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MDBass
Supporting Member
- Nov 7, 2012
- 8,590
- 14,892
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Dingwall-Fender-Bergantino-Dunlop-Tech 21-Darkglass-Nordstrand
Nope.
Making arbitrary EQ adjustments to a sound source you have yet to actually hear is the sign of a rank amateur.
I usually make sure to make a point of telling any FOH engineers that they have free reign over the amp settings - if something isn't sitting right out there it's much easier for him/her to walk onstage and make adjustments, instead of passing notes or hand signals or any of that nonsense. I just want it to sound good out front.
Uhm, no!
And that is even if I have mostly played on fairly small venues and amateur festivals.
Always had soundmen that at least to my ears seemed to know what they were doing, and tried to get the best out of the sound we were providing them to work with.
Have heard a lot of horror stories though.
You should have let him do it, and while he was busy messing with your amp settings, you should have walked up behind his mixer and started messing about with his settings mindlessly, could potentially have taught him a lesson not ever doing something like that again.
And that is even if I have mostly played on fairly small venues and amateur festivals.
Always had soundmen that at least to my ears seemed to know what they were doing, and tried to get the best out of the sound we were providing them to work with.
Have heard a lot of horror stories though.
You should have let him do it, and while he was busy messing with your amp settings, you should have walked up behind his mixer and started messing about with his settings mindlessly, could potentially have taught him a lesson not ever doing something like that again.
Lol....We recently got a new amp at church...it's a new car little markbass...I actually invited the sound guy up to eq it....but then again....he's done pro sound design for years and knows the room far better than I do. I have an onboard preamp...I fiddle with that to make any adjustments I feel I need (which is very little.)
BUT...some random dude messing with my amp would get me fairly bent!
BUT...some random dude messing with my amp would get me fairly bent!
Oh.....well....that's completely different. If you are just using your amp as a stage monitor then it doesn't matter at all. That guy was just a dork.
MDBass
Supporting Member
- Nov 7, 2012
- 8,590
- 14,892
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Dingwall-Fender-Bergantino-Dunlop-Tech 21-Darkglass-Nordstrand
It can't.
This semi-obsession with pre-EQ signals is simply due to inexperience, of both players and sound men.
In most professional touring bands the players all use pedalboards, which for bass players generally includes at least one preamp, and it's never an issue getting the effected signal to work well in the mix when both parties are pros and know what they're doing.
devnulljp
Supporting Member
Doner Designs
Steve Doner
- Jun 2, 2012
- 5,784
- 6,819
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- Doner Designs is an alias for Steve Doner
The old saying in sound is "crap in = crap out". The more that can be optimized at the source (amp/preamp/etc.) and the less that has to be fixed at the mixing board, the better. I sometimes ask players to adjust their amp or onboard preamp. But NEVER do I touch somebody's gear without asking. I'm not really a fan of pre-EQ DI either. When players are willing to work as a team with FOH, that's best. But some sound guys no doubt get jaded with players who "have their tone, man" and don't want to change anything even though they might sound like absolute garbage at front of house. So it's the path of least resistance to just take a DI and work it at FOH the best you can.
Once, but he was a good friend and the entire band was in on the prank.
He kept turning up the overdrive (to "Lemmy" levels) when I wasn't looking. It was the first time we played an outdoor festival and I couldn't see them or the amp. It kept driving me insane. Fun was had at my expense during the final soundcheck.
It's pretty standard that the only time you should touch another's gear is when they ask you to - such as load in/out.
He kept turning up the overdrive (to "Lemmy" levels) when I wasn't looking. It was the first time we played an outdoor festival and I couldn't see them or the amp. It kept driving me insane. Fun was had at my expense during the final soundcheck.
It's pretty standard that the only time you should touch another's gear is when they ask you to - such as load in/out.
Wow no, never in anything anywhere closely resembling a professional setting. It's a mutual respect thing, where I'm trying to give him what I can to make his job easier, and the same with him.
I have a dedicated preamp that I use as a direct, it's set pretty much flat and I always tell the stage hand or engineer that if he needs anything to let me know regarding the sound of the preamp. I split the signal and go to my stage amp where I can adjust the sound on my amp. The preamp is mostly there to warm the sound a little for in ear monitoring, but works great as a foh direct signal as well.
In hundreds of shows, with varying degrees of sound engineers, running from shows with Lee Brice and Miranda Lambert, to the county fair with a part time sound guy, I've never had one tell me to adjust the signal I'm sending. I've had a few ask me to turn down a little during club gigs, but never would they dream of putting hands on my stage rig. That just screams a novice with an attitude.
I have a dedicated preamp that I use as a direct, it's set pretty much flat and I always tell the stage hand or engineer that if he needs anything to let me know regarding the sound of the preamp. I split the signal and go to my stage amp where I can adjust the sound on my amp. The preamp is mostly there to warm the sound a little for in ear monitoring, but works great as a foh direct signal as well.
In hundreds of shows, with varying degrees of sound engineers, running from shows with Lee Brice and Miranda Lambert, to the county fair with a part time sound guy, I've never had one tell me to adjust the signal I'm sending. I've had a few ask me to turn down a little during club gigs, but never would they dream of putting hands on my stage rig. That just screams a novice with an attitude.
- Jan 26, 2014
- 1,525
- 1,946
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- I teach lessons and perform live music in and around San Diego CA. Sometimes I even make money doing it!
This is one of those stories that is so bizarre it has to be true. I love it. I mean I want to kill that sound guy with fire, but it's still funny.
If the sound guy is reaching for the controls before you've even turned the amp on, there can be only one rational explanation - he was trying to perv out on the knob feel. That warrants an immediate beat down.
I know! I'm picturing the sound guy looking around, then quickly trying to fiddle with the knobs. While doing so, the bassist smacked him with a rolled up newspaper, saying with a firm voice, "no, bad soundman!"
Lol this is happening in my minds eye..,
