Dealing with playing gigs with really low volume

[Twitch]

In my opinion in-ear monitors should be a last resort, unless you don't need to connect with the audience at all. They remove all background noise and produce a closed and sterile environment - you lose the vibe of the room. A small stand-mounted monitor would be better.

Please don't be tempted to use ear buds connected to your mixer headphone out jacks. Chances are that those outputs don't have sound limiters and you could truly permanently damage your hearing if you get into a feedback situation.

[gfirob]

I use a small stand-mounted monitor because it is essential to me to hear the balance between the guitar and voice.

I second all the comments about doing what the venue wants, even if they are full of crap. I am also kind of insulted when asked to turn it down (but I do it).

Finally, I have many times been in venues where the amps were just too loud, and it is a reminder that is is often quite hard to tell from the point of view of the player just how loud you actually are and you need to be told to turn it up or down. That just seems to be the nature of the beast.

[YamahaGuy]

Originally Posted by JackB1

I am a little leary of the IEM solution, since I like to ask for requests from the crowd all the time. I feel like they may cut me off from that part.

I usually wear one all the way in and one barely in, so I can still hear the crowd.

[AndrewG]

Originally Posted by russchapman

I agree with IEM's- it's the wrong gig for those.

Your solution is either monitors, a Bose type PA behind you, or moving your speakers to a place you can hear them better, but they don't feedback. That's it! What else can you do?

Hearing yourself is the key to enjoying the gig- anyone who's ever played out knows this.

No, if you're referencing my reply I said that in the days before amplification became de rigeur, audiences would absolutely sit and listen to an acoustic set, if people liked you, rather than today being bludgeoned by frequently unnecessarily loud amps and forced to raise their voices to make themselves heard over Ramblin' Ron.

[russchapman]

Originally Posted by AndrewG

No, if you're referencing my reply I said that in the days before amplification became de rigeur, audiences would absolutely sit and listen to an acoustic set, if people liked you, rather than today being bludgeoned by frequently unnecessarily loud amps and forced to raise their voices to make themselves heard over Ramblin' Ron.

Great point!

[stringjunky]

Originally Posted by russchapman

A lot of us are bludgeoned by obnoxiously loud audiences, regardless of the volume we play.

That tells me the function of the musician in that situation is one of providing sonic wallpaper.

[drive-south]

Originally Posted by vindibona1

This reminds me of the old story of the old lady who approached the band leader and asked "Could you please turn down the volume". The band leader replied, "But maam, we haven't started playing yet", to which to old woman retorted, "But it LOOKS loud".

I met that woman. She came up to the stage and complained about volume before we played a note. I guess she was intimidated by all the gear in stage for our 5 piece band.

[Brent Hahn]

Originally Posted by drive-south

I met that woman. She came up to the stage and complained about volume before we played a note. I guess she was intimidated by all the gear in stage for our 5 piece band.

I was mixing FOH in a small folk club one night. A solo singer/guitarist came offstage and immediately came up to me (as I'm dialing in the next artist) and said loudly, "I couldn't hear myself at all!" He said it loud enough that about half the crowd-of-a-dozen turned around and looked in our direction. And I said to him, "well, that's pretty odd given that the only thing in the room making any sound at all was you."

Chalk it up to nerves, I guess.

[JackB1]

Next time in this situation, I am going to try positioning my speaker directly behind me at ear level. If that doesn't do the trick, I'll try a monitor next.

[cdkrugjr]

Originally Posted by Brent Hahn

I was mixing FOH in a small folk club one night. A solo singer/guitarist came offstage and immediately came up to me (as I'm dialing in the next artist) and said loudly, "I couldn't hear myself at all!" He said it loud enough that about half the crowd-of-a-dozen turned around and looked in our direction. And I said to him, "well, that's pretty odd given that the only thing in the room making any sound at all was you."

Chalk it up to nerves, I guess.

In my experience, a Gretsch Country Gentleman with a woodgrain finish is MUCH "quieter" than a dayglo-painted PRS shred machine, regardless of what the dB meter says . . .

[Earthworm]

When this happens to me, I reach for the master volume knob, turn it down and then back to the same spot. I play the next song and ask the person if that was better. They always seem to think it made all the difference.

Now having said that, I always try to manage my volume. The audience should be able to talk at their tables without straining.

[Bob Womack]

You know, I've spent my adult life playing music for hire. Before that part of my life was youth gatherings, often unplugged. If you can't sing over your guitar, you guitar or your right hand is too big. You can turn practically anything down. I've even done electric gigs that were turned down. I plugged my modeler into a '70s Fender Champ sitting under my chair where my feet and legs blocked the speaker. And sang.

If you want to keep playing these gigs you've got to please the venue.

I eventually began playing sessions. That pushed all my buttons and has led to a hiatus on playing out. I'd go back to playing out if I had a partner.

Bob

[russchapman]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

If you want to keep playing these gigs you've got to please the venue.

Very salient point!

[HFox]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

You have an acoustic guitar. You have an acoustic voice.

.....you could play "acoustic" !!!!!

this^^^^^^

[russchapman]

Originally Posted by HFox

this^^^^^^

It's hard to disagree with that!