General Music Chat

Low volume is the bastion of any reasonable musician because "volume does not dictate goodness, ever in any circumstance".

Low volume is the bastion of any reasonable musician because "volume does not dictate goodness, ever in any circumstance".

Well stated.

Low volume is the bastion of any reasonable musician because "volume does not dictate goodness, ever in any circumstance".

Excellent quote and also power and volume in music have nothing to do with each other. Power in music is the ability to hold the attention of the listener(s). In other words if you have everybody's full attention you have the power. What volume you play at is irrelevant.

For me, appropriate volume is usually where the notes start acting 'right.' Where whatever type of sound you've set your amp for, it hits exactly that warm spot where it sounds best.

Fortunately, that usually happens below the volume I need to keep up with the drummer. So while not playing particularly loud, I'm still actually playing louder than I need to. I love modern gear.

Talbot

I've noticed that "appropriate volume" is a relative concept. It's usually the lead guitarist who has the loudest opinion because he needs a certain amount of volume and distortion to get sustain.

An experienced guitarist knows how to get that sound at a lower volume, but they still need a higher decibel than other instruments to achieve their goals.

The best sound I've heard live was by a band called "Chasing Furies" where the guitarist used a 15 watt Fender and mic through the PA system. If I were playing lead guitar today, I'd use a very small amp and adjust the volume upwards through a Bose L1 or L2 tower to get the best of both worlds.

Being a vocalist as well as guitar player I learned very early that to be able to hear my vocals (without straining) I had to keep my guitar volume at a reasonable level. I feel sorry for musicians that play with guitar players that have to play loud. The only level of volume I need is to be able to hear my guitar at an EQUAL volume as the drummer. I don't understand why ANYONE would want a 200 watt amp (bass players excused)! I have endeavored to own lower wattage amps for the last 20 years. When you play at lower stage volumes it is easier on the sound man! Some bands don't know how to get good sound so they run the vocals through the pa and crank the sh!t out of everything else. That shows youthful inexperience to me!

A good modest wattage amp to produce the tone you want and a good PA system to raise the level of the overall sound to it's appropriate volume for the venue.

Music 101 ...

Not that talented or skilled musicians with appropriate equipment can't get a good sound with a 100 watt amp run at an appropriate level for stage & venue.
But for someone like me whom relies entirely on his guitar and his amp for every tone he needs, I'd have to drive the amp way too hard ( loud ) for our normal stage / venue.

Yod

I was myself using a 15 Watt Fender G-Dec mic-ed. I'd take it home after rehearsal, set it on a stool and use it as a metronome for personal practice.

Sadly, I tripped on a cable and knocked the thing off. it still (kinda) works but feeds back unmercifully so it's unusable at least for now.

Back to the big stuff. The good news being that my 200 Watt head can be mastered down low enough to keep up wtih acoustic instruments if required and still sound good.

In retrospect, I should have gotten a 30 Watt G-Dec with a larger speaker, ten " I think. For mic-ing, that should be enough. But gosh -there are dozens of possible solutions out there now. i see even kustom is back in the game.

Talbot

The people I hate the most for being "too loud"...

1) The drummer.. (When you hit the cymbal like that, I swear I hear someone's cell phone going off) ...public enemy #1

2) The bassist (Is it fun to make the crowd nauseous from too much bass?)

3) The guitarist (Oh please just let us live..)

4) The vocalist (You need a mic, not a fire hose. Turn that poor mic down.)

I have a Marshall TSL 100 watt all tube combo amp. At reheasal I run the master at 3.5; live I run it at 4.5. I don't think I've ever had it above 5.

The bottom line, rock & roll was meant to be heard loud. The PA should do the bulk of the work but the amps must be played at a volume that keeps up with the drummer. If you have to use attenuators and plexi-glass sound blockers for the drums you ain't playing rock & roll. It's some kind of weird karoake-pop hybrid.

I love headphones. The older I get the less it takes to get my ears ringing.

Low volume is the bastion of any reasonable musician because "volume does not dictate goodness, ever in any circumstance".

Excellent quote and also power and volume in music have nothing to do with each other. Power in music is the ability to hold the attention of the listener(s). In other words if you have everybody's full attention you have the power. What volume you play at is irrelevant.

It isn't irrelevant.
If you cant feel a little good vibration from a rock show, then it isn't much of a rock show.

Doesn't need to be as loud as The Who, but it isn't a coffee shop performance either.

Low volume is the bastion of any reasonable musician because "volume does not dictate goodness, ever in any circumstance".

Excellent quote and also power and volume in music have nothing to do with each other. Power in music is the ability to hold the attention of the listener(s). In other words if you have everybody's full attention you have the power. What volume you play at is irrelevant.

It isn't irrelevant.
If you cant feel a little good vibration from a rock show, then it isn't much of a rock show.

Doesn't need to be as loud as The Who, but it isn't a coffee shop performance either.

I hate to confess this, but most bands in the bars are way too loud for me... It gets to where I hate sitting through more than one song..and then I gotta leave... Guess my ears are too sensitive... or I am too old or something...

Is this site (bandmix) all computer programmers
and praise team musicians? The obvious answer
about volume, yet never mentioned in this three
page thread.... Decibel meter, we don't play in a
bar or casino where this device is not used.( I have
one to use at practice also). They can be purchased
cheaply at most music stores. So if your the one setting
the volume do you know what you are doing, (it doesn't
appear so), there is no question about what the level the
group is performing at when the decibel meter is used.

The bar manager: You boys are about twice as loud as
you oughta be.

The Band, Really how do you know? Have you got a
meter that tells you we're twice as loud?

The bar manager: Why yes I do.

Now we here the answers< I can hear it with my ear....
Yeah like you hear your guitar in tune....
I don't need to know anymore about music than what
I hear and play, it's my music....
Yes it is as I note about your audition can't read Nashville #
system, standard notation, but that ear puts him up there in
the same category as all us trained and skilled musicians.
My music is in a genre where the singer is not required to
sing well or on key, and the musicians are known for having
way less than a mastery of their instrument.
Yes it is says your very small crowd of skin slashers.

2) The bassist (Is it fun to make the crowd nauseous from too much bass?)

Well... maybe...

I love this thread. I feel justified in everything I've been saying for years.
But... kids will be kids