And That's a Wrap

[billroper]

Because no piece of gear was going to behave correctly for the entire weekend, the Mackie 1604 mixer decided to get funky just in time for the Toyboat concert and my preceding concert on Saturday night. For some reason, we couldn't get signal through the main outputs. tollers and I stared at it for a minute or two, then gave up and rewired the connections to use the working aux outputs that weren't already being used for Toyboat.

Somewhere during the Toyboat concert, I looked down and there was now sound showing up on the meters for the main outs. I have no idea why. Dave Ifversen kindly offered to open the board up and take a look, so it went home with him.

Despite the entertaining equipment malfunctions, everyone heard what they were supposed to hear and everyone seemed to have a good time. But Debbie, gundo, and I could have used a bit less entertainment! :)

Comments

[fuzzyvanman.livejournal.com]

I've seen that sort of thing happen when something was plugged into the main inserts by mistake. Glad you were able to work around the problem. Frantic "what's wrong?" moments just before a concert aren't any fun (got that t-shirt)

ya done good

[tigertoy.livejournal.com]

From my perspective in the audience, the only problems with the sound were the speaker during tollers' cafe set, and the fact that Toyboat was too loud. (And of course, they're supposed to be too loud, it's part of the experience.) I wasn't thinking about the sound system, and I don't know if I'd have noticed stuff if I was, but as I see it, if I as an audience member can be not noticing the sound system and just attending to the music, you're doing a good job.

Re: ya done good

[ericcoleman]

I actually don't want us to be very loud. Part of the reason we don't have amps onstage is I have tinnitus.

Re: ya done good

[dave-ifversen.livejournal.com]

When I was at Tech (in Da U.P.), one of the bands we provided tech support to (at a MD dance-a-thon) was a group called Head East. They were loud. They were way too loud. So loud, the dancers left the arena and danced outside, where the sound levels were actually livable. SLS (Sound and Lighting Services, the student "roadie" group that provided lights and sound for campus shows that I was in charge of) provided earplugs for all our techs. The "sound guy" (I say that in quotes because he was a total putz) for the band bragged about once running 10kW of sound in a small club (that held about 500 people). And then wondered why he couldn't hear anything between about 2500 Hz to about 12 kHz. (Schmuck. I *really* wanted to use a clue-by-four on him, but it would probably only have been bad for the board.)

[hrrunka]

Ugh. Sounds like the gremlins we had in the rig at Van der Filk crossed the Pond in time to play with your rig, too.

[laurel-potter.livejournal.com]

Off-topic, I was watching an episode of "Criminal Minds" yesterday, and it took place in Des Plains, in Franklin Park.