The Concert Speakers are a LIE!

Just saw this on gizmodo ... there is a whole thread going about it, so I'll post their
opening quote here:

My life was just flipped, turned upside down and I didn't even have to move to California. It just took one photo, a dozen instant messages, and a handful of emails to confirm that I've been lied to by musicians.


My first reaction when I saw the photo above was to believe that it could be fake, but several searches for more information led to the same answer: It's from a summer performance of a band called Immortal and it's real. The band had used a fake wall of amps for some reason—probably to appear more "hardcore" or whatever it is metal bands aspire to be—and got caught.


The next thought was that perhaps it could it be just a rare one-time act of concert stage trickery. But unfortunately a series of emails and instant messages to musicians, stage hands, equipment providers, and club managers revealed the sad truth: It's not too uncommon for bands to set up fake stacks of speakers or amps—hell, empty amp cabinets are frequently sold for that precise purpose.

So - What a hoot, to see something like turn up!

I prefer bands like Rush who put washing machines, dryers, vending machines and chicken rotiseries on their stages.

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Originally Posted by hjames

But unfortunately a series of emails and instant messages to musicians, stage hands, equipment providers, and club managers revealed the sad truth: ke, but several searches for more information led to the same answer: It's from a summer performance of a band called Immortal and it's real. The It's not too uncommon for bands to set up fake stacks of speakers or amps—hell, empty amp cabinets are frequently sold for that precise purpose.

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I don't think it's sad at all. 9 times out of 10 they sound better using fake speakers and amps. :rotfl:

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Originally Posted by 4313B

I prefer bands like Rush who put washing machines, dryers, vending machines and chicken rotiseries on their stages.

I don't think it's sad at all. 9 times out of 10 they sound better using fake speakers and amps. :rotfl:

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mmm Rush....


here's another stack of questionable cabinets....
does look impressive though... you get a good idea of how many cabs at about :45

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ulx_S...eature=related

I saw KISS at Darien Lake this summer, and they use a gigantic jumbo-tron behind the band. It's hard to tell which effects are on the jumbo-tron and which are real! Both the stage right and stage left are a series of huge plasma or LCD screens to put the fake amp stacks up on along with other things. There is no attempt to "fool" anybody into thinking there are real amps there. Fantastic show, by the way. Gene commands the stage as well now as he did when I first saw them in 1977 or 79. They went for 2 hours and 15 minutes nonstop!
Look, it's all about the artist and the show and the music. Who cares what it takes to get there?
Get over it already!

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Originally Posted by louped garouv

mmm Rush....

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OT but my wife and I really enjoyed their "rockumentary". She never really knew anything about Rush and now she does. She also likes some of their tunes.

continuing the off topic, the Rush documentary Beyond the Lighted Stage on BluRay is indeed fantastic......:yes:

I forgot how much I loved them back in the day until seeing this, and the story lines behind their music are genuine and impressive

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 4313B

I don't think it's sad at all. 9 times out of 10 they sound better using fake speakers and amps. :rotfl:

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And they are the favorite of the guys that hump gear for sure, what would you rather load out at midnight?

Still it's like the super bad ass looking cars at the car show with no balls at all, too funny.

I use a band frequently who does the same thing; they do mostly 70's music. One cab in each stack is real and miced, and of course it does sound better and it doesn't deafen the musicians. I think it's great. Makes all the sense, particularly from a sonic standpoint.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 4313B

I don't think it's sad at all. 9 times out of 10 they sound better using fake speakers and amps. :rotfl:

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:D

That's not that uncommon at all to have a stack of fake or unused amps on stage. Many times the real amp is a small combo backstage or an amp in a isolation cabinet. There may even be no amps at all, the guitar is plugged into a full processor pedal and just goes straight into the PA. Set up correctly it can sound like the real thing. The more controlled the sound is on stage from amps, monitors and anything else that makes noise the better the live mix will be in the PA, provided the PA system is good and the operator has a clue!!!

(Keep reading for a shameless self promotion)



For good PA's and operator's who have a clue click on the link below:)

Back in my early band days you brought you own amps big to the gig. Then we had separate system for vocals.The quality quality of the house system(if any) was usually bad.

Today they have BIG sound systems and everything goes to the house system, and need for big amps on stage is reduced. But this does not look good, that tiny amp???
Most use a wireless guitar transmitter and we don't have any idea where the receiver is.

So you want to impress the audience, and you don't want to lug BIG heavy amps that your not going to use anyway? Get fake amp fronts!!!
Also many are using in ear wireless monitoring systems, so big monitors are not even needed.
With my band everything goes through the main system, the drummer has electronic drums I give him a monitor with a D140F so he can feel the kick drum. I use a small bass amp for my monitor which is direct into the system. The guitar player uses a small amp that I mic, the keyboard is direct into the system.
I guess we could get a painted backdrop that has a lot of amps on it?:blink:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by louped garouv

mmm Rush....


here's another stack of questionable cabinets....
does look impressive though... you get a good idea of how many cabs at about :45

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ulx_S...eature=related

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So there they are, all the 4520 cabinets ended up in Brazil playing questionable music... or was it just noise? :D