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Post by in2madness on Sept 14, 2014 6:58:52 GMT -7
But not a drop to drink. Turned up to an outdoor gig yesterday nice and early check out the setup. On stage was a Maz 38 head with a matching 2x12 cab. Had a word with the soundman about the backline, "yeah no worries just use what's up there". Great I thought no need to wheel in my Maz Jnr loaded with Celestion Gold. The band on stage were using a deluxe reverb stage left and the guitarist stage right a Pod HD500 into the board. Our turn comes I say to the other guitarist you take the deluxe reverb whilst I head straight to the Z. Soundman says no you can't use that and plugs me into a Koch head with no cab and a line out to the PA. Truly the most horrible guitar sound ever. All preamp fizz. Maybe he took the output from the effects send rather than the recording out missing the speaker emulation I don't know but no amount of knob twiddling had any effect. With a Maz Snr on stage and a Maz Jnr in the car I can only liken the experience to be buried up to neck in sand and having a bottle of ice cool water placed in front of you.
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Post by digs57 on Sept 14, 2014 7:44:08 GMT -7
sounds like a painfull experience that one should never have to endure again...if you have something to say about it.
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Post by doctorice on Sept 14, 2014 9:07:48 GMT -7
I thought the sound person's job was to make the band sound good Was the MAZ not mic'd up and ready to roll? I suppose if the schedule was tight the guy might not have wanted or had the time to mix in another amp.
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Post by simpleton on Sept 14, 2014 9:31:09 GMT -7
What? Why was it on stage? Did anyone use it ? Or did you just hi-tail it outta there after the disgrace .... Sorry man that sucks.
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Post by southmusic70 on Sept 14, 2014 10:02:56 GMT -7
I have a particularly negative attitude toward sound men, and always have had. I've said this before on at least one other post here and got thought-provoking and relevant rejoinders from some of you guys; still, as a rule I feel like the sound man is usually part of the problem and not part of the solution. Even Steely Dan, who I consider to be one of the most professional groups around, had PA problems - that didn't get fixed all night - when I saw them in July.
It was inexcusable.
I really hate to entrust my sound to a stranger and, thankfully, I usually don't have to.
I know this was disappointing for you.
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Post by nmz on Sept 14, 2014 10:14:58 GMT -7
Man that's wrong!
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Post by Papa Juan (lanier816) on Sept 14, 2014 13:55:34 GMT -7
I had a sound guy run me through an Eleven Rack direct once...without the switcher as well I might add. It took about 5min for me to all but throw a fit and tell him to throw that thing in the trash, I'm getting amp. He responded with it's too loud...I told him to deal with it and I got my amp. I was a sound tech for about 6yrs, as a musician I took it as an opportunity to really make the guys shine and have some fun with EQs and tones, most though are d**che bags who can neither play nor EQ their car stereo. I feel your pain. The funny part was once my amp was set up and I came in on the song the rest of the band and worship leader simultaneously said "thank god!", I later dubbed his audio nightmare the orange box of death.
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Post by digs57 on Sept 14, 2014 14:27:20 GMT -7
never had good experience plugging direct through system...you might as well play through a boom box
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Post by Papa Juan (lanier816) on Sept 14, 2014 16:39:58 GMT -7
never had good experience plugging direct through system...you might as well play through a boom box A boom box would still sound better.
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Post by hubrex on Sept 14, 2014 18:44:29 GMT -7
Had a similar experience where the guy insisted I play through the "house amp". It was a Vox AC30, so like a dumb ****, I agreed. Problem was that the amp was behind a screen and about 30 feet away. I had no control over volume or EQ, plus, with all the distance between me and the amp, the delay between playing a note and hearing it was completely unnerving. Worst sound I can recall having on any gig...ever. I've never played there since, although I've had several chances to do so. And I don't plan on giving the guy another chance to screw up what I'm playing!
Never, never trust your tone to anyone... unless his name is Dr. Z!
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Post by in2madness on Sept 15, 2014 11:13:08 GMT -7
Oh well my pain was someone else's gain. It was a charity gig and it succeeded in raising cash for a local cause so every cloud has a silver lining. It's all part of gigging. Just thought if anyone would understand what it's like to have a Maz Snr and a Maz Jnr just out of reach it would be you guys. Next time I will make my questions to the soundman more specific :-)
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Post by John on Sept 15, 2014 12:22:05 GMT -7
Oh well my pain was someone else's gain. It was a charity gig and it succeeded in raising cash for a local cause so every cloud has a silver lining. It's all part of gigging. Just thought if anyone would understand what it's like to have a Maz Snr and a Maz Jnr just out of reach it would be you guys. Next time I will make my questions to the soundman more specific :-) Maybe they can raise enough money for a new sound man?
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mazme
Junior Member
Posts: 67
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Post by mazme on Oct 29, 2014 17:35:24 GMT -7
Its rare that a sound man will try to make you sound good, unless your the headliner and YOU pay HIS salary. But I had the privilege of opening for a country artist named Mark Chestnut, and his sound crew was EXTRAordinary. He asked me if I wanted my amp emulated line out or mic'd, where I preferred the mic. placement, what I wanted mixed in my monitor, snare pop ? bass drum kick ? bass guitar ? I was like, hey dude we are the openers, what gives ? He said Mark ALWAYS tells us to "treat the opening band as good as you would treat me, I want them to warm those people up good for me, they are doing me a favor. I always remembered that gig, for that reason, and what a class act Mark Chestnut was.
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Post by mauiman(Bill in Texas) on Oct 30, 2014 5:37:11 GMT -7
Its rare that a sound man will try to make you sound good, unless your the headliner and YOU pay HIS salary. But I had the privilege of opening for a country artist named Mark Chestnut, and his sound crew was EXTRAordinary. He asked me if I wanted my amp emulated line out or mic'd, where I preferred the mic. placement, what I wanted mixed in my monitor, snare pop ? bass drum kick ? bass guitar ? I was like, hey dude we are the openers, what gives ? He said Mark ALWAYS tells us to "treat the opening band as good as you would treat me, I want them to warm those people up good for me, they are doing me a favor. I always remembered that gig, for that reason, and what a class act Mark Chestnut was. It always comes down to respect. Obviously Mark Chestnutt never forgot where he was from and how hard he worked to get there.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Oct 30, 2014 5:46:31 GMT -7
It is sad. Sound guys get put through the ringer by a lot of bands and venues too. The venues won't spend the money to keep up the system, a great percentage of the bands that come through don't even know which end of the mic to sing in and can't communicate in understandable terms what they want out of the sound guy and the mix. These things can be frustrating to say the least.
It's hard for them to keep a good attitude. When I had the Lakeside I hand picked each guy (and gal) who ran sound there. Made it totally clear that they were the bridge between the Lakeside and the bands and that for me as the owner, a lifetime musician there would be none of that dismissive condescending attitude towards the bands that play there.
As a guy on tour I learned years ago to learn the sound guys name. We had a drum case and some chalk and we would write the sound guys name down every night so there was no "hey you", "hey soundman" or any of that. Once you start calling somebody by their name it really seems to change everything.
Sorry you had a bad time with this guy. Believe me, I know it happens and happens way too often.
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