Sound Guy Nightmares

T

The Old Hyde

Guest
This is just another small rant about what we ran into while at a gig. My band plays at a local open mic, nice bar, stage lights, good backline gear. and a sound guy. Well, there used to be a young guy with a board that sat at a small table and did whatever sound guys do. Now they have an older surley guy, and he uses a wireless ipad. Thats all nifty i guess but now, if a mic feeds back, he seems clueless as how to stop it and it takes forever for him to turn it off. the other night, he went in front of the stage and yelled at one guitar player that he said was too loud. cant the sound guy turn him down from the mixing board? are all sound guys surly old grumpy guys ( like another guy on here).
 
Sound guys have a hard job. If the stage volume is too loud, it hamstrings them. I'm not defending this guy, you made him sound like he was not very diplomatic about it. Sound is a science. A good sound man is priceless. I've heard more bad sound guys than good sound guys, by a large margin.
 
Sound guys have a hard job. If the stage volume is too loud, it hamstrings them. I'm not defending this guy, you made him sound like he was not very diplomatic about it. Sound is a science. A good sound man is priceless. I've heard more bad sound guys than good sound guys, by a large margin.

he also disappeard during our first song and about 4 measures from the end, the guitar rig stopped working and he wasn't there to help. we finished with bass and drums but its annoying when people say he was outside texting sitting in a chair...thanks for the help jerk!

its funny, i dont know him and have no problem with him but my bass players dad does?. they hate each other or something.
 
One of the problems with "sound guys" or "sound engineers" is that there are no standards. Anyone can call themselves a "sound engineer". It's not like they have to have an engineering license or a degree from an accredited college to do that.

I've discovered that there are a lot of so-called sound engineers out there who are either hi-fi hobbyists or (possibly worse) DJs. They generally don't seem to understand the differences between a playback system and a sound reinforcement system. And personally, I'd never trust someone who was going to mix and control a live band's PA via an iPad. I have an iPad and I do not think that the interface lends itself well to that situation. It might work for a small act like an acoustic duo but I would never try to mix a rock act with one. It would be like trying to paint your entire living room with a 1" trim brush.
 
Just on the 'too loud' issue from the guitarist. Yes, the sound guy can turn the guitarist down but with a very loud amplifier on stage and with high stage volume, you're providing a recipe for feedback. It's always better to have the guitar amp turned slightly lower than you think is necessary during soundcheck and have to raise it than the other way around - where you end up with screeching feedback and a bemused guitarist wondering why their knob isn't turned to 11...
 
( like another guy on here).
Ok, I picked that up, but if you'd had this grumpy guy doing sound for you, you'd think you've just died & gone to mix heaven. I reckon I could even make you sound close to acceptable ;0

in all seriousness though, the race to digital mixing of live music is just silly. Many think digital is automatically better, well, it just isn't. Digital systems have their place. For example, they're great when used on tour each night with the basic mix already set up as a foundation. They're great when all the acts have the luxury of soundcheck before the show, but especially in multi act scenarios with fast changeovers, they're a PITA. Try running a 3 minute line & foldback check on a 6 piece band with 16 feeds then hitting the first song 95% there, & nailing the mix by the end of the first chorus with something that requires clambering for sub menus. Same with feedback (although if you get feedback, as a sound engineer, you should be sacked for not establishing headroom). By the time you've arrested the feedback, you've blown your horns, & emptied the venue. Give me a good quality desk every time. Something tactile, something intuitive, something that offers instant reaction.

At the last gig I did, we had another stage with a very simple artist lineup (mainly acoustic). The PA company installed a system that was way too powerful so wasn't optimised, a digital desk, & manned by a "qualified" engineer fresh out of his college course. The result was mud, whilst our stage rocked to crisp detailed sound delivered with real gusto, yet volume was audience perfect :)
 
Tend to get the service we pay for.

Hire on someone with experience and education...and make sure the person you contract the gig with signs off on your use of your own engineer.
 
Ok, I picked that up, but if you'd had this grumpy guy doing sound for you, you'd think you've just died & gone to mix heaven. I reckon I could even make you sound close to acceptable ;0

Same with feedback (although if you get feedback, as a sound engineer, you should be sacked for not establishing headroom). By the time you've arrested the feedback, you've blown your horns, & emptied the venue. Give me a good quality desk every time. Something tactile, something intuitive, something that offers instant reaction.

QUOTE]

sounds like a challenge!

that's what got me was when there was feedback, the whole place was dying and he was fumbling through pictures for all I know until he found the mixer thing and made it stop. I think if he had a real board he could pull some knob or switch in a second.
 
are all sound guys surly old grumpy guys?

All the good ones are.



If they're grumpy, they're expressing a need and its probably warranted. You can easily bet its a need for the inexperienced musicians onstage to open their ears and realize that they are a big part of the problem. Txt'g outside? Probably txt'g a friend about the hopeless bunch of amateurs he's mixing tonight.

If Johnny guitar player has to hear himself louder than the rest of the band to even play, there's going to be problems. Good sound starts with the musicians onstage, most beginners confuse being a live sound person with being a studio engineer.
 
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