[Dixielandjazz] sound gripes

[eupher dude]

As a musician and erstwhile sound tech, I get totally pissed at almost every 
gig where a "professional" sound guy is working.

#1 problem:  Not knowing how to provide "sound reinforcement" (which is the 
task at hand) for horns.  Or banjos.  Or acoustic pianos.
DO NOT put the mic directly in the bell of any horn.  DO NOT use SM-58s for 
horns -- they are VOCAL mics, with an intentional "proximity effect", which 
increases bass response as the mic is closer to the source.  Thus, pop 
singers eating the mic.  That's fine, but not a horn.   Horns have a lot of 
color IF the sound is allowed to fully form outside the instrument.  Extreme 
close micing eliminates that color, makes for a synthesized sound.  YUCK.  
Does anyone like that, except from a synth?

Let the instrumentalists provide the dynamics.  Don't work the board 
non-stop.  OKOM is like a Ronco cooker  "set it and forget it".

Personal gripe, but not necessarily universal---Don't put a mic on every 
single piece of a drum kit.  A couple of overhead mics is more than 
adequate.  The idea should be equality of every instrument,  counting the 
drums as one instrument.  We don't need a hi-hat mic, a snare  mic, a mic on 
each tom, a kick drum mic, and a butt mic for the drummer's farts.  Believe 
me, we all hear those just fine!  LOL   ok, that last one IS universal....

Don't walk on stage and start adjusting mics while the band is playing.  If 
you hit that mic on a horn, you could cause serious injury to the player.  
Plus, in the case of a tuba player, if you move the mic the player may not 
know where it's gone, and knock the stand over, possibly causing more 
damage.

If the band is "professional", in experience and demeanor moreso than in 
payment, ask THEM if they have preference on mic placement.  Usually a 
clarinet player will know to mic the middle of the instrument.  An 
experienced horn player will have some clue.

Know how to mute the mains so you can work with monitors alone,  to give a 
good on-stage presence to the sound.  If the performers have a problem of 
any kind, it's better to deal with it through monitors rather than have that 
exchange go through the whole audience.  AND, have a talkback mic so you can 
communicate efficiently.

BUT>>>>>>>>>!!!!!!

Musicians, if you have a preference, make it known.  NICELY.  
Professionalism, even if it’s obvious that the tech is totally incompetent.  
Don't let the tech do everything, then complain about it the whole set.

Don't wait until you're on stage to make preferences known, eg mic choice, 
gooseneck/boom.

If there is a problem, ask the tech to rectify it.  NICELY.
In festival situations, I often feel for the sound tech---switching from a 5 
piece electric band to a  piece dixie band in 10 minutes isn't always easy.  
But, a little advance planning helps a lot.  Maybe you can't talk in-depth 
with the main operator, but you can write or sketch something and have it 
available before your set.  At any major event, there should be a stagehand 
working with the sound crew, that may be the best contact.

The job of the sound crew is to make the performer sound good, for the 
audience.  Some performers forget that, many sound crews forget that.  
Unfortunately, the techs don't always have the experience with OKOM to know 
how to do that.  Do a little homework yourself, find a company that does 
sound work for festivals in your area, and talk to someone there.  Chances 
are both sides will learn something.


steve "been on both sides, love both sides" hoog

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