[Dixielandjazz] Acoustic music. Way to go John!!

[BillSargentDrums at aol.com]

Kent said:
 
<<You have a point, Bill, but not in those echoey  rooms.>>
 
Good point, but volume BALANCE within the group and tonality have  nothing 
to do with the natural reverberation of a room. 
 
**************************
 
Dick said:
 
I just don't agree with you, Bill:

(Bill) "1. Use a mic doesn't  equate with loud."

<<Nowadays it does! The youngsters all have a  hearing deficiency - and if 
they don't, they will get one.>>
 
All generalities are false . . . especially this one.

(Bill) "2. The  use of mics dates back to your childhood."

<<Does it now? In MY  childhood, say 55 years ago, we used only ONE mike, 
for
anouncements and  singing, not even for the clarinet...>>
 
OK, so it dates back BEFORE your childhood. And Ella never sounded so good  
through that one mic. But alas, it was still a mic, and based upon the 
premise  that started this thread, there are folks who would have walked out at 
the sight  of that mic being set up in the first place and totally missed 
Ella's, or  Frank's, or Louis' performances. Gee, must be all in how the mic 
is being  used.

<<Let's look at it from OUR side, for a change: I just  returned from a 
tour with an 8 piece band, 4 front, 4 back. NO microphones,  never, nowhere.>>
 
You are implying I've never played that side. Big mistake. From symphonies, 
 to chamber groups, to all kinds of acoustic performances, to the Cullum 
band . .  . the drums are an acoustic instrument, and in the hands of a 
skilled  professional, can portray the widest range of dynamics and tonalities in 
the  musical organization.

<<We never played so relaxed!>>
 
That just because you had less to carry to the gig and set up & tear  down.
 
*******************************************
 
John Wilder posted a truly wonderful and insightful post on this topic that 
 nails it on the head. I suggest everyone with sound complaints take the 
time to  read his piece of truth.
 
That said, I have just three antidotes here regarding sound and  micing.
 
1. Chuck Hedges always carrying his own amp and mic and uses it always,  
even in the smallest of rooms. I have been very fortunate to have played with 
a  large number of the greatest clarinetists to have lived (my favorite 
instrument,  next to the human voice), and Chuck has, in my opinion, the best 
tone of them  all, hands down.
 
2. My big band plays the gamut of performance situations, from outdoors, to 
 the very smallest imaginable of rooms . . . from thousands in the 
audience, to a  wedding of only 40 people. I ALWAYS use the same PA and microphone  
configuration. After all, you don't change your basic instruments for the 
room  and audience size. A trumpet is still a trumpet, a piano still a piano, 
a  clarinet still a clarinet.
 
The thing that DOES change is the EQ for the room, and the AMOUNT of  
amplification used.
 
Recently, I was to perform in a nationally recognized landmark, locally,  
that has absolutely atrocious sound characteristics (cavernous), combined 
with  very valuable precious glass works of art. The manager saw me setting up 
my big  band, and freaked out, saying I could not use any mics in this room 
. . . that  they had a rule against it. I told him I sympathized with the 
cause for the  rules, and assured him that we were very different. He told me 
that is he  detected any slight problem, he would shut us down and we'd 
never play there  again. He not only thought we were excellent, but has since 
recommended us to  other clients using that room.
 
3. I play a large drum set in my sanctuary at church. The room seats 650. I 
 use no micing. I've been doing so for 19 years now. I get no complaints 
about  volume. Not long ago, we decided to do some recording. To that end, I 
placed a  couple of mics over the drums, feeding into the recording only.
 
You would have been amazed how many people complained during that period  
that the drums were too loud. A psychologically induced perception caused by 
the  visual appearance of the drums being miced.
 
I suggest everyone go back and read John Wilder's post on this thread that  
begins:
 
"My take on the use or misuse of amplification systems is that a sound  
system
is not inherently bad or good - it depends on the equipment used and  the
abilities of the person running the system.  Someone mentioned that  he 
would
get up and leave a performance if there was an amplification system  set up.
Should I get up and leave if there is a drum set up onstage?   After all,
drummers always play too loud and drown out the band, don't  they?  Neither
idea makes sense to me.  A good drummer helps the  sound, a bad one hurts 
it.
Same with sound systems (and especially the sound  system operators.)  Even 
a
great sound system is only as good as the  person operating it."
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