Monday, June 27, 2016
Why Do Concerts Sound So Bad?
Pro Sound Web: Most every time I go to a concert I come with the same feeling - why did it sound so bad?
I’ve posted the following a few years ago, but it’s still holds true things never seems to get much better.
Concert sound reinforcement equipment is better than ever, yet we’re frequently burdened with a mess of auditory goo that just sucks the enjoyment from a live event.
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3 comments:
Concerts have always been a big thins through modern history, but the personal availability to musical at home has made listeners more eager to go to a live show to see their favorite band perform and they are expecting the same sound in the life venue. As mentioned in the article, it is all in the mix and the sound engineer or whoever is doing the mixing has to know how to do it right in order to bring the best sound quality to the show. The only way this issue will be fixed is educating the next generation of sound engineers so they can go on and teach the next and so on. This form of education could come from outlets like BFA programs at a university. Right now in cities, at least my city, training in proper sound mixing and sound design is just not readily available to teenagers who want to learn this craft, but are nor at the college age yet. A way to combat this issue could be to make sound classes more available to the youth that are interested in learning more about the fields. Teaching these skills properly and giving these resources out more readily will educate the future generation of technicians and therefore better the field as a whole as well as increasing audience enjoyment at live music venues
This was a really interesting article from the perspective of someone who hasn’t had a ton of experience with sound, but has definitely noticed poor sound at several different venues. I love how the article places so much emphasis on finding the proper balance, and ensuring that the vocals were still placed in the highest slot. It is fascinating to be able to see all of the different aspects that must come together in the perfect balance for sound to be heard in the way that it is intended. The age gap plays so heavily into all professions involving technology, as we see the result of a field that is in a constant state of development. Teaching proper skills to the kids in high school and college now is a key to addressing this problem. As sound education is an already limited resource for many, it is essential that those who are able to experience it are able to learn the value of balance and the proper techniques to be using.
I can understand some of the problems that the author brings up concerning the way that sound is mixed in a live setting. While I don't necessarily agree with all of the "Rules" that the author implies about the way concert sound should be, I agree that it should be time for change. The music world is not a stagnant one, it is constantly changing, and I think that a lot of the current sound designers are still thinking in terms of mixing for bands like Boston and Led Zeppelin, with very specific requirements for sound that don't translate well to other genres of music. The reality of the situation in music today is that the genres and sounds of music has evolved, and the author makes a good point that many current sound designers haven't evolved with their worlds, and probably won't be interested in starting. I also think that the author is perhaps over-simplifying the issue, but the spirit behind this article makes sense, It is time for a new generation of sound designers that aren't set in their ways to bring themselves to the forefront of concert sound.
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