Un-Sound Man

[Markay]

Well, I've resisted joining this thread until now.

 

I'm all about outcomes, not about how we get there.

 

In the corporate world, being completely focused on outcomes separate the players from the wannabes.

 

I can only assume that the same holds true in the gigging world. What was the outcome? Were people happy and spend a lot of $$$ as a result?

 

Sorry to be so craven, but that's how the world works.

 

Never been able to figure how you apply the same criteria to the arts, or music performance in particular. The financial reward for the capital and time invested seems so meagre. It is not like we see cover bands or originals for that matter regularly listing on the Nasdaq small caps.

 

Then again I guess few in the arts world are burning cash at the same rate as Uber is ATM.

[timwat]

Well, I've resisted joining this thread until now.

 

I'm all about outcomes, not about how we get there.

 

In the corporate world, being completely focused on outcomes separate the players from the wannabes.

 

I can only assume that the same holds true in the gigging world. What was the outcome? Were people happy and spend a lot of $$$ as a result?

 

Sorry to be so craven, but that's how the world works.

 

That is true, to a point. There is a substantial and undeniable land shift in the works, and has been going on for some time. Finally, there appears to be a critical mass of business leaders who wholeheartedly believe that ends do not always justify means. It is true we are still in the minority, but it would be an error to dismiss the phenomena as a momentary or inconsequential blip.

 

Certainly, results and outcomes > bright ideas and concepts. And there is still an enormous amount of money running roughshod over human beings and acceptable losses.

 

But I have become optimistic, as a business person and influencer.

 

Case in point, I might suggest that the manner in which OP engages the sound man in our thread title will ultimately determine the outcome / results of future engagements. An inconsequential 60 cycle hum? Of course not. But business (especially the music business) is, at the end of the day, a people and relationship business. It has never been simply about how well I play, or what gear I own, or what records I played on, or who I've shared a bandstand with in the past.

 

Just my opinion, what do I know.

[Al Quinn]

If some "sound-man" somewhere switches on 48 volt "phantom" power to the channel on their mixer that is connected directly to your EON, there is a good chance of not just hum or pop, but of circuit damage. Some mixing consoles have phantom either on or off, not individual channels.

Protecting my gear is reason enough for me to always bring a DI (i.e., I use a Radial ProD2). It really doesn't matter whose job it is to do what because I make it my job to protect my gear. Since the DI provides electrical isolation from the PA it's a no-brainer for protecting my gear. I can't image what the argument would be to not do this. There's no schlep factor and the cost is not significant in the grand scheme of things.

[DoctorMusic]

Thanks. I decided to go with the Mackie Mix 8. Has aux send, 3 band EQ, small footprint. Only $75.

 

[DoctorMusic]

Is there any difference in the aux output versus the control room outputs besides the stereo? Is CR a better send to the board than aux if I am running mono? I guess the CR might be pre fader. I am under the impression most sound guys want pre fader signals.

[WesG]

CR is a copy of the main out with its own "master volume".

 

Aux send is a separate bus entirely.

[KeyMoe]

If some "sound-man" somewhere switches on 48 volt "phantom" power to the channel on their mixer that is connected directly to your EON, there is a good chance of not just hum or pop, but of circuit damage. Some mixing consoles have phantom either on or off, not individual channels.

Protecting my gear is reason enough for me to always bring a DI (i.e., I use a Radial ProD2). It really doesn't matter whose job it is to do what because I make it my job to protect my gear. Since the DI provides electrical isolation from the PA it's a no-brainer for protecting my gear. I can't image what the argument would be to not do this. There's no schlep factor and the cost is not significant in the grand scheme of things.

 

I always use a pair of Radial DIs as well. (Don't have the stereo ProD2)