Klarinet Archive - Posting 000432.txt from 1995/06

From: Bill Hall <billhall@-----.NET>
Subj: Re: Deaf Sound Technicians
Date: Tue, 20 Jun 1995 09:43:06 -0400

I might add that they are also sometimes careless (or stupid!).

This Sunday I played a solo at my church on alto sax. I always use an
accompanyment track that is on cassette. The song I played was a medley that
starts out with "Rock of Ages." Well, the rythm of the intro of this
particular accompanyment is complicated, and there's three measures that
basically, except for the chord structures underneath, are repeats. I have
to count it to know where enter.

When the sound man started the tape, it began not at the beginning of the
tape, but somewhere in the middle of the intro. I had no idea which measure
"we" were on. So I motioned to him to rewind the tape and start over. He
did, but this time, somehow, the monitors were turned so low that I could
barely hear the tape.

I couldn't very well stand there adjusting things all day - we were after
all in the middle of a church service - so I just played, listening as best
I could. My son told me later that I was only a couple of beats off in some
places, and it really sounded nice once the track got loud enough for me to
hear it.

Bill Hall

>Ed Lacy,
>
>You are not alone. This is a frustration of mine as well. I think we are
>victims of the electronic age. Most people are used to hearing music through
>their stereo system, and when a live band is around, the sound technicians do
>their best to match what people are used to hearing (or at least what *they*
>are used to hearing). If they don't, the sound of the band seems a bit
>lackluster to them. It's unfortunate that some music performances are given
>the "in your face", "kick some butt" approach rather than to let the real
>depth of the sound be revealed.
>
>I feel better now!
>
>Tom L.
>