Perry_Rhodan_SMUS
Joined: Jun 11, 2012
Posts: 17
Luxembourg, Europe
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Posted on Jul 07 2012 08:18 AM
You are sooo, right, Vintagesurfdude!
On the one hand I tried to be polite and do what they say, after all they are the guys with the mix, right?
But the same thing happened to me once as well, I was yelling at him, he was yelling back and in the end we agreed to disagree and he took me out of the mix and I just pushed the amp's volume up...any decent Fender will only start to feel comfy at higher volumes any ways and the tubes and the preamp will be fully saturated and the sound will be fine...people told us as well that night we never sounded that good, hahahah!
So what's the worst that could happen, right?
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IvanP
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 10331
southern Michigan
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Posted on Jul 07 2012 09:34 AM
Unless you're playing a HUGE place (and how many are??? Pretty much none, I'm guessing...), there's absolutely NO reason why a surf band should ever be mic-ed and put through a PA. You're at the mercy of a sound guy, and most of them don't have a clue - I was going to add 'about surf music,' but come to think of it, the sentence stands on its own! They will almost certainly not make you sound good. They'll turn up the kick drum WAY too loud (in the past I've thought about carrying a gun with me to make sure the soundmen keep the kick drum down in the mix! It's like some kind of mental sickness with those people!!), and in fact, they'll usually make the drums far too loud in general, and probably bass, too. They will almost certainly not have the lead guitar as loud as it needs to be, no matter how many times you tell them that the lead guitar takes the place of the vocal in instrumental music. It's almost guaranteed they'll do everything wrong. Keep away!!!
A surf band should if at all possible dispense with a sound system, except for the talkback mic. (Or maybe go the Penetrators route, and just use a megaphone, COMPLETELY eliminating the need for a PA!) Turn up those amps, and revel in the glorious Fender sound and the beautiful tone of acoustic drums!
— Ivan
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caddady
Joined: Feb 14, 2010
Posts: 802
N.E. Ohio
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Posted on Jul 07 2012 10:28 AM
, "there's absolutely NO reason why a surf band should ever be mic-ed and put through a PA" Ivan
Split a gig with Thee Swank Bastards a week or so thursday. Played for the door. Soundman got 50 bucks right off the top and the balance 1/3 for us, 2/3 TSB was not enough to fill the tank with gas....
— http://www.reverbnation.com/thegreasemonkeyz
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bigtikidude
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 25683
Anaheim(So.Cal.)U.S.A.
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Posted on Jul 07 2012 11:56 AM
at HB pier shows, if a band brings a smaller amp,
35 to 50 watts, its usually best to give a bit of PA back up.
but Showmans usually can hold their own against the drums coming thru the PA.
But I agree, small clubs and the surf museum parking lot shows sound great when everything is just au-natural.
— Jeff(bigtikidude)
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caddady
Joined: Feb 14, 2010
Posts: 802
N.E. Ohio
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Posted on Jul 08 2012 11:56 AM
"Played for the door. Soundman got 50 bucks right off the top and the balance 1/3 for us, 2/3 TSB was not enough to fill the tank with gas..."
correction soundman got 50 bucks per band..
Negotiate with the people before hand @ Cedars in Youngstown OH. Or just avoid the joint.
— http://www.reverbnation.com/thegreasemonkeyz
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Perry_Rhodan_SMUS
Joined: Jun 11, 2012
Posts: 17
Luxembourg, Europe
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Posted on Jul 09 2012 04:27 AM
IvanP wrote:
You're at the mercy of a sound guy, and most of them don't have a clue - I was going to add 'about surf music,' but come to think of it, the sentence stands on its own!
Hahahaha! Brilliant, Ivan P! I couldn't agree more! you can spend HOURS before the gig, trying to make the sound guy COMPREHEND that this is NOT a hardcore Metal show, where the drums will be thundering loud and the guitars are quietly left in the mix left and right from the singer. He might nod knowingly and even agree with you, but rest assured that he DOES NOT HAVE A CLUE and questions wWILL arise, probably 5 minutes before your gig...like: no, wait there IS no singer, right, but you guys have a microphone? For what? What exactly do you mean by "talk-back"? Retro? What is RETRO?...so you guys ARE an instrumental band? shall I take the microphone away then? and there's TWO guitars but ONE is to be put actually louder like the other, like a SINGER would be...but you don't HAVE a singer, right? And what is this THERMIn you are talking about?....
Hahahaha! Good to see that we are not the only ones to go through this, it is funny and sad at the same time, but sometimes you really are better off just taking matters into your own amps, so to speak.
Thanks for sharing and making me feel less alone in our struggle for a sweet sound....!
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SanchoPansen
Joined: Jan 04, 2011
Posts: 1588
Berlin L-Berg
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Posted on Jul 09 2012 07:15 AM
After more than 10 years of gigging and countless venues we decided to bring our own soundguy along. We've played lots of gigs with a poor/unbearable sound (on stage and in the audience). There are no real soundguys anymore. Most venues have a 'music fan' doing this. Best advise I ever got from one of those guys was: 'Turn down the echo on your guitar.'
I've developed a nice trick to bear with those guys. I found an old TV & Movie cutting device. Something like this:
It has lots of knobs and controls, plus it looks like an amp head. so I place it on top of my amp. Every time they ask me to change my sound (we can talk about the volume, sure) I simply turn some knobs on this device, flip some switches, hit a chord and ask: 'Better now?'. They ALWAYS answer 'Yes, very good.'
Of course, everyone will prefer a direct, natural, non PAed sound. But that's only possible with a trad surf band. We have:
2 guitars, bass, drums, 2 vocals, theremin, samples (mac) and a stylophone. I've met maybe 2 sound guys who knew all of the instruments...
— The Hicadoolas
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Perry_Rhodan_SMUS
Joined: Jun 11, 2012
Posts: 17
Luxembourg, Europe
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Posted on Jul 09 2012 08:22 AM
Veeeerryy tricky, SanchoPansen!
That made me laugh a lot with your nonsense device, they see you twist some knobs and flick some switches and then they think you actually altered the sound and/or volume? Not bad...I might consider doing something sneaky like that as well in future times...!
Danke für den Tipp!
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poisonmanu
Joined: May 13, 2011
Posts: 81
Belgium
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Posted on Jul 09 2012 08:56 AM
Have you ever met that "soundguy" ? : "what's that little box ? Ooooohhhh a reverb !!!!???? Do I place the mic in front of it or in the back ?"
— www.facebook.com/hello.tiki.1
www.facebook.com/SonicNightmare
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SanchoPansen
Joined: Jan 04, 2011
Posts: 1588
Berlin L-Berg
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Posted on Jul 09 2012 08:57 AM
Yep, that's exactly it. No further discussion, as you obviously 'changed' something (be sure they see you turning knobs and flicking switches). You can get those devices cheap off Ebay (Manufacturer is 'Metrix').
Gerne geschehen.
//Sorry for being off topic...
— The Hicadoolas
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clepak
Joined: Jun 11, 2006
Posts: 551
Liege (Belgium)
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Posted on Jul 09 2012 09:46 AM
Dude, when I think I had this old oscilloscope that I threw away years ago... Looked like a plane control panel... would have made the trick.
— Monkey Ju
Pirato Ketchup
Facebook
Bandcamp
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Matt22
Joined: Feb 15, 2007
Posts: 2858
Fredericksburg, Virginia
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Posted on Jul 09 2012 10:30 AM
SanchoPansen wrote:
Yep, that's exactly it. No further discussion, as you obviously 'changed' something (be sure they see you turning knobs and flicking switches). You can get those devices cheap off Ebay (Manufacturer is 'Metrix').
Gerne geschehen.
//Sorry for being off topic...
LOL, very very clever!
— Matt "tha Kat" Lentz
Skippy and the Skipjacks: 2018-2020
Skippyandtheskipjacks.net
https://www.facebook.com/skippyandtheskipjacks
Otto and the Ottomans: 2014-2015
The Coconauts surf band: 2009-2014
www.theamazingcoconauts.com
Group Captain and the Mandrakes 2013
http://www.gcmband.com/
The Surfside IV: 2002-2005, 2008-2009
the Del-Vamps: 1992-1999, 2006-2007
http://www.dblcrown.com/delvamps.html
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tubeswell
Joined: Sep 24, 2011
Posts: 1424
Wellington, NZ
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Posted on Jul 09 2012 07:50 PM
SanchoPansen wrote:
Cool tube tester
— He who dies with the most tubes... wins
Surf Daddies
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Perry_Rhodan_SMUS
Joined: Jun 11, 2012
Posts: 17
Luxembourg, Europe
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Posted on Jul 10 2012 07:57 AM
poisonmanu wrote:
Have you ever met that "soundguy" ? : "what's that little box ? Ooooohhhh a reverb !!!!???? Do I place the mic in front of it or in the back ?"
Greetings, Manu!
Yes, that happened to me sometimes as well! they honestly think that sound will come out of the grill cloth...even though I told them many times that THAT thing was NOT an AMP, "only" an effect, so please tale the sound from the amp or guitar cab...!
Aaarrrgh!
Sinon, ça va avec les 'Tikis?
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Aaron
Joined: Sep 13, 2011
Posts: 100
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Posted on Jul 12 2012 11:33 PM
Forget the sound-guy, it's the worst when one of the bartenders tries to tell you how to change your sound.
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Perry_Rhodan_SMUS
Joined: Jun 11, 2012
Posts: 17
Luxembourg, Europe
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Posted on Jul 13 2012 07:47 AM
Aaron wrote:
Forget the sound-guy, it's the worst when one of the bartenders tries to tell you how to change your sound.
WHAT??? Really? Ok, I admit that is the WORST! I am glad that never happened to me....yet.
But let me get back to the topic here: "I play SUrf music because that is a music whereI do not have to let BARTENDERS give me advice concerning my sound!"
Surf long and prosper!
www.myspace.com/smusband
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clepak
Joined: Jun 11, 2006
Posts: 551
Liege (Belgium)
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Posted on Jul 14 2012 02:00 AM
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SanchoPansen
Joined: Jan 04, 2011
Posts: 1588
Berlin L-Berg
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Posted on Jul 14 2012 03:10 AM
Hilarious!
//Edit: 'It's B*tchSLAP Delay!' would also work here.
— The Hicadoolas
Last edited: Jul 14, 2012 11:46:43
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BeachBumScott
Joined: Aug 31, 2009
Posts: 352
The Ranch, CO
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Posted on Jul 14 2012 12:11 PM
I grew up on my dads first wave collection and having short stubby fingers and a couple hand surgery's its hard/painful to hold chords.
So as a basement hack I get to play the lead melody lines with out having to play rhythm.
— "Maybe there aren't any surf bands; there's only surf music?" Tuck
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Perry_Rhodan_SMUS
Joined: Jun 11, 2012
Posts: 17
Luxembourg, Europe
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Posted on Jul 16 2012 03:48 AM
clepak wrote:
image
Hahahaha! Excellent!
One picture says it ALL!
Brilliant!
;-D
www.myspace.com/smusband
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