Gig Tonight

[Superman]

The finger is (mostly) healed. Tape will be necessary but the pain level will be low.

Tonight......playing at a venue that has its own sound system and sound guy. Good sized place. Fairly close to my home. Looking forward. I have become a decent bass player. Passable. Perhaps even "competent."

[porsche4life]

Drink enough and you won't notice the finger....

[Superman]

Good plan.

[nostatic]

fwiw I don't drink at all when I play (no matter what's up with my fingers). There was a strict "no alcohol" (or anything else) rule at Victor's camp and while they weren't anti booze, the party line was nothing should get in the way of the groove. And booze gets in the way. I have a gig at Hard Rock tonight - it'll be the usual glasses of water and coke. The drink, not the snorting kind...

Hopefully the sound guy will be decent. Some guys seem to think that "good bass sound" means cutting the mids and bumping the lows. Not my favorite eqing. He'll likely use a DI. My amp has a good one and I try to get the sound guy to use that and I set it post eq so at least I retain some control over my tone. Not that I'm a control freak or anything

[azasadny]

I hope you have a great show!!

[Superman]

Thx, Todd. Having a sound guy is interesting, in light of the fact that our guitards are "look at me" rock star wannabees who step all over each other and create a messy sound that confusticates anybody being heard. Discussion are ongoing. I hope that at least the sound guy can put a patch on that problem and, at best, have a chat with the guy who plays through a Fender HotRod DeVille (four obnoxious 10" speakers with overdrive that is dirty/ugly.nasty/make-you-want-to punch-somebody).

The snorting suggestion is great, but I haven't seen a mirror of blow in lots of years.

[Dantilla]

I also hope your sound guy is good! He may know the equipment, but it also really helps when he knows your music well.

Bringing up the mids really makes the bass liven up. Of course, blanket statements from a sound guy are always scary. Gotta hear your equipment in the room being played before generalizations can be made.

I used to be the sound guy for some friends back in the hair spray '80's. Loads of fun.
Except when it's time to move the stinking huge subs.

[Dantilla]

Originally Posted by Superman

.....our guitards are "look at me" rock star wannabees who step all over each other and create a messy sound.....

GAAAHHHH!!!! Sound guy Hell!!
When mixing guys like this, be it instruments or poor back-up vocalists, I used to give them a bit of themselves in the monitors, and kill them totally in the mains.

Only other sound guys knew what I was up to, and they always appreciated it!

[nostatic]

Stage volume is an art that few bands master. The sound guy at Hard Rock is a total nazi with the guitarists and I love it. He is always telling them to turn down. I can barely hear my amp speakers on-stage as I have the master set so low - almost all the bass sound is coming out of the monitors. Turns out he's also a bass player so that might be part of it.

At other places we finally just said "no thanks" to PA beyond vocal, sax and kick drum. At some places the sound guys want to actively "mix" the band and execute their "sonic vision." The problem is that these same guys are used to mixing rock bands so when we come along playing jazz and funk they don't know what to do so they mix it like a rock band. And it sounds like a slushy mess.

[nostatic]

Originally Posted by Dantilla

Bringing up the mids really makes the bass liven up. .

Bass sound lives and dies with the mids. The typical thing is for a player (or a sound guy) to do the "smiley" eq to the bass. Which can sound cool when you're playing by yourself but will disappear in a mix. I favor a mid-forward amp and cabinet sound and like basses that have plenty of mids (like P basses, and one reason I like 10's, though it depends on how the box is voiced). I leave the ultra low end to the kick drum.

[Dantilla]

Originally Posted by nostatic

The typical thing is for a player (or a sound guy) to do the "smiley" eq to the bass.

I'm amazed how many guys who call themselves a sound guy start EQing a system by making that stupid smile. I've been told the proper way to EQ a system is to make the mains a smile, and the monitors a frown.

Huh?

That may occasionally be the way they end up when properly EQed, but once again, I get nervous whenever a sound guy makes blanket statements.
Closed mind, closed ears. But they always know best.

[Dantilla]

Sorry, but somebody was bound to post it:

[Superman]

Sounds like wisdom. I will read these posts again in the morning. It's almost 4:00 am, and I'm 54 year old.

The gig was a sound trainwreck. Stage sound SUCKED by all accounts. The kick drum mike was feeding back (deep, low feedback) all night. The sound guy said he was a bass player, but I just wonder. I kept walking out to the TALL speaker stack and NOT hearing any bass.

It was so bad that I stopped playing several times, and nobody noticed. I'm about DONE trying to compete in volume wars using one 15" speaker against a Fender HotRod DeVille. At the end of the night it was the drummer (she's pretty forceful, but I've never been afraid of drummers' sound level) and the guitard with the 4 10" speakers. His volume was on "6". He was pleased.

Total trainwreck. There is going to be some discussion at our next rehearsal. And when I can afford it, I am going to bring enough muscle to stop the insanity.

Actually, what I really need to do is get with some musicians who have a CLUE.

G'night.

[stuartj]

Originally Posted by Superman

Actually, what I really need to do is get with some musicians who have a CLUE.

This is it. I say as a guitard- guitards are the worst.

Dynamics are everything. Less is more.

[oldE]

Originally Posted by Dantilla

When mixing guys like this, be it instruments or poor back-up vocalists, I used to give them a bit of themselves in the monitors, and kill them totally in the mains.

"Actually, what I really need to do is get with some musicians who have a CLUE."

And wisdom is attained.

I don't play that much, but do some solo gigs and others with a group of equally talented amateurs. It is just so nice to do a simple set up and not worry about egos.

Glad you survived.
Best
Les

[targa911S]

When you have house sound and techs, you live and die by them. Opening for a national act or other headliner is always interesting too. Especially if their sound guy is using you for set up. If you sound too good they WILL put you to death.

+1 on the no booze or weed and anything during a show. It's only 3-4 hrs. Do that stuff on your own time that's fine but this is a group effort.

I bought one of these it has helped me a lot....

[targa911S]

Originally Posted by stuartj

This is it. I say as a guitard- guitards are the worst.

Dynamics are everything. Less is more.

Just ask Charlie Watts about that...

[targa911S]

Don't get started on the pissing contest as far as volume or you will end up with this..




and while it is fun and sounds awesome...guess who has to carry it. This is 16 X 10's.

[azasadny]

Originally Posted by targa911S

Don't get started on the pissing contest as far as volume or you will end up with this..




and while it is fun and sounds awesome...guess who has to carry it. This is 16 X 10's.

This is just the setup I need for my (future purchase) Rickenbacker 4003!

Sorry the gig didn't go as you wanted it to...

[azasadny]

Originally Posted by targa911S

Don't get started on the pissing contest as far as volume or you will end up with this..




and while it is fun and sounds awesome...guess who has to carry it. This is 16 X 10's.

This is just the setup I need for my (future purchase) Rickenbacker 4003!

Sorry the gig didn't go as you wanted it to...