Sounding Fine on Pier 39
Lorraine and I took in a meal at the Eagle’s Nest on Pier 39. Pier 39 is part of the Fishermans Wharf tourist area in San Francisco. I have a couple of open days late in the week so we will come back here to take in a tour of Alcatraz.
There was a live band playing at Pier 39. Everyone was focused on the band. Me? I walked around backstage to check out the gear.
This stage band was very well supported. Check out the racks of reverbs, delays, compressors, etc. Far better equipped than our church’s sound system. Oh well, one day.
Funny thing though. The sound guy, mixing Front of House, was actually behind the stage. And for good reason. The sound levels at the Front of House were certainly in the range of 110 dBA or more. For those unfamiliar with the measure: think loud. As in hearing damage within half an hour or so. We did not stay long and spent the balance of the time wandering through the many shops that litter the Fishermans Wharf.
We spent several hours walking the streets of San Francisco. My legs are very, very sore. Lots of very steep hills in this town.
do you think that maybe the front of stage sound was 110db because the sound guy behind the stage had no idea how loud he was mixing it? Who knows.
If you take a closer look at the picture you will see that he is mixing with his headphones.
Another person did walk back to tell him that the sound was a little loud. Or, more precisely, to lift one side of his headphones and scream at him to turn the volume down.