Sound Systems

[Dollypop]

Posted: 1/7/16 at 2:56pm

Am I the only one who has trouble hearing amplified sound these days?  I have no problems at the Metropolitan Opera or the NY Philharmonic, but some Broadway shows have sound systems that render them virtually inaudible for me.  

I started noticing this during the Hunter Foster revival of LITTLE SHOP:  when the urchins sang I hear nothing but distortion.  In BIG FISH, I had the same problem whenever more than one person sang (There was one big number where almost the whole cast was singing and a mermaid was popping out of the orchestra pit.  It was nothing but noise for me.  The lyric was completely lost).  The same was true at KINKY BOOTS.

I had no trouble hearing every single lyric of ON THE TOWN, SOUTH PACIFIC and THE KING AND I.  

Is it me, or are the sound systems bizarre?

[uncageg]

Posted: 1/7/16 at 3:05pm

It may not just be the systems but the person mixing the show on the sound board. I am very interested in sound at shows and have on many occasion walked up to the sound board and told them that music was too loud, or we can't hear things, etc. I will also go to them to compliment them when they are doing a good job.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 1/7/16 at 3:14pm

I feel that when I've paid good money to see a show I should be able to HEAR it as well.  As it is now, I shy away from musicals because they're inaudible for me.

[trpguyy]

Posted: 1/7/16 at 3:47pm

If music above a certain dB SPL sounds like "nothing but distortion," in all honestly there is probably something wrong with your hearing. You should get checked out by an audiologist.

[trpguyy]

Posted: 1/7/16 at 3:53pm

uncageg said: "It may not just be the systems but the person mixing the show on the sound board. I am very interested in sound at shows and have on many occasion walked up to the sound board and told them that music was too loud, or we can't hear things, etc. I will also go to them to compliment them when they are doing a good job."

If you're seeing a Broadway show, the person mixing it is, I guarantee, doing a great job. An audience member's preference in volume or how vocal-forward a mix should be is not a guage of the mixer's ability. You could tell the mixer that you think the band is too loud and the vocals sound harsh, and the mixer could completely agree with you (though they'd never say it), but they're mixing the show the way the designer/director/music supervisor/producer(s) agreed on.

[uncageg]

Posted: 1/8/16 at 2:47pm

trpguyy, unfortunately that is not completely true.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 1/8/16 at 2:55pm

We were putting up our Christmas tree and my son felt we needed to hear some carols, so he pulled out his android and had it playing holiday tunes.  I asked him why he wanted to hear the distorted sounds coming out of a pin hole.  I turned on my Boise system and the difference in sound was remarkable.

 

Perhaps our society is getting used to inferior sound.....Just a thought.

[Pootie2]

Posted: 1/8/16 at 2:59pm

An interesting, related thread about sound/amplification/etc. on Broadway:  https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1080891

[trpguyy]

Posted: 1/8/16 at 3:31pm

uncageg said: "trpguyy, unfortunately that is not completely true."

What did I write that you disagree with?

[Dollypop]

Posted: 1/8/16 at 3:38pm

In IF/THEN, I found the sound system to be unbearable.  Is it possible that different sound levels are used at different performances?  I tend to go to matinees.

[DAME]

Posted: 1/8/16 at 3:58pm

Matilda.  I don't know if it is the sound sytem or design... but it is horrid.   IF/THEN is just amplification.  Also horrid.  

Updated On: 1/8/16 at 03:58 PM

[trpguyy]

Posted: 1/8/16 at 4:06pm

I'm seeing a trend, Dollypop. You have sensitive hearing and don't enjoy pop/rock shows. I suggest either not going to shows which we can assume will be louder than a standard book musical, or if you go, bring a pair of $15 "musicians ear plugs." I use the Etymotic ER20s, myself.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 1/8/16 at 6:06pm

In my experience, most of the complaints about loudness are actually complaints about the nature of the music itself. People for whom "standard book musicals" are the norm don't like the percussive sound that is part and parcel of many "non-standard" shows. The issue is not loudness. 

[Nabucco]

Posted: 1/10/16 at 2:51pm

Going back to Lion King there's been a trend to design shows with the sonic impact, and unfortunately the volume, of modern movie surround sound experiences both in movie theatres and home entertainment systems.  The upshot is that shows sound decidedly amplified, and unnatural. That is the current trend in sound design and one that is pushed by both directors and producers, not necessarily sound designers.  In one instance a designer was relieved of their duties because the producers wanted a show louder than what the designer felt appropriate. The design of Phantom was changed to be louder, following changes made in the Vegas production. The upshot is a louder show, with less dynamic range (difference between soft and lout passages) and less intelligibility. 

 

The other problem is not respecting the room. All performance spaces have a saturation point beyond which the sound gets muddy.  Too many shows want the impact of volume, the room be damned. So you get shows that lose intelligibility. 

 

Not all shows have this problem.  Good examples are Fun Home, Follies, to name a few.

 

Until audiences push for more modest levels, you're not going to see a change. 

[RaiseYouUp]

Posted: 1/10/16 at 3:22pm

the problem with the sound at Kinky Boots is not how it's amplified (which I think works for that show), but rather that it is simply too loud (especially if you are sitting near the sides). Fun Home, I actually thought needed better sound. When actors were turned away from me, I could barely hear them at times.

[Sondheimite]

Posted: 1/10/16 at 4:06pm

Fiddler has a great sound system/design right now.  I could hear every word/note/voice/instrument.

Considering how wordy the show is, Hamilton sounds phenomenal.   

[uncageg]

Posted: 1/10/16 at 4:08pm

trpguyy said: "uncageg said: "trpguyy, unfortunately that is not completely true."

 

What did I write that you disagree with?

 

That they are always doing a great job and mixing it the way it is intended.I have a number of friends that run sound for shows.

 

"

 

Updated On: 1/10/16 at 04:08 PM

[trpguyy]

Posted: 1/10/16 at 9:25pm

You have a number of friends that run sound for Broadway shows and they tell you that they're not doing a good job? I don't understand. Re-read my post. Anyone mixing a show on Broadway IS phenomenal at their job, and is doing what they're supposed to be doing. It may not be your cup of tea, but they are doing their job EXTREMELY well.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 1/11/16 at 11:04am

I should also mention that I pretty much shut down at weddings when the music is cranked up too loudly.  I can't hold conversations, I can't even function.  I usually head out to the lobby and sit there pretending to have a good time.

 

Thanks for all your suggestions.  I have an appointment with my physician next week and will ask him to suggest the name of a good audiologist. It won't hurt to learn if this is a physical problem for me.

 

I appreciate all your feedback.