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Author Topic: Has this happened to you?  (Read 11508 times)

Bob Leonard

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Re: Has this happened to you?
« Reply #10 on: December 15, 2013, 12:34:47 PM »

Her opinion is based on her being able to hear the other members of the band. It's a fairly common occurrence.

And that's the problem. Girlfriend want's her guy out front and on top off everything else (Benetars hubby syndrome). When people walk up like that just tell them thanks, I'm working on it. Then move a fader that has no purpose, wink, and wait for the smile.
« Last Edit: December 16, 2013, 06:54:28 PM by Bob Leonard »
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Samuel Rees

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Re: Has this happened to you?
« Reply #11 on: December 15, 2013, 12:39:55 PM »

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.

Seriously, this actually happened. Maybe your mix sounded bad, maybe it didn't, but I've found it hard to gain actionable insight from certain crowd members either. The best I ever learn about "when it sounds good" is by watching other people mix. Generally going to shows, or at particular venues it can be helpful to see what the crowds at that venue sometimes expect. 
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Tomm Williams

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Re: Has this happened to you?
« Reply #12 on: December 15, 2013, 01:12:35 PM »

If this happens again, go to an empty channel and start twisting knobs and tell the person you just fixed the problem
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Jay Barracato

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Re: Has this happened to you?
« Reply #13 on: December 15, 2013, 02:01:08 PM »

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.

Seriously, this actually happened. Maybe your mix sounded bad, maybe it didn't, but I've found it hard to gain actionable insight from certain crowd members either. The best I ever learn about "when it sounds good" is by watching other people mix. Generally going to shows, or at particular venues it can be helpful to see what the crowds at that venue sometimes expect.

My favorite is the parent that comes running up from the crowd to tell me they can't hear the keyboards. I try to find out when they couldn't hear the keyboards. Turns out it was while I was doing a silent line check in the headphones and the mains weren't even on.

At another band showcase the music school owner/music director comes up complaining he can't hear the keyboards. I said he wasn't playing much but when he did it was the same level as the other instruments. He insists on more so I bump it up about a db. The keyboard hits his solo part and blows everyone else away. Sure enough the music director comes running up again, now he is too loud. Dude...I know that but I am sitting here talking to you rather than fixing it.

And there was that theater show in New Jersey where they were lining up  to tell me what was wrong before the band even started. Did you notice I made three trips through the crowd to the stage during the first song because the stage hand was unable to patch 16 numbered xors back into the FOH snake in the same order (numerical) that they were in during soundcheck.

Or the outdoor festival for 7500 people where the lady sitting 10 feet in front of 6 double 18 subs insisted that we needed to change the level for the other 7494 people rather than having her group move away from them.

I hate mixing in a booth, but sometimes it is nice to have a door to close.
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Jay Barracato

g'bye, Dick Rees

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Re: Has this happened to you?
« Reply #14 on: December 15, 2013, 02:08:05 PM »

My favorite is the parent that comes running up from the crowd to tell me they can't hear the keyboards. I try to find out when they couldn't hear the keyboards. Turns out it was while I was doing a silent line check in the headphones and the mains weren't even on.


1.  I field flack for the "mix" when I'm doing a radio remote and there's not a local sound system for the acoustic musicians.  Mics for radio only.

2.  Old lady complains that the drums are too loud, is informed that there are no mics on the drums and says, "Well, put some mics on them and TURN THEM DOWN."

#2 my all-time favorite.
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Jay Barracato

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Re: Has this happened to you?
« Reply #15 on: December 15, 2013, 02:16:29 PM »

1.  I field flack for the "mix" when I'm doing a radio remote and there's not a local sound system for the acoustic musicians.  Mics for radio only.

2.  Old lady complains that the drums are too loud, is informed that there are no mics on the drums and says, "Well, put some mics on them and TURN THEM DOWN."

#2 my all-time favorite.

I guess if it is a right handed drummer you could find a left handed drummer to match and invert the polarity on one of the drum sets.
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Jay Barracato

Jay Barracato

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Re: Has this happened to you?
« Reply #16 on: December 15, 2013, 02:19:21 PM »

1.  I field flack for the "mix" when I'm doing a radio remote and there's not a local sound system for the acoustic musicians.  Mics for radio only.

2.  Old lady complains that the drums are too loud, is informed that there are no mics on the drums and says, "Well, put some mics on them and TURN THEM DOWN."

#2 my all-time favorite.

 I heard a good one last weekend.

Woman comes up to FOH and says " I am the guitar player's wife and he needs to be turned up".
 
The FOH tech responds "Oh, I was just over at the bar and a woman who said she was his girlfriend said it sounded great..."
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Jay Barracato

Kirby Yarbrough

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Re: Has this happened to you?
« Reply #17 on: December 15, 2013, 02:26:49 PM »

Woman comes up to FOH and says " I am the guitar player's wife and he needs to be turned up".
The FOH tech responds "Oh, I was just over at the bar and a woman who said she was his girlfriend said it sounded great..."

Priceless!  Thanks.
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Samuel Rees

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Re: Has this happened to you?
« Reply #18 on: December 15, 2013, 03:32:51 PM »


2.  Old lady complains that the drums are too loud, is informed that there are no mics on the drums and says, "Well, put some mics on them and TURN THEM DOWN."

#2 my all-time favorite.

Amazing. I wish it did work that way..:
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Jamin Lynch

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Re: Has this happened to you?
« Reply #19 on: December 15, 2013, 03:56:55 PM »

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?

If you are confident that it sounded good....then it did, no matter what somebody else thinks.
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Re: Has this happened to you?
« Reply #19 on: December 15, 2013, 03:56:55 PM »


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