dB questions.

[guitarguru1969]

What dB are you guys setting your guitar amps at to record and play live with? I searched lots of places for info and find stuff on dB suggestions for mixing and such but find very little about dB tips for guitar recording and live performance. I see lots of suggestions about using the 'O Clock and 1-10 variables, but still not much about actual dB. Just been curious about this one since I bought a meter. Any input would be appreciated. I just don't want to be "that" dude when we play live.

 

[-Noodles-]

Keep the amp as low as you can..

Put it through your monitors.

Then you won't be "that" guy.




[in all seriousness, there's no magic dB when it comes to live or recording - just the point at which the amp sounds its best]

*edit - For mixing, mix around 83dB SPL - measured with C-Weighted pink noise.. or the K-Scale as it's known!]

 

[Sloan]

I'm dealing with this bullshit right now in the new coverband i'm working on. i'm using the ampeg vl-1002 which is killer and would sound great if i could get it up a bit more, but for some reason, everyone says it sounds shit because i can't get it to the spot where it opens up before it's "too loud" while the fucking bass and other guitar player are LOUD AS FUCK, i just say fuck it and play, but i can't even hear what i'm doing. and if i'm doing a lead break or something the other guitar dude things he has to turn up more? wtf brah?

all i need is ONE CHANNEL and i use my volume control and they're all throwing pedals and shit at me saying i need to be able to switch to the clean channel and have an overdrive pedal. fuck that shit. i had tons of pedals and got rid of it all last year when i finally got to crank the amp and hear how awesome it really sounded. HAET TAPDANCIN'

i love having super low stage volume and running through the monitors whenever i can, but i don't have a small combo or whatever anymore, so it's not an option at practice right now. they need to stfu and just concentrate on getting the arrangement right on the song they forgot to practice this week. dammit. fucking coverbands.

 

[colonel kurtz]

yea man, those ampegs sound like poopy until you have 'em CRANKED....

 

[ahjteam]

still not much about actual dB.

I think 100dB is too loud. Anywhere. I like so that the whole band is like 90-95 dB at the mixer when amplified if talking about rock/metal, but anything smoother at 80-90dB. But if you can actually listen to the guitar amp at the stage without earplugs, its OK. If you can't, its too loud. Not that I'm saying that you should play the actual gig without earplugs, but what I mean is that if the stage is really small (say a normal club that can intake 100-500 customers), the idiots in the first row usually won't be wearing earplugs and they will hear it almost as loud as you on stage, if not even louder.

 

[fade_2_black]

As -Noodles- said, mixing around 85-90 dBSPL is best as that is where the ear hears most evenly. But, back to the original topic, I am a livesound engineer at a local venue and you would be suprised how quiet I like the amps to be. Obviously not like bedroom volume or anything but not at the level you would need for band practice. I would say I have to ask 90% of guitarists to turn down their amps - the other 10% are those that dont have the confidence to do anything themselves so I help them with their EQ and levels, etc, before getting to the desk. To be honest Im not sure what dBSPL level it would be though - I need a meter!