Klarinet Archive - Posting 000412.txt from 2004/07

From: "Benjamin Maas" <benmaas@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Amplification of music (somewhat OT)-LONG REPLY
Date: Mon, 12 Jul 2004 17:21:44 -0400

Yikes... Guess I hit a nerve here with this post... A few comments (some
have been touched on already, but with so many posts to this topic I'll =
keep
it short):

> From: Karl Krelove
> Why do arrangers write in ways that won't work acoustically?=20
> Incompetence,
> carelessness, or a wish to create an electronic sound from the start?

I don't think it is any of this... Today, most composers are used to
writing with a very broad palette of colors. Some balance out better =
than
others. I don't see this just in jazz or other often-amplified mediums, =
but
in contemporary classical music as well. I end up multi-micing =
contemporary
music most of the time because that is what the style of music calls =
for.
Much of it does not stand on its own without some sort of electronic =
help in
the reproduction of it- whether that reproduction is in live performance =
or
on a CD.

Amplification of Broadway was brought up... Once again, I see this as =
being
the result of the need to project voices over a progressively more =
amplified
orchestra. In "the old days," how many synth/electric guitar/electric =
bass
players were sitting in the orchestra? Of course the stars then and now
have big voices, but not everybody can project enough to fill a hall. =
When
you have an audience paying large sums of cash to see a show, you better =
be
able to hear EVERYTHING. We come back to orchestration. Orchestration =
is
everything.

> From: Bill Hausmann [mailto:bhausmann1@-----.net]=20
>=20
> In all fairness, I did play one amplified big band gig that=20
> worked out=20
> well. It was in the large show hall in a casino, although=20
> the event was a=20
> private party. The casino provided the sound guy and=20
> equipment. I have no=20
> idea what it sounded like up front, but the monitor speakers=20
> he provided=20
> really helped us hear OURSELVES. We probably played one of=20
> our best jobs=20
> ever because of that.

A good sound person will do that for you. Just like musicians, there =
are
different qualities of sound people. Some will help you and some will
hinder you... Electronics don't have to be bad.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Karl Krelove [mailto:karlkrelove@-----.net]=20
>=20
> If all I get to hear is amplified sound, however well-controlled or
> tastelessly it's done, I start to wonder why I pay to go to live
> performances - I can hear all electronic on a good stereo. I=20
> know - it's the
> ambiance and the spontaneity of live performers interacting=20
> with each other
> and the audience. But if I just close my eyes what I actually=20
> *hear* is
> little different from a good recording played on good=20
> equipment - unless one
> of the performers screws up. Then I can go home with a good=20
> story to tell my
> friends.
>=20
> Pining for the "good old days" and I'm not even old enough to remember
> them...

When I talk with many of my clients that went through "the good old =
days,"
they are happy about the advances that have been made. It enables them =
to
be able to hear themselves well. It also makes it so that the audience =
will
often have a better listening experience. =20

BTW, those of you that dislike amplified music are by far in the =
minority.
I worked with the Maynard Ferguson Big Bop Nuveaux (sp?) a few years =
back as
a part of a festival. They amplified a la rock concert- REALLY LOUD (I =
was
wearing my earplugs). That is the one concert that the audience
overwhelmingly thought sounded the best.=20

>Kevin Fay wrote:
>
>Sometimes the sound guy is an idiot=20
> =20
>

> To which Gary Truesdail replied:
>
> Curious thought,
> Has anyone ever known one that wasn't"

You know, it is the attitude like this that will make every sound guy =
hate
you. Let him/her do their job and you'll be much more likely to get a =
good
result. Learn to speak their language so that if you don't like what =
you
hear, you can communicate. Saying "THIS SUCKS!" to a sound guy will =
insult
him and will make him dislike you. If you can quantify why you dislike =
your
sound, then you can discuss things intelligently. Remember, Sound is =
every
bit as much of an art as your playing is. Telling a sound person that =
his
mix sucks is like him telling you that your playing sucks.

A sound person can make the gig go really well or really horribly. I'll
admit that some musicians have pissed me off in the past and in the end, =
I
can totally screw up their performance. The audience will never know =
and
you end up looking bad. Oops... Monitor mix just changed and you only =
hear
yourself without bass and drums. Where did the time just go? In
rehearsal... Sorry... Feedback. Hope your hearing isn't hurt... A
combative attitude doesn't get anybody anywhere.

> From: kurtheisig@-----.net
>=20
> We certainly don't need an orangutan twiddling knobs to make=20
> us sound better!!!
>=20
<snip happens>
>=20
> I will admit that whoever does the sound at the Monterey Jazz=20
> Festival is INCREDIBLE! Other than that one venue.....
>=20
> Musicians stand up and UNPLUG the things!!!
>=20
<snip happens>
> When I told the soundman we would not be using mics, he changed mics=20
> and put one on without a switch! You should have SEEN the fit=20
> he threw when I unplugged it after my announcement!!!! We=20
> were heard fine!!
>=20

See above comments. Another thing on concert etiquette.... DO NOT EVER
TOUCH A MICROPHONE AND CERTAINLY DO NOT UNPLUG IT. =20

Let me repeat in case it didn't get through the first time: DO NOT EVER
TOUCH A MICROPHONE AND CERTAINLY DO NOT UNPLUG IT.

Unless you want the sound person coming up on stage and deciding to =
adjust
your instrument, that is the single most combative thing you can do.
Unplugging a microphone can cause a spike to go through the system that =
will
ruin the gear- both microphone and speakers/amps.=20

Stuff like this really pisses me off to see... Learn something about =
sound
rather than make blanket judgments. Work with your sound person rather =
than
against him.

I'll finish my rant here by suggesting that everybody that performs live =
get
a set of musicians ear plugs. You'll never believe how much they can =
help
your ability to hear. Playing inside a big band can be really loud or =
heck,
sitting in front of the trumpets when playing Mahler or Strauss can be
deafening... Those plugs are expensive, but they are the only ones that
will not really change what you are hearing. I go to loud rock concerts =
all
the time and I enjoy them because I can hear clearly with the plugs. =
When
mixing loud shows, I can even wear them and get a good mix. (try mixing =
a
modern big band in a room that seats less than 200 people).

And yes, I have experience with this on both sides of the console...

--Ben

Benjamin Maas
Fifth Circle Audio
Los Angeles, CA
http://www.fifthcircle.com

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