Your numbers 1-3 are all signs of under powered amps or inefficiant speakers.
If you have the power to drive the speakers you can achive the desired volume level. If the power is clean it will help the articulationnon the music from being muddy.
Cheap components are cheap for a reason. If you understand what they lack you may be able to over come the short comings and make them better then most others who use them.
I'm not sure I agree the best mix is mono. That would be like saying it would be best to golf with one eye closed.
A great mix should be dynamic, clear, with dimension and space.
Even live mono is weird on a large stage. You should hear the sound basically where you hear/see it. Just larger then life. Reverbs and delays would suffer in mono.
The one thing most engineers miss is that less is more. Thick of everything as onions. Just the right amount makes favor but if you pile it up it's gross and your breathe (mix) stinks.
A very interesting study was done on anger and music. It was found that people who listened to CD (freq 20-20k). Where more prone to anger then cassettes or vinyl both of which have a wider frequency range then a cd and soothing noise floor. Pointing out the anger was sparked by digital fatigue.
digital tinnitus
Moderators: pompeiisneaks, Colossal
Re: digital tinnitus
My Daughter Build Stone Henge
Re: digital tinnitus
I agree, but I have to assume to worst, presenter's, promoters, and venue managers make bad assumptions too. sometimes its unbelievable, its too easy to neglect basic fact finding.
And there's no guarantee the audience even has two ears, One venue I always know I nailed the mix when they guy who's deaf on one ear is happy.
because of the number of artist I handle, the variety of gear, and venue rooms, the mix is the last thing on the list to worry about, surprisingly.
A mix, any mix is up to the board operator, and is a imposition between the act and audience, presenting trad./celtic in small halls is not the same as pop in larger venues.
There is no isolation between the stage and FOH, its about working the room. I've done entire shows on condenser with only a post EQ and a compressor . No mix, just the gain structure in the hall, and the room bounce for verb.
The genre has its tricks, and sound guys are more often the enemy, you don't tell Mr. world famous who has 20 to 35 years on the road how he's supposed to sound, your mix amounts to BS, but if you can preserve the the interaction in the room between the act and audience and maintain a consistent presentation quality through half a dozen rooms you're doing alright.
I've had acts so burnt by bad sound, that they will by pass ALL EQ, and run solely on their instrument mics because they trusted that more than any sound tech.
I remember reading that you can use the pitch that orchestras use to tune by to measure political conditions, the higher the pitch the wider the war.
And there's no guarantee the audience even has two ears, One venue I always know I nailed the mix when they guy who's deaf on one ear is happy.
because of the number of artist I handle, the variety of gear, and venue rooms, the mix is the last thing on the list to worry about, surprisingly.
A mix, any mix is up to the board operator, and is a imposition between the act and audience, presenting trad./celtic in small halls is not the same as pop in larger venues.
There is no isolation between the stage and FOH, its about working the room. I've done entire shows on condenser with only a post EQ and a compressor . No mix, just the gain structure in the hall, and the room bounce for verb.
The genre has its tricks, and sound guys are more often the enemy, you don't tell Mr. world famous who has 20 to 35 years on the road how he's supposed to sound, your mix amounts to BS, but if you can preserve the the interaction in the room between the act and audience and maintain a consistent presentation quality through half a dozen rooms you're doing alright.
I've had acts so burnt by bad sound, that they will by pass ALL EQ, and run solely on their instrument mics because they trusted that more than any sound tech.
I remember reading that you can use the pitch that orchestras use to tune by to measure political conditions, the higher the pitch the wider the war.
there is a right way to mic a musical saw
Re: digital tinnitus
I think the difference in view we are having is where our relationship is with the artist. I'm brought in by the talent to make sure they sound good. It's both good and bad. They will listen to me and turn up or down and trust me to make them sound good, However I have to make them sound good.
It sounds like you get the other end of the spectrum where you supply and tech the gear, run the board when needed but ultimately it's not your head on the cutting block if the sound sucks.
I've run across a lot of artists that have been burned by bad sound, even phyically hurt by newbies pushing levels while using IEMs. It can get pretty silly at times trying to get what you know they need and what they think they want to.. be the same thing.
I've done the riverdance and lord of the dance shows a couple dozen times each. As well as Celtic Women. At that scale it's alot more pre recorded tracks then live micing. lot's of zone micing the spring board floor.
It sounds like you get the other end of the spectrum where you supply and tech the gear, run the board when needed but ultimately it's not your head on the cutting block if the sound sucks.
I've run across a lot of artists that have been burned by bad sound, even phyically hurt by newbies pushing levels while using IEMs. It can get pretty silly at times trying to get what you know they need and what they think they want to.. be the same thing.
I've done the riverdance and lord of the dance shows a couple dozen times each. As well as Celtic Women. At that scale it's alot more pre recorded tracks then live micing. lot's of zone micing the spring board floor.
My Daughter Build Stone Henge