Top Ways To Annoy A Sound Engineer

Re: Ways to annoy a sound guy

Chris Nixon said:
When has a singer ever been trying to tell you that the vocals are too loud?

Chris
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Something along those lines.... A lead singer / performer is up on stage with his band. His wife comes over about 2 songs in and asks why he sounds so nasely, that she hears him sing all the time and he doesn't sound like that.... I told her that, that is what he sounds like, and did she notice if the performer before him sounded like that ? Meanwhile both the monitor guy and myself had been commenting on clearcom that very thing (that he sounded like his nose was plugged) as we madly try to eq the suck out of his voice... I was also told by my co-worker who was still in the FOH tent while I was on stage, that he had come by and his only comment was he was told the vocals were too loud in realtion to the music in the mix.... oh well
 
Re: Ways to annoy a sound guy

Greg Cameron said:
This is one of my favorite things, when a vocalist asks to have the monitor turned down. To me, it means a few things. 1) you did a decent job of getting good GBF, 2) you don't have to worry about them asking for "more monitor,", 3) stage levels will probably be decently tamed.
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Totally true. I know a monitor tech who prides himself on getting the monitors so loud that when the band he was touring with would walk on stage, the vocalist would say "check," have his entire body feel the vibrations, and then demand that the monitor tech stop trying to kill him with the vocalists own voice. Good running gag if you ask me, but you have to admit- that tech's got it down.
 
Re: Ways to annoy a sound guy

Silas Pradetto said:
I have this problem all the time...wedges too hot causing the vocalist to pull back from the mic. Usually the case for non-pro singers unfamiliar with actually hearing themselves.
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I had one singer that did that when she couldn't hear herself well. She would pull back from the mike, I'd pull down her voice in the monitor to force her closer to the mike, and she would complain afterwards that she couldn't hear herself. She was a bit nervous when performing, and sometimes would lose confidence and sing quieter. Then she couldn't hear herself properly, lost more confidence and pulled away and got even quieter. I tried to explain to her several times to move in if she couldn't hear herself, but to no avail.
Didn't annoy me half as much as the guitar player that would always unplug his acoustic after an acoustic number and then without exception forget to plug it back in for the next acoustic number. :?~:-?~:???:
 
Re: Ways to annoy a sound guy

I had a semi-famous singer-songwriter once who taped his tuner to his wedge. Problem was he didn't have his guitar cord inserted all the way, so the microphone in the tuner came on, erupting in howls of feedback. Of course he gave me the evil eye, and even after I fixed HIS problem he said over the mic "Don't let that happen again". Chump.
 
Re: Ways to annoy a sound guy

Dave Barnett said:
I had a semi-famous singer-songwriter once who taped his tuner to his wedge. Problem was he didn't have his guitar cord inserted all the way, so the microphone in the tuner came on, erupting in howls of feedback. Of course he gave me the evil eye, and even after I fixed HIS problem he said over the mic "Don't let that happen again". Chump.
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Had an acoustic act, 4 piece, the band leader had almost everything around him that could make a noise on this earth. He was a studio owner, and control freak so he was sending me a single send from a mixwiz. We started to check his acoustic guitar, nothing... started to walk back to the stage from the FOH position and I noticed my 1/4" cable is dangling from his gtr strap.... FAIL...

I got a plot this week named "Revised so n so act july 2013 - awesome right ?

First off how can I take you seriously....Zylgian, is not spelled that way, the 2nd guitar player was listed as having same in-ear mix as main gtr player and the bassist was listed as having a mono mix, when it's supposed to be stereo. 4 mixes of wedges that are on the plot and are NOT needed, but a drum sub is. The same goes for backline shown, double gtr amps per player can be just one each... Also the input list was incorrect as well (which was sorted out through email exchange). Why bother sending advance material if it's not correct? I wish the acts or thier managment would have to pay for the equipment that was brought and paid for by the promoter (which trickles down to the ticket holder), but not required or used./end rant/
 
Re: Ways to annoy a sound guy

Dave Barnett said:
I had a semi-famous singer-songwriter once who taped his tuner to his wedge. Problem was he didn't have his guitar cord inserted all the way, so the microphone in the tuner came on, erupting in howls of feedback. Of course he gave me the evil eye, and even after I fixed HIS problem he said over the mic "Don't let that happen again". Chump.
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Those are the kind of performers that receive a smile, nod, and single-finger wave from me. Kind of a "sure, and fuck you very much" response. I'll take the heat, eat the crow, etc for things that I screw up but I don't let a performer blame me for his shit. I *do* have the discretion to not point out his failings to the audience unless he becomes abusive.

Anecdote: We were in tour rehearsals for a well-known Branson act and they used a couple hours of rehearsal to audition new singers. Females were asked to do a prepared number and then sing 3 and 4 part harmony with current cast members. One auditioning singer kept complaining that she couldn't hear herself and after several such statements and adjustments to her mix, my monitor guy walked on stage, took her mic and said "check one, check two" in a normal speaking voice. Dust fell from the grid onto the stage. The producer turned to FOH and gave us a wan smile, picked up her talkback mic and said "next, please."
 
Re: Ways to annoy a sound guy

Tim...

When she complains that she can't hear herself, de-tune her vocal a quarter step in the monitor and see if that doesn't get her attention.
Bet she can hear it then...
 
Re: Ways to annoy a sound guy

1) you did a decent job of getting good GBF, 2) you don't have to worry about them asking for "more monitor,", 3) stage levels will probably be decently tamed.
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All of these yo. Most nights I don't get asked for more in the folds, some nights I get asked for a little less. Pride myself on it :-)

I think it's already been said but I'll resay it cos it's goddam annoying. Coming up to the tech 10 seconds into the song with critique. Just back off and let me hear for myself first!!!!
 
Re: Ways to annoy a sound guy

Lisa Lane-Collins said:
All of these yo. Most nights I don't get asked for more in the folds, some nights I get asked for a little less. Pride myself on it :-)

I think it's already been said but I'll resay it cos it's goddam annoying. Coming up to the tech 10 seconds into the song with critique. Just back off and let me hear for myself first!!!!
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I'll take that over waiting until load out to tell me.
 
Re: Ways to annoy a sound guy

Milt Hathaway said:
I'll take that over waiting until load out to tell me.
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:lol:

Oh, I don't know, if it is 10 seconds into the sound check then it has got no value at all except disturbing and annoying. One thing is coming up and saying "It needs more of this or that" but when I get "It sounds like crap" ten seconds into sound checking the very first performer it kinds of put me in a mood where further communication with the person in question is going to be somewhat strained (with the risk of being misogynistic: it's nearly always the mother/wife/girlfriend/daughter of the performer). Of course, on top of annoying me, the person will sometimes tell the performer that the sound was awful on that song, ensuring that the performer gets very apprehensive about their performance.
I probably need a big sign saying "Yes, I know it sounds like crap right now, and I'm working to make it sound good for the actual performance."
 
Per Søvik said:
:lol:

Oh, I don't know, if it is 10 seconds into the sound check then it has got no value at all except disturbing and annoying.
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Some people feel its their duty. I remember a theater in NJ where they were lined up to tell me what was wrong before the band even started playing. That's right, more than one person can up between the opening act I didn't mix and the headliner I was about to, to offer their opinions about how the band should be mixed. "Can you make sure I can hear the mandolin". "My video is really bassy where I set up three feet in front of the subs".

Another time, a friend of the band comes running up screaming at me that he can't hear the keyboards. I look down at the signal and calmly tell him it is because the keyboard player wasn't playing anything at that moment. Sure enough next verse the musician had finished whatever programming he was doing and the keys came in right where they should be.

Of course I have been on the other side of the coin. At a small throw and go performance in Nashville, the setup really didn't make sense for me to take over the mix position especially since I already knew the tech that was mixing. It seemed okay for me to help carry the musicians instruments in, set up their mics in the proper positions, but to call attention to the fact that one instrument was still muted was too much.

Given that unsolicited advice, whether valid or not, falls on deaf ears, if I want to talk tech with someone at a show I am not working, I usually introduce myself, identify myself as a tech, give them a card, and limit the conversation to the equipment rather than the results unless specifically asked.
 
Re: Top Ways To Annoy A Sound Engineer

Patio gig Saturday night, a lady sitting at a table behind and to the side of the stage complained that she couldn't hear the vocals. I just smile and nod my head :-)
Some people do think it's their job to complain
 
Re: Top Ways To Annoy A Sound Engineer

Jeff Williams said:
Patio gig Saturday night, a lady sitting at a table behind and to the side of the stage complained that she couldn't hear the vocals. I just smile and nod my head :-)
Some people do think it's their job to complain
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Yeah, like it is her fault that you didn't cover the whole audience when you set up the speakers :razz:

We've all been there, setting up and doing sound check, talking to the one that seems in charge of the tables, just to come back half an hour before the show to find that someone have added a few tables or chairs at the worst positions imaginable. :?~:-?~:???:
 
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Re: Top Ways To Annoy A Sound Engineer

Per Søvik said:
Yeah, like it is her fault that you didn't cover the whole audience when you set up the speakers :razz:

We've all been there, setting up and doing sound check, talking to the one that seems in charge of the tables, just to come back half an hour before the show to find that someone have added a few tables or chairs at the worst positions imaginable. :?~:-?~:???:
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Crappy cell phone video of vocal issue: Here

Manager had specifically requested no speakers be aimed at that section too.
 
Re: Top Ways To Annoy A Sound Engineer

Jeff Williams said:
Patio gig Saturday night, a lady sitting at a table behind and to the side of the stage complained that she couldn't hear the vocals. I just smile and nod my head :-)
Some people do think it's their job to complain
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I do a "wing fest" every year and they always put the table section off to the right of the stage. There is usually a line of people waiting to tell me they can't hear whatever..
 
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