Sound Men and the Double bass.

[marvin spangles]

I was playing in a pit orchestra tonight and when I arrived there was a monitor speaker and DI box beside my Combo. I asked the Soundman what was the extra gear for. He said he had no way of controlling my sound unless I went through his DI. As the orchestra was all acoustic I suggested that I'd be better using my own gear and playing to the sound from the rest of the orchestra and the singers on stage. I got a disgruntled look so I suggested he listen and if it didn't work we'd perhaps try it his way. Two numbers into the show ( dress rehearsal) the Soundman comes rushing down to the Pit looking agitated and in a told you so kind of voice he tells me the bass is way too loud. However when I told him that I hadn't used any amplification the conversation ended and the Soundman turned own his heel and retreated powerless and defeated... Couldn't help but feel smug ...

[Doddy]

I did a multi band gig once where I was to use the supplied back line and I was the only person
using an Upright. At soundcheck I plugged into the amp (an Ashdown ABM head and 4x10 cab),
and the soundman came running over and started to play with all the controls before telling me
that a Double Bass would blow up the amp because it puts out too much low end!!! It didn't help
that I'd been talking to one of the guys from Ashdown a couple of days earlier and was told that
I would have no problems using the Upright through their amps. Anyway,I told him to leave it alone
and let me sort it,which he grudgingly did,and I got a great sound out of it.
I don't know why,but there are quite a few soundmen who panic when they see a Double Bass being
brought in.

[Ultima2876]

Honestly, I think there are quite a few soundmen who panic when they have to deal with anything that isn't a standard 2 guitars, 1 bass, 1 drum set config.

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='Ultima2876' timestamp='1354765033' post='1890190']
Honestly, I think there are quite a few soundmen who panic when they have to deal with anything that isn't a standard 2 guitars, 1 bass, 1 drum set config.[/quote]

Oh definitely. I've even seen sound men throw a fit because the drummer needs a vocal mic.

To add a positive note: The last gig I did on DB the sound guy came to the stage when he saw me arrive with the double bass, asked 'What do you want to do with that?', I said I had two pickups and preamps so if he could give me two DIs and my own wedge he was welcome to choose whatever mix of the two pickups he wanted out front. He said 'Brilliant', dragged over another DI box and went back to his desk happy. A sound man who didn't know everything - made the whole gig more tolerable.

[BassBus]

That's all if the soundman even knows what a double bass sounds like. I played a gig some time ago where I went into the PA. Sound was dreadful and the piano player turns round and says "How to make a double bass sound like a Fender Precision". Nuff said.

[bassace]

From time to time I turn up at a 'big' gig and am confronted with a great wall of PA including subs and my heart sinks. I ask the sound man to amp my middle and top and go very easy on the bottom, leaving most of it to my own back line, and nothing through the monitors, and generally it works out fine.

I saw (heard) Danny Thompson at Cornbury Festival back in the summer and his sound was absolutely awful, the curse of the sound man.

Edited December 6, 2012 by bassace

[marvin spangles]

In fairness there are many Soundmen who totally understand the instrument and do a great job. I remember one occasion in Cork Opera house when we had a short time to Get in and set up and the sound felt so good . When I thanked the sound guys ...one guy replied no big deal we just took your band sound and made it louder. In the case of my OP in the Pit where amplification wasn't needed the seemed bemused because he had no role. FWIW I persuaded the pianist to play the house upright which he did . I wasn't competing with his amplified sound so we had a lovely transparent and balanced ensemble. In so many occasions we are forced to amplify when it isn't always needed. I think the way we listen to music in so many venues has become so unnatural that it sometimes becomes the norm.

[mckendrick]

[quote name='Ultima2876' timestamp='1354765033' post='1890190']
Honestly, I think there are quite a few soundmen who panic when they have to deal with anything that isn't a standard 2 guitars, 1 bass, 1 drum set config.
[/quote]
And there are a whole pile of them even [i]then[/i].