From hammonddave2004@yahoo.com Sat Apr 14 11:52:22 2012
Subject:Re: FOH engineer ...

Yeah, the Stones used to do that as well, go to a second stage to play their old 60's stuff. The difference was that Chuck Levell would not allow the band to sound terrible. On either rig.
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-----Original Message-----
From: Goff Macaraeg
Sender: CloneWheel@yahoogroups.com
Date: Sat, 14 Apr 2012 14:43:22
To:
Reply-To: CloneWheel@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [CWSG] FOH engineer ...

I think the operative word "cheap PA's" is a large part of the problem.
I see many pro acts play constantly working production, and you'd be
surprised the older FOH guy is "the" engineer these name groups bring
along with them. I have seen keen and green blow out the right side of
an array, or press a button on the mixer and the name act's sound
disappears mid-song for 3 secs.

First of all, the cheap PA will not have the plugin software that pro
FOH rigs do now. Unless you have the old style racks and racks of
compressor/limiters/gates/eqs to go along with your mixer, you will be
left with depending on the band to provide all the dynamics and tone.
You are already complaining about the solos by the lead guitar being
too loud, screeching high end on the KB and varying volumes.

So what you get is, weekend warriors who have not hit upon the idea of
playing together as a band, as a group, who are filled with members who
are off on their own busy being the focal point in the band with their
tone, gear, volume.

A true working band works together like a single unit. It is amazing to
hear musicians who all feel the music the same way at the same time,
stop and start as if their brains were all midi'd to eachother, who can
take ordinary gear on stage, make it sound like magic.

No pro act gets up on stage without an intensive sound check. Factor in
the seasoned pro FOH guy, with the needed gear and assistants, who do
all sorts of tests for phasing, sonic anomalies, who have mixed the act
numerous times within the year, you get a prerequisite check list of
what brings up the sound quality, and the tasks are many.

An example, drummer likes bass amp to be behind him. FOH guy gets to
use his skill to make sure the 8x10 SVT cabinet is not going to screw
up the kik drum mics. What does FOH guy do? He reverses polarity on
certain mics so that instead of bass cab and kik mics working against
eachother, they are now allowing the signals to move forward. Its
things like this that are part and parcel of getting that pro sound.

Best a weekend warrior can do is practice getting dynamics together
within the band itself. If at all possible try practicing in as dead a
room as possible. This will allow you to hear just the sounds of the
instruments themselves and not echoes, bass buildup, high frequency
saturation. Many times if you cant hear yourself, its because, you
really cant "hear yourself" multiply that by how many similar players
are in the band, you get volume wars. Which is a sign of performing
musician immaturity.

To be fair, most weekend warriors are playing a list of covers unlike
the pro who is playing only their material. All different, all with
their own quirks and volumes. This is an extra test of musicianship.
How to make Soul Sacrifice blend into Color My World. Not easy.

I saw Bryan Adams play beautifully his own music. This particular gig
he ordered a separate stage of gear set up next to the FOH guy's mixer
area. During the concert after about an album's worth, Bryan and group
disappears from the main stage, gets up on the 2nd stage, starts
playing covers of other bands. Sounded like shit. He knew it, I'm sure,
maybe he was proving a point. They leave 2nd stage, go back on the main
stage, with his music, heaven.

Gf

-----Original Message-----
From: mark k
To: CloneWheel
Sent: Sat, Apr 14, 2012 9:42 pm
Subject: Re: [CWSG] FOH engineer ... was K10 and Mackie SRM 450 Shootout

more venues are now putting in their often really cheap p.a's and will
not allow bands to bring
their own (or mic drums).

Many of the experienced ones are now so jaded and sick of being ignored
by the fresh up and coming bands that they have given up trying - or
they are now deaf. The house engineer at one venue we played at told me
he had mixed FOH for big acts in stadiums in Europe in the 80's and
knew it all. Couldn't understand with this background why we were
sounding pretty bad till another muso friend in the audience told me he
was now deaf.       


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