CONTENTS

– DAVID A. BARBER
T
here is a reason why the most successful touring acts bring their
own sound engineer with them. You never know what you’re going
to get. Sound guys (and sometimes gals) run the gamut from terrifically
helpful, to prima-donna assholes. If you’re touring around at the
bar or club level, you’re going be at the mercy of whoever happens to
be working sound board that night. Many of these people have college
degrees in sound engineering, many more are former musicians themselves
and they all have different personalities. If you’re lucky, you’ll get a
pro who takes pride in his work. If you’re not lucky, you may get a tonedeaf
overworked hack who’s nursing a wicked hangover from the night
before––or worse, he may be killing that hangover by getting drunk early.
Either way, you
want to follow a few
simple rules.
to the sound
engineer (even if
he’s an ass to you).
Treat him like a
highly skilled professional
(even if
he doesn’t act like
one). Do not treat
him like a DJ who’s
never run sound
before and is in
way over his head
(even if he is).
Never Piss-Off the Sound Guy
that every room is
different and the
sound guy probably
knows better than
you what sounds
right in his room.
No, it won’t sound
the same as it does
in your rehearsal
space––it’s not
supposed to. It’s supposed
to sound better
than that for the audience,
who are listening
through speakers that
are different from the ones that you are.
you sound great, but if your volumes are wrong on the stage, there’s only
so much he can do. If he asks you to turn your amp down, do it! Then, if
you can’t hear your instrument, ask for him to turn it up in your monitor.
This goes double during sound check (if you’re lucky enough to get one).
ly
take that as an insult. The same is true for going out on the dance floor
or seating area to listen. You are responsible for what comes out of your
instrument, let the sound guy worry about the rest of the room. Never tell
him that it doesn’t sound right in the room, unless it’s a very serious problem.
Overly sensitive sound guys will take this as an insult. Chances are,
the audience will let him know if it’s really bad and obviously his fault.
are bands scheduled to play after you. There’s only so much time al-
about it, they may actually ask you to play a little longer to fill in the time.
That’s the best way to be. If you’re the headliner, there’s still a sound
can go home. Be nice to him.
bottles, cigarette butts and snack wrappers all over the place. If you
bring it on the stage, take it off with you. That includes the set lists you
taped to the monitor or mic stand, too.
especially true during sound check (if you get one), but is also okay to
ask for between songs. You need to hear yourself and your bandmates
in order to make
sure you’re playing
or singing right.
Don’t be timid and
then complain that
you couldn’t hear
yourself afterwards.
That just makes
everyone look bad.
for suggestions.
some good ones.
Most sound guys
take pride in their
work and want you
to sound as good
as possible.
If you have a
good rapport with
the sound guy,
chances are he
may go out of his
way to make sure
you are happy with
the sound and that
you sound great
out in the room.
We’ve even seen
bands tip the sound
guy, before the set!
That’s not usually
needed, but if you really
want to keep him
happy, an extra $20 isn’t gonna hurt. You might even get him to burn you
a copy of the show afterward. Many sound guys record everything they
mix. This could be a great way to collect material for a live CD or just a
good way to listen to the band performing and get an idea of what does
and doesn’t work or who messed up what parts of the songs during that
performance. It can be a great tool for improving the band overall.
Remember that every stage is different. No two sound systems will
perform exactly alike. No two sound guys will mix you exactly the same
and, most importantly: It will never sound the same as your rehearsal
space. Do what the sound engineer asks and you’ll get the best results
possible for your show. If you don’t cooperate, you run the risk of pissing
him off and then you certainly won’t get his best effort.
“Never ever ask the crowd, ‘How does it sound?’
The sound guy will likely take that as an insult.”
while you’re doing that amazing
solo.
If you are unlucky and get a
bad mix, play as well as you can
and hope for the best. That’s
what the seasoned pros do. So
should you.
DAVID A. BARBER is the author of Gigging:
Everything You Need To Know About Playing
Gigs (Except how to play your axe), co-producer
of Band Talk
of RockOnColorado.com, Board Member of the
non-profit Colorado Music Business Organization
and a seasoned professional who has worked at
several Denver area music venues.
78 November 2013
musicconnection.com