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[David Parker]

I've only been doing sound for other bands for a couple of months and last night something happened that just set me back. I do the sound check, the band launches into it's first number and I tweaked things a bit but but the initial mix is super clear and I think an excellent starting point. Other than the vocals being a little hot, the mix is great.

The band finishes it's 1st song I see a lady walk up to the band and I hear the lead singer tell her "we have no control over that" and of course I'm thinking she's complaining it's too loud and now I'm waiting for it.  She hurries over to me as the band is starting the next number and she start to tell me that she's been following the band for a long time and she's the guitar players girlfriend and that first song was the worst they've ever sounded. Of course I'm polite and ask what she thinks doesn't sound right, and of course she can't tell me other than to just reinforce how bad it is.

I'm flabbergasted as I really think this is the clearest mix I've had to date and it's the 2nd time I've worked with this band and they heaped tons of praise on me the last time I did their sound. Only thing I can think of is that the mix was so clear she may have actually been hearing what the band really sounded like for the first time, warts and all. I mean their shortcomings, especially in the vocals, were apparent. Is it possible to have a mix too clear?

I got a complaint once, the band sounded too much like a CD. Hmmm? I took that as a compliment!

[Scott Olewiler]

Glad to hear that it's not just me. As a precautionary measure against possible complaints from the band I grabbed my Ipad during the first set and recorded a song sitting about 5 ft from the complainer. Posted it on Youtube yesterday and sent the link to the guitar player.

Got an email from him a couple hours later: "Nice. Thanks for braving the weather and making us sound good. You guys did an excellent job.
Hope you had a safe trip home. I hope we can work together again in 2014"

Enuff said, I guess.

[Mike Sullivan]

Glad to hear that it's not just me. As a precautionary measure against possible complaints from the band I grabbed my Ipad during the first set and recorded a song sitting about 5 ft from the complainer. Posted it on Youtube yesterday and sent the link to the guitar player.

Got an email from him a couple hours later: "Nice. Thanks for braving the weather and making us sound good. You guys did an excellent job.
Hope you had a safe trip home. I hope we can work together again in 2014"

Enuff said, I guess.

If you make the band happy, and the venue owner happy, you're probably doing something right.  Crowd will always have mixed opinions.  That's when you look busy and tell them you can't talk.

[Steve M Smith]

At my 'home club' I had a patron tell me it was "the worst" the club had ever ever sounded, followed by another one who told me it was "the best" they'd heard the club.

I once had two people arrive at the desk at the same time - one to tell me it was too loud and the other to tell me it wasn't loud enough.

Guess which one was seated in front of the speakers and which one was in the far corner.

I suggested they swap tables.


Steve.

[Bill Schnake]

The band finishes it's 1st song I see a lady walk up to the band and I hear the lead singer tell her "we have no control over that" and of course I'm thinking she's complaining it's too loud and now I'm waiting for it.  She hurries over to me as the band is starting the next number and she start to tell me that she's been following the band for a long time and she's the guitar players girlfriend and that first song was the worst they've ever sounded. Of course I'm polite and ask what she thinks doesn't sound right, and of course she can't tell me other than to just reinforce how bad it is.

My answer to this is always the same unless it is someone that I know and trust giving me advice...Mr. Mason.  For just about anyone else the answer is I appreciate you opinion, thanks for letting me know.

I don't get to worried about it and seem to get hired back plenty of times.

Bill

[John Halliburton]

Glad to hear that it's not just me. As a precautionary measure against possible complaints from the band I grabbed my Ipad during the first set and recorded a song sitting about 5 ft from the complainer. Posted it on Youtube yesterday and sent the link to the guitar player.

Got an email from him a couple hours later: "Nice. Thanks for braving the weather and making us sound good. You guys did an excellent job.
Hope you had a safe trip home. I hope we can work together again in 2014"

Enuff said, I guess.

That pretty much takes care of it, meaning you can dismiss the girlfriend complaints.

One thing I would have tried if possible is to walk over to where the girlfriends were, and listen to the mix there-as others have pointed out, the mix will vary with location.  If it sounds good to your ears there, ask them what for specifics.

Thank them, tell them you'll work on it, even if you don't, and go back to the desk.  You need a thick skin in this business at times, but a little "showmanship" and professional politeness will go a long way.

Best regards,

John

[Kevin Maxwell]

We used to use Shure SM87 condenser mics for vocals a lot until we did sound for a group using them and realized how clearly we could hear the vocals. It turned out you didn’t want to really hear their vocals that clear. Even using reverb didn’t help. They (the singers)were just not that good. We then started using Shure SM58 mics for these types of vocals and it worked out much better.

Sometimes clear is not what you want, many times you need to bury them in the mud. In sound clear is not always good.

One thing I have noticed, the better the band the less hard I have to work to make them sound good. There have been some times that after a show I am just exhausted from how hard I had to constantly be working to get the band to be acceptable. Not to sound egotistical but I very rarely get complaints. I don’t do bars and it may be I just have an intimidating look on my face that says don’t mess with me.

[Tom Roche]

I resolved a very long time ago to expect someone in the crowd who can't be pleased and has no clue what he/she is talking about with regard to sound.  It comes with the territory.

I'm with Mr. Halliburton that it greatly helps to have a thick skin and diplomacy skills.

You can always place tape on an unused channel and in big, bold letters write VOLUME.  Whenever someone complains that it's too loud or not loud enough, move the slider slowly while asking them "How's that?" 

[g'bye, Dick Rees]

I resolved a very long time ago to expect someone in the crowd who can't be pleased and has no clue what he/she is talking about with regard to sound.  It comes with the territory.

I'm with Mr. Halliburton that it greatly helps to have a thick skin and diplomacy skills.

You can always place tape on an unused channel and in big, bold letters write VOLUME.  Whenever someone complains that it's too loud or not loud enough, move the slider slowly while asking them "How's that?" 

When I had a hefty outboard rack sitting next to the console, I put some board tape on it where my motto could be read by anyone coming up to speak to me.  It said, "I'd like to help you out.  Which way did you come in?"

Got that offa Groucho Marx.

[Tom Roche]

When I had a hefty outboard rack sitting next to the console, I put some board tape on it where my motto could be read by anyone coming up to speak to me.  It said, "I'd like to help you out.  Which way did you come in?"

Got that offa Groucho Marx.

Nice one!  Unfortunately, I suspect many won't get it. 

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