LOUSY SOUND AT LIVE CONCERTS

08-01-13: Matjet

"My son says, in jest, that I have ruined it for him."

You have also ruined it for yourself.

The sound at large venues has always sucked. I stopped going to arena shows in the 90's for that reason. However,over the last few years I've decided to try a few for either my favorite bands or for group outings. I was really surprised at how the sound has improved since the bad old days. Fleetwood Mac, in particular, sounded great at Staples several years back and almost as good at the Hollywood Bowl a few months ago. Now, the bar was low, but I'm hearing improvement out there.

These type of concerts are social and financial events, not musical ones.
What did you expect?

Outdoor and stadium venues always suck for music.

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.