It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Subscribe to our Patreon, and get image uploads with no ads on the site!
Base theme by DesignModo & ported to Powered by Vanilla by Chris Ireland, modified by the "theFB" team.
Comments
A lot of guitarists we do sound for aren't aware of their tone and how it translates into a room, they have too much bass, treble and gain usually and are just so loud we as sound engineers can't do anything to make it sound good.
Now if the guitarist has great tone out front we can rely on the amp for a good portion of the sound, but still can't have it blasting otherwise one person gets deafened I the front row and noone else can hear you.
Best thing to do, as usual, is to have a conversation with the sound person, get a vertical plexi shield if you're in a small club and invest in some personal monitoring.
PA Hire and Event Management
For the sort of gigs I play, I prefer across the stage rather than up into the air simply because I like to hear more of my own amp and not rely on (usually crap) monitoring, but with better monitors even that wouldn't be an issue.
"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
When a band's stage sound is supplemented by the PA it's called sound reinforcement, this is how I was taught to mix at the Dublin Castle. In small venues, as long as the stage sound is balanced and the vocalist can project it should be fine. Personally I like it
I like firing amps across the stage too, surprised it isn't done more
I find a lot of FOH rock mixes are like this, like a pop mix, very safe. In the pursuit of clarity something is lost
You can wildly misjudge the volume if you are just guessing/monitoring with your amp.. completely different if shooting away from, or at you,
Imho everything to do with guitar amps is a compromise. I would love to stand in front of a stack but it's a 15w combo aimed at my back. With an overdrive.
That Springsteen picture shows that someone knows what they are doing and someone has listened. I've played bass and guitar in bands that big and its been a big sludgey mess.
I went to see Sigrid (who I love) a few years ago. She sang amazingly, the band were great, and yet I didnt really enjoy the gig. I could hear the crowd singing along more than I could actually hear her. The sound was sterile and too quiet and the songs just sounded like a slightly less polished version of the record.
Something is being lost in the quest for "better" live sound - and I personally don't believe it is better. It's a whole other thread but click/backing tracks for one (shudder) should be for cover bands only!
If youre quiet you can only be quiet and inaudible.
Dynamic range scales with volume
Trading feedback here
I've had sound engineers insist I turn down but not put enough guitar in the mix in the monitor to be of any use, even after asking 5 times.
Also, my experience from playing and from tour managing across Europe and the States is a lot engineers are not great. I've seen Chris Fullard get incredible live mixes so I know you can get a decent mix with crushing on stage amp volumes.
"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