[Harp-L] Super Loud Bands

[Michael Posey <harrpoe@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Volume, to me, has always been dictated by the type of music,  If you are playing metal, than ear-splitting Marshalls are requisite. Most of us on this list by definition, are playing some sort of blues whether it be straight, rock, country, psycho etc...

I know what I like to hear and it is not the mush of excessive volume. There is no definition, it is not enjoyable and it generally sucks for everyone, inclusive of the audience unless your audience is of the 14 to 18 male demographic. There is no way any decent sounding harp rig outside of the 4x10/50 watt configuration is going to compete with magnetic pickups and metal strings without suffering complete and total tone loss. Its just going to be mush. Kids and inexperienced musicians like mush because they don't know any better. They equate the volume to how good they think it is. "Dude, it was so flippin loud!!!!" I saw Metallica a few years back and the volume was so high, there were times when is was one giant din of noise and I couldnt tell what song they were playing. Thier fans were loving it as they should. I expect that out of Metallica.

Roger Waters (Pink Floyd) was the best sounding show I have ever attended. It was a quad system at the Hollywood Bowl. Powerful lows, crystal clear highs, exact and defined mids. All without being excessively in your face loud. Don't misunderstand me, I love the sound of a quality system delivering clean decibels but that show taught me that you don't have to overpower your audience with volume to get thier attention. Volume should never be the first thing your audience reacts to IMHO. Talent and quality should be the first things they notice. Otherwise you are just another loud band whose gear is better than thier chops! 

The world has enough of those right now. Volume is like icing on a cake. Not enough and its boring as hell. To much and it ruins the whole thing. I strive for balance!

> IcemanLE@xxxxxxx wrote:
> > To be in this situation gig after gig mystifies me - what are the  
> > advantages and where is the fun in playing super loud and blowing hard? Do  people 
> > really listen and return for this experience? Do musicians really feel  
> > satisfied doing this night after night? Is there real synergy and communication  
> > between players at this volume level?
> >  
> > Not a put down - I just don't understand, or maybe it hasn't been explained 
> >  to me so that I will.....
> >  
> >  


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