Earplugs and loud bands

Rob Spence

Rob Spence

Senior
Jan 11, 2011
897
4
18
Boston Metro North West
www.lynxaudioservices.com
Ok, a little rant...

What is it with these bands with folks on earplugs and everything turned up so loud that they are messing up the sound in the house? I ask them to turn down and they say they can't hear without it that loud but...

I had a lead vocalist recently that brought his own monitor and set it up as a side fill 8' to the side. He has earplugs in and turns it up so loud that I cannot hear the mains anymore :-( The drummer has plugs in too as does a horn player and guitar. The sound in the house was awful and about 5dB louder than we want. So, for the most part, the PA isn't being used and I might as well go home.

What is it?

Ok, I feel better...
Doo Wop this week :-) Quieter...
 
Re: Earplugs and loud bands

Rob Spence said:
Ok, a little rant...

What is it with these bands with folks on earplugs and everything turned up so loud that they are messing up the sound in the house? I ask them to turn down and they say they can't hear without it that loud but...

I had a lead vocalist recently that brought his own monitor and set it up as a side fill 8' to the side. He has earplugs in and turns it up so loud that I cannot hear the mains anymore :-( The drummer has plugs in too as does a horn player and guitar. The sound in the house was awful and about 5dB louder than we want. So, for the most part, the PA isn't being used and I might as well go home.

What is it?

Ok, I feel better...
Doo Wop this week :-) Quieter...
Click to expand...

in my experience this is caused by two itty bitty issues.

immaturitty

and

insecuritty
 
Re: Earplugs and loud bands

Welcome to my world every weekend!
I have plenty of bands that do the earplug thing and then ask for more monitors because they can't hear...
Take the Fn' earplugs out!!!!!!

I just smile and nod, when management comes over to complain that there to loud I just point to the band and tell them they need to talk with them.
 
Re: Earplugs and loud bands

Rob Spence said:
Ok, a little rant...

What is it with these bands with folks on earplugs and everything turned up so loud that they are messing up the sound in the house? I ask them to turn down and they say they can't hear without it that loud but...

I had a lead vocalist recently that brought his own monitor and set it up as a side fill 8' to the side. He has earplugs in and turns it up so loud that I cannot hear the mains anymore :-( The drummer has plugs in too as does a horn player and guitar. The sound in the house was awful and about 5dB louder than we want. So, for the most part, the PA isn't being used and I might as well go home.

What is it?

Ok, I feel better...
Doo Wop this week :-) Quieter...
Click to expand...

Ok, I feel better...

I'm sure I'll be taking over where you left off later this year rob... I agree 110%. National acts show up, put plugs in then ask for my monitor kit to be loud to the point of explosion.... Wtf. It makes NO sense. Someone tell me what the reason is behind this stupidity.
 
Re: Earplugs and loud bands

The reason they like it overwhelmingly loud, but with earplugs in - as opposed to having it simply loud-as-hell without earplugs has to do with the tactile intensity of the sonic bath bouncing off the body and resonating in the gut at deafening levels, which they wouldn't experience to the same degree if earplugs were out, with the audible sound at the same dB level.
 
Re: Earplugs and loud bands

If they (muso rockers) work for you, then do so. I'm certainly not justifying the overwhelming volume, I'm merely trying to explain its appeal.
 
Re: Earplugs and loud bands

This is a good time for me to use a word I recently heard, enjoyed immensely and held back on using for just such an occasion. It's not very PC so I'll disclaim it now that I hopefully do not offend anyone. The word is "fucktard" and that is how I would describe someone who puts in earplugs and then asks for an astonishingly loud stage volume. The only way we as engineers (who CARE about the sound, both on stage and in the house) can fight this trend is to unite and simply REFUSE TO DO IT. People only get away with this behavior when we let them. And before a bunch of folks jump on this statement and say we have to do as the artist (or management) says because they are paying us and all that... I call bullshit on that. The AUDIENCE is paying for all of it in the end and when the house mix turns to crap because of the completely inappropriate stage volume, they are the ones suffering. Bands of this ilk need to understand they are there to entertain and it's not about them, it's about putting on an entertaining and safe show. I tell bands that act like this that they are sabotaging their own show. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't but the bottom line is that I trust the fact that for the most part we know better than they do and it's our job to educate them as to why this kind of stupidity should not be allowed to continue.
 
Amen Void!!!!!! I agree 100% I say the same thing if someone turns up and puts plugs in. I just tell them exactly what I think of people wearing plugs and just do my job!!
 
Re: Earplugs and loud bands

Jordan Lahr said:
then we should permanently mount throne thumpers to them
Click to expand...

I think somebody should invent the "buttplug" thumper. That would really get them going. It may not be pretty however.

I used to work with one national act a fair bit. The drummer would say "turn it up" and at a certain point he would put his earplugs in-and say "turn it up a lot!".

What he was after was that "baseball bat in the kidney" effect. We used to put the drum monitor (2x18"-12" +2" exit horn) right behind him. He was always happy. It really screwed up the sound of the drums (with all the bleed through into the mics)-but he didn't care-HE was having fun. To hell with everybody else!

Unfortunatly that is often the attitude. :(
 
Re: Earplugs and loud bands

Rob Spence said:
Ok, a little rant...
Click to expand...

As you can see, many of us can rant with you. Me included.

I recently recall giving a drummer a texas headphone setup with 2 Mackie HD1531 over 2 HD1801. This is on a small stage. It was cranked right into solid limit and the other band members were complaining that the drum fill was drowning out their own monitor mixes, but the drummer insisted on more, more more.... finally, I said "that's all she's got". I had a conversation with the manager and they convinced the drummer to ditch his 30db plugs and use a small amount of tissue instead. I was able to drop the wedge level almost 10db after that!

This is just one of many examples.
I can understand drummers wanting to protect their hearing from cymbal wash etc, but using 30db plugs is just madness. A 10 to 15db plug is plenty if you really feel you must use them.
I agree with Void, we should take issue with this when these scenarios arise. It is potentially damaging to equipment let alone sonics.
 
Re: Earplugs and loud bands

I would not argue against the need or wisdom of wearing earplugs on stage, but anybody that feels the need for it should be made to wear in-ears.
 
Re: Earplugs and loud bands

Ivan Beaver said:
I think somebody should invent the "buttplug" thumper. That would really get them going. It may not be pretty however....
Click to expand...

YMMD!

Although I try to clear my mind of the pictures... ;-)

I know drummers who need such levels without plugs in. Such levels you can't keep vision when you are near the drumfill and he hits the snare. Well, 20 years of heavy metal cymbal bashing make for some hearing loss, apparently.
 
Re: Earplugs and loud bands

Jeff Babcock said:
I can understand drummers wanting to protect their hearing from cymbal wash etc
Click to expand...

BUT...

Perhaps learning to play with DYNAMICS should be considered.

Must you really smash the ever loving hell out of that cymbal EVERY SINGLE TIME you hit it? What happens if you just tap it? Tap it at the bell, tap it close to the perimiter... Oh look! new textures!

I swear to god, if your band is playing so loud that you need earplugs, you NEED to figure out some way to turn your shit down!

Quiet stages make for awesome shows because the house sound is so much clearer and cleaner. Yes, you CAN do this with a real live drum kit, but YOU NEED TO KNOW HOW TO ACTUALLY PLAY IT and not just beat the fuck out of it every time you hit it. You should be able to hear the rest of the band without monitors, and you definitely need to learn to play TOGETHER and not as a bunch of people up there all playing your parts.

Whatever... I obviously got up on the wrong side of the bed today... perhaps going back to bed will help. I'm going back to my cave to lurk.
 
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