Venue mains power supply - loss of volume.

[Painy]

Last night we played a new venue for us and it seems that the mains power supply into the venue (or at least to all the power sockets around the stage area anyway) was a bit lacking to say the least. 

Normally the volume control on my amp (ABM 500) never reaches halfway even in the bigger rooms that we play but last night it was all the way up to 3 o'clock and I still had to DI into the PA to be heard which I don't normally do. 

Both guitarists also had problems although being valve amps it wasn't so much a lack of volume as a lack of gain in their case. 

All checked our amps at home this morning they're all working exactly as they should. 

I've played plenty of places over the last 22 years where we've had interference noises from fruit machines etc but this is the first time I've experienced this or at least in any way that it was noticeable. 

Anyone else had this before? 

[thepurpleblob]

I Am Not An Electrician.

However, this sounds like a wiring problem - most likely a loss of the neutral connection.  I have one of those socket testers in my bag of bits. If I'm unsure I plug it in and make sure I get the "green light". 

[deepbass5]

From experience rather than sitting down and considering the scientific view what is happening.

I have found volt drop does affect the volume and bass end in particular as this is power hungry. I have experience this several times over the last 30 years on Function band jobs in Marquees usually when the power supply is via a long lead from the house or hotel supply also on generated supplies when other loads are also being drawn off the same cable - caterers, discos, heating lighting  etc are using lots of power.

Basically Power - Watts = Volts x Amps   long cables mean high resistance to that flow and voltage drops off at the far end so you can draw less power out.

back to your point I have experience this within a buildings ring main, when beer chillers are running dips when they cut in or the kitchen is right next door and are using lots of power, and noticed the increase in normal power and volume settings when kitchen staff have gone home