Some Comments from Houston Bassists

[fur85]

Everybody knows how to do two jobs. Their own job and the sound man's job.

I trust the sound person to know what it sounds like in the room.

As an audience member, I think the bass is too loud much more often than it is not loud enough. IMO the job of the bass is to make the band sound good, not to be heard as a solo instrument.

[Freuds_Cat]

Everybody knows how to do two jobs. Their own job and the sound man's job.

I trust the sound person to know what it sounds like in the room.

As an audience member, I think the bass is too loud much more often than it is not loud enough. IMO the job of the bass is to make the band sound good, not to be heard as a solo instrument.

I've seen/heard/worked with a lot of great sound guys. Its the idiotic few that create the reputation.
Trust is something that is earned and certainly not a default.

The volume of the bass, or its 'dynamic signature in the soundscape man'  will be different for every band and style. I dont think I'd like to hear a power trio mixed like a surf band.

[Psycho Bass Guy]

Everybody knows how to do two jobs. Their own job and the sound man's job.

..seeing as how my job was to mix sound for a few hundred thousand people every day for years and many prior stints as a professional sound engineer for several live venues, I know the difference between a competent engineer and an incompetent knob twiddler. The REAL pro's don't try to dictate anything in regards to onstage volume. It's their job to work with the band, not force the band to alter their playing dynamic to fit their lack of ability.

One of the most common complements I get on my sound work from bands is that I am easy to work with. That only makes sense; you'll get a MUCH better performance out of band that's happy with their playing situation and without a good performance, all the mix ability and gear in the world means little.

I trust the sound person to know what it sounds like in the room.

If I can't get a decent sound onstage because of a bad monitor situation, I'm not about to take that same person's word that I sound good out front. Of the few gigs I've had with separate monitor/FOH operators, the more experienced guy unfortunately ends up on monitors because that's an easier gig, so you don't even get to benefit from that in the house.

As an audience member, I think the bass is too loud much more often than it is not loud enough.

I can count on my fingers the shows I've seen where the bass was even audible AT ALL. Most times you get the 'kickdrum of doom,' chainsaw tone guitars and a much too loud vocal with an insane amount of delay riding on top of all of it. I honestly don't think I've ever been to a concert where the bass guitar was too prominent.

IMO the job of the bass is to make the band sound good, not to be heard as a solo instrument.

Agreed.

[Freuds_Cat]

Most times you get the 'kickdrum of doom,' chainsaw tone guitars and a much too loud vocal with an insane amount of delay riding on top of all of it.

Hehe    I was punching the sky as I read this. Sad I know but I vehemently agree. Perfectly put.

[rockinrayduke]

A little whiny but some valid points.

[Highlander]

•"Bassists come in handy when the singer meets a hot girl with a fat friend."

[bobyoung]

kickdrum of doom, haha!

The world is good if the sound man mikes my amp. I used to look at soundmen as enemies years ago but I then learned to ask nicely if they would mind miking my amp. It works every time, just be nice to them and almost always they'll help you out and many times you'll get a compliment from them too.

All in all a bunch of egotistical whiners though.

[Pilgrim]

I can count on my fingers the shows I've seen where the bass was even audible AT ALL. Most times you get the 'kickdrum of doom,' chainsaw tone guitars and a much too loud vocal with an insane amount of delay riding on top of all of it. I honestly don't think I've ever been to a concert where the bass guitar was too prominent.

Very much agreed, and it's getting worse.  The Robert Randolph concert I complained about turned out to be sound-mixed by the band's sound guy, and ALL he cared about was the kick drum and boosting the bass so high that the notes became generally indistinct and distorted.

[doombass]

The world is good if the sound man mikes my amp. I used to look at soundmen as enemies years ago but I then learned to ask nicely if they would mind miking my amp. It works every time, just be nice to them and almost always they'll help you out and many times you'll get a compliment from them too.

That's what I've experienced also. Just be nice and friendly instead of aggressive and hostile. I usually bring my own mic to the gig and offer it to the sound guy along with the phrase; "I usually mic my cab with this and it works great". Most sound guys who refuse micing the bass are those who learned from other guys that you D.I basses period. They don't know what mic to use or how to do it so when bringing a mic to the gig they seem to trust me in micing the cab. I often get compliments for the sound they recieved to the desk.

[Freuds_Cat]

I agree with the "always ask nicely first" attitude. Sadly this tends work mostly depending upon the circumstance. If you are the headline act its rarely a problem. If you are the support act of a 2 (maybe 3) band line up being polite will give you half a chance. If you are any further down a longer list of artists buy a lottery ticket, its got better odds.
The other situation that tends to suck is when you play smaller gigs where the venue supplies the rig and the 'engineer'. Again, politeness first but expect low odds.