Guitar Virtuoso STEVE VAI Live Sound Check From the Stage at the Robinson PAC in West Virginia
Guitar Virtuoso STEVE VAI Live Sound Check From the Stage at the Robinson PAC in Clarksburg, West Virginia.
I had the opportunity to be present for and video record this sound check. What an honor and a pleasure! Steve, his band, and his entire crew were so humble and just really nice people.
Please excuse the audio on this video as the song opens up... the microphone on the camera could not handle the SPL (Sound Pressure Level) from the stage, and it breaks up a little, sounding like the crackling of a dirty vinyl LP record. I didn't have the opportunity to get a direct audio feed from the board to sync up with my video footage. Maybe next time. :-)
All I can say is that Steve Vai is a master of his craft. Watch the way he walks around the stage in the beginning "listening" and calling out precise decible and frequency adjustments to the monitor mix sound man on the side of the stage. A delight to see... and hear!
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I admire the the stage discipline showed by the other musicians. This is called professionalism
Yes sir. Master class! Cheers!
Yes, trying this in a band with your mates and they just dick about and you get nowhere lol
@@Jamesfoofighter if that’s happening… You’re in the wrong band. 😎
Why would they lack discipline? They are all paid professionals and Vai is the boss.
If you dont adhere to sensei you will be fired. He demands professionalism period.
I've been to a million sound checks and never once seen the lead guy have such exacting details as to what he wanted up or down to the exact freq and db. Vai's a pure genius, end of story.
I agree.
That’s what happens with over exposer to frank zappa ;)
@@daneph I don’t know if there such a thing as “over exposure“ to Frank Zappa. But Steve sure did learn a lot from him.
It's called they know to do what he says or get fired without hesitation. Even though his Guitar hiss's the worst I've ever seen.
@@Ace96x10 you can see guitar hiss? 😳
what Steve hears in his head and how it transfers signals to his playing is a gift imo that only a very few master guitarist have.
The dude with Vai's cable is like the bridesmaid following every move of the bride fixing her dress. I love it!
That’s hilarious! Now I can never “unsee“ that. That’s Steve‘s new guitar tech, replacing Thomas. Yes, he’s quite attentive.
He sure earns his money, but he obviously loves his job. Watch the rig rundown with him.
That's one of his sons that's doing the tech work ❤
I hope when I grow up I can call out specific frequencies and the correct number of dB that they need to come up or down in a live mix like Steve Vai. Floyd, thank you for posting this. Is just another example of how GOOD Steve is as a master musician.
Yes, I agree. And, you’re welcome. I don’t know if that kind of thing is something that you learn, or if it’s just an innate built-in talent and ability that some people have. Kind a like when you see someone with perfect pitch. I have gone through exercises where I used a tone generator to sweep through frequencies to get familiar with what they sound like. Also, when I’m mixing music I will often sweep frequencies in the equalizer to get familiar with how they affect the sound spectrum. Cheers to you!
Why u need to call our that?
You can train yourself. There's a programe called golden ears I used years ago... I got pretty good... but you have to keep it up.
It's all ear training. If you're a musician and a songwriter you can use a parametric EQ on your main instrument(s) and carefully listen to how its/their sound changes as you sweep a narrow band from left to right using both a boost and a cut. It takes a while. But once you internalize how the sound of the instrument(s) reacts to the EQ band you can figure out what frequencies you like and don't like, and what to boost or cut for either in-studio or live performances.
this is the first time after 20 years listening to him that i see his sound check set up like this. THANK YOU
Me too! Glad you enjoyed it. Cheers!
Horrible music. Horrible tone. You'd think something would have developed after 40 years..?
@@benjaminsavage4204 You’re free to move on. No one‘s forcing you to listen or be here. What would be an example of a “tone“ or music that you find meets your standard?
@@floydwebtube I can't name one, I feel sorry for Steve, I wouldn't want the racist to feel bad.
@@benjaminsavage4204 well there you have it. You have zero taste in music as proven by your statement. And why do you call him a racist? Do you have any examples of that? I mean, really… Philip has been in his band for how long? They are great friends. I met his stage manager who was Hispanic. So, you will have to qualify your statement. I checked out your channel, and it appears that you are nothing more than a troll. How does it feel to be a troll?
I saw Vai a few years ago with Nuno, Tosin Abasi, Zakk Wylde and Yngwie. His tone was a thing of beauty
Quite often when he jams with others his sound is thin by comparison.
Excellent!
I've known this guy over 50 years. Time really takes a toll, on the rock guitarist.
Time takes a toll on us all. Cheers!
But not the rest of us. Fountain of youth user here!!
Wow!!!! Awesome, thanks for sharing!!!!
You’re welcome! Thanks for watching! Cheers!
This is amazing to watch and hear. Thanks for posting.
I agree! I was thrilled to be there and be able to film this. Thanks for watching! Cheers!
A master at work, perfection.
I agree. Cheers!
Siempre aprendiendo. Gracias por el video.
No Hablo Español, pero, gracias!
Awesome video! The show was so amazing. The best show I've been to. It's great to get to see what Vai put into getting everything to sound just right that night.
Yes, a pretty impressive act! I’m impressed with how compact this tour was… Traveling in a tour bus with his wife, his two sons, band and crew, and pulling the entire stage equipment behind the bus in a trailer.
This is totally fascinating! Love the level of detail going into this setup...total professionals.
I totally agree with you. This was an amazingly fun experience for me! Cheers to you!
Thank you for this!
You’re welcome. Thanks for stopping by!
Fascinating to watch and listen to a genius at work
I agree. In any field or discipline.
Great to see the process in play. Thanks👍
You’re welcome. Thanks for stopping by. Cheers!
Never saw a master musician do this in such settings. Unique vedio, thank you.
Thank you! Cheers!
Thanks for that incredible share of these sharp sound checks of Steve Vai and band. And the points of view at 360° are great ; the configuration of the place seems like an inner spacecraft... Fantastic !
It’s an old theater that was recently renovated. It was actually a great venue! Cheers!
@@floydwebtube Ok, thanks for explaining !
@@Pat54guitares_Uku You’re welcome!
A pure perfectionist STEVE VAI
True that.
Musical Genius indeed! experience made him even better!
I guess experience should make us all better. 😁
Thanks so much for this. The insight is priceless. It’s so cool to see how everyone knows “where to be”. That venue is so intimate, and I bet it’s not an easy mix to get. Bouncy house if you’re not careful. I’d bet Stevie’s being extra attentive because of the space.
This was a wonderful experience for all! Glad you enjoyed it. Cheers!
Awesome THANKS
You’re welcome! Cheers!
soo much professional . rock on steve
Master class!
indeed @@floydwebtube
perfect.wonderful.....
Yes sir!
Very unique visual and audio experience. Vai is a Total perfectionist. Thank You for this glimpse of a True Musical Genius and Production Master.
Yes, I totally agree with you. Thank you for watching! Cheers!
I imagine Frank instilled that in him!
@@uncleremus5046 yeah, Steve learned a whole lot from Frank. And he often talks about it. I guess, we all learned a lot from Frank!
I don't think many guitar heros would tell the engineer which db and which k to boost exactly like Vai does. He is so percise with his golden ears.
True that!
A friend of mine saw him two o three monts ago,he told me that the sound was awful and very egotrip style performance,boring .He felt very dissapointed...maybe was a bad day but watching this soundcheck....who knows.
@@anicetakatiuska1177 to each his own.
I want a person to pull in my cable like that when I do pub gigs!
I want a person to pull my cable like that at home! 😁
😂
@@samsurreal186 😁
This is amazing to watch. Just scanning the stage and knowing exactly what he wants, down to the frequency band and dB level. The experience showing is spades. Thanks for uploading.
Glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for dropping by. This was a fun experience for me! Cheers!
Super!!
Yes, it was! This was a very enjoyable moment for me. Cheers!
Sometimes I miss live sound experience like that. Almost everywhere is silent stage and direct, which I've learned to love as well because of the control I have in the mix levels. But nothing beats that live sound amp cabs moving air.
Yes, I agree. Music is movement. Music is vibration. Nothing like that SPL coming out of a cabinet hitting your guitar at a resonant frequency and bringing you into the vibration.
Audio in this video is very good. Nice recording. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you. As I explained in the description, the sound was actually pretty bad because of the tiny microphone on the camera. But I’m glad you enjoyed it! Cheers!
Thank you, man.
You’re welcome. And thank you back! Cheers!
Great vid thanks for up loading
You’re welcome. What an amazing experience! Thanks for watching and sharing! Cheers!
My love for Vai will never die. Been a fan since early days with FZ, and most everything since. He plays with a lot of HEART ,as well as passion. A true air sculptor. ❤️🎸✌️
That first sentence sounds like the line to a new song… 😁 Yes, I’ve always liked his music too. And meeting him a few times has been a pleasure to confirm that he is an awesome human being.
Wow! Professor Vai! Genius!
I agree. Cheers!
He is the Boss
his control of all the different colors of his tone (gain, frequencies, feedback, string touch & fretboard/body resonance, harmonics) at high volumes reminds me of only one other guitarist- Hendrix
Steve is definitely a master of his art!
hes very particular in the cut and boost which is amazing
Steve is very particular about everything.😁
very cool
I agree! Cheers!
Pure Genious
No doubt!
Nice❤
Very nice! Cheers! ❤️
25 Oct in Singapore. Man, cant wait to see him.
Enjoy the spectacle and great show! Please tell Steve I said hello. 😎 Cheers!
Vai's hearing is awesome guys!
That’s probably because he takes care of it, too. The volume at his shows he’s always just right. He’s not blasting anyone out of their seats.
No tinnitus! So use ear protection. Musician's plugs.
@@kipponi his volume wasn’t really that offensive.
@@floydwebtube Yes you said. Generally to all musicians use ear protecting. Tinnitus is hell. I have high frequency tinnitus but luckily not loud. It happened in the army. No hearing protection 1986 in Finland. Nowadays there is.
@@kipponi i’ve been wearing hearing aids for about five years. Too many loud guitars, firearms, explosives, loud cars, and I was a sonar technician in the Navy listening to pinging submarines with headphones on for too long.
Reminds me of high school band. Really cool. 🙂
When I was in high school, I used to jam with Richie Sambora. For real. High school bands were awesome! Cheers!
@@floydwebtube Yup! I was in a pretty good one. Good music program.
@@williambock1821 ‘Merica needs more of that.
Wow.. superb! i need to practice frequencies hearing
We all probably need to practice that! 😁
Fantastic to see this actually . One thing I always loved about Steve Vai was his absolute dedication to getting the little details right - especially his playing and compositions .
I totally agree. I’ve met him three times, first time I really got the impression he was an alien… Not of this earth. And this last time, I realize how wonderfully humble and human he is. Cheers!
@@floydwebtube So great you met him three times ! He is one person I would really love to meet or just have even a quick jam with . Thanks for this upload - so good .
@@NeilTurnbull007 go out and make it happen! He’s all over the globe. I think he holds something called “Via Academy“ where you might have an opportunity to go study with him and jam.
Thank you!!!! Every great guitar player needs a rug btw
Yes… A rug, and a roadie to carry it! Cheers!
wow...!!
Wow is right!
Fuarrrkkk how frightening and cool lmao! The goat!
Yes, I like his music a lot! He’s an interesting guy too.
During the last spring, I was walking together with my family on a walking narrow line beside the beach in Jesolo town, north of Italy Three figures all black dressed like bikers were sitting down on a short wall, just stairing at the sea I passed by them, stopped, turning my head and.. Mr. Steve Vai in person, his wife and son were there!! First thing he said looking at us has been "..nice family.." We had a short talk 'cause I didn't want to bother, short self clip and greetings. In the evening he was going to play a show there What a fantastic and unexpected meeting I had!
That’s fantastic! Good for you. Timing is everything. Sometimes you just in the right place at the right time. Nice experience. Cheers!
Exactly! One thing I noticed and didn't mention before, he was wearing a medical stuff that bound and, I guess, supported his right wrist
@@alfalubesrl5441 I would imagine that with the intensity of his playing, and for doing it for so many years, that eventually he’s going to have some wear and tear on those tendons.
@@alfalubesrl5441Oh, it must be after his operation time. Steve Vai had some operation procedures on his palm and shoulder several times last year.
Was there for the show. So great
Excellent!
I’ve seen 1 other person with such perfection. Mr. Frank Zappa
Frank was a huge influence on Steve. He talks of that often.
its nice to see somebody who knows his shit!!
Yes indeed!
I am waiting you for concert in Thailand see ya on October. ... master VAI 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
I have visited your beautiful country a few times! Enjoy the show! Cheers!
Good video music Always succes for you
Thank you! And much success and happiness to you too! Cheers!
He's had that same bassist for as long as i can remember
I’ve seen Steve Vai with Billy Sheehan on base. You know what a powerhouse Billy is!
Yes Billy is the best @@floydwebtube
Very cool effects board. Comfortable carpet to stand on...while performing live.
First class act! He knows what he’s doing. Lol
Thanks for filming this and uploading it. What a joy to see how a complete professional does it.
You’re welcome! And thank you, for watching. Please share! I’m almost at 100,000 views on this!
Tem músico mocorongo q chega atrasado não passa o som e ainda sai reclamando. Por isso aprendi passar o dom nos mínimos detalhes. Isso sim é profissional.
Steve's so fucking cool and humble. That's how you want a guitar genius 😎
I agree.
Master guitarist. He knows what he wants.👍❤️. Of course he can do producer stuff easily too. Still uses old pal White EVO his favourite guitar.🎸
A class act and master of his art!
Even at soundcheck, Steve is relaxed, yet focused, funny, yet serious. No matter what footage I see of Steve, he's always a genuienly beautiful soul who also happens to be the artist immersed in his craft.
I agree.
The most punch-able person on planet Earth.
🔥🔥🔥
❤️❤️❤️
alucinante como tocar en casa con todo paneado pero en el escenario
No Hablo Espanol. Cheers!
Those are the luckiest people in the world right here n now
A good time was had by all! Cheers!
Steve has supersonic ears to distinguish how much volume is needed for different frequencies.
Listening is an art in itself. Even in conversation. Most people “listen“ to respond, rather than listening to understand.
nice
😁
Listen to that hiss!!!
I was surprised by that too, as I had mentioned in another comment. Truth is, there has never been a guitar rig, or amp set up in my entire life where I did not have hiss. Especially if you’re running a high gain rig. Steve does not use a noise gate, because they degrade the signal. He does use a volume pedal at the end of his signal chain and he can shut that hiss off when he’s not playing. I think he leaves it open during sound check to get an idea of the noise floor.
definition of pro, when you master everything of your craft… 😳
And he makes it fun.
@@floydwebtube this vidéo is a « master class » for musicians, sound techs & stage techs .
@@alexterminator1371 I agree.
I am waiting for him so long, and so eager that he will play live in Viet Nam next month.
I would love to visit your country! Enjoy the show! Cheers!
@@floydwebtube thank you.
@@DangKhoaGuitarist you’re welcome. Thank you! Cheers!
Love how Steve conveys exactly what he needs. I think he’s done this before. 😂
Ha ha! Right! Cheers!
That's awesome!!....I was wondering how that turned out. We were in the front row. I've seen automotive youtubers use those insta360's but never seen them used for this kinda stuff....It came out great!!
Very cool! Thank you! I saw your other post about getting signatures on your guitar. That’s awesome! Yeah, I’m really enjoying this camera, and trying to do some creative stuff that I haven’t seen done with it yet. It was pure luck and fate that I got into that sound check, thanks to meeting Dante on the street. I may do a whole separate video on that story. Cheers!
Oh come on man you're holding up the show. This should have been done before everyone else got on the stage!
This isn’t the show, this is a sound check… Which is kind of like a special show and itself. You have no idea of the last minute coincidences that brought this moment together. Everyone enjoyed it, including Steve. Cheers!
The old wrong angle on the mic problem……..amazing!
Master class!
ป๋าเป็นทุกอย่างจริงๆ
I don’t know what you wrote, but cheers to you!
Phil Bynoe bassist extraordinaire
Yes he is! And a super nice guy. I met him on the street, and got him to sign my Ibanez Jem.
Awesome video dude! Turned out great
Thank you, Dante! It was completely 100% your doing that this video was able to be made. What an extraordinary experience for me. Thank you! I’m going to put together a video of how this whole experience came to be. I checked out your website and bio,… A lawyer! Who’da thunk! I think you made a great decision in your life. LOL You’re a super talented musician, and an extremely nice person. Thank you again! Hope we run into each other again someday. This video is going quite viral! Please share it amongst your friends and fans. Cheers!
Very nice! Do you have more fotage from the soundcheck?
Thank you. Yes, I have more footage. I was able to film the entire Soundcheck which was about 40 minutes. I will post more, mostly of Steve fooling around and talking. As cool as it is, I’m a little reluctant to post the songs because the microphone on the camera I used was pretty crappy and sounded pretty crappy as well, and also, KZhead flag me for copyright violations if I put the music portions up. Anyway, if you haven’t seen it yet, here’s a video of Steve signing my Ibanez Jem guitar for the third time in 33 years. Cheers! kzhead.info/sun/prJmk9OAaXZ7oqM/bejne.htmlsi=OpPlcUHXYuNZKgQI
This is the kind of shit I love!! Howd they get it to sound so good live? Watch this video!!
Master class!
Did you see how he changed the location of the microphones in front of his cabinets? he slightly offset them from the cone center, which is the proper way to do it.
Yes, and his new guitar tech came out as did the monitor mix engineer, and Steve explained to both of them why and how he moved those mics. And if you watch right after that, the monitor mix engineer stands right behind Steve to get a good reference as to what Steve is hearing. That’s A good sound man right there.
Freakin boss level…
For sure!
I see the Zappa influence.
Definitely. He speaks of Zappa, and the influence he had on him, often.
Detalhes que explicam tanto.
No Hablo Espanol, Gracias.
Bats should sign up for a listening workshop with Stevie
🤣
that's the level- he even has a person who holds his cord
Master class. Cheers!
Anyone know what the other guitarist was playing on the acoustic??? Sounded good
Sounded like some acoustic Zeppelin. Nobody s fault but mine?
Dante Frisiello www.dantefrisiello.com
Song is called "Dyin' day" kzhead.info/sun/f7qQYNClp6GDi2w/bejne.htmlsi=zCfV2OhEQbFlnNJK
@@benjaminhawke2080 I think it was part of one of the songs he plays with Steve.
Cool...@@gtrkitarr
just a question? can steve hear all those frequncy like musical notes? . he is so specific with the frequency on the instruments and even the db which we wants to add on moniter.
Those frequencies ARE musical notes. So I guess the answer is yes.
Nah it's really just a way of saying to boost lows, mids or highs and, for a few times the balance is off left / right as well. It's nothing to do with him knowing or hearing "precise frequencies' - anyone who has adjusted a graphic EQ knows the values on the sliders.
I found it interesting that he was so personally involved in this, just because I’m so used to seeing people show up and do a few things and letting the sound technicians take care of all this. Maybe somebody with experience could explain everything that’s going on and what these guys are actually hearing on stage, obviously they have stage amps versus what’s being projected because these guys would like to still have some hearing when they’re in their 70s.
I was impressed at how very self-contained this entire tour is. Steve is doing everything. He travels in a tour bus with his wife, and his two sons who are running different parts of the show and the business, with his band, and his crew… Pulling all the equipment in a trailer behind the bus. I may do a video on that soon. I like the minimalist approach on stage as well. The sound volume is always pleasant and clear. With the talented ears that Steve has, he doesn’t wanna blow them out either. His sound is very controlled.
Steve, I just stumbled upon this tonight. I didn’t even know this series existed. Holy cow! There’s a ton of information in here. Many of your questions are answered in here. Any of my questions are answered in here. Enjoy! kzhead.info/sun/Za5wc8tpq6ybm2w/bejne.htmlsi=Md23ScvyCthdWXra
@@floydwebtube When I drove a cab for Woodbridge checker, I learned pretty quick that all the acts who were playing the Garden State Eye Center stayed at the Hilton. I remember one time bringing a guy back there who said holy shit when he was getting out of the cab, I turned around to see Bob Dylan stopping to talk with Steven Tyler, and they both had two or three buses in the lot. I didn’t realize it was coming back then for the band and crew and everybody to travel in the buses in a caravan
What is the camera? And are you able to do all that panning and zooming in post or only during recording?
It is an Insta360 3X on a 10 foot tripod pole. All the magic happens in post. The desktop program for editing is amazing. It uses AI. During recording you are shooting completely in 360°, and you make all your editing choices in post. It’s awesome!
No in ears for Steve. Total old school sonic experience for him. In ears can feel isolating.
I agree.
Steve is using Fractal for his sound here i suppose and may be the power amp is connected his backline speakers
I believe you are correct on that.
@@floydwebtube you could see the Fractal processor in his board... I am planning to buy the FM9😁
@@pratikbhosle3792 i’m thinking about getting the Digitech whammy pedal.
the meaning of being a musician...not only a guitar player
Master class!
Frank was one hell of an influencer as was all that tasty LI water.❤️🎸🌏
😁
He really knows what he wants lol
And he gets it! 😁
Can someone give the camera man a kick
There was no cameraman. It was on a tripod.
I want to be in charge of Steve's lead
🤣
Very nice! Is this drone footage?
No, not a drone. A 360° VR (virtual reality) camera on a 10 foot tall tripod set in front of the stage. I am a drone pilot, and I would not want to fly in a theater like that over people. It’s actually illegal if you’re properly licensed.
Wow! What's the guy in the cap and uniform doing? Is it a DB meter?
No, that’s a small camera on a handheld gimbal. He’s monitoring the footage from his phone. I’d like to see that footage.
Oh, I see. Me too. Thank you 😁@@floydwebtube
🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞
😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁