[Dixielandjazz] In defense of sound men

[Steve Barbone]

"Robert S. Ringwald" <robert at ringwald.com> wrote (polite snip)
 
> 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.

Perhaps these are the amateurs and not the real pros?

> 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.

Amen. Barbone Street works with with real pros on several occasions every
year. The guys at Longwood Gardens in  Kennett Square PA are excellent. They
are on permanent staff there because of the number of musical concerts (over
150) that are performed there annually. The sound crews at ALL of the
casinos in Atlantic City are also real pros. Perhaps because the pros work
where the money is, just like the musicians.
 
> 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.

That's a pity for most festivals. If a festival cannot afford top bands
and/or top sound men, it has no business being in business. Those that
present second rate music via lesser musicians and/or lesser sound men are
killing the music.  Perhaps less venues is the answer? I have no opinion
about how many real pro sound men exist at festival sites, but do know that
there are LOTS of real pro sound men in the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area.
They are just in a different musical world than that which most Dixieland
Bands inhabit.
  
> The sound man should know which knob controls that mic on the monitor.

Amen. The sound men should know which knob controls what, both for all mics,
and all monitors. The pros certainly do, in our experience.
 
> 'There it is, "inexperienced sound tech" who should not be running the board
> anyway.

Amen. 
 
> 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.

I guess it depends upon "real" pros whether jazz musicians or sound men.
Either way, when working with lesser bands, or lesser sound men, one can
only expect a lesser result.

That these lesser results exist merely proves that there is a market for
schlock. 

Cheers,
Steve Barbone