Log in
Log in
Forgot your password ?
or
Create an account
or
Log in using a Facebook account
NotificationsNo new notification
< Back to On Stage/Backstage
Enlarge
On Stage/Backstage
Thematic Forums
On Stage/Backstage
News 2 2
Articles 3 3
Media 1,257 1,3k
Tutorials Tutorials & Tips 1 1
Forums 12 12

Ever experience Bad Sound at a Public Concert or Event?

  • 0 comment
  • 1 participant
  • 1,159 views
  • 1 follower
Topic Ever experience Bad Sound at a Public Concert or Event?
I'm constantly impressed these days with the discouraging level of attention or training demonstrated by people who are producing the sound at concerts or public events... I'm a recording engineer of some years and experience having taught audio skills at University level out of the gate in my early 20's and now as a record producer in my own studio. I'm fortunate to have lots of professional musicians as close friends and lately when we find ourselves at concerts ( I'm talking large, high dollar events...) the quality of the mix can be from less than attentive to outright trash... By outright trash, I mean something you'd expect of a chimpanzee with major hearing loss...

In the past month, we've been at events with friends from the Doobie Brothers band, and Tower of Power and others who have all independently complained of a really "bad sound mix"... This is something I'm all too aware of and it seams to be getting worse in recent years. The sound people in the most recent cases have been both young and old so my first theory that they are inexperienced has been deflated. The experienced sound man was suffering from presbycusis ( loss of high frequency sensitivity attributed to ageing ) which was painfully apparent in his mix as an edgy, grating high end which was so bad it hurt. The other event was a young sound engineer running the board at a large public forum event and was typical of someone who just isn't paying any attention during the performance, thinking their job was done when they completed the "sound-check". I've experienced this now many times over the years and my wife is very tired of my complaints about the tragedy of great musical performances that are ruined by" bad sound".