Stage Volume Constraints - Getting Ridiculous

[squirrel211]

I just played a show where I had to use my attenuator at the -16 dB-to-infinity/silence setting; and at the -16 dB setting they were still asking me to turn it down!!! I think if I am doing the math, my 40 watt amp was choked all of the way down to under 1 watt, volume wise.

Completely absurd. I might as well have played through my iPhone.

 

[László]

I just played a show where I had to use my attenuator at the -16 dB-to-infinity/silence setting; and at the -16 dB setting they were still asking me to turn it down!!! I think if I am doing the math, my 40 watt amp was choked all of the way down to under 1 watt, volume wise.

Completely absurd. I might as well have played through my iPhone.

This is why they make assault weapons. Just sayin'.

 

[Tridyed]

Some places are just a**holes about any volume. One thing that helped me in those clubs was to face my amp across the stage toward the far side. Once it stops heading out to the floor the sound guys and managers usually are Ok with it, and you get to keep some of the tone your after. One of my amps has a very linear volume knob and sounds great at any volume, the other amp sounds amazing as well but, it has to be a rather loud volume before it will get the tone I am after. I take the big out only if I know I can let it loose a bit more, and I point them across the stage every time to avoid the FOH guys screaming 8)

 

[squirrel211]

I just saw a video of us playing the show, and I have to admit, it does sound pretty good out front!

I have a couple attenuators, in this case I had to use the THD Hot Plate. That thing sounds "off" after you go past the 4db cut, and sounds progressively worse. My other attenuator, a Tone King Ironman Mini, sounds WAY better than the Hot Plate, but I brought my 40 watt combo, and I thought the Mini only handled 30 watts. (I have since been corrected, and I could have used it!!!)