Extreme Volume

DrummerCA35

Senior Member
Been having an issue with the bass in our band being too loud. I love a loud (to a point) bass, but this guy is the loudest I've played with. No one else has an issue with it. He sets up to my left, and his amp is on my left. The guitar player is on HIS left. I've mentioned this multiple times, he turns on down, and then as the gig goes on, it snowballs. However, I've listened to the band off stage while someone else sat in on my drums, and the bass wasn't too loud. The bass was not going through a PA at that time. It's a drag to be the "volume cop" and is wearing me out. I have worn ear plugs, and even the vic virth headphone things. The bass is at a volume where you"feel in in your chest."

I have tinnitus in my right ear, which is made worse by this, even with ear plugs. Also, my right ear is mostly deaf (since birth).

I've played with other bass players, and this was not an issue. However, in this band, the bass player, singer, and guitar player come as "unit.". I think he has a hearing problem, because he stands right next to my Paiste 2002 crash and could care less that it's being hit right next to him.

Some gigs are louder than others too. For some reason, it always gets out of control at a gig at a certain club where the drums are mic'd and everything goes through a PA. Other gigs, it's been more manageable especially if I have in the ear plugs. I no longer play the drums WITHOUT ear plugs.

I've going to make an appointment to have some custom fit earplugs made. However, I'm wondering if it can get to a point where even ear plugs are not enough.

I've actually began to contemplate leaving the band if the problem cannot be solved. This guy plays in multiple bands and no one else seems to have an issue with it. Have any of you had this issue? Have custom fit earplugs been the solution?
 
..I no longer play the drums WITHOUT ear plugs..

..I've going to make an appointment to have some custom fit earplugs made. However, I'm wondering if it can get to a point where even ear plugs are not enough..


Thats a wise decision, i allready play more than 25 years only with quality custom fit earplugs, even within 'quiet' settings..

With those (at least the ones i have) you can consider yourself safe, untill like 120-130 decibel..

Above that will most likely never happen anyway..
 
I have been in excessively loud bands before. The only solution is to quit the band. No amount of complaining about volume seemed to help. We got fired from every gig because of the volume. I had to wear ear plugs.
 
I won't do it any more it's not worth it. I stood in with bands and even if it's not my place to i will still say turn down! It has gone crazy people think we're a better band the louder we are when nothing is further from the truth I have gone to see some good bands and had to leave early due to volume and could not enjoy it. All dynamics are lost in the music. What's the point point in big huge rigs cranked up in a small place so unnecessary. I thankfully now play in bands that are not loud better for my playing and ears. It's not fair to be expected to put up with it so say it and if not leave. your hearing is worth a lot more.
 
Dynamics are as important as the notes. Imagine going to see an orchestra and they played at full volume for the entire concert. Now extrapolate that with amplifiers and PA's. Musicians that play too loud are a pain in the ass. Your guy should take some mixing classes. Hell, so should every rock musician. Understanding that the voice is to be the loudest instrument is the elementary part, but which instrument is next? Do you want a drum loud mix or a guitar loud mix? Either way the snare drum is second or third in the volume order. Not fourth behind the bass! Your snare drum should set the max volume for the other instruments in a rehearsal. The volume you achieve at your hardest playing. Then everyone plays up to your level when you go up and down to your level when you go down. Thats how it will be mixed live and in the studio so you should practice that way. If your guy is just an ape who knashes across the subtle, then let him know it. Say No! Bad ape! Now here's your banana.
 
I wonder if the bass player is standing in a null where the bass sound is softer, but your position on the side of the amp the amp reinforces the sound.

Try putting the bass amp flush against the back wall - this puts the reflected sound in phase with the direct sound, which means he'll hear it louder/clearer and realise he's too loud.

If its not practical to put it right by a wall, move it away so its at least 5 - 6 feet from the nearest wall, so the reflections are softer and the sound cancellation will be below bass range.

It may seem unlikely, but its worth a try.
 
Volume could be the single biggest problem that plague live bands today.

It's almost impossible to get volume junkies to change their ways IMO.

That really only leaves one option, if you don't want that in your band, and that's to leave.

You could try throwing a fit as a last resort, and if that doesn't work, nothing will, except perhaps physical harm.
 
Since it sounds fine in front it sounds like it's an acoustical issue with your hearing impairments and the set up. I can empathize I have poor hearing too (deaf in left ear so don't have stereo hearing either) and had similar experiences-the acoustics of a room and the way sound jumps around and not having stereo hearing it messes with you. Certain set ups I just can't hear or too loud and messes with me-I've had to move my kit after first warm up because the room wacks me up-kit is on a rug so I drag it around to find a sweet spot that I can hear everything (yeah it's a pisser and one of the reasons I quit gigging.
 
An abundance of volume usually comes attached with a famine of talent that Bob Geldof would do benefit gigs for.

Another rule 2 bassist.

The whole band suffer, guitarists don't need an excuse to turn up either and the audience backs away. In other words get out!

Not worth losing your hearing over for someones ego. Or spending money on custom earplugs, the musician ones should be fine.

There are lots of bands that understand dynamics other the ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff, find one!
 
For what it's worth......

Since you don't feel that the bass is too loud in the mix, try moving his cabinet a bit.

I had an experience where moving the small Bose L1 subs just a few feet made a HUGE difference in what I was hearing.

Or, ear protection.
 
I wonder if the bass player is standing in a null where the bass sound is softer, but your position on the side of the amp the amp reinforces the sound.

I used to work in ProSound and later went on to building my own very good quality home speakers, so I've studied sound a bit.

What Morrisman says is EXACTLY the problem you are experiencing. Those mid-low frequencies that are hammering you are going completely unheard by the bass player. He has no idea what he is doing to you.

The answer to the problem is moving the bass cabs. You will have to experiment to find the placement that will put YOU in the null, but you can solve this problem rather easily.

GeeDeeEmm
 
Since it sounds fine in front it sounds like it's an acoustical issue with your hearing impairments and the set up.

Not necessarily.

Imagine a situation where everything in the band is being amplified by the PA - except the bass. The bass is so loud that it fills the whole room without going through the PA at all, so the sound tech doesn't even give it a channel.

That might sound balanced at the other end of the room, but be completely out of whack on stage.
 
Just wanted to thank everyone for all the responses. I wanted to updated and say that I've had the best result so far by using a set of vic firth headphones (https://www.zzounds.com/item--VICDB...MIkeKa-_KY4gIVQhx9Ch355QMAEAQYBSABEgL-nPD_BwE). Not only that, the drums sound great when wearing them. I'm also going to fit with some custom earplugs.

I agree with the posts in that getting this to change is probably very difficult, without taking their ax and breaking it over their head ;)

Appreciate all the responses and ideas and posts...
 
I have tinnitus in my right ear, which is made worse by this, even with ear plugs. Also, my right ear is mostly deaf (since birth).

This must make it very easy for your left ear to get overwhelmed with volume. Your bass player needs to understand what you're going through. You need a certain accommodation (low volume) for a specific, unchangeable reason. Have the whole band play one song, while he wears your headphones over one ear, while also wearing a foam ear plug in that same ear. Hopefully, he'll appreciate how difficult it is to get a balanced, comfortable mix going. Then explain that you have to work this way all through the entire gig, not just one song.

It may also help to run the bass through the PA, even on smaller gigs. Your bassist may be trying to "fill the room" with his amp. But with the bass also going through the mains, the bass can be much quieter on stage.

Going forward, you might also consider switching to a darker, warmer cymbal model. 2002s are great, but they're also the brightest, loudest cymbals on the planet. They're going to hide a lot of the detail in the upper ranges, coming from the guitar and, more importantly, vocals. You might get a better mix for yourself, of the whole band, if you tweak your own sound a bit.
 
This must make it very easy for your left ear to get overwhelmed with volume. Your bass player needs to understand what you're going through. You need a certain accommodation (low volume) for a specific, unchangeable reason. Have the whole band play one song, while he wears your headphones over one ear, while also wearing a foam ear plug in that same ear. Hopefully, he'll appreciate how difficult it is to get a balanced, comfortable mix going. Then explain that you have to work this way all through the entire gig, not just one song.

It may also help to run the bass through the PA, even on smaller gigs. Your bassist may be trying to "fill the room" with his amp. But with the bass also going through the mains, the bass can be much quieter on stage.

Going forward, you might also consider switching to a darker, warmer cymbal model. 2002s are great, but they're also the brightest, loudest cymbals on the planet. They're going to hide a lot of the detail in the upper ranges, coming from the guitar and, more importantly, vocals. You might get a better mix for yourself, of the whole band, if you tweak your own sound a bit.

All true. I can only make so much happen...it's been near impossible, but will try again. I do know this, no matter what, I need to wear hearing protection for the rest of my drumming life, and I should have been doing it a long time ago. An another note...I have gotten used to the Paiste 2002 crashes...and the brightness. In fact, when I put up a Zildjian A custom 17 crash, it was just too low for me to use. Maybe a Zildjian medium thin would be more comparable.
 
Been having an issue with the bass in our band being too loud. I love a loud (to a point) bass, but this guy is the loudest I've played with. No one else has an issue with it. He sets up to my left, and his amp is on my left. The guitar player is on HIS left. I've mentioned this multiple times, he turns on down, and then as the gig goes on, it snowballs.

There are producers where part of their routine is volume control. Solutions can range from amp/stage positioning and setting, all the way to IEM ultimatums.
 
All true. I can only make so much happen...it's been near impossible, but will try again. I do know this, no matter what, I need to wear hearing protection for the rest of my drumming life, and I should have been doing it a long time ago. An another note...I have gotten used to the Paiste 2002 crashes...and the brightness. In fact, when I put up a Zildjian A custom 17 crash, it was just too low for me to use. Maybe a Zildjian medium thin would be more comparable.

Hm. A Customs are pretty thin, and kind of "airy"; there's not a ton of complexity. I was thinking more like Paiste Twenty series, if you can find them. If you're not opposed to Zildjians, there's K Dark Thins, K Sweets, K Clusters, and K Custom Darks to consider.

2002s ring out for a good long while. It might help to get slightly larger sizes in a different model -- 18s or 19s, instead of 16s and 17s -- to get the sustain you're accustomed to.
 
You could consider wearing noise cancelling headphones over your in ear monitors.

Some brands will accept input from line...so you could take an equalized feed into the noise cancelling headphones that comes from your own source(ambient) but is equalized to only allow bass to come through....voila'...bass you are hearing is under your control.

....or the excessive high pitched screetch of the guitar solo....etc...in essence, cancelling the frequencies down to where you want them.

As far as the body thump goes, you can reduce that with an object between you and the bass amp...and since you are sitting(most likely) the height does not have to be that noticeable from the audience.
 
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