Live Show Sound Quality

[Robh3606]

Just went to an outside festival Governor's Ball at Citi Field NYC. Must say I was impressed at how good these massive PA systems sounded. I was wondering if any of you have had similar experiences. The output these systems are capable of is startling and the bass response is just plain amazing! They just seem to be getting better and better!!

Some of the smaller indoor venues have also updated their sound systems and they sound great as well. Hope the trend continues!

Rob:)

[Riley Casey]

Line array tech coupled with DSP signal processing and class D amplifiers have changed the game. It would be a different experience without those technologies. The classic 'pile up enough speakers and hope for the best' sounded pretty damned bad.

[Mr. Widget]

Line array tech coupled with DSP signal processing and class D amplifiers have changed the game. It would be a different experience without those technologies. The classic 'pile up enough speakers and hope for the best' sounded pretty damned bad.+1

That said, there were some venues that had pretty decent sound, but these modern systems are seriously good.

That show looks like it was fun Rob!


Widget

[jblguy]

Ya when you look at the exploded view of JBL wedges it's no wonder stuff sounds that good. Amazing tech in those. Plus as mentioned all the DSP too boot.
Long way from some metal round horns at the speedway.

[Robh3606]

+1

That said, there were some venues that had pretty decent sound, but these modern systems are seriously good.

That show looks like it was fun Rob!


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Hello Widget

It was! Weather was perfect with overcast and a cool breeze. It goes for 3 days I just did the Saturday. Fun crowd really engaged with the bands. Found some new music to check out always a plus at these large festivals!

Rob :)

[Mike Caldwell]

Today's high end live sound systems can produce amazing results................when properly deployed and the person mixing the show actually knows what their doing. We have all heard truly awful sound while one band was playing and the next band sounds fantastic, the band itself can have a part in that but it generally comes down to who is running sound for said band.
Even at the national act level I wonder how some sound people manage to keep their jobs! At the local / regional levels that I work it can be even more hit or miss.

The system on the first stage picture is a L-Acoustics.
The system on the second stage pictures is a D&B Audiotechnik system.
Both very high end, both very out of my price range!

[edgewound]

Today's high end live sound systems can produce amazing results................when properly deployed and the person mixing the show actually knows what their doing. We have all heard truly awful sound while one band was playing and the next band sounds fantastic, the band itself can have a part in that but it generally comes down to who is running sound for said band.
Even at the national act level I wonder how some sound people manage to keep their jobs! At the local / regional levels that I work it can be even more hit or miss.

The system on the first stage picture is a L-Acoustics.
The system on the second stage pictures is a D&B Audiotechnik system.
Both very high end, both very out of my price range!

Mike is spot on. It's who's driving behind the board.

Most acts before the headliner sound terrible. Sometimes the whole night sounds terrible and just gets abusively louder.

Saw Darius Rucker and Lady A at the the Five Points Amphitheater in Irvine about a year ago. Outdoors...JBL VerTec...Sound was awful. Midrange was distorted...too much bass.

Saw a few other country acts at The Forum in Los Angeles, including Blake Shelton and Friends. JBL VerTec. Sound was terrible, same as above. Jason Bonham Experience was ok, Peter Frampton was pretty good.

Saw the Eagles at The Forum, Los Angeles. Sound was excellent.

Saw Keith Urban at The Forum inside Ceasar's Palace in Las Vegas. Meyer Sound installation for the house system. The sound was amazing. Best concert I've ever heard.

The EQ curve on most of these systems looks like a bass tidal wave. I saw the display. Ridiculously loud and not a pleasant experience. Painful without earplugs. Why bother?

Makes me not want to go to concerts anywhere but Ceasar's Palace anymore.

[Ian Mackenzie]

Hello Widget

It was! Weather was perfect with overcast and a cool breeze. It goes for 3 days I just did the Saturday. Fun crowd really engaged with the bands. Found some new music to check out always a plus at these large festivals!

Rob :)


You would have needed a Road Atlas to find your way back home wouldn't you ya....ol.....faaaart.

[Mike Caldwell]

Mike is spot on. It's who's driving behind the board.

Most acts before the headliner sound terrible. Sometimes the whole night sounds terrible and just gets abusively louder.

Saw Darius Rucker and Lady A at the the Five Points Amphitheater in Irvine about a year ago. Outdoors...JBL VerTec...Sound was awful. Midrange was distorted...too much bass.

Saw a few other country acts at The Forum in Los Angeles, including Blake Shelton and Friends. JBL VerTec. Sound was terrible, same as above. Jason Bonham Experience was ok, Peter Frampton was pretty good.

Saw the Eagles at The Forum, Los Angeles. Sound was excellent.

Saw Keith Urban at The Forum inside Ceasar's Palace in Las Vegas. Meyer Sound installation for the house system. The sound was amazing. Best concert I've ever heard.

The EQ curve on most of these systems looks like a bass tidal wave. I saw the display. Ridiculously loud and not a pleasant experience. Painful without earplugs. Why bother?

Makes me not want to go to concerts anywhere but Ceasar's Palace anymore.



I'll add to my original post and say that a good sound person can get excellent results from an adequate yet average sound system.

Shows that I went to see that sounded fantastic, Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Elton John, Sting, Annie Lennox.
And of course the shows I run sound for !!!!!!:)

[Robh3606]

You would have needed a Road Atlas to find your way back home wouldn't you ya....ol.....faaaart.


No roll of string tied to the door knob!! Bread crumbs tough with the pigeons!

Rob :)

[Ian Mackenzie]

No roll of string tied to the door knob!! Bread crumbs tough with the pigeons!

Rob :)

Glad you have a sense of humour on my in joke. I will always recall your guided tour of NYC back in 2004. I remember before we left to go into the city your amazing late wife Issa saying “ lan you had better take a map with you as Robert has no idea”. “He’s not been into the city for many many years.”

We call that the wife taking the piss out of the hubby.

That was kinda funny. I mean you living right next to the Big Apple and your not familiar with it!

[jblguy]

I've been to NY city only a few times. But I'm not sure how long it would take to actually know your way around there !!!:confused::confused::confused::confused::confus ed:
I drove there those 2 times and it was nerve racking to say the least....no thanks to that ever again. Too scary too....:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

[BMWCCA]

At one time we had two daughters living in NYC and we'd drive up to visit them. Too stressful, too expensive, too much trouble. We now have just one up there and, prior to the pandemic, we'd take the train and Uber our way around or use the subway. Much easier to enjoy the city rather than worry about where to go, how to get there, or whether or not the parking attendant actually knew how to drive a stick-shift.

[Robh3606]

Great place to see an outdoor show in NYC is the old Forrest Hills Tennis Stadium! Easy to get to fun crowd! The Lumineers!

Rob :)

[Ian Mackenzie]

At one time we had two daughters living in NYC and we'd drive up to visit them. Too stressful, too expensive, too much trouble. We now have just one up there and, prior to the pandemic, we'd take the train and Uber our way around or use the subway. Much easier to enjoy the city rather than worry about where to go, how to get there, or whether or not the parking attendant actually knew how to drive a stick-shift.


Hi Phil,

The trains are very good over there. They are actually on time. I’ve always commuted by train to and from NYC when visiting. As l recall l had to change trains at Jamaica to get the Long Island rail line. I was escorted across the road to the Long Island line by a nice tall black American gentleman so l would get mugged! He joked with me about the Crocodile Dundee movie. The trip by train to Washington is nice. I’ve also caught the train up to Boston then driven around Maine up as far as Bar Harbour. Dang nice seafood up there.

[Robh3606]

Hi Phil,

The trains are very good over there. They are actually on time. I’ve always commuted by train to and from NYC when visiting. As l recall l had to change trains at Jamaica to get the Long Island rail line. I was escorted across the road to the Long Island line by a nice tall black American gentleman so l would get mugged! He joked with me about the Crocodile Dundee movie. The trip by train to Washington is nice. I’ve also caught the train up to Boston then driven around Maine up as far as Bar Harbour. Dang nice seafood up there.

Hello Ian

Things are a bit different the past couple years. There is a lot of track maintenance and improvements and some are posted some are not. The LIRR is still very good, the subway can be hit or miss. You have to be on your toes especially late night after 10 pm heading home. You come in go to the show and return to go home and the subway station is closed as an example. They usually post these closures but sometimes not. They always have a work around but when you are trying to get back to Penn Station to hit your train more often than not you miss it and are on the next one from the delays.

That can be an issue going to work the next day walking in the door at 1AM!

Rob :)

[Ian Mackenzie]

Yes it would be.

Perhaps shack up with a nice punter in Manhattan overnight.

See my attachment below.
That’s what l would do…Lol. Why do the round trip when you can rise to the occasion the next morning and then go for a jog around Central Park.

I mean what a way to start your day!