shit in-house sound engineers

[Xanadu]

Hard to say, it all depends on playing style, music style, venue/stage size, size of main PA etc etc.

In other words, an experienced and skilled musician will know what's needed and won't need to ask

I've got my little 65watter. I just play rhythm guitar (with tiny bits of lead guitar), so don't need to hear myself perfectly. Just need to make sure I can hear my microphone properly.

I'll buy a Marshall stack when I play Wembley...

 

[rutabowa]

when i saw Sunn O))) they had around 20 full stacks of various kinds each being powered by 2 heads.... this was at the forum... i wonder how sound engineers deal with them? well i am sure they have their own, but any ideas? there was almost enough gear there for them to do without the PA (they didn't tho, the PA at the forum must be pretty good it had some odd frequencies coming out of it). but i'm not sure how miking up a full stack on full volume would work!

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

when i saw Sunn O))) they had around 20 full stacks of various kinds each being powered by 2 heads.... this was at the forum... i wonder how sound engineers deal with them? well i am sure they have their own, but any ideas? there was almost enough gear there for them to do without the PA (they didn't tho, the PA at the forum must be pretty good it had some odd frequencies coming out of it). but i'm not sure how miking up a full stack on full volume would work!

I'd put money on them not all being powered up.

That's Rick Parfits rig. Note the single mic in front of one cab. That's the only one actually making any noise, the rest are purely for show (some have lighting effects in them). I know this coz I've helped (not) plug them in

 

[rutabowa]

hm maybe, with sunn O))) it's a bit different tho as there whole sound is to do with frequencies at high volume and how they vibrate. as opposed to doing the rock and roll boogie.
this is a bit of their set, there was more though:

 

[rutabowa]

at least they all appear to be miked up here (this is obviously a smaller venue than the forum:

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Hmmm, not sure - do they have vocals as well, or is it all guitar? Are they playing all the amps at once, or just using certain ones for particular tracks?

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Wikipedia says they play at a "deafening volume"

 

[sherriff rosco]

Was a joke but guitarists with stack and heads are ime the ones that seek the 11 setting.
I'm a promoter not a soundie but have to listen to complaints from our engineers, all of whom incidentally know the room and at soundcheck explain to all bands that it will seem loud in soundcheck with no people in the room. That doesn't stop guitarists turning up once they get on stage though we have one girl who gives them the stare of contempt so well that they wince and turn it down.

Personally I think the worst culprits are the small combo amps. A lot of people leave them blaring flat out at ankle level. So those on stage get an alright sound but because the stage is higher than the audience it saws the heads off the first 10 rows

All combos should have the tilt bars like the Fender Reverb Twin so it can be pointed at the guitarist so he too can experiece the "force"! Or better still all combos should be supplied with 2 free beer crates ( why are they always red????) to put them up to a reasonable height?

And if we`re gonna have a moan about on-stage etiquette then lets have a go at bassists who have violin style basses and sodding big amps...

bass stops playing...BAOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Near blew me off the desk last time! They should be banned!

Anyway you were maoning about my lot....

.p.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

This should be included on front page of the instruction manual for every new Marshall and Orange stack bought in the UK.

Ha ha exactly. I have always had my eye on an Orange rockerverb 100 but there would never ever be anywhere that I could play that I could crank it up.

I take an Orange 30R tranny to gigs (it's soooo light) if I have to. Nowhere has even ever let me turn that up full.

Doesn't look so cool though.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Near blew me off the desk last time! They should be banned!

Just ban bands full stop, it would make our job so much easier, and would give us more time for all important knob twiddling

 

[twistedAM]

Just ban bands full stop, it would make our job so much easier, and would give us more time for all important knob twiddling

Don't be silly - that would mean dealing with DJs

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Don't be silly - that would mean dealing with DJs

Christ, I take it back

When it comes to idiocy DJs can be in a different league to guitarists.

 

[twistedAM]

Or better still all combos should be supplied with 2 free beer crates ( why are they always red????) to put them up to a reasonable height?

We use nice-looking grey Grolsch ones which hold pint bottles so are actually deeper...in fact they're the only beer that still comes in crates, all the rest of it is cardboard boxes or shrinkwraps these days so maybe in fact bands should start collecting crates cos they will soon be in short supply.

 

[twistedAM]

Christ, I take it back

I knew you spoke too soon!

 

[rutabowa]

Hmmm, not sure - do they have vocals as well, or is it all guitar? Are they playing all the amps at once, or just using certain ones for particular tracks?

there are usually just guitars and bass (no drums or vocals). it kind of sounds like they are using them all at once by the way it makes you feel sick but who knows! (oh yeah a lot of the stacks are bass, the sound is extremely bass heavy, so i guess this takes a lot more power... but still if it is then just being miked up and put through a PA i would imagine it is a bit of a nightmare for sound engineers!
(go seem them anyway it is an awesome (in the old sense of the word) experience)

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

If there's no vocal mics it'd be dead easy - just stick mics in front of all the cabs, then push the faders up till people run out the door in pain

It's when you have to balance a vocal mic against a wall of guitar noise you get problems, as you can't get it loud enough without feedback.

Will check them out if I ever get a chance though

 

[rutabowa]

well last time i saw them they did have some norwegian death metal singer dressed in twigs screaming, it was only meant to be vaguely audible though i think.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

well last time i saw them they did have some norwegian death metal singer dressed in twigs screaming,

 

[rutabowa]

this was him at the gig i saw them at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sZ19MXE7dQ