We spend about 10-20 minutes on sound check, and yes it's necessary (we do our own most times). 1.5 hours??? 
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Soundchecks all that worthwhile???
- Thread starter Shaun_Bass0
- Start date
Sound checks are about more than just checking the sound. They also make the bands arrive well before the show starts so the club won't have to worry about flakes or no-shows, and, if more than one band is on the bill, the gear gets loaded in and arranged in a sensible order back- or on-stage. It's also helpful for the soundguy to know what to expect from each band - how many mics, mic stands, DI boxes, etc - so he can have all that stuff ready to go too. Actually checking the sound is possibly the least important function of a sound check! But still important...
After everything is set up we take probably 5 min. We always play the same song b/c we know how it should sound...1 thing gets under my skin about other bands is the messing around on the instrument when someone is trying to get a level or play parts of 'cool, popular' riffs...1st indication of non-professionalism
That's a good point. Sometimes I like to warm up for a while before we play. Best to bring the headphones.
- Jan 27, 2010
- 4,141
- 471
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Genz Benz Amplification
Good sound starts onstage. If everybody has their tones and levels right the sound guy's job should be easy.
It's also important for the system to be properly eq'ed.
If both of these things are in place everything should sound pretty good just bringing the faders up with very little EQ needed per channel.
It's also important for the system to be properly eq'ed.
If both of these things are in place everything should sound pretty good just bringing the faders up with very little EQ needed per channel.
Our band is pretty much plug and play for the smaller venues...no drum mikes and everyone sets their levels to the volume of the drummer...Half a song with someone walking out front while playing to see if everything is even...then break and start the set a little later.
When we're doing festival stage gigs it's still really fast! Wait for the other band to move their gear...Set up our gear (already unpacked and assembled) mike check- drums-bass, snare , toms ect...bass-play a little...guitar-play a little ...second guitar...play a little...lead vocal...second vocal ...play a few bars and wait for our mc to announce...usually 10 min tops.
When we're doing festival stage gigs it's still really fast! Wait for the other band to move their gear...Set up our gear (already unpacked and assembled) mike check- drums-bass, snare , toms ect...bass-play a little...guitar-play a little ...second guitar...play a little...lead vocal...second vocal ...play a few bars and wait for our mc to announce...usually 10 min tops.
For us:
guitar: 2-3 minutes
bass: 1-2 minutes
drums: 5-10 minutes
3 vocal mics: 10 minutes
monitors: 5-15 minutes
Depends on the venue and atmoshperic conditions, naturally.
Weird sounding nights it takes between 30-60 mins to eliminate feedback and wonky monitor sound.
Good nights it takes maybe 20 mins tops.
Ya gotta budget extra time in case something odd screws up though.
guitar: 2-3 minutes
bass: 1-2 minutes
drums: 5-10 minutes
3 vocal mics: 10 minutes
monitors: 5-15 minutes
Depends on the venue and atmoshperic conditions, naturally.
Weird sounding nights it takes between 30-60 mins to eliminate feedback and wonky monitor sound.
Good nights it takes maybe 20 mins tops.
Ya gotta budget extra time in case something odd screws up though.
Drummer has a sound company.
We had a gig last Saturday night, house provided system.
4 mics (no DIs, etc) < 5 minutes. He did it himself.
Of course, the system was likely already set for the room, but that was very nice. Great gig.
We had a gig last Saturday night, house provided system.
4 mics (no DIs, etc) < 5 minutes. He did it himself.
Of course, the system was likely already set for the room, but that was very nice. Great gig.
This.
Besides, the way an empty room sounds is different from the way a room sounds with a bunch of bodies standing around. I'll show up an hour early to setup, check levels, and make sure everything is working properly, but anything past that, to me, seems like a waste. IME, most sound guys spend the first two songs of a gig reworking levels anyways, so there's no need to invest too much time into the pre-gig check when it's just going to be changed.
I felt horrible for the band...they were apologizing profusely and they seemed like decent guys, they just had a complete tool for a singer. Pretty sad.
If I were in that band, it would have been difficult for me not to continue the public tradition going on that night by publically firing that singer in front of the crowd.
And +1 to what everyone said: Soundcheck shouldn't take 1.5 hours. I once watched a band during a multiple band bill take longer on their soundcheck than their set actually lasted.
I don't see the need for sound checks, we all know soundmen is only there to destroy the experience for the musicians. Also why bother tuning your instruments if it's only a small gig. Nobody's really gonna listen anyway, especially not if you play covers.
NoiseNinja said:
Spot on! There is nothing I hate more than bands demanding good sound. I don't get paid more if I take the time to tune the monitors and make sure the band have proper sound on stage. I'd rather spend my time at the bar, drinking away the noise...
I know some of the posts in this thread are brilliant sarcasm. Is the whole thread, especially the OP?
I have tried to tell, but I suddenly feel like Sheldon.
I am one of those strange people who believes the perfect mix was obtained on the song "Honky Tonk Woman," by the Rolling Stones, and all we ever have to do is emulate that. Vocals on top, bass felt in the chest, no mud in the bottom end, and nothing shrill or screechy.
That mix is not that hard to get, if you don't put the instruments up too loud, and if your drummer is not insane.
I have a recording of Led Zeppelin doing "I Can't Quit You, Babe," by Willie Dixon, which was included on the post-Bonham-death "Coda," and billed as taken from a sound check in 1971. It is fantastic, and if it really was performed that way to an empty arena, then kudos to my favorite band for doing it, because it's cleaner than skeeter's peter.
I prefer a good, thorough soundcheck, and it doesn't matter who doesn't want to be in my band, because we already have two singing bass players, and most of you don't live nearby.
We are a four piece, and the present lineup is in total agreement, so there is no issue.
What I want to know is why people in Norway write and communicate in such good English, when I don't even know ONE SINGLE WORD in Norwegian. I couldn't even ask to use the freaking bathroom, for God's sake!
And that's why all my trips out of the USA have to be to the UK, Australia, or Mexico.
No, I do NOT speak very good Canadian.
I have tried to tell, but I suddenly feel like Sheldon.
I am one of those strange people who believes the perfect mix was obtained on the song "Honky Tonk Woman," by the Rolling Stones, and all we ever have to do is emulate that. Vocals on top, bass felt in the chest, no mud in the bottom end, and nothing shrill or screechy.
That mix is not that hard to get, if you don't put the instruments up too loud, and if your drummer is not insane.
I have a recording of Led Zeppelin doing "I Can't Quit You, Babe," by Willie Dixon, which was included on the post-Bonham-death "Coda," and billed as taken from a sound check in 1971. It is fantastic, and if it really was performed that way to an empty arena, then kudos to my favorite band for doing it, because it's cleaner than skeeter's peter.
I prefer a good, thorough soundcheck, and it doesn't matter who doesn't want to be in my band, because we already have two singing bass players, and most of you don't live nearby.
We are a four piece, and the present lineup is in total agreement, so there is no issue.
What I want to know is why people in Norway write and communicate in such good English, when I don't even know ONE SINGLE WORD in Norwegian. I couldn't even ask to use the freaking bathroom, for God's sake!
And that's why all my trips out of the USA have to be to the UK, Australia, or Mexico.
No, I do NOT speak very good Canadian.
Our band doesn't really soundcheck...a lot of the bars and places we've been playing are too small to bother with monitors. If you've been gigging long enough, it's not hard to dial in your sound quickly and properly. We deal with volume issues as best we can.
Ask my egomaniacal lead guitarist. After turning down the offer of a very nice and experienced sound guy to help us with sound for free AND after me doing sound for about 10 shows with great monitor levels and NO feedback issues, he decides because he now has a wireless and can walk out front to hear the mains that he is going to do the sound.
So what happens? Last two shows we had major feedback issues. Our last gig, he decided we did not need to ring out the mics because they were set from a previous gig at another totally different venue. Not to mention gain levels had been changed at practice too. He also insisted on running the mics through the main outs and not the monitor out (don't get me started). AND we only sound checked with the lead singer singing, even though there are two others that sing lead on some songs (including ME!!!) Finally, I saw him up on stage fiddling with the board AFTER soundcheck and before the gig!! So, as I step up and start singing the first song, what happens???, FEEDBACK CITY!!!!! It was horrible. You should have seen him and our lead singer scrambling. And he had the cojones to ask me what was wrong with the gig, and that it just seemed out of whack the whole night!!!!
Is soundcheck important? Yes. Should it take long? No. 15-20 minutes tops.
So what happens? Last two shows we had major feedback issues. Our last gig, he decided we did not need to ring out the mics because they were set from a previous gig at another totally different venue. Not to mention gain levels had been changed at practice too. He also insisted on running the mics through the main outs and not the monitor out (don't get me started). AND we only sound checked with the lead singer singing, even though there are two others that sing lead on some songs (including ME!!!) Finally, I saw him up on stage fiddling with the board AFTER soundcheck and before the gig!! So, as I step up and start singing the first song, what happens???, FEEDBACK CITY!!!!! It was horrible. You should have seen him and our lead singer scrambling. And he had the cojones to ask me what was wrong with the gig, and that it just seemed out of whack the whole night!!!!
Is soundcheck important? Yes. Should it take long? No. 15-20 minutes tops.
Seriously, 1.5 hours? It only takes 15-20 minutes to tell the guitar player to turn way down, ring out the FOH, bring up all your channels, get the vocals hot in all the monitors and play half a song?
