Prevost82 wrote:I have no problem with increasing the bass a bit as the night goes on ... but generally you also increase the volume of the whole band with the bass pushed up a little more .... within reason.
I've wondered if the reason people like the increase in bass volume is because it feels to them like the overall volume has increased. Actually, I've played with this phenomenon myself. It really works best if you don't turn everything else up. Although I have also noticed that it's a good idea to start the night a little quieter overall than your eventual average volume. This seems a contradiction, but it actually isn't much of one.
It isn't just bass, the instrument; the bass drum is a big part of the change. Nor is it a good idea to just EQ the whole band with more bass in it. That just turns the guitars muddy. You start with the guitars, keyboards and vocals at about the volume they will be through the night. Turn the bass and kick drum down a little lower than "ideal". Then turn those two instruments up during the night. A little. If you can't hear the guitars or vocals anymore, it's too much.
But it's like anything else, a little is good, a lot is bad.
As for the ego thing, I once heard the phenomenon of the sound tech turning bass up too much as resulting in the bass becoming an erect, angry p*##$ in front of the band. I guess the sound tech thinks it's his.
You don't work music, you play it.
Discipline is not the enemy of fun.
Discipline is not the enemy of fun.
