Education, gentlemen, education

Yesterday I was playing back to a scene but not as a technical group, but as montador equipment. By Juan Carlos (JC Sound) called me to if I could give you a helping hand in a weekend for him quite difficult. Of course, I said yes. The plan was to mount a team for a concert at one of the rooms that his company manages. A simple, with a pair of JBL SRX as a main PA, (reinforced by two subs compact), MPRO eight monitors, including JBL, and a format for a GL3800 Allen & Heath rack with dynamic DBX, drawn , Yamaha processors and provided a cash DN360, among others.

Doing well now and then "cut up", to put it in some way and never wanted to be a fan, and let me at the same time see how it feels when one rather than the technical group is material. Well, I realized many things.

I've always said that despite being FOH engineer of any group, the outcome and success of any concert is absolutely all the elements and people that make this act. As on other things, the highest level of quality depends, instrínsecament, the component of poorer quality. So far, so good. In fact, knowing that the group would bring their own skills (perfect!), I decided to even take my Smaart, to leave it to those who came all the necessary tools to do their job well. What was not m'esperava me feel humiliated.

I was taught that when one enters a place called "hello", then, if needed (most times) is presented ( "I say so") and, finally, we get a professional code of ethics enabling everyone to work with the best expertise possible. What is the m'aplico myself when I was touring and / or concerts as a coach, understanding that everyone is part of a whole and that no one, though not imprecindible, is binding and important part. So not only still hope the "good evening", which is not even a "goodbye", even less a "thanks."

In fact the coach of the group (who do not remember the name, I do not know if-you-neglect or because even m'el said) came with a fairly xulesca, which, without him I hope he effect with the attitude that would be from that moment. All the time, the two technicians who were montant the act, with all vem act professionally, that nobody can complain, but neither wanted to do more VEM. Meet with you while you've just checked your computer, you're the coach and playing the table, only involved the first touch of attention, "comes out in front of the table, do not touch, until you say that you can do. " And when I told him and offer all the arsenal, the individual was shown around, "well, if you want to put compressors (and he had been offered), but all deserve neither."

The sound was not good, far from it. The individual was limited to a mescal that "sonés", ignoring any change in mix in favor of the dynamics or the subject. The drum never appeared, dancing constantly making the case. The volumes, which passed through doors, sometimes sounded, others not. Dark voice, with constant feedback around 200 Hz (the Smaart, conveniently, it was indicated), can not find the technical answer. A strident electric guitar, or a Spanish often went unnoticed. Many times I was the coach or talking to someone, or even at the bar of the bar chatting with the head of the youth council. It was the second issue as we said, "to see if this is the last and fotem the head at home." Also he asked me if I was recording the concert (ticket, do not know what the Smaart), and I respond with a "do you think would be interested in doing it?".

I am not surprised that, once the concert, the same character entavanés a developer, saying that he had encountered many times when people would say that the sound was great, but the musicians were very bad ... I I think, if I think ui ...

All these things make me realize that we must be very polite when he as a coach of a group. It costs nothing to say "good evening" just entered, and one may ask when do their job. Always understood that there can be no problems and, also, that if the technical rider is wrong, who has the solution of problems who is not mount, but who has sent the wrong rider. That does not cost anything to thank the work of everyone, that is easy to be polite, but corresponded well. The world is very small and who knows if I ever come back to find this person ...