Amp volume and sound level question?

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Greg_L said:
Don't worry about me. I'm making the job easier for the inept hapless mongoloid sound guys out there. It's all about them. The poor misunderstood unappreciated sound guy. The power tripping delusional sound guy. I'm gonna play my amps so loud that he doesn't have to mic them. I'm going to save him the embarrassment of having to bend over to position a mic. No one's gonna see his hairy plumber butt. If it's too loud for the drunken losers in attendance, that's okay. I'll take the blame. He can throw up his fat little hands and talk shit about the too loud guitarist. I'm okay with that. Sound guys can't make a good mix anyway. They're always looking to blame something for their shitty sound and lack of skill. I only gig to play my shit obnoxiously loud. I don't care if anyone likes it - especially sound guys. They're the dregs of musical society. . :)
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...and you've just defined why I avoid the pub and club scene like the plague! Too many guitarists have more ego than talent and think it's fun to deafen their audience and drown out their vocalists. Too bad they never remember they play in a band, not as a permanent soloist!

Have fun!
 
Bobbsy said:
...and you've just defined why I avoid the pub and club scene like the plague! Too many guitarists have more ego than talent and think it's fun to deafen their audience and drown out their vocalists. Too bad they never remember they play in a band, not as a permanent soloist!

Have fun!
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And you've just defined why sound guys suck! You think you're saving the world, when really you're just the lowest man on the musical totem pole. If you did your job you'd make things work in any scenario, but no, instead you bitch and moan and blame your inadequacies on everyone else.


The reality is I'm not that kind of guitarist at all. Hell I'm mainly a drummer. Lol. I thought it was pretty obvious that I was playing up the asshole guitarist schtick. But I did get at least two of you sound "pros" lol to make my points for me. Sound guys are the worst. The absolute worst.
 
Sorry Greg. I'm NOT the lowest man on the musical totem pole because I don't play though stupid club/pub games with amateurs.

Make things work in ANY scenario? What a load of bull. As happens all too often guitarists...or drummers...forget they're part of a band and pretend they do one long solo. Add in a typically crap pub sound system and it's a recipe for crap sound which assholes like you then blame on the sound guy.

To sound great, EVERYBODY...musicians and sound ops...have to leave their egos at the door and work together. Most professionals I've worked with know this. Most amateurs don't.

I love people who spend two weeks calling sound engineers every kind of shit then, when called on it, whine "but I was only PLAYING".

You need an attitude adjustment...and if you hate sound guys so much maybe you should take up doing a solo acoustic set.

Some sound guys ARE pretty bad. But some ego-ridden so-called musicians are worse.

Anyhow, it's unlikely we'll ever meet up since I'm on a different continent and don't do small bar stuff anyway. I'm mainly retired but when I do a freelance shift it's a 2000 seat venue with d&b line array, Midas digital board and a bit over 250,000 watts of amps available to be patched among FOH and Monitor duties. The people I'm mixing for are national and international acts, not a bunch of wannabes.
 
Lol. Case in point. ^^^^^ It's not my fault you frauds have a bad rep. I'm just pointing out the obvious. If you don't like it, do better. Sound guys are always deflecting and projecting. They're always ready to whip out their "resume" and tell you how awesome they are. They always blame the band, the club, the mics, the room, the PA, the stars, solar flares, something. It's never that they just suck, but really that's what it always is. They're lazy slobs. Just shut up and point that mic in the right spot, hack. Don't make me tell you twice. And bring me a beer and a water next time you come up.
 
LOL...once an unpleasant, egotistical pratt, always an unpleasant egotistical pratt.

Guitarists:

How can you tell a guitarist is at your door?
By the Dominos Pizza hat.

What do a guitar solo and premature ejaculation have in common?
You know it's coming and there's nothing you can do about it.

How do you get two guitar players to play in perfect unision?
Shoot One.

What would a guitarist do if he won a million dollars?
Continue to play gigs until the money ran out.

How do you get a guitarist to turn down?
Put some sheet music in front of him.

What do an electric guitarist and a vacuum cleaner have in common?
When you plug them in, they both suck.

How many lead guitarists does it take to change a light bulb?
None-- they just steal someone else's light.

Alternate Answer: 5-- One to change the bulb and 4 do watch him and say "I can do better than that."

Alternate Answer: Only one-- but he'll go though a whole box of bulbs before he finds just the right one.

How does a Lead Guitarist change a lightbulb?
He holds it and the world revolves around him.

What's the difference between a Lead Guitarist and the PLO?
You can negotiate with the PLO.

Did you hear about the guitarist who was in tune?
Neither have I.

Why are so many guitar player jokes one liners?
So the guitarists can understand them.

What's black and blue and laying in a ditch?
A guitarist who's told too many drummer jokes.

Two guys were walking down the street. One was destitute.
The other was a guitarist as well.

Drummers:

How do you tell if the stage is level?
The drummer is drooling from both sides of his mouth.

How can you tell a drummer's at the door?
The knocking speeds up.

What's the last thing a drummer says in a band?
"Hey, how about we try one of my songs?"

What do you call a drummer that breaks up with his girlfriend?
Homeless.

What do Ginger Baker and black coffee have in common?
They both suck without Cream.

How do you get a drummer off of your porch?
Pay him 10 bucks for the pizza.

Why didn't the Little Drummer Boy get into heaven?
Because he woke up the baby, for Christ's sake!

What do you call a drummer with half a brain?
Gifted.

What does a drummer use for contraception?
His personality.

What do you say to a drummer in a three-piece suit?
"Will the defendant please rise?"

"Hey buddy, how late does the band play?"
"Oh, about half a beat behind the drummer."

Hey, did you hear about the drummer who finished high school?
Me neither.

Why do guitarists put drumsticks on the dash of their car?
So they can park in the handicapped spot.

How is a drum solo like a sneeze?
You know it's coming, but there's nothing you can do about it.

What's the first thing a drummer says when he moves to LA?
"Would you like fries with that, sir?

What is the difference between a drummer and a savings bond?
One will mature and make money.

Why do drummers have lots of kids?
They're not too good at the Rhythm Method.

What do you do if you accidentally run over a drummer?
Back up.

What did the drummer say to the band leader?
"Do you want me to play too fast or too slow?"
 
If you put as much effort into running sound as you do copying and pasting google jokes, you might just get good at it and you wouldn't be so looked down on by musical society.
 
Lol. Everyone is a star on the internet.


Look, I never said you fraud sound hacks shouldn't be paid, I just wish you'd actually earn your money through work and skill instead of just being a necessary evil.
 
Greg_L said:
Don't worry about me. I'm making the job easier for the inept hapless mongoloid sound guys out there. It's all about them. The poor misunderstood unappreciated sound guy. The power tripping delusional sound guy. I'm gonna play my amps so loud that he doesn't have to mic them. I'm going to save him the embarrassment of having to bend over to position a mic. No one's gonna see his hairy plumber butt. If it's too loud for the drunken losers in attendance, that's okay. I'll take the blame. He can throw up his fat little hands and talk shit about the too loud guitarist. I'm okay with that. Sound guys can't make a good mix anyway. They're always looking to blame something for their shitty sound and lack of skill. I only gig to play my shit obnoxiously loud. I don't care if anyone likes it - especially sound guys. They're the dregs of musical society. . :)
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20 years ago (ok.....maybe 17 or 18 years ago), I was that "misunderstood unappreciated sound guy" when the club owner came to me and asked that I turn it down. So, being the smart ass that I am, I promptly pulled EVERYTHING out of the mix but the vocal mics and there was NO perceptible change in volume. The stage volume was that loud. It just went down hill from there. She went to talk to the band to turn it down after the song while the bouncer overheard me calling her a "Fucking French Whore" for jumping on MY ass about it being so loud. Word got back to the band about my description of her supposed nationality and job preference. Ultimately, at the end of the night, the band fired me and she fired the band.

MY point was that if you are going to play that loud to begin with, why even bother with a PA, let alone some one to run it.
 
solo2racr said:
20 years ago (ok.....maybe 17 or 18 years ago), I was that "misunderstood unappreciated sound guy" when the club owner came to me and asked that I turn it down. So, being the smart ass that I am, I promptly pulled EVERYTHING out of the mix but the vocal mics and there was NO perceptible change in volume. The stage volume was that loud. It just went down hill from there. She went to talk to the band to turn it down after the song while the bouncer overheard me calling her a "Fucking French Whore" for jumping on MY ass about it being so loud. Word got back to the band about my description of her supposed nationality and job preference. Ultimately, at the end of the night, the band fired me and she fired the band.

MY point was that if you are going to play that loud to begin with, why even bother with a PA, let alone some one to run it.
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I agree. Sound guys are totally useless.
 
A sound guy only really needs to know two things for a small venue. How loud the vocal mics need to be compared to everything else and keeping the band happy with the monitor mix.
 
It is not the soundguy's job to make you sound good.

I've done all kinds of fucked up gigs with all sorts of half-assed "systems" of poorly maintained, under powered crap, and you know what? When I mix a decent group of professionals they sound good, everybody has a good time, and I get compliments. When I mix amateurish drunk assholes they sound like amateurish drunk assholes, there is often drama, and I frankly don't care if they call me names or blame me. I get paid either way.

That said, I cant tell you how many times I've been at a show and seen decent bands ruined by scrappy sound hacks. I could fix it, but unless it happens to be a really close friend or something, if I ain't getting paid it ain't my problem.

For my own bands, I take it all into my own hands. We are mixed when we show up. Hand the guy a redundant pair of balanced line level cables and tell them "turn it up and blame me."
 
ashcat_lt said:
That said, I cant tell you how many times I've been at a show and seen decent bands ruined by scrappy sound hacks. I could fix it, but unless it happens to be a really close friend or something, if I ain't getting paid it ain't my problem
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Ah yes. I thought, once upon a time, that I would help some poor schmuck on the mixing desk and point out a couple things that needed his attention. What I hadn't taken into account is that he had bricks for ears and the band ended up sounding worse. I gave up pretty quickly.
 
ashcat_lt said:
It is not the soundguy's job to make you sound good.
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No one said it was. I only ask that they be sober and competent, and they rarely are either.

I get paid either way.

if I ain't getting paid it ain't my problem.
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That attitude is part of the problem with these useless hacks.
 
ashcat_lt said:
That said, I cant tell you how many times I've been at a show and seen decent bands ruined by scrappy sound hacks. I could fix it, but unless it happens to be a really close friend or something, if I ain't getting paid it ain't my problem.
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I can't abide the bad sound IF there's a chance the 'brick ear' guy will adjust something. Like at a fest I was at in Harvard Square in May, on the main stage the sound man is making time with some girl and backup singers' mics are OFF. Before my wife could stop me, I went up and told him, he replies "they're on", then he looks at the board and pushes up the faders from the off position. :rolleyes:
 
Greg_L said:
No one said it was. I only ask that they be sober and competent, and they rarely are either.
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If you played better venues you would find out how inaccurate that generalization is.

Greg_L said:
That attitude is part of the problem with these useless hacks.
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So it's a bad attitude when a paying audience member isn't willing to mix the band for free? Take a look at your own crappy attitude and stop acting like such a butthurt tard. Grow up, get help, stop whining.
 
bouldersoundguy said:
If you played better venues you would find out how inaccurate that generalization is. So it's a bad attitude when a paying audience member isn't willing to mix the band for free? Take a look at your own crappy attitude and stop acting like such a butthurt tard. Grow up, get help, stop whining.
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This is about as stupid a statement as you've made yet. Hey don't blame me. I personally always show up very prepared with professional grade equipment no matter where I'm playing. I've played small bars, I've played festivals in front of thousands of people. I'll admit the sound has been good at those big gigs. But most people don't play those kinds of events. They're playing little bars and clubs with halfassed lazy pieces of shit running sound. Do those people on the small local level not deserve a competent sound guy? That you blindly defend the lowest common denominator of your "profession" shows that YOU have the butthurt, not me.
 
mjbphotos said:
I can't abide the bad sound IF there's a chance the 'brick ear' guy will adjust something. Like at a fest I was at in Harvard Square in May, on the main stage the sound man is making time with some girl and backup singers' mics are OFF. Before my wife could stop me, I went up and told him, he replies "they're on", then he looks at the board and pushes up the faders from the off position. :rolleyes:
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Yup. Stuff like that is more common than not. Sound guys are pathetic.
 
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