Klarinet Archive - Posting 000403.txt from 1995/06

From: "Edwin V. Lacy" <el2@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Deaf Sound Technicians
Date: Sun, 18 Jun 1995 19:09:26 -0400

On Sun, 18 Jun 1995, Gordon Goodwin wrote:

> Dan's comments on Eddie's playing are hard to argue with. He may be one of
> the most facile improvisers on ANY instrument that we've ever had in Jazz,
> and the fact he does it on such a technically unwielding one such as the
> clarinet makes it all the more impressive. The biggest problem with the BRAVO
> concert was the severe sound problems they had, making Daniels sound as
> though he were underwater or was playing through a tremelo effect of some
> kind. THAT sound guy,( or someone down the line in post production) scewed up
> a magnificent performance.

A week ago I heard the Count Basie Orchestra, directed by Frank Foster.
As always when I have heard this band, I thought it was great. The band
is full of great improvisors, and the character and style of the band
seem to be up to the standard which was set by the group when Basie was
still alive and the leader of the group.

But, they were playing in a fairly small auditorium (about 1200 seats)
with very live acoustics, and hardly any amplification would have been
necessary. Yet, the sound technician, who was hired by the local
promoters, not the band, had placed 30 or so microphones on the stage,
and proceded to jack up the volume level until it was actually painful to
try to listen to the concert. He was fairly young, and probably used to
working with rock groups, and obviously didn't know the slightest thing
about what this type of music is supposed to sound like.

One of my pet peeves is going to a live concert and having the sound
levels so high that you can't hear the sound of the instruments, but only
the loudspeakers. It's like listening to a recording of the group with
the stereo system turned up much too loud.

I've become convinced recently that most sound technicians are "hearing
impaired" as we say in today's politically correct language, and what's
more that very few of them have any musical sensibilities whatsoever.

Sorry, I know this is not really related to the clarinet, but the
mention of sound problems above prompted me to get this off my chest.

Ed Lacy
el2=evansville