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Subject: RTP-area local music and culture

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  • From: grady <grady AT ibiblio.org>
  • To: RTP-area local music and culture <ch-scene AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: On Durham and identity
  • Date: Thu, 05 Apr 2007 15:31:12 -0400

I agree, but honestly, speaking as someone who shoots a fair amount of video at shows (and thus gets to listen back to it the next day), the crappiest sound I hear lately is at the Cradle. TOO MUCH BASS, and half the time the kick drum is all I can hear. (Note that I'm aware of this problem at the show, and not just while watching the video later.)

Local 506 & the Coffeehouse usually sound OK, once the person at the PA at the Coffeehouse gets the mix under control, which can sometimes take a bit of time. Shows at Chaz's actually used to sound pretty good too; BCHQ is a little bright n boomy, but they're talking about ways to mitigate that.

What's important is that the PA be matched to the size of the room, and that, yes, someone with ears & some knowledge of how to run it be put in charge of it. In most small rooms, all you need in the PA is vocals and any acoustic instruments, and your biggest problem is getting the freaking drummer to not play like [s]he's filling in for Keith Moon at Wembley.

I may be less picky than you are, or more punk rock, but all I want is to be able to hear everything at more or less the right level. That actually happens around the Triangle more often than not, in part because a lot of the smaller pick-up venues actually do seem to care at least a little bit about sound.

But yeah, I guess I am less picky than you are, because I don't think I've ever said "fuckit, I don't like the PA at such-and-such, I'm skipping that show." I have so many *other* good excuses to skip shows that it just hasn't ever come to that ;-)

trekky records wrote:
The problem I have with these "specialty" venues (the restaurants,
laundromats, etc.) is usually just the sound. Maybe I'm not punk rock
enough (I play guitar, but also accordion) but sometimes if there
isn't a good PA and a competent sound guy, I totally turn off. If
these places could get good systems, work on their rooms to sound
good, then I'd be into it, but until then it just gives me the vibe
that those places make the actual music a low priority.

That's of course extremely general, some places do just fine, and I
know good equipment is pricey, but it certainly is a factor in my
deciding which shows I'll go to.


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