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I have usually been complimented on the mix I get - by the audience. I have sometimes been moaned at by bands for not making them loud enough, I admit... but if it's a choice between moderate volume and a good mix, and as loud as possible but shit, I'll always pick the first. Punters always want to hear the vocals.
I've also never once asked a drummer to tune their kit. The only time I've ever heard it be necessary - not me doing sound, I was just in the band - was somewhere where the kick drum happened to be at the exact resonant frequency of the room, so it would make the room 'ring' after every beat and instantly turned the whole mix to mud - no alternative other than to ask the drummer to re-tune it. Assuming the band aren't totally clueless or there isn't an actual problem like that, in my opinion it's not the sound engineer's job to tell them how to set up their gear.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
R.
Eqd Speaker Cranker clone
Monte Allums TR-2 Plus mod kit
Trading feedback: http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/60602/
"Useless Soundman"
Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
Eqd Speaker Cranker clone
Monte Allums TR-2 Plus mod kit
Trading feedback: http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/60602/
Whatever I do I try to make things as easy or hard as possible for other people depending on your perspective. I'll make it easy to get right or hard to get wrong. My bass amp has a really good DI with choices post pre etc. My guitar amps have volumes and if I know the venue/sound is bad I'll take a 57 and a mic stand. If I do sound I'll just reinforce whats there.
I have played at venues with truly gifted sound people and it is a pleasure to work with them.
I did a youth gig at a church many years ago and we took our own sound engineer. Due to a miscommunication the church had an engineer. He would not let our one do the gig. So we sent him on an errand and posted look outs whilst our engineer set all the gains and eqs and fixed the left channel which was inaudible.
The house (of God) engineer returned did a sound check and announced that he was awesome as the desk was sounding good or something along those lines.
I once filled in on sound for a local festival to allow the sound guy a break The desk was set 3 bands ago. All I got the whole set was comments from punters on how bad the sound was. So I nodded enthusiastically pretended to turn knobs, waited for the sound guy to return and went to the bar. No way I could turn the vocals up, too late for that. Bass drum sounded epic
I do vocals, rhythm guitar, bass, drums, then self mix my own guitar as we get going. My mantra is vocals, vocals, vocals, nothing must get in the way.
In other pub bands I hear a lot of huge-sounding drums and bass, guitars which sound like someone hoovering in the next room and platform announcer vocals.
Some people associate low frequencies with high quality, maybe it's a hangover from tranny radio/cheap practice amp days, and a lot of bands seem to be mixed by the sort of bellends who have huge car stereos.
Good engineers are a joy to work with and to listen to though, just like great musicians are.
I played a no-soundcheck festival gig recently in a five piece rock band, the next band were an acoustic 8-piece made up of all kinds of home-made instruments, weird percussion and five singers. Changeover time was 15 mins, and the guy behind the desk had them sounding ok in the first few bars, more than passable by the second verse, and awesome during the next song.
As an amateur dabbler it's the sort of job which would've terrified me, but the guy was fantastic.
Chips are "Plant-based" no matter how you cook them
Donald Trump needs kicking out of a helicopter
I'm personally responsible for all global warming