Sound checking the sound check

[Chris Whitten]

IME they usually let you use your own sound person, or the second sound assistant mixes the support band.
The main out front sound mixer never works with the support acts, their ears would be tired before the main show.

 

[Chris Whitten]

Definitely. M80 Snareweight on the snare, and the smaller M1b on the toms.

Yep, same here. I often use a second M80 on floor tom instead if the smaller M1.

 

[DrumEatDrum]

Musicians are the biggest culprits here - they just play louder when the venue is open. And they claim they know what it sounds like in the house when they’re NOT in the house. If band members were less narcissistic there’d be 80% less drama to deal with all the way around.

Funny story about sound checks and this comment.

A few years ago I was a volunteer stagehand for a benefit concert. We had Stephen Stills as the headliner (yes, that Stephen Stills). It was just supposed to be him and an acoustic guitar (no backup band).

He brought his own inears and his own tech. He spent forever getting his in-ears, his guitar, his mic, the floor wedges (on top of the in-ears) just right.

For a guy who was only going to play 3 songs, it was one of the longest sound checks I'd ever experienced. But hey, I was put in charge of his wedges, so I was extremely honored just to be around this living legend. But woah, sound check went for hours.

Later that night, when it's his turn, he comes out and just absolutely blows away everyone with the first two songs. He lived up to his legendary status.

Right before the 3rd song, he sets down his acoustic guitar, walks over to the house band, asks to borrow that guy's electric guitar, takes the guitar he's never played, pluged into an am he's never used, walks up to a different mic, and plays the 3rd song, rather oblivious to the fact he is no longer in front of the wedges he spent so much time getting just right, with lord knows what running into his inears since that mic was never routed to them. He still killed it, and it didn't impact his performance at all. The audience goes wild. And I'm just like, wtf did we spend hours on a sound check when you didn't even use the same mic, wedges, or even the same guitar for 1/3 of the performance?

Don't get me wrong, I'm still honored to have been a part of it, but it just cemented in my head that sound checks are mostly pointless.

On a different note, Kenny Arnoff has said when he tours with Joe Satriani, there are no sound checks. Joe Satriani apparently doesn't belive in them either.

 

[Chris Whitten]

On the Dire Straits tour of 1991/92 we rarely sound checked. We might sound check for every new leg, which included a bit of rehearsal after a couple of weeks off.

 

[MustangMick]

That's a cool idea.. never tried it. I'd be curious to see how our singers would react without a monitor Lol.
Usually I try to play a verse with just the monitors only - so you can check the stage volume and try to get the sound to approximate the levels of your practice space - where everything is balanced and clear. Minimizing monitor volume levels avoids muddying the sound out front. Once that's okay, then turn up the FOH speakers to whatever is needed out front. This works everytime.. but still the occassional sound tech skips this 'stage volume check' step.
I had one guy at a big venue just check all the mics for signal.. then went straight to the FOH +monitor mix. It was a disaster. Had to start over!

The singer can warm up..... It only takes 30 secs, a minute at most.
It helps get an idea of the stage acoustics, otherwise it can quickly turn into a "more me" volume war.

Quieter onstage means less mic bleed from other instruments and an easier job for the sound tech.
Mick

 

[Huw Owens]

I remember one particular gig where I was running the desk at a beer festival: multiple bands, little time for setup, basic line checks only.

During one band’s set I saw the bass player gesture to his roadie, then say something to him. The roadie disappeared, then I saw him working his way through the crowd towards the desk. “Please can you put a bit more bass in the monitors?” I did, and I could see the bass player smile on stage.

After the set I went & found the guy and shook his hand for not just turning his amp up & messing with the mix. 99 guys out of 100 would just have done that.

 

[BruceW]

Definitely. M80 Snareweight on the snare, and the smaller M1b on the toms. Sometimes the M1b on the snare, too… depending on the snare and the room.

I've been using the M80 for years, bought some M1s for my toms. Then I got a new snare that is super loud, so I moved most of the M1's to the snare in most rooms. I went back to a small gel on the toms, when I need them, tho I've fortunately found a better tuning that has made the toms more resonant and not needing a gel, in most rooms. Of course, every room is different, and as the subject of the thread points out, conditions change when more people get in there, so those gels and M1's can come and go as need be.

 

[Chris Whitten]

My toms ring when I play bass drum and snare. That is the main reason I slightly damp them.

 

[Cmdr. Ross]

That's a fine attitude to have.
However, no headline act wants the support band to go over better then them. Also, the board and mics are set up for the main act, so what is left for the support act is not always ideal. Corners may have to be cut.
The main act takes up 3/4 of the pre-show time, so often a support act gets either no soundcheck or a very short sound check.

This.
I've been the opener to bigger acts & I just take what I can get. The FoH guy will usually do what they can for you, but understand his main job is getting the headliner to sound fabulous. That's what earns his check.

 

[Stickman]

On the Dire Straits tour of 1991/92 we rarely sound checked. We might sound check for every new leg, which included a bit of rehearsal after a couple of weeks off.

I think I just dropped my mic!
You also played with my musical inspiration - Paul McCartney - and many other very well known bands. Congratulations on a fantastic career!

 

[Drumolator]

I guess I am lucky. I am the sound man at most of the things we play. Peace and goodwill.

 

[JimmyM]

I guess I am lucky. I am the sound man at most of the things we play. Peace and goodwill.

I think the best sound techs are always drummers and bassists. They actually seem to understand that dumping a butt ton of low end on both bass drum and bass is a recipe for disaster.

 

[Xstr8edgtnrdrmrX]

I think the best sound techs are always drummers and bassists. They actually seem to understand that dumping a butt ton of low end on both bass drum and bass is a recipe for disaster.

that is one of the main reasons I quit going to big shows in the past 15 years. It got to a point where I could not decipher what was going on at the shows because of all of the "fake bigness" as I call it.

 

[JimmyM]

that is one of the main reasons I quit going to big shows in the past 15 years. It got to a point where I could not decipher what was going on at the shows because of all of the "fake bigness" as I call it.

An excellent term that I fully understand and appreciate.

 

[jaykaydrums]

when im running sound, i set the levels, set the EQ, set the monitors, then leave it the heck alone. only adjust something if either the band ask me to, or something doesnt sound right. otherwise im there to babysit a mixing desk once its been set properly.

 

[Xstr8edgtnrdrmrX]

when im running sound, i set the levels, set the EQ, set the monitors, then leave it the heck alone. only adjust something if either the band ask me to, or something doesnt sound right. otherwise im there to babysit a mixing desk once its been set properly.

it took me a long time to realize thgat this is the goal

i used to ride the faders all night, and man, what a lot of work I was doing that did not usually garner any reward. Now, i just boost solos a bit, and watch for mic cords being ripped out via stage antics, or things more of that nature