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Author Topic: sound guys  (Read 22038 times)

Bob Kidd

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sound guys
« on: January 03, 2014, 10:20:08 PM »

Curious is there sound guys out there that do not play in a band or played an instrument?
« Last Edit: January 04, 2014, 09:21:42 AM by Bob Kidd »
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Tim Perry

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Re: sound guys
« Reply #1 on: January 03, 2014, 11:26:08 PM »

Curious is there sound guys out there that do not play in a band or played and instrument?

Yes
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Jim Rutherford

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Re: sound guys
« Reply #2 on: January 03, 2014, 11:54:05 PM »

Yes, why do you ask?
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Bob Kidd

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Re: sound guys
« Reply #3 on: January 04, 2014, 12:20:02 AM »

Yes, why do you ask?

Just curious, found most played before. I have been around music in some fashion for over 30 years. For a brief time in my early years I took up guitar but found myself more into sound systems.
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Rick Powell

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Re: sound guys
« Reply #4 on: January 04, 2014, 02:11:43 AM »

Curious is there sound guys out there that do not play in a band or played and instrument?

My son occasionally goofs around on guitar or bass but nothing serious, and he has a great ear for live sound.  Personally, I think my multi-instrumental and vocal experience helps greatly, because it helps me know "what it's supposed to sound like" with solo volumes, vocal blends, etc.  But not a deal killer if you don't play an instrument.  It's all about ear training, knowing your equipment and its limitations, knowing what sounds right and what doesn't, what frequencies define the vocal or instrument you are trying to reinfore, and knowing how to crawl out of a hole and not dig deeper when things aren't going right.
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Steve M Smith

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Re: sound guys
« Reply #5 on: January 04, 2014, 02:46:18 AM »

Every sound guy I know is also a gigging musician - including myself.


Steve.
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Bob Leonard

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Re: sound guys
« Reply #6 on: January 04, 2014, 06:14:23 AM »

In the 60's there were very, very few "sound guys" and everyone in the band carried some part of the PA in their van or car. As a guitar player it wasn't hard to find the right guitar sound with the amps of the day and an ES-345, LP, or SG, but vocals were a horse of a different color.

One of my pre war bands had a 6 piece horn section, B3, 2 guitars, bass, drummer, backup vocals, and lead vocalist and we were playing larger venues that usually held 500 - 1500 people.

Musicians had control back then and the first thing you did was get the PA up and running as loud and clean as possible, then bring in all the instruments. The key to success was to establish that great stage mix starting with drums and bass, then horns and B3, and finally guitars. And let me say there is no better feeling than the sound of a tight blues/soul group with plenty of feel and just the sound of the instruments working as one.

Sorry, I digress, so once the band was tight and just below the vocals off we went. My first decent PA was a Bogan and giant University horns on steel tripods. Setting up the PA was up to me, because I owned it, and because I could fix it. That path led me to using combo amps for monitors (powered speakers in the 60's???), Vocal Masters, combo boards, Marshall, Kustom, Peavey, JBL, etc., PAs until I am where I am today, winding down but still working sound for my own band, other bands, special events, etc. with first class gear never even dreamed of back then.
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BOSTON STRONG........
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I did a gig for Otis Elevator once. Like every job, it had it's ups and downs.

Keith Broughton

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Re: sound guys
« Reply #7 on: January 04, 2014, 07:48:25 AM »

From the very start of a 35+ year career, I have been a sound person.
It actually started with electronics, moved to HiFi audio then to live audio.
I have played around with various instruments, out of curiosity as to how they work, but do not consider myself a musician.
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Steve M Smith

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Re: sound guys
« Reply #8 on: January 04, 2014, 07:50:54 AM »

I probably wouldn't have got into live sound if I wasn't a musician.  One Saturday morning in 1985, I was doing what most musicians do - generally getting in the way in a local music shop.

The shop owner was moaning that he had no one to go out with a PA that day.  I casually said that I would do it and he handed me the keys to his van which was already loaded.

As the shop was a Peavey dealer, the system was SP2s with FH1 subs, all driven with CS series amps (with a plug in crossover in the back) and the desk at the time was a Studiomaster 16 channel which was later changed for a 24 channel Peavey Mk IV.

The shop slowly increased its inventory of PA equipment, acquiring four Martin folded W cabs, four JBL bass cabs and a stack of other horn loaded EV and un-named speakers which were already at least ten years out of date when we got them.  We got a good sound from it all but it took a lot more effort to load in and out than more modern equipment.

When the owner sold the shop, a friend bought the PA gear and after using it for a couple of years, replaced it with EAW speakers and a GL4000 desk.  I have worked for him intermittently for the last fifteen years.

The shop's junior employee (a YTS trainee - similar to an apprentice) bought the shop and bought his own equipment.  I plan to do a bit of work with him this year.

I have never had full time employment in live sound, just an occasional weekends.  I like it that way though.

Look - I have digressed even more than Bob.  I will  shut up now!


Steve.
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Jay Barracato

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Re: sound guys
« Reply #9 on: January 04, 2014, 11:10:34 AM »

Many people recognize the musician to sound tech path.

I would also like the point out the "tech nerd who ran the projector in elementary school" to sound tech path.

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

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Jay Barracato

ProSoundWeb Community

Re: sound guys
« Reply #9 on: January 04, 2014, 11:10:34 AM »


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