Thread: Live sound or, as a guitar player, what can I do about the band's overall live sound

you'll want to avoid hiring this guy...

We're really lucky, we always get the same sound man from the production company that we use. He has a real ear for tone, and our guitar and bass tones are really important to him(as us). He has no problem telling us when our guitars don't reach his expectations. We also have similar tastes in what we all like, and we can request from him what we are looking for. It really helps to develop a relationship with the tech. I realize that we are in a smaller center, and see the same techs all the time, those of you in Toronto or Vancouver may not see the same guys regularly? Have all your band mates learn about mic placement, so that they can consistently get the same sound going FOH. We all carry our own mics, and pretty much have everything ready to just plug in to the snake. Try to set your stage up in a similar fashion when possible, so you are used to the stage noise and where everything is coming from. I guess the point is to remove any variables from the equation. The less messing around you have to do, the easier everybody's job is. And, be tactful, you absolutely should tell the sound man what you are looking for, technically, he is working for you, too. If you come off as a prima donna, you may not get his full cooperation. Check your ego at the door, no body wants to deal with arrogance. We've all talked to guys that know how certain 'artists' are to work with, I'd rather be known as good to work with than the other way. Just my opinion.

Regards

I think the most important thing you can do as a band (and something few bands ever do), is to adjust your stage volume *first*. Tape the drums, adjust the volume on the amps etc... Make sure everything is level on the stage before you ever start worrying about what it sounds like out front.

Beyond that, try to keep the stage volume low and mic everything you can. If you can manage to find a good sound guy, treat him like gold ... because in my experience they're extremely few and far between.

Originally Posted by Brennan

I think the most important thing you can do as a band (and something few bands ever do), is to adjust your stage volume *first*. Tape the drums, adjust the volume on the amps etc... Make sure everything is level on the stage before you ever start worrying about what it sounds like out front.

Beyond that, try to keep the stage volume low and mic everything you can. If you can manage to find a good sound guy, treat him like gold ... because in my experience they're extremely few and far between.

As a sound tech I wish I had more customers like Brennan! Keeping stage volume low, and knowing how to play dynamically, is the best way for a band to give the tech a fighting chance. You don't have to nail the back of the room, you just gotta be able to bring it to the mic.

Two things, really...

Keep your stage volumes as low as is practical. Some guitarists will swear that they need five raging stacks of Marshalls to get their "sound", but I pretty much guarantee it's going to make everything sound like crap. That doesn't mean you have to use one of those cigarette-pack amps. Just be reasonable about it. The lower you can get stage volumes, the better the band will sound.

Be nice to the sound guy. For some reason, a lot of players, even guys with little or no experience or success as musicians seem to think that its "the thing to do" to be a prick to the soundman. Show him some respect and appreciation, and I guarantee he's going to work harder to make things right. Related to that... be patient. It takes a while to get levels, etc. If at the start of soundcheck everyone in the band simultaneously starts shouting into the mic "I need more guitar", "more drums", "less vocal", "I can't hear myself", etc., it's going to accomplish nothing other than annoying the soundman. Just relax. Ask him - "What do you need from us?" Then respond to that.

One thing that I find most frustrating when setting up for a band is players noodling around while I'm trying to set levels, etc. If you can keep quiet until the sound guy asks you to play it saves a ton of time.

And don't be too fussy about the monitor mix - most systems give you a maximum of two different mixes - if you can play "in time and in tune" then the monitor mix is good.

Also +1 for keeping the stage volume as low as possible. A small sacrifice in your "tone" can result in a huge improvement in the overall sound.

Finally, a tight, well rehearsed band can make any sound guy look good.

The single most important factor in making a band sound good from my perspective as a FOH sound man is stage volume.

If you can get used to side washing your guitar amps and if your bassist can be convinced to bring a small rig to the gigs you'll almost certainly have a better sound out front.

The key is to let the PA do the "heavy lifting". Think of your amps as stage monitors. It's not the task of your amp to get the sound to the crowd. That's the PA's job. Guitar amps are highly directional. Pointing them at the crowd will result in one or two tables getting slaughtered by guitar and if you happen to point it at the sound man, you can count on not being in the mix much.

I remember seeing Bionic years ago supporting their first album. They were a three piece at the time and I thought they had a great mix going on despite only playing through a vocal PA. I think a lot of that had to do with Jonathan Cummins keeping his stage volume at a reasonable level. I'm pretty sure he was using a Hotplate or attenuator of some sort. A nice option for not sacrificing your tone.

I shared the bill with a band years ago that brought a full Marshall stack with them. It was so tall it couldn't fit on the stage at the small club and they ended up sticking it on the floor side stage and of course were asked to turn the volume down. I stopped carting my Hiwatt 4x12 around for that reason, it's overkill. I purchased a 2x12 and found sound guys asking me to "turn up". :)