“I realize this probably sounds stereotypical, but I play guitar in a rock band and our sound guy is always making me turn down. He says I’m playing too loud, and my tone is too biting, yet I often can’t hear myself. I’m sure he’s not out to get me. What can I do to hear myself while not killing the audience?”
This may be the oldest problem facing rock guitarists in working bands since the Marshall 100 watt half stack came out. You didn’t really say what you were hearing over your guitar so we’ll assume it’s just the general cacophony of the whole band. There are so many things that may contribute to this that it’s hard to even think of them all in one sitting. A few that come to mind are:
Don’t just set your amp on the stage floor aimed at the back of your knees. Elevate the speakers so they are up near waist level, then angle it back so the speaker points at your head. Doesn’t sound good this way? Well, consider that this is what the mic is picking up (if it’s miked) and closer to what the audience hears when it’s sitting down on the stage aimed at them. Your objective, as a cooperative band member, is to get the sound you want with it oriented this way. Then let your sound guy mic it and put what he needs in the PA.
Sometimes guitar players can’t hear themselves over the drums. There’s often not a lot that can be done about this: telling your drummer to play that Motorhead double kick beat at half volume isn’t going to fly. In the ’70’s (revealing my age here) we used to muffle the heads, but though we were too ignorant to realize it at the time this does pretty much ruin the sound of the drum. The only other realistic solution is the dreaded Plexiglas wall around the kit. These do an amazing job of containing the drums and really don’t look that bad. If you’re on the road you have to take good care of it though. Once they get all scratched up they look terrible.
Consider having some of your guitar routed back to you in the stage monitoring system. This is particularly effective if you have a monitor system that enables each musician to have his own mix. Some guitarists actually put their amp or speaker at the front of the stage facing them just like a monitor. This is effective because you will hear it much better from this direction than behind you.
In ear monitoring systems have thoroughly changed the face of live performance. If you’re in a band where volumes tend to get away such that people aren’t hearing what they need to hear you will find this a worthwhile investment, not only in terms of helping your stage performance, but also in terms of the wear and tear on your ears (a very serious concern you really should be thinking about). Your Sweetwater Sales Engineer can help configure a system ideally suited to your needs.
Here’s an unusual one you’ll rarely, if ever, hear: Use less distortion. Many guitarists perform with too much distortion on their guitars. It may sound great in the bedroom, or even the practice room, but on stage and in concert halls it tends to cause the guitar to lose a lot of definition. You’ll find that if you back it off a notch or two your sound will still be plenty powerful and distorted sounding, but that little bit of extra definition of being able to hear the pick on the strings makes it much easier for you and the audience to make out what you are doing.
Along those lines, be careful about your tone. With guitar all the action is in the mids. Many players have too much low and high end EQ‘d into their sound, which also causes it to get lost on stage. Getting the sound right in the midrange will provide the illusion of the low end and high end you think you want. This is a very difficult concept to explain, but very easy to hear when you actually get it right. Your guitar will cut through, yet will not interfere with other instruments (such as vocals) as much, and sound better in the process.
That’s all for now. There are no doubt many experienced players out there who’ve found other unique ways to solve this problem. Feel free to write to insync@sweetwater.com with them and we’ll eventually do a follow-up here.