BBC Glastonbury 2015 sound balance

[Anastasius]

I was wondering if there are any sound engineers here who can explain why the BBC sound balance was so consistently awful. In most of the bands, the soloists were totally lost. Just tried watching The Who and I'm convinced that the soloists' mikes were switched off!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Just tried watching The Who and I'm convinced that the soloists' mikes were switched off!

It's not all bad news then?

[muzzer]

I'm no sound engineer, but given that the scope for soundchecks at festivals is limited to say the least I'm always surprised it sounds even remotely acceptable. FWIW I thought the 'oo sounded pretty bad, but that was more down to the performance than the sound. But then, isn't that what they were famous for "back in the day" around the time I and many of us were born/listening to Berio? (delete as appropriate).....

[MrGongGong]

Mr West sounded cr*p
but it's worth watching to see how to get almost everything contextually wrong in a performance

The Chemical Brothers sounded fantastic BUT given the nature of the music it's a much simpler task than mixing a combination of electric and acoustic sources

Having said that, it's not rocket science and there are plenty of people who DO know how to go about it.

[Lordgeous]

Being the age I am (!) I only watched Bacharach and I have to agree - dire sound. Having been a studio and live sound engineer (& did Glasto once) I'm aware of the numerous things that can go wrong, but Auntie normally does a fantastic job, often in the face of adversity. Disappointing.

[Anastasius]

Being the age I am (!) I only watched Bacharach and I have to agree - dire sound. Having been a studio and live sound engineer (& did Glasto once) I'm aware of the numerous things that can go wrong, but Auntie normally does a fantastic job, often in the face of adversity. Disappointing.

I know that there will be a separate mixing desk for the PA but presumably the Beeb will get separate direct feeds from the soloist's mics etc? Just wondered whether the sound level from some of the those speakers on stage would have been loud at the soloists mic ...but you're probably now going to tell me that those speakers on stage are switched off !!

[MrGongGong]

I know that there will be a separate mixing desk for the PA but presumably the Beeb will get separate direct feeds from the soloist's mics etc? Just wondered whether the sound level from some of the those speakers on stage would have been loud at the soloists mic ...but you're probably now going to tell me that those speakers on stage are switched off !!

Can we discuss the polar pattern of the SM58 vs the SM57 please miss?

[gurnemanz]

I watched Glastonbury only on Sunday night zapping around red button highlights and found the sound OK. Our son was there so I will at least be able to join in the conversation. The main ones I enjoyed were young female singrers: FKA Twiggs, The Staves, Ella Eyre, Rae Morris, also quite liked Franz Ferdinand with Sparks.

[Russ]

I know that there will be a separate mixing desk for the PA but presumably the Beeb will get separate direct feeds from the soloist's mics etc?

I don't think so. However capable the beeb might be at mixing, I doubt the artists would allow a mix to be transmitted other than what is directed by their own engineers at their own mixing desks.

Russ

[Lordgeous]

The live sound engineer has a different remit to the broadcast engineer and the 'live' mix would rarely be suitable for broadcast. Mics feeds would almost always be split and the broadcast engineer would do his own balance, sometimes supervised by the (bigger) artist's own sound man or producer. They would also be split for the on-stage monitor mix en gineer. Anything live can be at the mercy of gremlins (remember no sound for Macca at the end of "Live Aid"?) "My" band's appearance at Glastonbury... We were first on so were able to leave everything perfectly setup from the sound check. In the interval before starting some helpful person had decided to tidy up the mic cables, unplugging them but unfortunately plugging them back into the wrong sockets! Nightmare! Took til the end of the set to realise what was going on!

[Oakapple]

The BBC certainly love Glastonbury and their television coverage is more comprehensive than that of the Proms (though I accept Glastonbury is over much fewer days). On its website today it proclaimed 50 Glorious Years of Glastonbury. Really? Personally it's my idea of hell.

Nevertheless, I watched a bit of David Bowie last night and his voice seemed weak and tired to me. So I don't know if it was the BBC engineers or whether he was getting old at 53.

[johncorrigan]

The BBC certainly love Glastonbury and their television coverage is more comprehensive than that of the Proms (though I accept Glastonbury is over much fewer days). On its website today it proclaimed 50 Glorious Years of Glastonbury. Really? Personally it's my idea of hell.

Nevertheless, I watched a bit of David Bowie last night and his voice seemed weak and tired to me. So I don't know if it was the BBC engineers or whether he was getting old at 53.

I watched a bit of the Bowie set too, Oakapple, described as a classic Glastonbury performance, but it looked tired and jaded to me...an uninspired greatest hits, I suppose. Bowie had slipped from his revered position through the nineties, and he looked to me like someone who hadn't performed much. Band wasn't much to write home about either. I'm sure it's great if you're there...and it's sunny...or, at least, not too muddy, but I never much fancied the idea of it.

[Stunsworth]

I watched a bit of the Bowie set too, Oakapple, described as a classic Glastonbury performance, but it looked tired and jaded to me...an uninspired greatest hits, I suppose. Bowie had slipped from his revered position through the nineties, and he looked to me like someone who hadn't performed much. Band wasn't much to write home about either. I'm sure it's great if you're there...and it's sunny...or, at least, not too muddy, but I never much fancied the idea of it.

I must have been watching a different concert.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

The BBC certainly love Glastonbury and their television coverage is more comprehensive than that of the Proms (though I accept Glastonbury is over much fewer days). On its website today it proclaimed 50 Glorious Years of Glastonbury. Really? Personally it's my idea of hell.

Surely you've realised by now that the BBC is desperate to be liked.

[johncorrigan]

I must have been watching a different concert.

Glad you enjoyed it, Steve.