[Dixielandjazz] A sound-man sounds-off

[Robert S. Ringwald]

Gordon of Northridge wrote:

> Sound techs are often the 'whipping boys' in the festival music  scene



Only if they are incompetent.  If they know what they are doing and do the
job, that is what they are supposed to do.  Too many of them know not what
they are doing.  They do not know the equipment and do not understand how it
works.  They do not understand what the music is supposed to sound like.
They just like the feeling of power with all them knobs to twiddle.


> often times rightly so.  But musicians should try and place themselves in
> the
> shoes of the sound tech and use a little common sense.  I have been
> responsible
> for the sound for the Sweet and Hot and LA CLassic for many years and have
> recently started to keep some notes of how musicians can pitch in and make
> our
> collective lives and their sound much better.  Will occassionally post a
> few ideas
> of 'stupid things' musicians sometimes do...



And us musicians on the list will have plenty of stupid things to post that
sound men have done and continue to do.

I recently worked two different gigs with REAL sound men.  What a pleasure.
They knew their equipment, knew their job and did it.  They took a lot of
strain off of the musician by doing the sound right so that the musicians
could concentrate on his/her job and do it well.

True, there is not enough money at most festivals to be able to hire pro
sound men in each venue.  I don't think there are enough real pro sound men
that know their job anyway.


>
> Open to some other contributions to this thread so feel free to send ideas
> to _gww174 at aol_ (mailto:gww174 at aol) .
>
> Here's an example.which happened several times at this year's S&H.
>
> After the first number in the set, a musician approaches the microphone
> and
> says "can we have a little more of this mike in the monitor system"
> Certainly
> a reasonable request but that's all we hear from the musician


That is all you have to hear from the musician.  The sound man should know
which knob controls that mic on the monitor.

If he does what the musician asks, the musician will not say any thing else.
If he doesn't, then the musician should ask again.  However, the sound man
should know his job and know his board.


.... not another
> word.... dead silence.  So the poor inexperienced sound tech


'There it is, "inexperienced sound tech" who should not be running the board
anyway.


> is looking at a
> mass of a zillion knobs to turn and trying to figure out which one and how
> much
> to turn it up and pray that the musician is now happy or that the system
> does
> not go into feedback.



How do you like working with amateur musicians who are not competent on
his instruments, does not play well and does not know how to use a mic?

Well, consider a good, pro musician having to deal with an amateur sound man
who does not know his job and equipment?

If a sound man doesn't know immediately which channel and faders are for
which mic on the sound system, then he has no business running the board.

In a big room where it requires sound, the sound is part of the performance.
A bad sound man can ruin a performance, and often does.

--Bob Ringwald


 >
> So, musicians, LISTEN UP ..Solving that particular request means we need
> to
> identify the specific microphone and how much to raise it in a particular
> monitor channel on the board without starting feed back.  ..  After making
> the
> request keep talking until you get enough volume in your monitor
> speaker.... if
> you are bashful, as an alternative scratch the microphone wind screen with
> your
> fingernails... or snap your fingers....tell s joke but PROVIDE some kind
> of
> input noise into the microphone while the sound tech trys to raise the
> level in
> your monitor speaker.  DO NOT BLOW INTO ANY MICROPHONE EVER NEVER...EVER
> NEVER...
>
> And PLEASE follow through with your request.... give the sound person a
> little 'feedback/response' that the adjustment is either good or bad...
> you need
> more or less of such and such in your monitors, etc etc etc..but DON'T
> MAKE A
> REQUEST followed by silence - hoping the sound person can solve the
> problem.
>
> Gordon of Northridge
>
>
>
> ************************************** See what's new at
> http://www.aol.com
> _______________________________________________
> To unsubscribe or change your e-mail preferences for the Dixieland Jazz
> Mailing list, or to find the online archives, please visit:
>
> http://ml.islandnet.com/mailman/listinfo/dixielandjazz
>
>
>
> Dixielandjazz mailing list
> Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
>
>