how much, I don't know. I'm taking our PA there this morning with a CD to play, so we can see the kind of volume levels we need to go to.
In our business, with Facebook and other social media, you are only as good as the last gig. This one is corporate, so perhaps won't matter quite so much as the people present have not paid - but it sticks in the throat to not be able to be authentic - even though the reason is solid.
Downunderwonder - we do indeed stretch the dynamics with faders - and the only sound op we use is the old bass player in the band - because he knows the songs, not because he knows much about sound systems - but he can craft the songs. Our songs are studio crafted songs - loads of tweaks and effects, and far more than the four voices we have - so we're talking double tracking type effects, odd reverbs for phrases, and BIG fader pushes on one held vocal chord type effects. Strip all this out and it becomes karaoke!
With a tribute band the ENTIRE point is to sound as close to the original as you can. Are you really suggesting that you can remove the dynamics from songs and they still sound as they should?
That would be a new version of the song. Could you ask an orchestra to play Ravel's Bolero without dynamics? Let me make it clear - we have the ability to play the entire set list with an acoustic bass, a cahon, and an acoustic 6 string. Of course we could play at minuscule volume levels, and we could happily sing without microphones - but that isn't the point.
We can play God only knows at a volume level a vicar could whisper over - but it would NOT sound like the beach boys would it?
The organisers have come up with a scheme that might help - we can easily drop the bass and the kick drum level without any major consequences, and they're asking if they can build a wall 25 feet in front of the low stage 20 feet tall out of hay bales - the farmer next door has offered them. We could then raise up the tops, so they fire downwards at an angle, and we won't use the subs at all. The hay bales might be an effective barrier to the HF end carrying. By how much, I don't know. I'm taking our PA there this morning with a CD to play, so we can see the kind of volume levels we need to go to.
In our business, with Facebook and other social media, you are only as good as the last gig. This one is corporate, so perhaps won't matter quite so much as the people present have not paid - but it sticks in the throat to not be able to be authentic - even though the reason is solid.
Downunderwonder - we do indeed stretch the dynamics with faders - and the only sound op we use is the old bass player in the band - because he knows the songs, not because he knows much about sound systems - but he can craft the songs. Our songs are studio crafted songs - loads of tweaks and effects, and far more than the four voices we have - so we're talking double tracking type effects, odd reverbs for phrases, and BIG fader pushes on one held vocal chord type effects. Strip all this out and it becomes karaoke!
So you will be compressed a lot more than usual. Doesn't mean you can't give it your all, obvious exception of drummer.
If you can't pass the gig up and you have to play quietly then you will just have to do that and put it down as a crap gig and one you shouldn't have been asked to play.
It sounds like a communication screw up somewhere between the band, the booking agent and the venue. Someone didn't know or forgot that you need a certain minimum volume to perform. It might be worth mentioning to the booking agent not to bother you with these sort of gigs in future. Trouble is s/he might not bother you with any gigs in future.
We get them occasionally but a lot less now we handle most of our own bookings.
It sounds like a communication screw up somewhere between the band, the booking agent and the venue. Someone didn't know or forgot that you need a certain minimum volume to perform. It might be worth mentioning to the booking agent not to bother you with these sort of gigs in future. Trouble is s/he might not bother you with any gigs in future.
We get them occasionally but a lot less now we handle most of our own bookings.
Nail on head. All our bookings are direct but this one was through a random agent who last booked us five years ago so with hindsight we should have known. Consensus in the band is to play as low as we can. If this isn't low enough then we stop.
I'm there at the moment and the hay bale Idea isn't workable and would be pointless. The houses are on the other side of the clubhouse. The way we will be facing might impact on Holland if they were a bit closer. Nothing but grass and sea in that direction. Looks like we're in the middle of a long standing dispute. I'll report back next week.
I'm there at the moment and the hay bale Idea isn't workable and would be pointless. The houses are on the other side of the clubhouse. The way we will be facing might impact on Holland if they were a bit closer. Nothing but grass and sea in that direction. Looks like we're in the middle of a long standing dispute. I'll report back next week.
We played a few afternoon gigs for a Ladies Guild, we play so quietly that we don't bother with monitors.
The first time we were sound checking (we run sound from the stage and I go out front and give instructions to the guitarist as to levels), I kept telling him to turn it down but he said we cannot play any quieter than that. The organiser came through from the other room and told us we were still way too loud so he reluctantly turn down. Luckily our drummer can play as quietly as is required.
When the audience arrived we could see why, most were old, some really old. Walking frames, sticks, wheelchairs and mobility scooters were the order of the day. There were some exceedingly stern looking ladies among them. After the first set there was tea/coffee sandwiches and cakes, what a spread it was and we were encouraged to tuck in. We got chatting to one of the stern looking ladies only to discover that she was from Liverpool and her uncle used to drive the Beatles to gigs in his van when they first started out. She knew the words to all our Beatles songs and was singing along to them. Our guitarist now refers to her as Penny Lane.
We went down really well and got rebooked for a few months time, after that gig they booked us for their Christmas party.
The first time we were sound checking (we run sound from the stage and I go out front and give instructions to the guitarist as to levels), I kept telling him to turn it down but he said we cannot play any quieter than that. The organiser came through from the other room and told us we were still way too loud so he reluctantly turn down. Luckily our drummer can play as quietly as is required.
When the audience arrived we could see why, most were old, some really old. Walking frames, sticks, wheelchairs and mobility scooters were the order of the day. There were some exceedingly stern looking ladies among them. After the first set there was tea/coffee sandwiches and cakes, what a spread it was and we were encouraged to tuck in. We got chatting to one of the stern looking ladies only to discover that she was from Liverpool and her uncle used to drive the Beatles to gigs in his van when they first started out. She knew the words to all our Beatles songs and was singing along to them. Our guitarist now refers to her as Penny Lane.
We went down really well and got rebooked for a few months time, after that gig they booked us for their Christmas party.
Paulears... I understand your desire to sound authentic (or as authentic as possible.. are you bringing a horn and string section with you too?).. but i would think it is better to bite the bullet on this gig and cater to who is paying you than to stay honest to your volume principle and lose possible future work over it.
The goal for this band should be to sound like the Beach Boys playing outside at a golf club in a fussy neighborhood. What would they do? They are professionals, so they would turn down.
