How does this happen? We sit there for ever while they say ‘check 1-2-3’ over and over into the mics for what feels like hours. They constantly ask to have someone adjust things until they’re happy.
Then the show starts and the vocals are completely drowned out by the guitars, drums, etc.
and part 2–how does no one notice this and try to fix it during the show?
(Good example was the Accept show last week. Couldn’t make out anything from the singer for the whole set. Queensryche came on after and we could hear Todd’s vocals just fine)
I assume there must be a good reason, and I’m hoping someone here with experience in this will be along to educate me.
First, there’s a thread from 2024 Sound mixing at concerts and shows SUCKS that discusses this. The second part is that often the “check 1 2 3” business is for setting levels on the stage monitors, not the loudspeakers that the audience is listening to. I just attended a show by the Soweto Gospel Choir, 17 singers, a keyboardist and a percussionist, which is a pretty challenging setup since about 8 of the singers kept taking turns as lead. I noticed that they were handing off microphones while taking lead, then going back to mics set on stands once done. Overall, the sound mix was pretty good, but this was also at Koerner Hall in Toronto, which is part of the Royal Conservatory of Music, one of the premier music schools in Canada, so I expect the sound board engineers know their stuff.