From: jhenders@jonh.wimsey.bc.ca (John Henders)
Newsgroups: rec.audio.pro
Distribution: world
Organization:  One of these days for sure
X-News: HERMES MMAIL 1.10 Rev. Nov 25 1992
Subject: Re: The merits of Power amps! was: Peavey, etc!
	<1992Dec14.210722.9568@ac.dal.ca>
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 12:32:26 -0800
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In <1992Dec14.210722.9568@ac.dal.ca> cullen@ac.dal.ca writes:

>Mark Payne writes:
>>.....On an AB test with the Harrison, the CS1200 and the Carver (all 1.2K)
>> running the subs.. I can't tell the difference. 

>Yes, but what about mids\upper mids, is there a difference there?
> 
	I have to agree with Murry here. The mids and high range is
definately more whee the quality of a power amp is noticable, and this
to my ears is where a Peavey( at least the older CS800's I've use )
falls short. However, I differ on QSC's as well. I've heard that the
newer series is better, but the older QSC's, to me, don't sound that
good either. And yes, this is from direct a-b'ing, as a freind of mine
manages one of thwe local PA rental outfit's and often calls me when
their testing amplifiers when considering a purchase. Recent listening
tests involved a QSC, Crown and Crest through their TurboSound rig, and
there were definate differences. Personallyu, I would have a difficult
time choosing between the Crown and Crest, as the differences were
slight when compared to the QSC. Older amps available used around here
for reasonable $ that also sound better to my ears are Bryston, H&H, and
even Yamaha's, though with the Yamaha's there are reported reliability
problems, which coupled with Yamaha's well know habit of taking a few
drivers with them when they go, would make me a bit nervous.
> 
>> Now this is just stupid. I'd never want to work with people who make these 
>> sort or requests because they will turn out to be prejudiced assholes in 

>Glad to meet you too mark!

>> 101 other areas as well. These are the same peeps that ask for a 40 CH 10K
>> rig for a 500 capacity venue. They can normally be found being "road managers"
>> for crap indie bands because they play worse than the members of the band  
>> (difficult) and they know shit about sound. "We only use SM58's on vocals" 

	Having done a lot of tours "pimping  on a different rig every night,
I'd like to suggest that there are other factors involved. In order to
minimise the variables in a job fuill of them, cmbined with little
sleep, and everything else that can go wrong on a tour, having a
consistant sound is important, and even though the other microphone may
be far superior to a 58, a 58 is a known factor. I know what it wll soud
like, and can relate that to all the other different factors to get a
mix together in the 1 hour I've got to learn all the quirks of a
different PA every night. I bring my own effects rack with gates,
compressor, delay and reverb for the same reason. Sure, the 480XL in the
house rack may be far superior, bt I don't have the time to spend with
the manual in one hand, figuring out how to get the sound I want. I have
a show to do, and the less distractions the better.
	One tour I did, with a female vocalist known to be very picky about
monitors, we brought 2 1202's and a graph for her. On a couple of shows,
the PA suppliers would want me to try their new, knock them dead monitor
design. I'd only do this after we'd wire monitors we'd brought, so when
she showed up at sound check, we wouldn't have to waste here time 
switching them if she didn't like them. Both times we did this, she
asked for here EV's, so I stopped bothering with other monitors. I then
had to deal with the scorn of the occassional PA supplier who couldn't
beleive I'd reject their wizbang monitor for the cheap EV's, but I
didn't care, as it was my job to keep the band happy, not them.

>Well, I'm guilty of "I'll only use a 535 on *his* vocal, because its the 
>only thing I've tried that suits" but then again, I will have asked for a 
>535 on the rider for lead vocal, or brought one. As for gating and such 
>with drums, that's just stupidity.

	Well thanks Murray. Personally, I like a gate on the kick drum, even
in small rooms. Actually, especially in small rooms. But I bring my own,
just so I don't have tyo deal with attitude.

>There, I've gotten through the whole post without being rude or obnoxious,
>even though Mark is infering that I am an ignorant prejudiced asshole.
>Prejudiced maybe (who isn't about something), asshole sometimes, but
>not ignorant by a long shot.

	Well, almost. ;-) 

	As I've also worked as house sound engineer at several large venues
around Vancouver, I'd just like to toss in one further comment. When
you've worked a room for a while, you get to know it well enough you can
probably mix anything in there without a sound check. But it's easy to
forget that the guy visiting on your rig has mixed 20 shows in the last
month in 20 different rooms on 20 different rigs. Personally, I try to
make that guys job as easy as I can, without letting my ego or
prejudices get in the way. Some guys will flail, no matter what help you
give them, but that's your job. 

-- 

 "If Rush fans were braindead, why are there so   Bruce Bufalini
 many people posting to alt.music.rush?"              PSU