1) Introduce myself to the soundguy immediately
2) Be extremely friendly and helpful to the soundguy
3) Buy the soundguy a drink of his/her choice
4) Thank the soundguy for the terrific job that they are doing
Wise words! It never hurts to be a "nice guy" in this business, at
every level and in any position. The concept of separation between 'talent' and 'crew' is often harmful. Everyone's in this together, and one does not get to do their job without the other.
We hear stories about how a sound guy sabotaged a mix, and perhaps it's happened a few times in history. But it's certainly true that if a musician rubs him the wrong way, he won't devote much effort to that player's (or the entire band's) sound. At that point, any discussion about preserving the sound of an open, unported kick, goes out the window.
Always best to be agreeable with the person who controls the sound. If they have an issue with how a drum sounds, and ask about it,
then is the time to discuss why the drum sounds like it does, and how it can be dealt with.
I think that the best possible way to approach having drums mic'd, is for the drummer to understand why their sound needs to be reinforced, and that in a live situation, those mics -
especially one sitting outside of the kick - pick up ambient sounds and can create other problems. It's also absolutely vital that drummer understands that the drums sound completely different to a mic placed 2" from the head, or inside the drum, than they do to the drummer's ear from behind the kit, with the benefit (or detriment) of low ceilings, hard walls, concrete floor, riser, room shape, etc. affecting the sound. But, the mnics don't hear that stuff, they hear the drum as it really is... if you were to put your ear right next to it!
Does the drummer know how a kick sounds and feels from behind the kit? Sure. Does he know how he
wants the kick to sound out front? Of course. Does he know what the front head sounds like from a few inches away, or what the kick sounds like inside where most mics are placed? Not a chance, at least not from
behind the kit.
Only the sound guy knows how those drums translate to the audience, and can control and maybe enhance that sound. Samne goes for vocals, guitar, bass, keys, etc. There's no advantage for any player to challenge or try to "one-up" the sound guy.
Bermuda