drew_drummer
Dancefap
Er.... yeah. Precisely. He's there to a do a fucking job. He shouldn't be drinking beer and chatting up some fucking cuze when there is a band doing a soundcheck.
Ever have the sound guy...
- Thread starter ForgotenWarrior6
- Start date
Er.... yeah. Precisely. He's there to a do a fucking job. He shouldn't be drinking beer and chatting up some fucking cuze when there is a band doing a soundcheck.
Jarkko Mattheiszen
The FU guy.
Exactly. I don't want to sound like a dick, but quite honestly, many of the "horror stories" in this thread sound either like prime examples of the stereotypical rock star thinking he knows how to do the FOH guy's job better than he does, or a case of the artist having no idea what the sound guy's duties are. Actually, a couple of the comments in this thread are downright arrogant, and even though I always put on my happy face when doing live sound and do my best at being diplomatic, I would probably get really pissed off because of such attitude.
And before anyone calls me biased or a bitter sound technician who never became a rock star, I'm actually equally as much a musician as I'm a FOH guy. Neither are my main interest, but I still do both occasionally.
Jarkko Mattheiszen
The FU guy.
And don't get me wrong, that was definitely not aimed at everyone here. There are some funny stories and examples of really bad soundmen in this thread, so if you didn't feel a sting in your heart for reading the above, I'm probably not talking about you 
arv_foh
Brian K
so during the 8-10 hours I work without a break, I shouldn't go to the bathroom, go to the bar to get water, eat dinner, or talk to anyone else while there is a band playing, even if it's typically a band member asking me a technical question?
and to be clear, I'm not defending the guy that was drinking beer and talking to the womenz when he should have been doing his job.. just stating that is is often the unrealistic expectation that is set for engineers
drew_drummer
Dancefap
None of the sound guys I've ever worked with do anywhere near 10 hours work. And I'm not being all anti-sound guy... just saying, on the level we play at (small venues) the sound-guy doesn't get there until 6pm. Soundchecks four bands in an hour and a half, and does pretty much next to nothing short of turning up the music fader when bands aren't playing, and leaves at midnight with everyone else.
But even forgetting that... where did I say anything like no bathroom breaks, or water or dinner, etc.. ?
I did NOT say anything of the sort. I said that when he's got a band on stage doing a soundcheck, he should not be chatting up some bit of pussy. He should be doing his job.
I don't feel I have unrealistic expectations of a sound-guy. I don't really expect much other than having a nice even mix through the monitors, and a good balance between on-stage sound, and PA sound. I want to hear myself on stage, but not to the point of drowning everything out. The example I posted was more about the fact that the promoter and sound-man had picked the wrong venue to put on a night.
arv_foh
Brian K
guitarguru777
Member
Being a FOH guy I can tell you 98% of the time its not our fault. Couple thing you bands need to realize:
1. If you playing in a club and the PA is shit. Blame the club owner not the FOH guy
2. If the FOH guy tells you to turn your amp down DO IT. He knows the club and what will make you sound good. If hes good you will have a great monitor mix
3. If the FOH guy tells you 1 more song. Blame the promoter / club owner / headlining act. We dont run the shows, we just do as we are told.
4. BE NICE! The FOH guy is your life line to the crowd. Fuck us over, and we will make sure you sound like a fart in a paper bag GUARANTEED!
5. Tips are appreciated when the sound is superb.
6. Equipment failures? Shit happens, DONT THROW MICS AND STANDS ACROSS THE STAGE IN FRUSTRATION! Just ask nicely over the PA for a replacement.
7. DONT WRAP MIC CORDS AROUND YOUR FUCKING HAND! If 1/2 way through the set the mic cord craps out, its YOUR fault.
8. Cant hear your guitar / bass / kick / vox in the monitor? Ask nicely to have it turned up. If We tell you we cant give you anymore, blame your guitarists they are always too fucking loud anyway (this coming from a guy who plays guitar in a band too, so fuck you if you dont like it ...lol)
I am sure there is plenty more I can come up with, but this will suffice for now.
1. If you playing in a club and the PA is shit. Blame the club owner not the FOH guy
2. If the FOH guy tells you to turn your amp down DO IT. He knows the club and what will make you sound good. If hes good you will have a great monitor mix
3. If the FOH guy tells you 1 more song. Blame the promoter / club owner / headlining act. We dont run the shows, we just do as we are told.
4. BE NICE! The FOH guy is your life line to the crowd. Fuck us over, and we will make sure you sound like a fart in a paper bag GUARANTEED!
5. Tips are appreciated when the sound is superb.
6. Equipment failures? Shit happens, DONT THROW MICS AND STANDS ACROSS THE STAGE IN FRUSTRATION! Just ask nicely over the PA for a replacement.
7. DONT WRAP MIC CORDS AROUND YOUR FUCKING HAND! If 1/2 way through the set the mic cord craps out, its YOUR fault.
8. Cant hear your guitar / bass / kick / vox in the monitor? Ask nicely to have it turned up. If We tell you we cant give you anymore, blame your guitarists they are always too fucking loud anyway (this coming from a guy who plays guitar in a band too, so fuck you if you dont like it ...lol)
I am sure there is plenty more I can come up with, but this will suffice for now.
StefTD
Member
I played a show with my former death metal band, 4 bands together, we were the youngest
and played together for 3 years and about 75 shows, so no dumbass guys who had their first show.
So all bands arrived 4 hours before the doors opened, we went to the soundguy and asked when
we're going to do our soundcheck-he answered: "no soundcheck, just a short linecheck, that's it"
Many guys in the other bands just worked half of the day because they wanted to be there soon
to do the soundcheck (the venue is for 500 people, they did a lot of promotion so chances were
good that many people came) so they got pissed a little bit.
But we all just chilled a bit.
The first band started, playing technical, modern thrash metal and it just sounded like shit.
The band had good equipment and are great players (they acutally are ALL teachers at their
instrument) and the venue has good equipment, too.
So I was sitting next to the soundguy, listening to fucking loud vocals and kickdrums that were
just low frequencies.
After the first song, the singer asked if he could turn the guitars up a little in the monitor and the drums,
vocals down, or turn everything besides the guitars down.
You know what the soundguy did? He turned almost every knob to 10..., the only knob I saw that wasn't
on 10 was the mid eq for the guitars...that was at 0.
Than, somebody came up to the soundguy, said that he's just able to hear the kickdrum and the vocals
and that the mix is really muddy and that it's way to loud (it was reallllllllyyyy loud!!!).
He said "this music has to be loud, but I can do something about the mix", so due to the fact that vocals and kickdrum
was to loud, he turned everything else UP!
Than he realized that there's to much bass...yeah, that has to be the bass that fights the kickdrum, so he instantly
turned the kickdrum up...
After the band finished they were really angry and asked him what all that shit was.
He answered: "it's not my fault that you guys have no clue how to play and how to treat your equipment,
you (pointing at the guitar player) had the mid knob on your amp up to 5/10, that just has to sound like
shit!".
In the end, the other bands went to the guys who organized the show and told them that they won't play
if that soundguy mixes them. The last band had a friend with them who works as a soundguy from time to
time and he mixed the rest of the night and from that time, everything sounded great, almost the best sound
I've ever had on stage.
That was my only real bad experience, I am just nice to the soundguy, chat a little bit with them, ask them if
they want a beer or something (as long as it's free for me
) because I want that he doesn't think that we're
assholes, because if the soundguy wants to fuck you up with a bad sound most of the audience is still
blaming you.
and played together for 3 years and about 75 shows, so no dumbass guys who had their first show.
So all bands arrived 4 hours before the doors opened, we went to the soundguy and asked when
we're going to do our soundcheck-he answered: "no soundcheck, just a short linecheck, that's it"
Many guys in the other bands just worked half of the day because they wanted to be there soon
to do the soundcheck (the venue is for 500 people, they did a lot of promotion so chances were
good that many people came) so they got pissed a little bit.
But we all just chilled a bit.
The first band started, playing technical, modern thrash metal and it just sounded like shit.
The band had good equipment and are great players (they acutally are ALL teachers at their
instrument) and the venue has good equipment, too.
So I was sitting next to the soundguy, listening to fucking loud vocals and kickdrums that were
just low frequencies.
After the first song, the singer asked if he could turn the guitars up a little in the monitor and the drums,
vocals down, or turn everything besides the guitars down.
You know what the soundguy did? He turned almost every knob to 10..., the only knob I saw that wasn't
on 10 was the mid eq for the guitars...that was at 0.
Than, somebody came up to the soundguy, said that he's just able to hear the kickdrum and the vocals
and that the mix is really muddy and that it's way to loud (it was reallllllllyyyy loud!!!).
He said "this music has to be loud, but I can do something about the mix", so due to the fact that vocals and kickdrum
was to loud, he turned everything else UP!
Than he realized that there's to much bass...yeah, that has to be the bass that fights the kickdrum, so he instantly
turned the kickdrum up...
After the band finished they were really angry and asked him what all that shit was.
He answered: "it's not my fault that you guys have no clue how to play and how to treat your equipment,
you (pointing at the guitar player) had the mid knob on your amp up to 5/10, that just has to sound like
shit!".
In the end, the other bands went to the guys who organized the show and told them that they won't play
if that soundguy mixes them. The last band had a friend with them who works as a soundguy from time to
time and he mixed the rest of the night and from that time, everything sounded great, almost the best sound
I've ever had on stage.
That was my only real bad experience, I am just nice to the soundguy, chat a little bit with them, ask them if
they want a beer or something (as long as it's free for me
) because I want that he doesn't think that we'reassholes, because if the soundguy wants to fuck you up with a bad sound most of the audience is still
blaming you.
guitarguru777
Member
Totally agree 1000000%
I have been the "the guitarist" in a band playing huge festivals of 10,000+ and be the guy playing guitar in a band in front of 10 people. I have also been the FOH guy for the same size shows. I see it from both sides, and I try and help every band to the best of my ability. I cant even tell you how many times during sound check I tell guitarists to bring down the volume and bring up the mids cause they cant hear them self. Guitarists ALWAYS reach for the volume knob, GOD FORBID its the tone thats bad ....lol
I cant even tall you how many vocalists I have seen throw mics / stands / kick monitors, swing the mic by the cord, and then come to me at the end of show and say the gear sucks. I laid a guy out for that once, and will gladly do it again. Just cause the gear its YOURS doesnt mean you should abuse it.
Don't fuck with the FOH guy, he will make your life a living hell, and its almost a sure way to never be invited back to play a place again.
Jarkko Mattheiszen
The FU guy.
I pretty much agree with everything, except for #4. Even if the stars of the evening are major assholes, I still do my best to make them sound good for my own reputation's sake and for the audience's enjoyment.
guitarguru777
Member
#4 was really targeted at those that arent "names", but Quite a few times I have turned off a singers monitor a few times during the set if hes a douche bag. Did that for a pretty famous band once and blamed it on faulty equipment... 2 of the guys were total cocks, and kept slamming the mic on the stage. Brand new 835 looked like it was 20 years old after the set.
Abuse my gear, and I will rape you, end of story.
Trevoire520
Member
+1
I like #5
have sometimes considered having a tips jar beside the desk, lol.
CatharsisStudios
trcksngsrpbngs
- Jun 25, 2008
- 2,198
- 10
- 38
the soundguys number one worse fear is a band from michigan called kings. i am sure you michigan guys can tell us about how fucking horrible they are. brand new monitors at this venue called the king of clubs and then after the night every monitor was bashed in, and there was blood all over the stage
drew_drummer
Dancefap
The problem in my situation was the PA was not up to the task of handling everything the sound guy was throwing at it. He would've done a better job if he'd just let us manage our sound levels on the stage properly, instead of making us too fucking quiet, and then expecting the PA monitors to be good enough - they weren't good enough, not by a long shot.
Not his fault that the equipment was shit. But he was the faggot who caved in to a sucky bar manager.
Anyway... I think the fact that I've only had one displeasing incident with a sound man in the entirety of my bands gigs says just as much about our professionalism and attitude as it does about anyone else.
I'll stop being so fucking up myself now.
arv_foh
Brian K
Same, I will never fuck a band over mixwise, I even had a band accuse me of stealing once and I still gave them a solid mix. However, after the show I made sure with my mgmt and the promoter that they would never play my venue again.
if this happened at my venue the band would be paying for 6 new floor wedges... I'm sure word like this gets around pretty quick and these bands will have trouble booking shows if they continue to pull that sort of bullshit
Jarkko Mattheiszen
The FU guy.
And you were the faggots who were enough of faggoty fags to play at such a sucky shitfaggot bar with crap PA and all. So... It's actually your fault.
drew_drummer
Dancefap
guitarguru777
Member
Jarkko Mattheiszen
The FU guy.
