Hi All,

As I was prepping some live video for the band's website, I couldn't help but notice that several of the videos captured the "Cocktail Party Effect" in action.

For those who haven't been following along, the Cocktail Party Effect is an analogy for one of the benefits of the L1 approach - that is, your ears and eyes are "in synch" when listening to a band using the L1 system.

You hear the lead guitar to your left, you look to the left side of the stage, and there's the guy ripping a killer solo on his Strat (Tele, Les Paul, fill in your favorite axe here...)

As I was posting the videos, I realized that the camcorder captured this effect. It was readily apparent on the the video of "Brown Eyed Girl." (I know, I know - but crowds love Brown Eyed Girl, and you've got to give the people what they want.)

The camcorder was run by a friend, sitting on the curb of a street in downtown Melbourne, Florida. As she pointed the camera at "the stage" you can hear the lead guitar player (playing through the L1 closest to her) very predominently. He's overpowering the vocals, but she's quite close to the lead guitar's L1, and furthest from the vocalist's L1. As she pans toward the drummer, the mix changes. When she point the camera away from the "stage" and into the crowd, you hear the mix that the audience was hearing - much better balanced, and the vocals pop out of the mix. As a side note, I realized after the gig that the drums (sub-mixed through the same L1 as the the male lead vocals) were too 'hot' and limiting the system, thus limiting the vocalist's microphone at the same time.)

I found it quite enlightening...hope you do, too.

PmP

Hi PMP,

Do you have a link to the videos?

Doh!

Of course you are correct, ST, a link would be most helpful. Must have been past my bedtime when I posted my original message! You can see the Brown Eyed Girl video (and others) here:

Green Light Live videos

Also, I should clarify my thinking a bit more. I imagine the camcorder and camcorder mic as a focused listener, someone really paying attention to the band. As they focus on the stage area, the hear the L1 closest to them more dominantly that the others. As their focus shifts to the drummer, the drums stand out. But when they (and the camcorder) turn their focus away from individual players and out into the audience, they get the balanced mix of the entire band. I'm sure Chris-at-Bose could explain the Psycho-Acoustic aspects of this much better, I'm just trying to relate how I experience it.

I've used this effect quite a bit since switching to the L1. I've found I can 'de-focus' somewhat and really hear the song and band as a whole, or I can focus in on any one member of the band (including myself) and hear that instrument over the rest. It's allowed me to improve my playing and also the band's delivery of the song.

V/R,
PmP

Great Video!
I love the wirelesses and how that lets you be a part of the crowd and able to hear yourself totally from an audience standpoint.
Funny part too, where you are in the crowd and walk by the old gentleman who is looking aghast at your gear and the action. I can just imagine what he's thinking...what the heck is all that?? How do they do that?

Amazing sight & sound Mike.