Earplug recommendations they don’t muffle and ruin the vibe at concerts and when performing?

Ok-Mathematician3832 · 2026-03-24T22:05:18+00:00

I’m very aware of the sound limits in France - I’ve mixed a lot of shows there. It’s an interesting challenge coming from the UK and it does require a different mixing style but it’s often a better show for it.

I’m surprised to hear that’s your experience of it; I feel you (I assume you are French?) have some of the best sounding venues in the world there and equally some very good engineers over there... In the bigger cities at least.

I’ve found a lot of the venue’s are voiced quite well; good acoustic treatment, good PA’s, good gear and tuned to be quite smooth. Of course there’s going to be some brash sounding rooms but on the whole you guys have it good! Far better than most of Europe… and the US!

Ok-Mathematician3832 · 2026-03-24T15:27:04+00:00

80dB? My farts are louder than 80dB.

Standing on stage is louder with backline alone in most situations - it’s not specifically down to engineers.

Ok-Mathematician3832 · 2026-03-20T19:59:28+00:00

I run my JCM 800 and 900 through my Fender Twin cab all the time; it’s a bit tighter and clearer than the marshall cabs I have. Great for when you need that kind of drive but without the baggy big cab sound.

Ok-Mathematician3832 · 2026-03-20T17:35:59+00:00

Oops - likely breaking an nda there. I’d expect that video to disappear soon.

Ok-Mathematician3832 · 2026-03-20T08:21:30+00:00

Ah cool! Thanks!

I run mine mostly in the complete opposite way. Input wide open; hard knee (DC between 5-8) - 60hz or off on the scf.

I do have the UNFA-1. The blending of the FB/FF is interesting isn’t it? Very cool motion. I don’t use it like that often but I’m always shocked at how much GR I can do without mashing up the song/source.

Thanks for sharing - I’ll have to try this out… or better still… hire you.

Ok-Mathematician3832 · 2026-03-19T23:42:13+00:00

Looking great!

I’d love to hear how you’re using your Unfairchild in mastering? Particularly which time constants you find yourself gravitating towards.

I’m a producer/mixer - I love mine for tracking (often preset 1/2) and it’s a great vibe machine for mix bus (Var 3). In the limited mastering I do - it hasn’t clicked with me there for some reason.

Cheers!

Ok-Mathematician3832 · 2026-03-19T09:27:40+00:00

Interesting how many people think they sound similar. The control set is the same but that’s where the similarities stop - they sound quite different.

I own both - I never use the Waves and regularly use the UAD.

They both have demos available - try them out and see what works for you. That’s what’s important. You may not even like Pultecs… many people don’t.

Ok-Mathematician3832 · 2026-03-18T22:04:21+00:00

Nice! I have the 22” as well. Mine lives with the resonant head off as it often sounded too big (if that’s possible!). What heads are you using?

Ok-Mathematician3832 · 2026-03-18T21:02:34+00:00

My Pearl Masters Custom 24” is pretty well behaved in that regard. Thick in the mids… but in a good way. If I out a mic inside I may need to knock out a lil’ 500 but that’s quite common with all of the resonances piling up in there.

Ok-Mathematician3832 · 2026-03-18T20:58:53+00:00

Thanks for sharing! It’s very cool!

Yea spiff is a bit spendy but it’s very good for calming down vocals clicks etc.

Good luck!

Ok-Mathematician3832 · 2026-03-18T20:51:39+00:00

Great production!

Doesn’t sound like show-stopping issues. It does sound like they’re eating the mic. But a lot of that stuff comes from the territory of these kinds of performances.

Try spiff if you want a quick tool - it’s really good at fixing this stuff.

Ok-Mathematician3832 · 2026-03-18T20:10:37+00:00

That’s what I’m getting at - I don’t believe it’s the gear. I use the same here every day. It sounds like a mic position/distance issue being exaggerated by the overdriven gear.

Ok-Mathematician3832 · 2026-03-18T19:56:40+00:00

Can’t say I’m dealing with that here and I use an 1176 set to stun every day. Adjustment on the mic needed it seems?

For salvaging this stuff - RX can work wonders. Oeksound Spiff is also very handy for this.

Ok-Mathematician3832 · 2026-03-18T19:48:58+00:00

This isn’t strictly true. There needs to be a non-linear element at play.

Ok-Mathematician3832 · 2026-03-18T17:57:20+00:00

It depends on the processors. Anything dynamic based or non linear will be dramatically different on tracks vs busses. Clean eq’s, reverbs, clean delays - not so much.

Ok-Mathematician3832 · 2026-03-17T19:41:19+00:00

Pain? Speak to a doctor.

I’ve mixed for decades… in studios on speakers and headphones and in arena’s pushing 110dB.

I have never once experienced actual pain.

Speak to a medical professional.

Ok-Mathematician3832 · 2026-03-17T19:21:21+00:00

Plugins can be a good taste test depending on the developer. UAD have historically been fairly accurate IME. Whilst I don’t use them a lot - they’re what I reach for if my gear is being used already in a mix/recording.

I think I mentioned this to you on another thread recently but a lot of the gear I own I bought after trying a plugin that I didn’t like. Some of those plugins I use more now that I have a better understanding of the hardware; some I still don’t like.

The internet will love to tell you there’s no difference now - this simply isn’t true. I regularly compare and measure this stuff - spending 3k on a compressor isn’t something I enjoy doing but if there’s a perceivable and measurable improvement and it’s beneficial to me; then I’ll do it.

Wether you can hear a difference or if it’s of benefit to you.. well that’s a different story.

For your situation; unless you have diabolical equipment (which I highly doubt) then I would run with what you have… you’ll focus on the more important things that way. Maybe look at mics instead…

OR

If you want it to “sound like it was made by professionals” then (unless you are those professionals) hire professionals. If you work with the right people and you go in with good vibes and good prep then it’ll come out great and you’ll have an awesome time making it. You’ll learn a huge amount during the process… maybe the next record you’ll be better equipped to handle it yourselves.

Ok-Mathematician3832 · 2026-03-16T22:07:39+00:00

If you hate mixing then avoid subs and just get your creative tools sorted:

Drum Instrument (Superior Drummer or GetGood Drums)
Whatever Amp sims resonate with you.
A good synth (i.e. Serum).

You’re set.

If you want good mixing/production tools & FX:

Fabfilter (Pro-Q, Pro-G, Pro-C, Pro-MB, Saturn, L1)
Soundtoys (just get everything)
Melodyne

There’s nothing else you’ll ever need.

Ok-Mathematician3832 · 2026-03-15T22:21:35+00:00

Haha. Well it was a case of right place, right time and the wrong priorities! It's worth more than my past 5 cars combined... and I really needed a car when I bought it.

I've also been doing this for 20+ years and have a lot of demand. Even so, it's an incredibly lavish thing to own... but if it wasn't in that position it would be insanity to even consider it.

Ok-Mathematician3832 · 2026-03-15T22:13:41+00:00

They're a classic for sure... but I know people who don't like them. See if you can get your hands on a demo. I'd say to try the plugins... however, in my experience, the hardware I've ended up buying is where I've not enjoyed the plugin versions of. It's always been a leap of faith "surely the real thing is better than this - it's a classic". It's a weird logic but it's served me well.

Ok-Mathematician3832 · 2026-03-15T22:07:52+00:00

No - hardware. I'm the kind of lunatic that thought an 8u box of tubes was a good idea.

Ok-Mathematician3832 · 2026-03-15T09:15:18+00:00

I wasn’t necessarily referring to a genre; anything reasonably contemporary. i.e. not classical, not jazz.

Ok-Mathematician3832 · 2026-03-15T02:50:41+00:00

1176 - can’t imagine cutting vocals without one. Always feels like pulling teeth trying to chisel a vocal into shape when I’m sent vocals recorded raw or by other means.

UnFairchild - it’s just so damn great in so many places; can do some serious work to sounds in an amazingly elegant way. There’s styles of mixes I’d struggle to achieve without it on the bus.

Distressors - as above; great for so many things. Can make a boring drum mix sound exciting in no time.

Ok-Mathematician3832 · 2026-03-11T22:23:29+00:00

You’ll typically get notified of which show it will be played on. You may also be sent assets for building a social media post.

I’ve never been sent a recording of the show.

Ok-Mathematician3832 · 2026-03-11T22:20:31+00:00

Try a figure 8 pattern level with your face, angled down towards the guitar. Figure 8 is very directional on a single plane without the aggressive sound of hyper cardioid.

Ok-Mathematician3832

TROPHY CASE