Snare level too loud.

Great!!! Me being left handed shouldn't be a problem backing of the hi hats !!
working and that softhat washing. a little tricky.
 
the volume from their half stacks is probably blowing their knees apart.Meanwhile,up at ear level, I will bet they are oblivious to how loud THEY are.
Rock band volume wars 101. My guy's amps are set on stun and they complain about my snare all the time. The recordings sound fine. I'm even buried a bit.

This. If they put their cabinets up off the floor at ear level, they will be able to hear themselves better, and you wont be obliged to play so loud to overcome them blasting you out. Guitar cabinets sound better off the floor anyhow.

Then if it is too loud the earplugs will work as they are supposed to, and they will still be able to hear themselves. With the cabinets on the floor, their sound is below their ears. This is like wearing earphones around your waist.
 
You sound like you are hitting appropriately for the song for sure. I can hear every other instrument, including the vocal, and you, just fine. I'm at a loss.

Your observation about the stage volume being loud but it's good in the room may be right. Or maybe he is just sensitive to drums. But I wouldn't want to hear you play it less than you are. Sounds fine man.
 
This is obviously a stage balance vs. FOH balance IMHO, especially if you're playing with a hard surface wall behind you. The amplified players all have rear line low to the stage firing out front. In those circumstances, the snare will dominate until the mix resolves further away from the stage.

Frankly, the music form is hardly subtle. I think your band mates need reminding it's a rock band FFS, unless there's a band leader who's paying you to play, then do whatever he/she wants if you value the income.
 
I will use smaller sticks and put my wallet on the snare. I send the singer the link for this post and some reviews about the etymotic er-20. He bought some . I need to do the same with the 2 guitar players and bass player and will update in a couple of weeks.
 
Indeed, these videos were not what was expected (despite your description, I was expecting wild, uncontrolled thrashing ... lol ... my apologies).

FWIW, my thoughts:
1) Snare sounds at the right level to me. Perhaps a touch loud in the 2nd tune ... but I think that was only because I'm "looking" for it.
2) As Andy says, it is hardly subtle music, but you have a nice touch on the snare. Again, not thrashing. ;-)
3) I would agree with Aeolian that you seem to be leaning into the crashes quite a bit ... and they seem too loud to me (!). Perhaps this is a function of the recording.
4) Further to Andy's comment(s) about FOH vs. stage volume. Have patrons complained about the snare volume while sitting in front ... or only the bandmates?

Not to state the obvious, but since the snare volume seemed okay on the recording, if you alter it to satisfy your bandmates ... then the sound in FOH will also need adjustment. Do keep the discussion going with the band.

best,
radman
 
This. If they put their cabinets up off the floor at ear level, they will be able to hear themselves better, and you wont be obliged to play so loud to overcome them blasting you out. Guitar cabinets sound better off the floor anyhow.

Then if it is too loud the earplugs will work as they are supposed to, and they will still be able to hear themselves. With the cabinets on the floor, their sound is below their ears. This is like wearing earphones around your waist.

This is totally a matter of opinion and really not even worth me replying, but I've been a gigging guitar player for MANY years and the cabinet always sounds better ON the floor to me.

But yeah, just a personal preference I guess. Not trying to correct you or anything like that.
 
This is totally a matter of opinion and really not even worth me replying, but I've been a gigging guitar player for MANY years and the cabinet always sounds better ON the floor to me.

But yeah, just a personal preference I guess. Not trying to correct you or anything like that.

We did tests on this when I was playing in a band years ago. We built boxes for the cabinets to sit on and the low end was increased significantly with the box. Just like with drums, the floor robs sound. But like you said, its preference, and band situation too. I played in a metal band where the low end was important.
 
We did tests on this when I was playing in a band years ago. We built boxes for the cabinets to sit on and the low end was increased significantly with the box. Just like with drums, the floor robs sound. But like you said, its preference, and band situation too. I played in a metal band where the low end was important.

Ahhhh, gotcha. I was talking about putting the cabinets in a chair or an amp stand, not on a box. That makes a big difference.

Thanks for clarifying!
 
We did tests on this when I was playing in a band years ago. We built boxes for the cabinets to sit on and the low end was increased significantly with the box. Just like with drums, the floor robs sound. But like you said, its preference, and band situation too. I played in a metal band where the low end was important.

A box is a resonant cavity, so depending on where it resonates there may be the effect increasing apparent bottom end. But decoupling a cabinet from the floor robs it of low end. Taking away the boundary of the floor also reduces the low end.

With 4-12 cabs, most are closed back, which means very little spread on stage. They mostly beam forwards. They could try half backs where the top half is open or partially open back and the bottom is closed for that heavier sound. Personally, I don't like 4-12s. While they sound impressive by themselves, there's a low end thump that may satisfy the guitar player looking for a "big" sound but makes a mess of the overall mix. With an SVT on stage and a kick drum mic'd though subs (and from that phone recording I agree yours could be a bit louder) there's no need for every note the guitar players hit to compete. For that kind of music a Bogner Cube or two will give similar timbre to the rest of the note without the obnoxious thump.

As someone who's played guitar on stage for 40 years, the urban legend about pointing cabinets at the players ears needs to go away. Without getting too technical about the dispersion characteristics of 12" speakers, it takes some distance for the sound to integrate and develop the timbre the audience hears. Why do you think accomplished sound people put microphones way over to the edge of the speaker? To get rid of the unnatural harshness from the middle of the cone at close range. Most guitarists confronted with a speaker pointed at them at close range will dial back so much treble that the result is mud in the overall mix out front. Unless you have an incompetent soundperson who mic's the middle of the speaker. Don't compound two errors.

On typical small stages a speaker about hip high sounds to the guitarist much as it does 20 feet out in front to the audience.
 
4x12 are overkill unless you are playing sheds and arenas. I've been gigging guitar for 30 years and the cab is always on the floor....low and let it blow....cause I want the ambient high frequency, not the ice pick direct high frequency. Over the years I arrived at a small 2/3 open back 4x10 cab with low wattage jensen speakers...the open back allows the sound to spread from behind and has a useable low frequency response that doesn't interfere. I use low wattage heads; 15 watts, 20 watts....usually an Engl gigmaster with the built in soak....through the pa we cut the guitar lows around 80hz...which is the low end of the Jensens

When you go to concerts and you see the wall of Marshall's, usually it's only the bottom cabs...usually 2 bottoms....that are actually on and you can tell by which ones are miced...of course they may have a direct vibe too.

In the end result though, cab on the stage floor always...I would go so far as saying that the majority of players would prefer cab on floor.
 
Perhaps it is just different when low is what you want and are tuned to drop C. The low chunk was where it was at in my situation.
 
Sounds good to me,,actually played the Zombie song in Braincramp..I think the problem is there proximity to the snare..On stage it sounds loud to them..but out in front of band where the people will be its fine... my left ear is almost shot after 35 yrs of playing with my left ear closer to snare..
 
The advice Bermuda gave especially on head tuning is right on; what a surprise it is when you go against misconception and turn up the drum heads. For the snare it helps a bit for me to turn the resonate head down a bit as well.

I have been playing in rooms that have very bright acoustics lately and it can get loud very fast but sometimes the bundles just don't cut it. It is a personal choice of course however I have had good success with the Pro-Mark Hickory 717 Rick Latham sticks; I found that the volume that you are generating is often related to the feel and these sticks have great bounce and feel while maintaining the ability to keep the volume down.
I also noticed that if you just need to stay with the stick you are used to and nothing else will do that gripping them a bit up from the balance spot can help. You might look at the head you are using on the snare as well maybe, try an Evans HD Dry or something similar.

Your post is timely as I have a gig on Saturday where I will in affect be playing in a recessed area like a cubby hole and that is the only place the drums can go; it acts like a drum amplifier so I will be checking out everything tonight to make sure I have things in good order myself.

Cheers
 
I think Larry and Bermuda's comments get to the core (not that others haven't offered useful bits).

Please allow my newbie worldview some cred: I practice dynamic control with a metronome and pad doing rolls from as quiet as possible, gradually increasing in volume until loud as possible, and then gradually back to quiet. The big variables in this range seem to be the "stick height" component of each swing, and the body mechanics of moving from small muscle group movements close to the fulcrum point (quiet playing), through to larger muscle group involvement further from the fulcrum point (loud playing). The focus of keeping time through the dynamic shifts allows for the pure musicality of this exercise.

Apologies if this seems trite, too basic and remedial, but it is helping me cope with the demands of varied musical situations.

+ 1 on various stick diameters for dynamic options.
 
I just remembered a trick that Benny Greb posted on yt. I added some cotton balls thru the breather hole in the snare. That way they "rest" on the resonant head. I have 6 in there for now and it quiet it down quiet a bit. Now my snare is about as loud as my toms (used to be Way louder ). I'll try at our next gig.
 
I just remembered a trick that Benny Greb posted on yt. I added some cotton balls thru the breather hole in the snare. That way they "rest" on the resonant head. I have 6 in there for now and it quiet it down quiet a bit. Now my snare is about as loud as my toms (used to be Way louder ). I'll try at our next gig.

Works great for toms as well, never occurred to me to try it with a snare!
Thanks, that is a great idea.
 
The snare doesn't sound too loud in the videos to me. Nothing does. And I used to play far too loud all the time as a matter of principle, so I know what I'm talking about!
 
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