Tip o' the week- Hearing yourself at gigs
This week I'd like to mention the fact that amps can be VERY directional. The way this comes up is usually something like "I can't hear myself but the guitar player says I'm too loud!"
The sound coming from an amp can be tough to hear when you are standing next to it, yet at the same time be loud out in front of the band. If you think about it, you would need to get your head down right down in front of the speakers to really hear it! Also, the sound doesn't radiate out from the amp in a big arc, but rather in a straight line. That's why some people in the audience can hear lots of harp but others hear much less.
What can you do? Well, not much really, but it is important to be aware of the problem. Putting the amp up on a chair or angling the amp up towards the ceiling are two common things that can help. That's why Fender put those cool tilt-back legs on all their amps! Having a long enough mike cable to be able to stand further away from your amp is good, as is having a friend out in the audience give you some feedback (no, not that kind!).
The dream set-up is to play with people who listen, have good dynamics, and never let the band get too loud, but I admit that it is easy for people (especially drummers and guitar players) to get too excited and too loud, especially in a small club.
Skip Simmons
