The importance of the sound engineer

[bodia]

We did a show in a western suburb of Indy one weekend and the crowd didn’t show up until about 11pm. They’d all been at the Motley Crue show and swore our sound was 1000x better than theirs. Considering we were using our sh@t Peavey system that I always hated, do you realize how bad Crue had to sound??!! And they paid big $$ for those tix. We didn’t even have a cover charge!

I saw the Crue on their farewell tour (2015??) and Alice Cooper opened for them. I left 5 songs into Motley's set. They sounded horrid. Especially the vocals. Doesn't help that Vince sounds like sh!t to start with. My parting thought......how does it feel to get your a$$ kicked every night by a 65 year old. Cooper and his band were on FIRE!!!!!!!

 

[alantig]

I saw a show recently at a place that almost always has excellent sound. This night, the sound guy must have had one hand tied behind his back, and someone must have swapped his meds out. Not only was the mix for the first band bad, the vocals were literally not in the PA for the first two songs. Second band was a guitarist playing to tapes. Third band had a vocalist - and the same problem again. I've never seen anything like it.

One of the better sound experiences I saw in a small club was John 5 at a Hard Rock. The sound was beautiful and everything was in balance, and it wasn't overbearingly loud. It was loud, but not wall-rattling. We were standing right behind the soundboard, and this guy sitting next to it kept yelling to the sound guy to turn it up. The sound guy finally said, "Why would I touch anything? This is perfect." I went up to him after the show and thanked him for not touching anything. I said, "You couldn't possibly have improved that sound. It was great." He said, "I know, right? Why would I turn things up and turn it to mud?"

In bigger venues, Alan Parsons and Queen have been unbelievably good.

I've been wearing ear plugs at shows for years - Vibes for the last three or four, to mention a brand. I've found that if I insert them all the way, which I was really hesitant to do at first, the sound clears up very nicely. They reduce the volume enough that it takes a lot of boom out of the bass. Depending on the band, I'll pull them for a song or three, but at some shows, I definitely prefer the sound w/the plugs in.

Oh, and the obligatory Megadeth reference - I saw them once, as the middle act on a three-act bill. I know Dave had a working microphone because I could hear him talking about things in between songs. But during the songs, I just have to assume he was singing because I didn't hear a vocal all night (well, maybe when the band stopped). Could not hear his voice at all above the mix. No issues w/the other two bands.

 

[Aahzz]

I saw the Crue on their farewell tour (2015??) and Alice Cooper opened for them. I left 5 songs into Motley's set. They sounded horrid. Especially the vocals. Doesn't help that Vince sounds like sh!t to start with. My parting thought......how does it feel to get your a$$ kicked every night by a 65 year old. Cooper and his band were on FIRE!!!!!!!

I saw that tour twice - both times for Alice. Going to see him again next Friday - now he's 73 . The first time with Crue was at Riverbend in Cincinnati, outdoors, and the sound for Crue was freaking AWFUL. We also left early, though made it a bit longer. The second was indoors at Heritage Bank Center, and the sound was way better. Alice still kicked Crue's ass hard, both times.

 

[Boogie]

I saw the Crue on their farewell tour (2015??) and Alice Cooper opened for them. I left 5 songs into Motley's set. They sounded horrid. Especially the vocals. Doesn't help that Vince sounds like sh!t to start with. My parting thought......how does it feel to get your a$$ kicked every night by a 65 year old. Cooper and his band were on FIRE!!!!!!!

It probably was 2015 when we did that show. Probably the same tour!

 

[Daryl Jones]

Years ago we went to a Nazareth concert that had likely the worst sound of any show I ever heard in the old Edmonton Coliseum. She and I were both big fans at the time (still get a kick out of them) and if it had been someone I really didn't care about one way or another, we'd have left for sure. The band must have been totally wild over it, but they soldiered through. Intense (ear splitting) feedback, echoes, and the most annoying constant hum/buzz through the entire thing. Brutal job by the sound crew. Thankfully those days are long gone, the last few shows we've been to there's no crew left on the sound stage at all, their work is done and the system is flawless. Watching the guys move around the arena (now Roger's Place) with their i-pads prior to the main show is just wild. My dB monitor app blows my mind at the sound pressure but it's so crystal clear.

 

[Cobailer]

A sound engineer is always essential. He controls the sound and its effect, which is the only reason for listening to music. My best friend is a newbie in the music industry. We used to have tiny concerts in the streets, and while she sang, I took care of the sound. Now that she has gotten a music promotion, she has professionals taking care of that. Let me tell you, the sounds are entirely different. They are cleared and way better. At any concert, people come more for the excellent music than for the singer. If the music sounds terrible, there is no point in staying.

 

[KThaxton]

I'm glad I'm not the only one. There have been so many concerts/performance/speaking engagements where I have felt I needed to go up to the sound guy and said "don't you hear that?"

Just this last Monday, Ghost and Volbeat in Salt Lake, Volbeat sounded great, Ghost not so much. Boomy bass drum, very little guitar. In fact, it was terribly obvious that the sound guy consistently missed the guitar solo cues as the solo would start and you could barely hear it....then it was too loud for an instant, then finally arriving at the proper level.

My wife hates me when we go to show with bad sound.....I can't shut up about it.

 

[Toolmaster Of Brainerd]

I'm glad I'm not the only one. There have been so many concerts/performance/speaking engagements where I have felt I needed to go up to the sound guy and said "don't you hear that?"

Just this last Monday, Ghost and Volbeat in Salt Lake, Volbeat sounded great, Ghost not so much. Boomy bass drum, very little guitar. In fact, it was terribly obvious that the sound guy consistently missed the guitar solo cues as the solo would start and you could barely hear it....then it was too loud for an instant, then finally arriving at the proper level.

My wife hates me when we go to show with bad sound.....I can't shut up about it.

Crap, I hope that sound guy isn't touring with them. I'm seeing them next week.

 

[Aahzz]

I'm glad I'm not the only one. There have been so many concerts/performance/speaking engagements where I have felt I needed to go up to the sound guy and said "don't you hear that?"

Just this last Monday, Ghost and Volbeat in Salt Lake, Volbeat sounded great, Ghost not so much. Boomy bass drum, very little guitar. In fact, it was terribly obvious that the sound guy consistently missed the guitar solo cues as the solo would start and you could barely hear it....then it was too loud for an instant, then finally arriving at the proper level.

My wife hates me when we go to show with bad sound.....I can't shut up about it.

I was thinking about catching that tour, now I think I'll pass.

 

[KThaxton]

Crap, I hope that sound guy isn't touring with them. I'm seeing them next week.

I am wondering if there was a learning curve issue as this was the 5th concert of this tour (even though that should be plenty) as there were a couple other issues as well.....Now, I am not 100% certain on this, but it seemed like a prop on stage caught on fire after a song with lots of pyro. I filmed it, but it is still hard to determine if it was a prop burning or if the flame pot just didn't stop burning. Anyway, this flame was going for a minute or so after the song ended.
Also, at the end, a curtain dropped in front of the stage, however, it must not have been attached at the top because it just fell to the floor.

Don't get me wrong though....it was a great show....but as usual with Ghost, you kind of have to just get used to the weird tonality from singing through a mask/face prosthetic thing.

 

[KThaxton]

Ugh, Dream Theater last night.....too loud. In slower parts, it sounded pretty good, but when everyone was jamming, fast, as DT does, it became a muddled mess, pretty sure it was simply too loud.

Also, vocals were hit and miss, sometimes too loud, sometime not loud enough, however I think it was more mic technique from James, and....it pains me to say it, but I think he is done, I think it was somewhat a blessing that the band was so loud so you couldn't hear his fatigued sounding vocals.

I hate it when the sound ruins an experience......at least there were moments that sounded good.

 

[stefancoseby]

It seems to me that this is a common problem. I was at a concert by a local band in a small town in Ohio. It was way cooler than the last Guns and Roses tour. I could barely hear the singer. Either the speakers played with phono, or he was tired and sang at half strength. Or there was a problem with the microphone. Plus, he was dropping it so often that I wouldn't be surprised if it were the microphone.
My brother plays in a school band, and no day goes by without a sound check on the school stage. He says the mic is really important. And you have to know where to buy them. So he sent me an article on how to choose a microphone https://asmrmicrophones.com/reviews. Here, maybe pass it on to our great artists or their management. If 15-year-olds know better how to set up sound and handle equipment, then it's perhaps time to make room? What do you think?

 

[aphantomvaper]

Dave Rat used to do sound for the Chili Peppers.

This vid was super explanatory and some of the engineers discussed in this thread could take note of these concepts...