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Author Topic: Festival sound, a view from the other side of the mic  (Read 3593 times)

Dave Garoutte

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Re: Festival sound, a view from the other side of the mic
« Reply #10 on: July 10, 2018, 04:03:45 PM »

I know those guys!  Wish there were more of them.

Dave

I think they can't fit more in the van. ;)

If you're going to show up and be the 'sound guy', at least pay attention to the show.
Have pride in what you do at all times.
I disagree that you can't screw up a great band.  If you can't hear the vocals or if the bass is overpowering everything else. . .
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Steve Crump

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Re: Festival sound, a view from the other side of the mic
« Reply #11 on: July 10, 2018, 04:21:43 PM »


If you're going to show up and be the 'sound guy', at least pay attention to the show.
Have pride in what you do at all times.
I disagree that you can't screw up a great band.  If you can't hear the vocals or if the bass is overpowering everything else. . .

I agree with this also. I set through a performance where the two acoustic guitars were turned so high that you couldn't hear the vocals.
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Jonathan Johnson

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Re: Festival sound, a view from the other side of the mic
« Reply #12 on: July 10, 2018, 04:24:21 PM »

I think they can't fit more in the van. ;)

If you're going to show up and be the 'sound guy', at least pay attention to the show.
Have pride in what you do at all times.
I disagree that you can't screw up a great band.  If you can't hear the vocals or if the bass is overpowering everything else. . .

A sister church to mine used to rent a school auditorium annually for special services. The needs were minimal: one or two mics for speech only. No amplified music.

The school always provided a sound tech. Basically, that amounted to the drama coach showing a student, "here's the volume control, don't touch anything else." And, by policy, only the school's “tech” was allowed to touch their equipment.

Mostly, it worked OK, until one year the hired student was wholly incapable of even “mixing” a single microphone input — if you could get him to put down his trashy novel (this was before smartphones).

Because I half expected that to happen (due to continuously degrading service over the years), I had brought my own equipment.

With less than 30 minutes before the first service, I had my system up and running — and sounding better that the venue had in years. We told the "sound tech" to just run the lights. After that, I provided the sound for the services.
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brian maddox

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Re: Festival sound, a view from the other side of the mic
« Reply #13 on: July 10, 2018, 07:22:35 PM »

...

Then on the other hand I have worked with guys who drive in to town 300 miles from the last show, all in a 15 passenger Econoline, setup, go eat, come in literally with barely a line check, and jump on the stage and do a masterful show. Almost like their attitude is "we know we are going to do a good job and have fun".

....

One of my early educational days in this business was providing second desks for a good sized festival on "Earth Day".  This was quite a while ago, but there were a number of Bands You've Heard Of there.  The dock was full of fancy tour buses and the stage was awash with rock star attitude for most of the day.

Except for one act that arrived in a 15 passenger van driven by the guitar player with a little backline trailer behind.  In small letters on the side of the plain white van it said "theymightbegiants, Inc.".

Guess whose rider was clear, concise, and up to date?  Guess who needed No hand holding?  Guess whose set was Outstanding [And i wasn't even a fan]?  Guess who was still touring and making a good living Long after all those Bands You've Heard Of became Bands You Haven't Heard from in Years?

It was a great lesson for me in what matters in this business. And what doesn't.
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brian maddox
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Stephen Kirby

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Re: Festival sound, a view from the other side of the mic
« Reply #14 on: July 10, 2018, 11:41:11 PM »

I was playing in a local dive blues bar as a sideman on the early show when this Airporter type van pulls up and these guys roll out.  Grab their stuff and set up quickly.  Turns out the main guy had been dropped off earlier and had been sitting at the bar.  75 year old Sleepy LaBeef.  I had no idea who he was but sure found out.  Sweetest, nicest cat you could imagine.  250+ nights a year at 75 years old.  They were playing the Filmore that Friday but added in an extra Thursday at this dive along the way.  Young back up band tighter than a skeeter's tweeter.  He invited me to sit in with him.  He jumped from song to song so fast none of them went more than a couple minutes.  They must have had a couple hundred on the tips of their fingers so when he jumped, they were with him in a quarter of a beat.
Another group that blew though the place with absolutely no attitude were the Boneshakers.  Cooler than most of the local Wednesday night acts and blew the roof off the place.  Then chatted with us locals like they were one of us.
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Kevin_Tisdall

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Re: Festival sound, a view from the other side of the mic
« Reply #15 on: July 11, 2018, 04:07:43 PM »

Per Scott H:

"2 - It's not my mix that gets the most out of the band.  However having the stage set, a good monitor mix waiting for them and treating the artist with respect creates an environment that brings out good performances."


As a hobbyist with a former life as "pro" sound guy full-time, This is my mantra.  I rarely ever even see a B level act anymore but I treat everyone this way.  I feel it's why we're here.

--Kevin
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ProSoundWeb Community

Re: Festival sound, a view from the other side of the mic
« Reply #15 on: July 11, 2018, 04:07:43 PM »


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