Is the Bass too loud in your classic rock band?

[Curtis Lowe]

I see this all the time with other bands and have the same problem with our Bass. I know he wants up so he can hear it but he is too loud. OK turn up the monitor but you can hear that too loud too.

How do we fix this?

[DrMaddVibe]

I see this all the time with other bands and have the same problem with our Bass. I know he wants up so he can hear it but he is too loud. OK turn up the monitor but you can hear that too loud too.

How do we fix this?

Couple of suggestions:


Get yourself a REAL sound tech. Not somebody that's played with a mixing board but someone that KNOWS what each slide controls and the pots with them.

Make him wear headphones...paint them bright yellow.

If he refuses...get a real bassist!

Funny thing about playing loud in the monitors...the CROWD can hear how crappy the mix is too! There is nothing worse than hearing one person blaring over top of everyone else. I'd rather listen to a muddy mess than that. Not only that but it forces everyone else to become loud...good luck competing with the drummer...he's gonna win and once that happens you've got anarchy in music! It's supposed to be about balance...equal parts...except maybe in solos or effects...then somebody might give ya a little boost...or if the room changes...more people...speakers go...then its fair game but you should be able to trust the sound guy. If it's one of the band doing that...STOP IT!

[Curtis Lowe]

Thanks. I sort of was thinking along the same as what you said but was wondering if there was some other way like a special monitor or something that would fit this problem. Right now our drummer is loosing because the bass is so loud I can't hear the bass drum pound sometimes. The drummer doesn't hear that being on top of the drum but he tells me to turn my six string up. I have turned up but only a small amount cause I know where it goes from there. We have OK sound control guy but he is not the dictator type. I think that is what we need, a dictator. Anyway the sound guy turns the bass down but somehow he just hits the strings hard and/or maybe turns his guitar pot up. I think our bass is wise to the methods used to turn him down and starts out in sound check hitting the strings soft and pots down. If so, he knows he is too loud and does not care or thinks everyone came to the show to listen to him. He says it because he can't hear himself. We have talked to him on this and he will not wear the head set. He has done OK on some shows but always looks like the dog that did not get his bone while we pack up. We have set with songs that give him section of glory but no help there either. I think he has a hard time to understand that many classic rock songs us the bass sound for support sound not out in your face sound. Maybe he needs to be with a hip hop crew.

It might be time to find new bass man. Thanks for reading my rave.

[DrMaddVibe]

No problem...the key is balance.

If yo don't have that then you won't sound good as a team.

YOU know that.

Go forward and make music!

[Curtis Lowe]

I agree. Forward on with our music!

I have one idea left looking around at electronics today. It might be pricey if it will even work. It might be worth it lest we have to go through the very painful drama of giving our bass guy the ax and then the pain of getting someone new, who might also play too loud. I dread that idea and I have known him for over 30 years. I just can't do it.

If I could find a real good compressor that will handle the low frequency it might be possible to reduce this problem if not stop it all the way. I was looking at the RNC “Really Nice Compressor” but it is around $300. Our bass man is not the high tech type. He uses no stomp boxes or guitar station at all. He would not really know what it was for, completely, and a compressor will give him a tighter sound which many like. I like it on my six string for some songs. I seldom mess around on the bass and not sure if compressed sound would be a problem?

He would still be able to hit strings harder and turn his pot up but not much change would take place in the output of the power amp.

What about this? Any tried this before on a bass?

[DrMaddVibe]

That's not gonna help Mr. I Can't Hear Myself.

At all.

The best thing to do is let him raise his volume to wherever it is that only dogs and him can understand the frequency and record the hot mess.

At your next meeting play the tape. Bring in total strangers and have them critique what they hear. RIGHT IN FRONT of ALL MEMBERS!

Next time he pulls that shit I would seriously get him a set of headphones and jack him right off the board and boost the living shit out of it till his ears bleed and give him the...




There is no room for this act that he's pulling...NONE. If anything should be boosted in the monitors it should be the drummers cymbals or the backing vocal mics! I can't believe you've known this guy for 30 years and NOT whipped his ass over stupid attention whore power grabs!

I take it you guys just play for fun with a family gig occasionally....'cause even club owners would give you the advice I'm giving you if you were playing a local circuit.

HEADPHONES OR FIND A NEW GUY WITH EARS!