No one touches my gear without my permission. No one.
With that said ... when the soundman says to turn it down, you turn it down.
With that said ... when the soundman says to turn it down, you turn it down.
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Sound guy walked on stage and turned me down...
- Thread starter Tbirdbassist
- Start date
That soundguy would have found my bass upside his head if he touched anything of mine without permission.
Hang on!! We're talking GK here not LMk or Eden. GK is not hifi.
Anyway sound man was rude, should have said something. There's 2 ways of mixing bass, either low in the mix or high in the mix. Most people have pretty strong views of which it should be, and when the bassist/band and soundman disagree there's a problem. the soundman must go with where the band feel it should be. Most sound guys I've encountered are too stoned, thick, or uninterested to do their job properly, and that includes some high profile venues.
If it was the houses backline--thats one thing.........
however, if it were MY stuff, and he did that, I woulda gone off on him.
EITHER WAY - It's kinda F'd up.
He coulda just signaled you or gone up and told you, instead of walking on stage himself and doing it... thats kinda messed up.
however, if it were MY stuff, and he did that, I woulda gone off on him.
EITHER WAY - It's kinda F'd up.
He coulda just signaled you or gone up and told you, instead of walking on stage himself and doing it... thats kinda messed up.
Agreed. I had to do this once at a "Battle of the Bands" although I didn't physically turn the knob. I went to the stage and told the band - everyone - that if they wanted a prayer at sounded decent they need to turn down the stage volume and let me mix them.
What sounds good on stage often isn't whats best in the house.
That is a possibility, without being at the gig, most of us can't really say for sure. But, if that were in fact the case, rather than bitching and moaning and eventually messing with people's gear, the sound guy should have explained the situation. Not everyone involved with music has experience with these sort of things.
It probably is partially the band's fault, but if the sound guy just scowls about it, nothing really gets accomplished.
I play bass in two bands, and I run sound on the side.
When I'm running sound for any band, my biggest problem is ALWAYS getting some ONE to turn down. If you are on stage playing and you can't hear yourself, turn up your monitor.
If you're playing loud music, part of your rig should include some sort of monitor.
OPINION:
The sound man was doing his job. Making it sound good to the patrons, not the players.
It's his house, he knows it. You should trust his judgement.
Did the audience complain? Did someone say "Hey man I can't hear the bass" to the sound guy??
Maybe, just maybe, someone said "hey man the bass is really loud".
Sorry if I don't side with you by default just because I play bass. I think the sound man did the right thing.
When I'm running sound for any band, my biggest problem is ALWAYS getting some ONE to turn down. If you are on stage playing and you can't hear yourself, turn up your monitor.
If you're playing loud music, part of your rig should include some sort of monitor.
OPINION:
The sound man was doing his job. Making it sound good to the patrons, not the players.
It's his house, he knows it. You should trust his judgement.
Did the audience complain? Did someone say "Hey man I can't hear the bass" to the sound guy??
Maybe, just maybe, someone said "hey man the bass is really loud".
Sorry if I don't side with you by default just because I play bass. I think the sound man did the right thing.
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
- 29,772
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- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
Sound guy walked on stage and turned me down...
I say in that case violence is justified. If you have a cheap then bass break it over him!
I say in that case violence is justified. If you have a cheap then bass break it over him!
I think GK sucks but if you're stuck using other people's equipment for what ever reason it's be good to have either your own rack or atleast your own monitor and let the sound guy do the rest. I'd still be pissed in your situation. sounds like another jaded sound man to me.
I have been recording alot of our recent gigs and one thing that I am finding is that when I can hear myself well onstage, it is too loud in the house. Almost everytime... This can be a bit frustrating when you're playing with a guitarist who 'has to have it turned up to get his tone', but that's how it is...
-robert
-robert
Sound guy said you needed to turn down.....
You didn't.......
He turned you down.....
You cry about it over the internet.....
He's the sound guy, it's his job to try to make you sound good. He can hear what you sound like in the crowd.
It was the clubs rig, I sure he has more experience with it than you, I'm betting he was trying to do what was best for the sound.
Learn something from the experience and let it go.
You didn't.......
He turned you down.....
You cry about it over the internet.....
He's the sound guy, it's his job to try to make you sound good. He can hear what you sound like in the crowd.
It was the clubs rig, I sure he has more experience with it than you, I'm betting he was trying to do what was best for the sound.
Learn something from the experience and let it go.
+1
There is a BIG difference between stage sound, and floor sound.
What you hear on stage is not the big picture.
He is the sound guy, and knows the room better than you.
It's all about trust ???
Get over it. It's one event. Sounds like it was a bunch of bands were so chances are you didn't do this for money like a real gig.
The sound guys been dealing with egos and crapy sound all day.
You need to trust the sound guy and work with him.
Thats what pros do. They don't threaten to hit people if they touch the star bass players amp.
I'm sure this is not what you wanted to hear.
I've been doing this since the 70's and I've been in alot of playing situations.
You always want to have a good working relationship with people wether it's the sound guy, bar owner, promoter, production company, whatever.
The sound guys been dealing with egos and crapy sound all day.
You need to trust the sound guy and work with him.
Thats what pros do. They don't threaten to hit people if they touch the star bass players amp.
I'm sure this is not what you wanted to hear.
I've been doing this since the 70's and I've been in alot of playing situations.
You always want to have a good working relationship with people wether it's the sound guy, bar owner, promoter, production company, whatever.
- Feb 2, 2001
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I played in a church group not that long ago.
The sound guy was a know it all didn't have a clue as how to EQ a room at all, never the same from week to week but he was in tight with the leadership and no one could tell him anything. Was not an enjoyable experience at all.
First off...the sound guy should be a musician and secondly have a good ear and know how to bring out the dynamics of each instrument. As well the band has to have the proper dynamics and groove to be able to perform their best. Got to be able to hear each other.
The sound guy was a know it all didn't have a clue as how to EQ a room at all, never the same from week to week but he was in tight with the leadership and no one could tell him anything. Was not an enjoyable experience at all.
First off...the sound guy should be a musician and secondly have a good ear and know how to bring out the dynamics of each instrument. As well the band has to have the proper dynamics and groove to be able to perform their best. Got to be able to hear each other.
JazznFunk
Supporting Member
Funny... I had the total opposite happen the other night, but with sort of a similar end-result. There is a point here, so bear with me.
We played a new club in town that is a converted warehouse. Has a good reputation as a nice place with good sound and a good sound guy, so I had few worries. Red flags when I walked in: high ceilings, little acoustic treatment, hollow stage construction with a big 'cave' behind my part of the stage, as opposed to a flat wall along the back. Anyway, I brought my 2 SWR 2x10 cabs and my Eden head. Standard setup for a venue this size, and one that won't freak a sound guy out. They have a great sound system and full monitor complement. The problem was that my amp was literally unusable the entire night. Even at what would have been a normal, non offensive volume level, my amp added only mush and mid-range hollowness to the overall sound. I tried EQing everything possible to get rid of it, but it was no use. I used the same rig 2 nights ago in a different venue and the sound was wonderful, so I knew it wasn't just my amp causing the problems. The sound guy said that it sounded great out front and was refreshingly not loud... said I/we were really easy to mix. But I couldn't hear myself! I talked with him about it before and during the show to remedy it, but the only solution for me to hear onstage was to go through the monitors. Only then could I hear my attack and at least function. Needless to say, it was a rough gig. I credit the high ceilings, lack of treatment, the 'cave' behind my side of the stage, and the fact that the house speakers were on the floor right in front of me, giving me nothing but the backside bleed from the house sound. I could also hear more of myself in the house than onstage at times, which is another element all together.
In the end, I told him I'd ditch my amp and to just to make me sound good through the house and give me more of me in the monitors, which he did. His job was easy and he was very happy working with us... I just fear the next show we play in that room. I think next time I'll set up on the side of the stage opposite the 'cave' where there's some more dampening.
Anyway... the point I'm trying to make is that the sound guy generally knows what he's doing, will do his best to make you sound good, and sometimes you have to move past your own concept of what is needed and compromise for the sake of the sound out front. It's hard... I know I wanted to use my amp and feel comfortable and in control of my sound the other night, but it was out of my hands because of the room. Live and learn.
We played a new club in town that is a converted warehouse. Has a good reputation as a nice place with good sound and a good sound guy, so I had few worries. Red flags when I walked in: high ceilings, little acoustic treatment, hollow stage construction with a big 'cave' behind my part of the stage, as opposed to a flat wall along the back. Anyway, I brought my 2 SWR 2x10 cabs and my Eden head. Standard setup for a venue this size, and one that won't freak a sound guy out. They have a great sound system and full monitor complement. The problem was that my amp was literally unusable the entire night. Even at what would have been a normal, non offensive volume level, my amp added only mush and mid-range hollowness to the overall sound. I tried EQing everything possible to get rid of it, but it was no use. I used the same rig 2 nights ago in a different venue and the sound was wonderful, so I knew it wasn't just my amp causing the problems. The sound guy said that it sounded great out front and was refreshingly not loud... said I/we were really easy to mix. But I couldn't hear myself! I talked with him about it before and during the show to remedy it, but the only solution for me to hear onstage was to go through the monitors. Only then could I hear my attack and at least function. Needless to say, it was a rough gig. I credit the high ceilings, lack of treatment, the 'cave' behind my side of the stage, and the fact that the house speakers were on the floor right in front of me, giving me nothing but the backside bleed from the house sound. I could also hear more of myself in the house than onstage at times, which is another element all together.
In the end, I told him I'd ditch my amp and to just to make me sound good through the house and give me more of me in the monitors, which he did. His job was easy and he was very happy working with us... I just fear the next show we play in that room. I think next time I'll set up on the side of the stage opposite the 'cave' where there's some more dampening.
Anyway... the point I'm trying to make is that the sound guy generally knows what he's doing, will do his best to make you sound good, and sometimes you have to move past your own concept of what is needed and compromise for the sake of the sound out front. It's hard... I know I wanted to use my amp and feel comfortable and in control of my sound the other night, but it was out of my hands because of the room. Live and learn.
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