|
|
|
|
|
|
#113053 - 01/19/02 08:33 AM
Playing Loud Is Fun--How was your gig?
|
Senior Member
Registered: 06/25/99
Posts: 16735
Loc: Benton, LA, USA
|
Just a frivolous topic brought to mind by a great gig last night--I wonder how everyone else's night went. I'm playing a couple nights a week in a new club on a nearby lake. It is huge, with seating capacity of maybe 4-500. The audience is very diverse, ranging from early twenties to 70's. Most of the people live around the lake, so many income brackets, lifestyles, etc are represented. It's very interesting because they can drink as much as they want, and still be very close to home. They don't have to worry about DWI's. Everybody pretty much knows everybody else--it's like a big family. The common thread is that they do love to have a party, and late in the evening they want some loud, rockin' music. It has been quite awhile since I was able to really crank up the volume. I have a 1000-watt digital power amp, and it was red-lining most of the night. It's a feeling of real power--everybody dancing to whatever beat you play. They want to feel the bass and sing along with the chorus. Great fun, reminiscent of the old rock-n-roll bands that got a lot of us started. The arranger let me string medleys together, go quickly between songs, and cater to the requests with no time needed to "call" the song to anyone else in the band or load sequences. Just one button and you go from a rocking "Mustang Sally" to a "Treat Me Like A Fool" and back to "Taking Care of Business". I was so pumped I forgot to take a break for three hours. DonM
_________________________
DonM
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
#113059 - 01/19/02 04:47 PM
Re: Playing Loud Is Fun--How was your gig?
|
Senior Member
Registered: 12/01/99
Posts: 12800
Loc: Penn Yan, NY
|
For what it's worth, Loud bass is the real key to "feeling" the music - not loud volume. Also, the bass frequencys are not directional, so they are less damaging to the ears. I'm sure this is not news to many of you, but this is another good justification for bi-amping a sound rig. When a dedicated amp is powering just the looooooow frequencies, you can add "punch" to the mix without increasing the overall volume. The end result is a fuller, more powerful sound that "appears" to be louder, when in fact ... only the bass is louder. It's a much smoother approach to adding guts, than simply turning up the volume. I was never a fan of real loud music, but I understand the "impact" of moving air. Volume is tolerated differently, depending on the instrument. For example - I can listen to a blaring horn section all day, but a lead guitar ...... NO way! The "edge" cuts through my skull, and I loose the attraction for the music. Lots of DJ's play too loud because there is no "feel" from the source - they depend on the moving air to get the crowd pumped. It's the essence of Rock & Roll. It's all about the energy, but after many years ........... I've made it all about longevity. If I get loud - I am never in direct line with the speakers. It's not healthy. Too many of my friends have "ringing ears" because they didn't follow that rule. I'm glad you learned the secret Don - that's why you're still at it........I said THAT'S WHY YOU'RE STILL AT IT !!!
_________________________
No longer monitoring this forum. Please visit www.daveboydmusic.com for contact info
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|