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sound quality control (mixing) at live venues

I find the sonic balance at most live concerts/events I'm attending to be atrocious.Everything seems to be turned up almost to the max.
Bass blooming, producing one note bass even though you can see the bassists fingers frantically running over his strings and fret-board. I think this one issue creates a roll-on effect for everything else.
Mid-range promoted to be heard over the exaggerated bass.
Ear splitting high frequencies to overcome all of the above.Vocals maxed to be heard over everything else.
Volume in a nightclub's acoustically untreated concrete room that would be better suited to open-air stadium concerts.
It happens everywhere from cruise-ships and major venues down to the pub down the corner, with very few exceptions.
I always complement the band and sound guy at those exceptions and they seem to appreciate the response to their efforts.Trying to explain to the majority who are producing horrible sound is generally met with hostile or blank looks.

I realise it's new technology being used, iPads and digital programmes to control everything, but that can't be the real issue. Is it lack of knowledge and/or experience? Don't they know what "real" music is supposed to sound like?
I watched one "sound technician" the other night. Everything was as described above and when someone soloed, he turned them up even higher! It was ridiculous to watch as well as listen to. Even if he is doing this job for nothing, he was still a waste of money.
Maybe it's just my aging ears. Does anyone else notice or suffer from the same problems when they go to watch bands or live music?
ianrodger

Showing 1 response by ianrodger

ianrodger OP
164 posts
 
I should have mentioned that I am in Sydney, Australia and have never been to Broadway. We have some wonderful venues here and have heard some great music over the years at many of them. Sydney Town Hall or the Opera House for example, have amazing acoustics and the balance, where all instruments can be heard, all the time, as with the orchestras I've heard at those venues is what every muso and sound tech. should be striving to produce imo.
Elliot, I agree although a position directly in front of the sound guy does not sound better if he has no idea of what he's doing, especially in a small venue like a pub which is where I was the other night. The band were using active digital speakers but I've heard those sound OK at other times. I know the room wasn't particularly helpful but imagined that the mixer was employed to try and get around the rooms influence to some degree.

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