Live sound technicians, sila ba ang palkups, o sila ang pinapalkups?

[skunkyfunk]

"Never touch the knives of the surgeon..."

I guess you're familiar with this situation.  Artist does not like the sound from the mix, then the band's barkada 'tech' goes to the FOH and tries to hijack the mixing board.

THE MIXING CONSOLE IS NOT PUBLIC PROPERTY. Unless you are a qualified tech and you have made prior arrangements with the show producer to touch the console, please stop taking over the board. 

If the band does not like the mix (for both house and monitors), there are better ways to channel your concerns.

1.  Make a tech rider, and define all your needs, including the hierarchy of elements you wanna hear on your stage monitors.  Make a stage layout to make it clearer.
2.  A real sound engineer is expensive to hire.  So in most cases, FOH and stage techs are 'trained enkargadors'.  On the one hand, this is demeaning to the Pinoy world of sound engineering, but then, they are still your best friends.  Pissing them off will make your night even worse.
3.  Soundchecks are a luxury in this country.  Make sure that you get your act properly before you hit the stage to lessen the tweaking of the techs.
4.  Volume needs are relative.  But the pieces of equipment onstage have well-defined limits.  Stop dreaming of getting that low-end thump from 8-string guitars while plugged to a Marshall MG onstage.  Don't blame the techs either. 
5.  Pag tamad ang tech, magsariling sikap.

[wave180]

Sometimes you can also blame the band members, everyone wants to be the loudest!
Last year, we watched the parokya, kitchie nadal and kamikazee in Oxnard, Ca., the Pa was terrible as we can barely hear the vocals. It was all the ear piercing (high volume level) electric guitars.

[siore]

Was thinking about a thread like this.  To better address good working relationships between bands and FOH techs.  I'm interested with #1 tech rider.  Got a sample?  Yung realistic and practical, something that major acts use.  Another thing, how does one approach the organizers about your "needs" (which the rider addresses).  At which point in time in production should it be presented?  I'm all about vocals getting good priority, but personally I feel, having watched some shows, sometimes guitar driven music has guitar drowned out by bass guitar, kick drum, and vocals.

[inigo]

No, every band should have the right to sculpt their sound. No need for a complicated riders etc. though. Just talk to the guy. If you want to have a go sa board niya, magpaalam muna. Applicable to the band or their tech guy.

[chutchutmamiko]

Konting lambing lang sa mga sound techs, papagandahin nila tunog ng band nyo. 

Before, we use to chip-in a 100 pesos per gig that we give to the tech of the venues we play at.

This really worked on my experience. "Pang yosi o pang merienda lang, sir."  Then they got what we meant to tell them and do what sound we want to get out of the sound system of the venue. 

[pmack]

Nasa pag-approach yan para both sides hindi napapalkups o nangpapalkups.

[jeo]

Abutan mo sila ng Starbucks at konting kwentuhan(appreciation) sa sound check...pagdating ng tugtugan mas mabilis nilang ma-adjust sa tunog na gusto mo.

[dencious]

Yha! A small appreciation means big to those Hardworker FOH. In the Stage the performer is the STAR but in whole the FOH tech are the KEY of the show!

SOUND TECHs are not you nightmare but they are your savior in your show.

God bless to all.