Are Speakers in America Worth a Damn?

[impatientpiranha]

I heard that the sound systems that get set up here in the U.S. aren't shit compaired to the ones over-seas, and that when we go to shows, we miss out on alot of the music. Is that true?? If so... what's different??

[product]

i know here in houston you have to hire sound. no house sound is worth shit that i've heard.

there's one place that has good sound but it's for large concerts. heard dubstep on it once about a year and a half ago and it was off the hook. not been played again there since.

[impatientpiranha]

I lived in Dallas for the past 7 years and went to some pretty good shows, but then i watched a documentary on DnB and all the DJ's were complaining about the American sound systems. Dieselboy was one of them, and lots of other well-known DJs who, i'm sure, know what they're talkin about

[parson]

i think dudes like that are subjected to lots of new jack promoters who don't care enough to put effort into making sure the sound is really good

hyperia in houston had good sound

[product]

i think dudes like that are subjected to lots of new jack promoters who don't care enough to put effort into making sure the sound is really good

hyperia in houston had good sound

i was never really around for the old shit, but i know john is hardcore on having good sound at his shows. took him a lil bit to secure what he uses now, but dayum it's good.

[seckle]

it's the crossovers and the soundmen. over here we don't have soundsystem culture. we're plagued by soundmen that automatically think that hip hop setups can handle dubstep, and set the rig up according to hip hop's range. 75% of the time you end up arguing with managers and soundmen in the middle of the gig, because they just don't get it, and always say things like " our system can handle anything", and then when you try to explain to them why it sounds like shit , they throw their hands up. most american venues have crossover systems that are designed to cross off the wrong bass frequencies, so that true dubstep sub get's rolled upwards into low midrange. fatal...

biggest clearcut solution : soundsystems need to be run by people that understand jamaican roots music. not run by some guy that's been engineering rock bands all week.

[drgk]

it's the crossovers and the soundmen. dnb and dubstep are plagued by soundmen that automatically think that hip hop setups can handle dubstep, and set the rig up according to hip hop's range. 75% you end up arguing with managers and soundmen mid gig, because just don't get it, and always say things like " our system can handle anything", and then when you try to explain to them why it sounds like shit , they throw their hands up. the other thing is, that most crossover systems are designed to roll off the wrong bass frequencies, so that true sub , turn into low midrange.

biggest problems : soundsystems need to be run by people that understand jamaican roots music. not run by some guy that's been engineering rock bands all week.

amen brother, think we can ship some o dem over here?

[impatientpiranha]

biggest clearcut solution : soundsystems need to be run by people that understand jamaican roots music. not run by some guy that's been engineering rock bands all week.

I see what you're sayin. So it's not really the equipment, it's just the people settin it all up

[parson]

both are big factors

[seckle]

Some other good advice, is that you can never judge the weight of a soundsystem in an empty venue, or at a soundcheck. Once the room fills up, all those people end up absorbing 50% of the systems weight. So, for example if you've got the system sounding big when the rooms empty, make sure you have at least 50% more power to go on the reamps, because once it's at capacity your weight will be reduced in half. If you've got glasses rattling in the back of the room, when it's filled up, then youve done your job.