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[Steve Garris]

So I was running sound at my house club, mixing my hair metal band on Saturday night, and some guy who was sitting at a "sweet spot" table motioned me to come over. I'm running lights on a fixed controller and sound on an iPad. I get there and he tells me "you're off by about 1/2 db". I started laughing and he became visibly upset, so I went back to mixing. The place was packed and the bands both sounded fantastic all night.

He later came up to me and said "I've a pro and have been mixing audio for over 30 years". I was still laughing so he got frustrated and left. What in the hell was he trying to tell me - off by 1/2 db?

[Robert Piascik]

He was trying to tell you that he had a very small penis and was wondering how it compared to yours. The fact that you laughed at him made it clear that you were probably sufficient in that department.

I've experienced the "drunk guy who can't stop talking about his credentials". If these guys actually had the professional experience they claim, they would know what incredible assholes they are being, but they don't, thus you're never going to convince them they are wrong by butting in.

Kudos to you for being able to laugh about it, sometimes that guy gets under my skin.

[kel mcguire]

He obviously meant it could have been a half an octave louder 

I was once working on a show and the FOH guy had a half dB'r telling him about the kick drum and bass. The FOH guys asks him "So, it's obvious that you're way into this. If you might guess, what percentage of everyone here might know the fine details of what  directives you're telling me?" The guy answers something like "oh, probably only like 4 or 5 % can hear what I'm talking about" The FOH guys then says: "so, what you're telling me is there's also a 95 to 96% chance you have no clue about what you're saying"

[Steve Litcher]

I had a similar experience a few weeks ago at an outdoor gig (a huge campground facility).

Decent crowd (around 800-900 people) with a band that we regularly work with. The drummer is a soundman's dream - easy on the snare, easy on the cymbals, very consistent kick drum hit. His snare sound isn't as "pop/crack" as most - it's more mellow, with a nice woodsy tone.

We're about 7-8 songs in, and I'm walking around the crowd with the iPad, listening and checking things. We're hitting 96dB at 100-feet out and it sounds really, really good.

This bigger guy with a sleeveless t-shirt, buzz cut hair, sunglasses (it's 9:30pm) and a tall aluminum bottle of Bud Light grabs me by the arm and pulls me over to the center of the listening space. He looks at me and says, "You hear that?"

I smiled and said, "yeah, sounds pretty solid!"

He said, "You don't know what you're doing then. I've done sound for 21 years. You don't hear that?"

I said, "Not sure what you're talking about, but I've got to keep doing my job here."

He said, "Man, your snare drum needs to pop! It needs to be in their f-ing faces!"

I smiled again and said, "Then you better tell the drummer to get a new snare," and walked away. I saw him a few more times and he would look over and shake his head, like he was mad about the snare. The last time I saw him that night, a female (presumably his wife) was driving him somewhere on a golf cart - he was 100% passed out and slumped over.

[lindsay Dean]

dang snare junkies })

[John Roberts {JR}]

It's easier generally to ask him for more info in which case he will either prove he is full of sierra, or say something credible...

nod your head a few times and thank him...

do not invite him to mix ....

JR

[Rob Spence]

I had a similar experience a few weeks ago at an outdoor gig (a huge campground facility).

Decent crowd (around 800-900 people) with a band that we regularly work with. The drummer is a soundman's dream - easy on the snare, easy on the cymbals, very consistent kick drum hit. His snare sound isn't as "pop/crack" as most - it's more mellow, with a nice woodsy tone.

We're about 7-8 songs in, and I'm walking around the crowd with the iPad, listening and checking things. We're hitting 96dB at 100-feet out and it sounds really, really good.

This bigger guy with a sleeveless t-shirt, buzz cut hair, sunglasses (it's 9:30pm) and a tall aluminum bottle of Bud Light grabs me by the arm and pulls me over to the center of the listening space. He looks at me and says, "You hear that?"

I smiled and said, "yeah, sounds pretty solid!"

He said, "You don't know what you're doing then. I've done sound for 21 years. You don't hear that?"

I said, "Not sure what you're talking about, but I've got to keep doing my job here."

He said, "Man, your snare drum needs to pop! It needs to be in their f-ing faces!"

I smiled again and said, "Then you better tell the drummer to get a new snare," and walked away. I saw him a few more times and he would look over and shake his head, like he was mad about the snare. The last time I saw him that night, a female (presumably his wife) was driving him somewhere on a golf cart - he was 100% passed out and slumped over.

Sounds like Sturgis.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[Chrysander 'C.R.' Young]

I can neither confirm or deny that I have set up dummy channels on digital mixers that were not routed into the mains.  Make lots of tweaks until an annoying producer says "It's Perfect!" and walks away.

[Will Knight]

The fix for correcting the sound by 1/2 db?  A Cuetip....to clean out that extra wad of ear wax!  Carry a few and offer one next time. 
Bill

[John L Nobile]

I've found that the light board is the perfect tool for making 1/2 db adjustments and any other "expert" sound suggestions.

Seems like "experts" have great ears but poor eyesight as they can't tell a light board from a sound desk.

[ProSoundWeb Community]