xgsjx Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 (edited) I've been getting a band together & now have a guitarist, a drummer & a singer/turntablist. Still looking for a keys player. So we have our first mess about with instruments on Wednesday there & the guitarist brings his own guitar & fx board (when I say fx board, there was only a Bad Monkey & a tuner on it) & he opts to use the in house rig at the rehearsal rooms, a Crate head & 4x10! Why would you need a 4x10 in a room that's about 15ft x 30ft? The drummer's never played drums for some time (been playing guitar, which means he might have a good understanding of instruments fitting together) & he was a little heavy on the snare to start with, but the guitarist's way of compensating was to whack up the volume. Fine if we're playing metal & don't mind going deaf, but it's an acid jazz/groove type outfit. You want to hear & feel what everyone is playing & singing. I asked him if he could turn down, which he did. But after 10 mins it went back up. I'm gonna suggest we try playing at a low volume on the next session. We'll see. I suppose I'm used to the guys in my old band being more experienced musicians than these guys, but I'm willing to put in the effort & see if I can get a good band out of the talents available. I'm not saying these guys can't play, far from it. The genre is just out of their comfort zone (they're rockers, as I used to be). So any of you guys have issues with loud rehearsals/band members & if so, how do you resolve things? Edited April 5, 2013 by xgsjx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charic Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 Get a decibel meter and say if this goes above x then we're too loud? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twigman Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 We rehearse in a smaller room than that....problem is often with a Ludwig kit....that mutha is LOUD! As a result we play quite loud - often with earplugs in - it gives a better mix than turning down and only being able to hear the kit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted April 5, 2013 Author Share Posted April 5, 2013 I could try the db meter & see. Earplugs might be a good option. Thing is, the drummer was able to play quietly after he'd warmed up & when the guitarist turned down, all was fine. Then when he turned back up, the drummer started building a shed to compensate, then the guitarist goes up a bit more & so on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomWIC Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 I've never had a quiet rehearsal in my life to be honest. Mainly playing in rock and metal bands with hard hitting drummers, it's always been a volume competition. Our lead guitarist has a Peavey 6505 and an Orange 4x12, with the volume on about 3 it's incredibly loud, any quieter than that then there's just a huge sacrifice to tone. I usually turn up with my ABM 4x10 and 2x10, with my head putting out 700w at a 4ohm load. Pre-gain about halfway, post-gain usually halfway to three quarters of the way up matches my guitarist's tube amp. It's loud, but we can all hear ourselves and each other, which is the most important thing IMO. We do all wear decent earplugs though, which could be an option you might want to look into if you really can't get your other band members to turn down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wil Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 We definately get a better, clearer and more balanced sound when we all turn down in my band. But it's also nice to feel the air moving when you play so it can be tricky finding the right balance... Rock music is meant to be loud after all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leroydiamond Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 If its too loud get PROPER earplugs. Otherwise your asking for trouble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
achknalligewelt Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 I have a half-dead left ear thanks to years of standing next to drummers in loud, echoey rehearsal rooms. But when I wore earplus, or we turned down, it just sounded anodyne. Like other posters have said, it's meant to be loud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twigman Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 Didn't we all form bands in the first place so we could make lots of noise???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 Depends what you see the rehearsal as achieving..?? We have more goals than just getting the track right, altho that is a large part. But would I put up with ringing ears from a rehearsal..?? no, I wouldn't. And if the band didn't get that in probably the most controlled enviroment it will put itself in, then that is the beginning of the end of the band, already, IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockfordStone Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 i wear ear plugs in practices cos i know for a fact we are too loud, the fact we have to mic the kick drum says so. one of our guitarists is already half deaf so cranks loudly, for me and the other guitarist to hear we have to go louder. its not be unknown for my rig to be at 75% just so i can hear myself. its daft. there is no need to be loud at practice, its just an ego massage otherwise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longtimefred Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 if you have a loud drummer then you will have to crank it to get a decent mix to hear everything at the right levels. Just bang some decent earplugs in to bring the whole level down. Fully recommend the ACS ER20 plugs. Awesome they are for the price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 Whatever happens you should be using earplugs, even if they're only [url="http://www.splugz.co.uk/"]these[/url]. Anything's better than going deaf. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wil Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 Pardon? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted April 5, 2013 Author Share Posted April 5, 2013 I don't mind loud, but we're not a rock/metal band & the aim is to get a good sound that folk can dance to. The volume that we ended up at was to the point where you just had noise & tinnitus. I'm already deaf in my left ear (not fully, but I do have hearing aids that I seldom wear). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomWIC Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 [quote name='Wil' timestamp='1365163631' post='2036140'] Pardon? [/quote] About quarter past 1 I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wil Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 [quote name='TomWIC' timestamp='1365163748' post='2036144'] About quarter past 1 I think. [/quote] In all seriousness, I've got a pair of ER20s or whatever they're called and hate using them. Everything sounds muffled, I cant hear my guitar properly (yes, guitar) and it sucks all the fun out of rehearsal for me. Are the really expensive moulded earplugs any better? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted April 5, 2013 Author Share Posted April 5, 2013 [quote name='Wil' timestamp='1365163890' post='2036146'] In all seriousness, I've got a pair of ER20s or whatever they're called and hate using them. Everything sounds muffled, I cant hear my guitar properly (yes, guitar) and it sucks all the fun out of rehearsal for me. Are the really expensive moulded earplugs any better? [/quote] That's my concern about using plugs. Is it going to make everything sound like it's in the next room? If it is, wouldn't I be as well just popping my earphones in (they're noise canceling)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wil Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 In my experience it sounds more like everything is buried in compost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zenitram Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 You could have a rule whereby it's the other band members who get to say if you're too loud, not you. So if anyone says "guitarist, you're too loud, turn it down", they have to. Or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 [quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1365164073' post='2036149'] That's my concern about using plugs. Is it going to make everything sound like it's in the next room? If it is, wouldn't I be as well just popping my earphones in (they're noise canceling)? [/quote] No, you hear everything as normal, only once the SPLs reach a certain level, the plugs start working. You might experience a slight loss of top end, but nothing serious. Even your earphones would be better than nothing. You've already experienced hearing damage, so if you want to finish the job that's up to you. It amazes me how people will spend more than they can afford on bass gear then neglect their hearing. How important is it for you to be able to hear what you're doing? There's nothing macho or 'Rock 'n' Roll' about being deaf - and when it happens through persistent neglect it's just bloody stupid. Why would you deliberately risk losing one of your five senses for the want of a tenner? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynottfan Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 The way a band I was in resolved the matter was to get a sound engineer in that we all had used and respected, set up as if we were going to play a gig, facing the audience, and asked him to listen, man the pa, and give us advice on volume levels and then we asked him the golden question, "balance the sound please" It worked, we all wrote down the settings and thats what we used for rehearsals, to be fair I would rate it 95% successful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 Plugs take time to get used to them. Put them in, it'll take a few rehearsals before you retune your ears. My only problem with them now is getting a handle on how loud I have to be when I'm speaking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 Anyone who thinks the only way to "get their sound" is by turning the volume up to painful levels is an idiot. And using the wrong gear. Also it doesn't help that people stand in front of their cabs, like they do on stage, and blast the guy standing facing them 10ft across the room. Reality check people; anyone who doesn't like the "muffled" sound of their music through ear plugs will find out that everything will sound just like that in less time that they imagine. And that "mud" will be permanent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyquipment Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 I'm in a noise band. It's loud. I put headphones on. I don't need to hear my bass. Just feeling it is enough. Hah! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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