arctichawk
New member
Hi all.
As jamming studios are usually small and cramped, the volume of sound is super dense and loud, at points impossible to tell apart what anyone else is playing. This is especially so when the drums (acoustic volume) is always very loud. As a result, everyone has to crank up to match the acoustic volume of the drum and this ends up in a big mess of noise.
Second, we all know that the balance of sound is relative to the position of where the person is standing. For example, a bassist hears more bass then the rest ever does. One guitarist might hear the bass, while another does not. When this kind of situation occur, which is the real 'balance' of volume? Do we then fix someone's position, for eg, the singer as the relative correct mix, compromising the balance at the locations where everyone else stands? In this case, then how do we ensure productive jamming, that we can hear that everyone else is playing together and hitting the right notes in a jamming studio when what we hear is not a balanced mix and only the singer does?
Third would be the 'live sound' paradox which I am curious about. In super big gigs, we always see stacks of cabinets right behind the guitarists, and if these were the ones that will be projecting all the way to all the 1000+ people at the rear, wouldn't the guitarists be deaf? And the first row too?
Seems like to solve this, we use stage monitors. Someone once told me that every players' stage monitors are mixed differently as their own input would be raw and loud enough from the amps, so the stage monitors would be playin more mix of other instruments. My question lies here: is there a need then to control our volume on our guitars/pre-amps when we are not hearing the geniune volume being played out on the house?
Apparently, we all know that house speakers will be placed all over an arena so that people at the back can hear, and this final output volume and mix is controlled by the soundman. Does that mean that the final output volume is solely at the mercy of the soundman who is at the mixer? Then whats the point of having volume knobs on our guitars/pre-amps when everything is dictated by the soundman?
Also, is there a need then to ensure a correct mix at the point as I have mentioned earlier as the relative correct mix? Or should we just aim to hear everyone else in the studio, and not care about the precised mix volume for practice sake?
In short, what should be the right mix in a jamming studio? Who should dictate this, but if at live gigs the final mix will be by the soundman, then is there a need then to get a right mix in a jamming studio in the first place? This is the 'live sound paradox' I'm asking about.
As jamming studios are usually small and cramped, the volume of sound is super dense and loud, at points impossible to tell apart what anyone else is playing. This is especially so when the drums (acoustic volume) is always very loud. As a result, everyone has to crank up to match the acoustic volume of the drum and this ends up in a big mess of noise.
Second, we all know that the balance of sound is relative to the position of where the person is standing. For example, a bassist hears more bass then the rest ever does. One guitarist might hear the bass, while another does not. When this kind of situation occur, which is the real 'balance' of volume? Do we then fix someone's position, for eg, the singer as the relative correct mix, compromising the balance at the locations where everyone else stands? In this case, then how do we ensure productive jamming, that we can hear that everyone else is playing together and hitting the right notes in a jamming studio when what we hear is not a balanced mix and only the singer does?
Third would be the 'live sound' paradox which I am curious about. In super big gigs, we always see stacks of cabinets right behind the guitarists, and if these were the ones that will be projecting all the way to all the 1000+ people at the rear, wouldn't the guitarists be deaf? And the first row too?
Seems like to solve this, we use stage monitors. Someone once told me that every players' stage monitors are mixed differently as their own input would be raw and loud enough from the amps, so the stage monitors would be playin more mix of other instruments. My question lies here: is there a need then to control our volume on our guitars/pre-amps when we are not hearing the geniune volume being played out on the house?
Apparently, we all know that house speakers will be placed all over an arena so that people at the back can hear, and this final output volume and mix is controlled by the soundman. Does that mean that the final output volume is solely at the mercy of the soundman who is at the mixer? Then whats the point of having volume knobs on our guitars/pre-amps when everything is dictated by the soundman?
Also, is there a need then to ensure a correct mix at the point as I have mentioned earlier as the relative correct mix? Or should we just aim to hear everyone else in the studio, and not care about the precised mix volume for practice sake?
In short, what should be the right mix in a jamming studio? Who should dictate this, but if at live gigs the final mix will be by the soundman, then is there a need then to get a right mix in a jamming studio in the first place? This is the 'live sound paradox' I'm asking about.