Dear Editor,

A letter published in your paper on Tuesday February 16, 2010 entitled ‘Accompanying calypso, soca bands need stronger bass,’ pointed out that within contemporary Guyanese calypso compositions there seems to be the absence of a prominent bass line that ought to lay the foundation for the musical piece.

While I agree with the author that some compositions are void of proper bass accompaniment, there is also the fact that many of these recordings lack sound balance.

This tragedy is experienced when listening to the recorded piece and worse, when listening to the live performance. Apart from the missing bass, there are other instruments that either get lost or  severely overpower others. This I believe is due to the lack of professional sound engineers working within the entertainment environment.

Having the best instruments, the best line array system, the best mixing board is not good enough. Actually all the good equipment is rendered useless if the person controlling it does not have the necessary training and experience with sound and the way it should be controlled, balanced and delivered.

Too many times the persons behind mixing boards are just concerned with turning up the volume of the system and ignoring the value of balancing the band. With each instrument operating at different frequencies, one must ensure that the necessary amplification and tone are achieved through the correct use of microphones, pre-amplifiers and the measured use of the frequency controls that are placed specifically on mixing boards.

If we are to make a significant and lasting impact in the world of popular music, more emphasis has to be placed on the quality of the sound our live bands and studios produce.

Yours faithfully,
Richard Francois