Q: What were your thoughts on Meyer Sound after that visit?
Watts: I left with the impression that the company is driven by highly creative scientists and engineers.
It’s more forward leaning than most other companies, where they just say, “Here’s our product line and this is what it does.”
In contrast, it’s obvious that there’s a lot of cutting-edge development going on at Meyer.
Q: And did that experience prompt you to push for an upgrade here at the El Cid?
Watts: This place has a wonderful atmosphere, a unique feel to it.
I wanted to bring in something that complements that vibe sound-wise, to marry everything together so the experience is excellent and nothing is lacking.
There’s no question that getting the new Meyer system in here has been a night and day situation. They had old monitors in here, so we couldn’t hear that well, and they were physically very large.
We really appreciate having smaller profile monitors with a tighter sound. The first time we played using the MJF-210 monitors I was looking around at everybody, and from their expressions it was like we’d all gotten rid of a 100-pound backpack. We could hear everything, and that gave the performance a whole new feel—it was now a high-end gig with high-end sound.
Q: So has improved sound become a commitment on your part for all your performances?
Watts: Yes, because I love good sound. I like going to shows when the sound is full and present, with a lot of emotion coming through, but it’s not shattering my ears. That should be the standard, the default for audiences everywhere. It’s a shame that so many audiences have to put up with a lot less. But it’s great for younger acts to come into El Cid and hear it, and know what it feels like to play through a great system.
If audiences hear great sound, and they get emotionally invested in the performance, it sets a standard that benefits everybody. I want them to have a good time and I don’t want them leaving with a ringing in their ears and their eardrums tickling.
Good sound isn’t loud sound, but it’s a present sound—a sound that takes over the room but is still generous to people’s ears. And with high-quality sound, musicians don’t play as loud. They feel more relaxed, and they play better music. This allows them and the audience to feed off one another.
Q: Clearly the audience experience is very important to you. If you had complete creative control, what would your ideal concert look like?
Watts:My thing is, I want to create amazing experiences for people that are focused on quality, so that people feel how much effort and care went into a performance. For me, the ideal live performance experience would be in an unconventional space that you take over and put in really amazing sound gear, really good subtle lighting, and serve good food. It would be an experience that is tailored to the guests, from the moment they arrive to when they leave, so they feel that they are taken care of, that they are a part of something unique and extraordinary.
Q: And high quality sound is an essential ingredient of that experience?
Watts:Yes, and I really want to educate people about what good sound is, because once you can create that sweet sound, people will lose themselves in it. What you’re communicating is totally transparent.
My mission is, first, creating high-quality performance sound so audiences will understand what that is, and learn to expect that quality. And, second, to emphasize quality over loudness to protect people’s hearing.
Ultimately, you just want to get the system out of the way. The biggest compliment you can get for a sound system is when somebody in the audience says, “I didn’t notice the system at all and I had a really good time. And my ears aren’t bleeding.” That’s it. Job done.
Reggie Watts performs with his band Karen on “The Late Late Show with James Corden.” (Credit: CBS Photo Archive)
To read the original interview, click here. For a video of Reggie and Karen, click here.