Ha! We've had this argument before Jim. And my mind hasn't changed at all. There are a couple things that SOME bass players do NOT get.
1) Physics. "Your sound" is not going to produce the same way through massive 2-18 subs, 2-15 mids, and massive horns the same way it comes out of a sealed 8-10. So it will not even CLOSELY resemble what is coming out of your amp, EVEN IF you mic it.
Wow, Two, and here I thought we vibed
I have proven this wrong many times on a variety of PA's from cabs on sticks to arena-sized line arrays. And I've said it many many times in this thread alone. All that needs to happen is the soundman to realize that what comes out of my amp is what it needs to sound like in the PA, and you're good.
2) Context. "Your sound" may sound like the left hand of God on a 20 foot Steinway (with just the right amount of angelic fuzz) in your bedroom, your practice room, even on your album. But "your sound" may just sound like a 5 gallon bucket of steaming crap in the mix, through the PA, in a club that has all the acoustics of a small gym.
My sound is always awesome and befitting the band and venue, even if the gear I'm forced to play on fly gigs isn't
But since you know a bit about my background, I'm sure you meant it for the newbs.
3) Business. MY REPUTATION is ALSO on the line when I run sound for you. And many club owners, band members, and even music fans think that we are magicians. If something sounds horrible, WHO are they going to look at with that annoying "What the ****" look on their faces? Not the guy with the 15 distortion pedals running into the 15 gigawatt amp and 7 8-10 cabs. They are going to look at ME! So, I DO have somewhat of an obligation to protect MY company, MY reputation, and MY mix. Especially if I am running sound for more than one band, I have potential customers standing around the room all night. And, again, they are doing long division in their heads. If something sounds "wrong" they think I suck...... simple as that. But, I can't polish a turd. Crap in = crap out. And if I can help it, crap out is not an option.
Actually, in situations where the sound has been poor, the band is usually blamed for it by the public at large. I once had a singer who performed under his own name tell me, "When the music and sound is good, they always say, 'Man, you've got a great band.' But when they're not, the people say, 'Man, that ____ _____ sucks."" And he's right.
I do sympathize with you to a degree. However, my problem with your line of thought comes when the soundman makes snap judgments based on the looks of the gear or the mere wanting of something a little different than the norm. I've wheeled in an SVT and a mic only to have soundmen tell me, "Oh great, you're one of THEM." Meanwhile I'm probably the quietest bass player they ever worked with. And that's where I have the problem. Guilty till proven innocent seems to be the order of the day.
So, sure, some sound guys have not learned anything new since 1983, and have bad attitudes as well. But it is the HEIGHT of overgrown 4 year old whiney wussy EGO TRIPPING DIVA-hood for ANY musician to simply say "I don't care WHAT you think. This is MY SOUND. YOU make it work."
I once had a buddy of mine who ran sound for Rick Derringer at a club, and Rick told him, "I set my amps the way I want, and if it's too loud or too soft, sorry but that's what I want onstage." I certainly wouldn't have the balls to tell Rick otherwise. That's where you get into "producing" the band rather than "running their sound." They could have very good reasons for wanting what they want, and a soundman shouldn't be editorializing. Not that big a problem for me because I'm pretty cooperative, but I've had soundmen tell me similar things only to have them trash the sound I'm going for because it doesn't fit their mold of what's good.
So, your comments will have lots of fans here in the bass universe. But in context, they aren't very useful at all. All that being said, I understand you have tons of experience and talent. And I am sure you are also smart. But I also (based on several threads) think you are going through a bit of a chip on your shoulder stage over having "played it safe" and pretty much "did what you were told to get work" for most of your career. I get it. You are encouraging young players do "do your own thing" and "don't let anyone tell you any different". There is some wisdom in that as well.
But, there HAS to be some middle ground between the direction your knee jerks and the direction mine does.
Sorry, but that's just crazy talk. If a dude has a sound that's mid scooped with a whole lot of lows and highs, there just might be a reason for it. And you don't have to get it as the soundman, but if you don't get them that sound, it will ruin their band. For example, Fieldy. Fieldy has a sound I don't dig and neither do a lot of bassists and soundmen, but it works for Korn and that's what he and they want the bass to sound like, and if you change it, a major dynamic of the band's sound is lost. John Entwistle was another one...soundmen used to tell him that kind of thing for years because they just didn't get that he was looking for a particular sound. Chris Squire fought similar battles. I wouldn't have the balls to them they're screwing their band. Would you?
That's the work part of things.
