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Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Old Soundman 04/10/12 10:31 AM,Dear Old Soundman: “I don’t have a nickname. How do I get one? Do I need one?” Sincerely, Scohen Dude! You absolutely need one! Everybody needs one! How about if I call you “Sco”? That is what aspiring young “yo-cat” fusion musicians at the Berklee School of Music in the 80s called guitarist John Scofield. These are the same obsessive characters who smugly referred to Charlie Parker as “Bird” and John Coltrane as “Trane,” and sat around discussing “Chick” and… View this story
Filed in: Live Sound • Feature • Blog • Opinion • Audio • Business • Education • Engineer • Technician -
Monday, March 05, 2012
Old Soundman 03/05/12 01:55 PM,Dear Old Soundman, One of the bands I mix (that does corporate shows) has an older bass player who does nothing but complain about the sound every night. “It’s too high-end-y, the sax should sound fuller, forget the singers! Turn their damn monitors down now! You suck, get your ears fixed, etc.” Yes, but does he say anything about turkey basters? Now I should note that he is not the leader of the band, nor does he sign my check.… View this story
Filed in: Live Sound • Feature • Poll • Audio • Concert • Line Array • Signal • Sound Reinforcement • System -
Wednesday, January 25, 2012Old Soundman 01/25/12 03:20 PM,Old Soundman, Yes, Stip! I occasionally run sound for a band that tends to play local hole-in-the-wall venues. Okay, we feel sorry for you, now move on! The “stage” for the band is always in one of 2 places: in a nice boomy corner, or, better yet, right in front of that brick or paneled wall. These are the times that try men’s souls! I guess you might be a female, so no offense intended. I don’t know what “Stip”… View this story
Filed in: Live Sound • Feature • Poll • Audio • Concert • Line Array • Signal • Sound Reinforcement • System -
Friday, January 13, 2012
Old Soundman 01/13/12 10:40 AM,Dear Old Soundman: Recently I’ve been doing many more concerts where concert grand pianos are being played (and in some cases two at the same time) by very talented musicians. My question is directed at providing the very best sound reinforcement possible in an outdoor environment for these pianos. I’ve tried a number of combinations, and last year did several shows using two Shure SM81 condensers. I placed each a few inches over the strings, essentially horizontal (aiming down the… View this story
Filed in: Live Sound • Feature • Poll • Audio • Business • Microphone • Sound Reinforcement • Stage -
Thursday, January 05, 2012Old Soundman 01/05/12 02:45 PM,Dear Old Soundman: Studio engineers verses front-of-house engineers - can they be one and the same? Studio guys don’t want to let us get a shot at their jobs, because we would wipe the floor with them! Unfortunately, we would also wipe the floor with their clients! Do I really want to spend three months listening to some rock star (who tries to pretend he’s a man of the people) reveal how completely dependent he is on the click track,… View this story
Filed in: Live Sound • Feature • Poll • Audio • Education • Engineer • Mixer • Signal • Sound Reinforcement • System -
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Old Soundman 12/13/11 11:08 AM,There’s so much hating going on nowadays! We even see it among over-the-hill yuppie sound guys who have heard songs by a certain band played too many times to check sound systems nationwide. But I’m not going to pile on the crowd of haters! Not even when I receive notes like this one from Tim. No! The OSM is on the love trip! Dear OSM: When you’re preparing for a rock gig at your club, what tunes do you like… View this story
Filed in: Live Sound • Feature • Opinion • Poll • Audio • Business • Engineer • Signal • Sound Reinforcement • System • Technician -
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Old Soundman 11/22/11 08:49 AM,Somebody has been feeding misinformation to our pal Roy here. He wrote in twice and I have taken the liberty of mixing and matching excerpts from both his missives. Good Sir - Yes, Roy! I was hoping you would grace us with your suggestions on mic’ing guitar amps, placement and such. When you go to concerts, do you ever see the taped “X” on some poser’s 4 x 12 cabinet? Either he or his guitar tech has painstakingly determined that… View this story
Filed in: Live Sound • Feature • Poll • Audio • Business • Engineer • Microphone • Sound Reinforcement -
Friday, September 16, 2011Old Soundman 09/16/11 02:14 PM, 3 CommentsHey OSM Hey Dan! Yoko Onos. You know what I mean, I’m sure everyone who has sat behind a sound board knows what I mean. The know-it-all girl friends of the prima-donna lead singers. Oh, yes. And really, they can be the girlfriend of any band member. Her guy is always not loud enough in the mix. But a word of caution, Dan. Please do not libel Yoko Ono. I know that it is tempting to blame her for the… View this story
Filed in: Live Sound • Feature • Poll • Audio • Business • Sound Reinforcement • System -
Monday, September 05, 2011
Old Soundman 09/05/11 11:37 AM,Here’s one of those situations that make you wonder about your career choice or where you are in your life path. Pay close attention, our buddy Brian is showing us how to keep the disgustedness in check and not resort to a brick through the front window of this fine establishment… Dear OSM: O.K., try this one out… Hit me with it, Bri! Let me have it! You just found out the band you regularly mix for has a gig… View this story
Filed in: Live Sound • Feature • Poll • Audio • Concert • Installation • Interconnect • Loudspeaker • Mixer • Signal • Sound Reinforcement • System -
Monday, August 22, 2011
PSW Staff 08/22/11 06:21 PM, 0 CommentsGreetings, Old Soundman, from the Great North Woods - And greetings to you from my secret location. Dick Cheney’s got nothing on me! I’m not all that old, only been riding the faders for a few years now. Ride ‘em, soundman! Yee-ha!! Hey, did you ever hear of the X Bar X Boys? The calluses are just about right on my fingers and in my ears. What a bizarre viewpoint you have. I don’t really like to think about calluses.… View this story
Filed in: Live Sound • Feature • Opinion • Poll • Engineer • Technician
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