[Johnd]

I’m interested in other observations on this topic. I go to the squares several times a month to take advantage of the free entertainment. The quality of the sound system and the engineers tuning the system to the performers is very uneven square to square. My observations are based on the setups for Uncle Bob’s Rock Shop. I picked them because they have a fairly complicated combination of microphones, amplifiers, wha-wha pedals and other cut ins.

Spanish Springs has the best sound system and the most consistent engineers. Part of the system quality may be due to the renovations of a couple of years ago. Nevertheless, this system is crisp and the sound is omnidirectional. The iPad tuneup by the engineer usually adds to the overall quality. They never seem to use too much bass or volume.

Lake Sumter is second best. This system is not omnidirectional with a noticeable quality drop-off to the sides and a big drop off to the rear of the stage. The iPad tuneup’s here are just as likely to make the sound worse as better. I did hear it once when it was nearly perfect so it can be done.

Brownwood is worst and worst by a large amount. The sound starts falling off about 5° off either side of the stands. It’s virtually a different system at 90° to the stage. Sound quality starts off mushy and indistinct. Almost always, the engineers iPad tuneup makes it worse. There must be a sign in the control booth that says all tweaks are made better by earsplitting volume and pumped up bass. It’s really a mystery how the most recently installed system can be so bad.