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LOUSY SOUND AT LIVE CONCERTS

I went to a concert at Bank America Pavillion in Boston last night. I saw Tedeschi and Trucks, and The Black Crows. A terrific concert; The Tedeschi and Trucks Band was especially terrific.

Unfortunately, these bands sound better in my living room than at this beautiful, outdoor venue.

Many venues have extremely poor acoustics and/or poor sound systems. The music is often terribly distorted, details and nuances of the instrumentals and voices are lost. The sound presents as a congealed distorted mess. The art of these incredibly talented musicians cannot be fully appreciated without clear sound. Listening to music in these crappy venues is like looking at masterpiece paintings in dimly lit museums with dirty glasses. The colors, details and brush strokes are indistinct. The artistic genius cannot be fully appreciated. The Comcast Center in Mansfield, MA., Fenway Park and The Boston Garden are just as bad as The Bank Of America Pavillion, if not worse.

I am frustrated with these venues that cannot provide great sound to accompany the great music. What is the sense of attending live concerts if the sound quality sucks. Does anyone else share my frustration?
matjet
schubert
7,386 posts
 
These type of concerts are social and financial events, not musical ones.
What did you expect?
brf
1,715 posts
 
Outdoor and stadium venues always suck for music.
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 
The venue and genre of music are significant factors. Fans of hip hop,
rap,pop and rock music for example find themselves in venues where
sound quality isn't the priority but rather how loud. Amplified sound via PA
systems usually sounds pretty bad.

I'm a jazz music lover and the clubs and venues I've attended over the
years are nearly without exception wonderful sounding and allow one to
get deeply involved with the music being performed. No PA system and
predominantly unamplified acoustic instruments makes a natural and
beautiful sound. It's really something to hear the full weight, and body of a
tenor saxophone, trumpet or piano, hear/feel the bloom and fat tone of an
acoustic bass. The club I attend frequently these days is intimate and
unamplified. You just hear the full tone and energy of all the instruments
and can completely appreciate the musicians talent and connect
emotionally. This type of listening environment makes an excellent
template for developing an ear for natural/realistic sound. I've found the
same is true regarding most classical music settings as well.
The live music experience for me has been and remains a truly pleasurable
and passionate outing.
czarivey
5,946 posts
 
If I shared all of your frustrations, I'd never be in any live concert.
eldonparet's avatar
eldonparet
26 posts
 
Normally natural sound inside a performance hall is the way to enjoy live music at its best. This is usually the case with classical music although chamber concerts with even small bands of any genre and no amplification are awesome too.
The problem with most outdoor venues is the amplification. It can change everything.
I agree with your frustration. Done properly outdoor concerts can be enjoyable if the sound system is "invisible" meaning it just adds volume and nothing else. Very hard to do.
Go to venues that have natural sound performances. Your city symphony orchestra being the top choice usually.
More options available at local colleges, churches, museums, etc.
Like I said you find mostly classical music but also some great jazz, vocals and pop from less known bands will allow you to enjoy music heaven.
Then come to your home system for a close to live natural sound experience and keep working on your equipment to make it as enjoyable as you can.

Luis D. Paret
Keller, TX
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