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Rookie Sound Guys

#21
The flip side of the rookies, of course, are the guys who have been doing it 30+ years without using hearing protection and have lost the ability to hear all lows and highs and as a result crank both way up beyond where they should be. My guitarist calls it "boom and sizzle" mixing.
 
#22
Turned up for a gig in Birmingham having been told they'd provide a soundman and backline, the "PA" was basically 2 monitors, the desk looked like a SNES controller.

Soundman spent more of the night trying to look cool than doing any work.

Fortunately, a close mate who comes to a lot of our gigs has done studio and live sound work for over 20 years and because we took the car across in the ferry, we'd brought a backline anyway. Our mate took over and even with the two monitors we managed to get a passable sound.

Unpleasant experience though
 
#24
I'm a bass player who ends up doing the sound for our four piece acoustic act. It ain't fun doing it from the stage. And requests for "more bass in my monitor mix" or "a little less me in the vocal" are largely ignored. Monitors aren't for the entertainment of the performers, they're for reference ... ie, if you can hear yourself and everyone else you're good. If not, then hire a pro and pay him from YOUR share :smug:

My favorite sound guy quote:

"Can I get a little more talent in the monitor, please?" ;)
 
#28
fokof said:
If you are in a soundcheck , and the kick takes more than 3 minutes , start worrying !


I've done sound at festival , we have 20 minutes to setup AND soundcheck !
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Same, except we had 10 minutes that was timed by the guy on monitors yelling "5 minutes... 4 minutes... 3 minutes..." and that's including the previous band getting their gear off stage.

We were playing in 11 minutes - the extra minute due to one of the roadies replacing a drum mic lead ;)
 
#29
Yeah. Our worst sound experience we were playing a festival in Miami called the Miami Springs River festival. We of course had alot of the peoples there who follow the band and they were literally coming up to the stage and telling us you couldn't here the singer and the sound was just one big monotone with a little drumming in it. We were the first band on that evening so I was patient with the sound guy. Turns out the freaking sound guy was training his little brother and conveniently stepped out for a bite to eat and left him there trying to get our mix right. When he finally returned, we had about 3 songs left out of our 15 song setlist, he apologized and explained what happened. I was so freaking pissed, but later on that night he needed to borrow some extra extension cords and a few XLR cables, being the nice guy I am I still helped him out even after the reaming he gave us. It was hard to take it to personal because all of the other bands sounded like crap also, I don't think the festival ever hired those guys back again.
 
#30
Bass players always get hosed, even the best acts at huge venues. Most sound guys just can't get a good bass tone dialed in. The best sound guys build the rytumn section first then add guitars and vocals IMO. Getting good mids and highs from PA's are much easier them getting good low end. I saw Return to Forever and Stanley Clarke got screwed bad by the sound guy...it was sad!
 
#31
That a crying f'ing shame. We do get the "s" end of the stick for the most part. We have a dude that knows how to mix, but can't hear the FOH when he's out there. When I go out wireless to listen to FOH and make sure "my" sound is in the mix well and EQ'd well.....the sound is so much more full and we get many compliments on how great we sound. Have I learned my lesson, Yes. I make sure I always go out and listen!!
 
#32
RicPlaya said:
Bass players always get hosed, even the best acts at huge venues. Most sound guys just can't get a good bass tone dialed in. The best sound guys build the rytumn section first then add guitars and vocals IMO. Getting good mids and highs from PA's are much easier them getting good low end.

thats why i always try and do my own sound...except when i played for the sturgis rally we had a sound guy and he didnt even know how to hook up his snake to the board...i just had a nervous breakdown
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