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Post by soonerbillz on Apr 4, 2022 16:08:11 GMT
So a conversation among freinds has brought this to light. Some say current sound levels at recent shows are too low and that especially guitar parts are getting drown out by bass and drum levels. Is this something others are experiencing?
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Post by eastmark on Apr 4, 2022 17:05:38 GMT
Really depends where you stand or sit. Saw 2 shows the last few months and sound was great near the mixing board.
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Post by CAPTAIN on Apr 4, 2022 19:58:45 GMT
Really depends where you stand or sit. Saw 2 shows the last few months and sound was great near the mixing board. correct,every room is different too !!!
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Post by marty on Apr 5, 2022 15:19:17 GMT
You definitely sacrifice sound mix and volume, the closer you are to the stage. I think that’s, in part, because they run the instruments through the PA, the last few years. I’ve noticed it does get better, by mid show.
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Post by joe on Apr 6, 2022 2:32:54 GMT
I haven't touched a concert or auditorium sound system since the early 70's, but my guess is that using the large arc-shaped PA speakers up on top of either side of the stage, depending where you stand/sit, some people are going to get the short end of the stick. I imagine there is some sweet spot center stage, but back some distance away from the stage. Basically what you guys are saying.
Now if whoever is controlling the levels overdrives the speakers, or the amps, into distortion, all bets are off.
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Post by eastmark on Apr 6, 2022 10:35:46 GMT
Speaking of sound….We have been blessed to have Woody the last whatever many years running sound.
Always a total pro, always focused, always kind, and always makes lemonade out of lemons when thats what he gets dealt by a particular venue.
Most any room can sound weak at some spot due to acoustics. Woodman loves this band and appreciates its music and live show as much as any of us. He really does a great job IMO.
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Post by storminator on Apr 6, 2022 14:15:26 GMT
So a conversation among freinds has brought this to light. Some say current sound levels at recent shows are too low and that especially guitar parts are getting drown out by bass and drum levels. Is this something others are experiencing? The last show I was at, Plano TX last year, Buck's guitar and mic were both a bit low at the start of the show, but that was fixed before the first song ended.
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Post by soonerbillz on Apr 6, 2022 14:59:36 GMT
"The last show I was at, Plano TX last year, Buck's guitar and mic were both a bit low at the start of the show, but that was fixed before the first song ended."
I was at that show too and you are correct. I think the Foamhenge show a few years ago may have been similar.
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Post by joe on Apr 8, 2022 1:15:31 GMT
Speaking of sound….We have been blessed to have Woody the last whatever many years running sound. Always a total pro, always focused, always kind, and always makes lemonade out of lemons when thats what he gets dealt by a particular venue. Most any room can sound weak at some spot due to acoustics. Woodman loves this band and appreciates its music and live show as much as any of us. He really does a great job IMO. Never underestimate what the guy that used any of the equipment before you broke, changed, disconnected, or generally screwed up. I'm glad that he seems to be able to correct whatever he inherits.
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Post by ericvonha on Apr 9, 2022 14:47:13 GMT
As a general rule of thumb, if you can get a seat near the sound booth, you'll experience the best sound. Though at that point you're generally fairly far back in the venue.
I generally get tickets one-third of the way back from the stage. Modern overhead speakers are generally way too high and you get better quality once you can see the face of the speaker from your seat.
Stage volume?! What's that, ha! Last time I saw Ted Nugent in a theater setting they played soooo damn loud it hurt. My hair was moving the entire time and the pounding in my chest was intense. No monitors on stage, only ear pieces for Ted and his bassist buddy. No joke, they literally blew the roof off the place.
One thing I do like to experience in being nearer to the stage is hearing the raw vocals. Nancy (Heart) is the real deal. We were lucky to see her in about Row 10 at a small venue. The audience volume was LOUD. However, at times, I could hear her voice directly from the stage. She's the real deal! Powerful pipes indeed.
BOC volume - never too loud.. never left with my ears ringing.. but everything in the mix is typically "articulate". I really appreciate the attention to detail because I'm a bit of an audiophile and the ability to hear some nuances in songs and details from instruments that I don't hear from CD or vinyl always makes me smile.
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Post by Buck on Apr 9, 2022 17:00:40 GMT
I always bring earplugs when I see an act live. Most are too loud, or if you're close (in the case of seeing Los Lobos in a club recently, Cesar Rojas' amp was aimed right in my face) the balance is off. Better to have earplugs and not use them than want them and not have them.
I also hate when the sound mixer makes the drums sound like thunder/cannons instead of drums. I saw Deep Purple in Barcelona a few years ago, and the kick drum was louder than the rest of the band. Spoiled the show entirely for me.
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Post by marty on Apr 9, 2022 17:05:44 GMT
I caught a triple-header in 1985, and one of the shows, at The Virginia Theater in Champaign, IL, the sound was loud AF, and we were in the balcony. My ears rang for a week. I remember some 70’s shows when we went to school on Monday and everyone I’d pass in the hallway said their ears were still ringing. Having said that, the sound level of 2022 is much lower, but actually preferable, for my tinnitus. Sure wish I’d worn ear protection, in the Army. I had earplugs connected to my uniform, and never took it out of the container.I used to use cigarette filters, at concerts and in bars, but the damage was done, I guess.
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Post by zenman on Apr 9, 2022 18:50:43 GMT
I used to use cigarette filters, at concerts and in bars, but the damage was done, I guess. I find that roaches work pretty well, as long as they're not lit.
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Post by frog on Apr 9, 2022 20:28:41 GMT
I saw Deep Purple in Barcelona a few years ago, and the kick drum was louder than the rest of the band. Spoiled the show entirely for me. each time I saw DP, their sound was not that good at all...
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Post by joe on Apr 9, 2022 20:51:39 GMT
For me, where I sit/stand is a trade-off based on my main reason for being there in the first place.
If HEARING the performance, where the best sound quality is the goal, then moving back is better. If lucky you can move from place to place if there are seats available, or if it's a general admission standing room only thing. Even with that I was at one where there was some opening group and even the very back was way too loud.
If SEEING the performance - watching the performers up close and personal, seeing their expressions, looking at the equipment, generally being able to see things you normally wouldn't see in some music video, etc. is the goal, then up front center is the place for me. But with the overhead PA speakers, the levels are completely unbearable for me without plugs.
Both times I watched BÖC play I was actually more interested in the "seeing" part. I got burned on my first one (no plugs) and had to keep my fingers in my ears most of the time - but I got to REALLY see the guys.
The second time (last week) I found what seems to be the best compromise for me: up close with good ear plugs. No, probably not the best sound as some parts get attenuated more than others, but still very enjoyable. I used the plugs that are tied together with a "string" that have three silicone rings shaped like a bee hive. Found at home improvement stores for protection against chain saws, weed eaters, etc. I found that with these I can pull one out just a little if I want to let more sound through. Worked great last concert. May or may not be the best for you. Time to invent a variable attenuation - variable frequency plug....
So for me going to ANY concert: EARPLUGS - DON'T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT THEM.
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