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Topic: Sound system at the Ryman Auditorioum |
Jussi Huhtakangas
From:
Helsinki, Finland
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Posted 2 Jun 2003 4:50 am |
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| I've seen many pictures from the old Ryman stage and I'm curious about the sound system they used there back in the 50's-60's. I also remember someone posting here a picture of the Ryman stage with a monitor hanging from the ceiling. I'm sure some of the forumites visited Ryman and even played there during the "golden days", so I welcome any information one can share. I've never been fortunate enough to visit there ( yet ), my brother in law did few years back and said it was one of the finest sounding rooms he's ever been to. |
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Roy Ayres
From:
Riverview, Florida, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 2 Jun 2003 7:59 am
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Jussi:
Haven't heard from you via email for awhile. How's it going in that Furrin' Land?
I played the Ryman in the mid 40's. They had a small "P.A." amplifier placed on the floor a few feet behind the microphone for use by electric instruments. The single speaker (couldn't have been more than a 10 or 12 inch job) was suspended ftom the ceiling above and a few feet behind the microphone. Electric instruments had to be plugged into the amp, and the volume was controlled by the engineer in the control booth which was very high up (12 or 15 feet, I seem to recall) on stage left. I told a story several months ago about something that happened to me the first time I plugged into that amp. If I can find the thread, I'll edit this post with the link to it.
As far as the house sound system is concerned, I have no idea what was used. But I can assure you that (IMHO) the acoustics in the auditorium were excellent.
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Edited to add this link:
http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum15/HTML/002986.html [This message was edited by Roy Ayres on 02 June 2003 at 09:07 AM.] |
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Jussi Huhtakangas
From:
Helsinki, Finland
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Posted 2 Jun 2003 9:37 am
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Roy, somehow I had a feeling you might chime in here, thank you for the info and yes, it's going good here, the snow just melted away last week, ah-ah!! You will hear from me, just bear with me, I'm a slowpoke 
The info on the house sound system is what I really like to hear, but it's really interesting, that steel guitars were plugged into that little pa-box on the stage floor. I believe most of the stage sound; acoustic guitars, bass, etc, was amplified through those big ol' Altec 639 microphones. Mmm, interesting...[This message was edited by Jussi Huhtakangas on 02 June 2003 at 10:39 AM.] |
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Dave Robbins
From:
Cottontown, Tnn. USA (deceased)
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Posted 3 Jun 2003 10:01 am
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I played there in the very early '70's before they moved to the new Opry House. We steel players plugged into the little box you referred to at the edge of the stage. If memory serves me correct, I think it had a level control, but that was all, and I'm sure that the level control was probably "passive."
It was hard for me to hear my ol' red SHO-BUD (didn't most everyone have one of those back then?) because the sound came from big ol' speakers mounted up high in the ceiling aimed back at the stage for monitors. I remember my sound as being really muddy compared to Sonny Burnette's or Weldon's. Of course, they new all the tricks that this "kid" at the time hadn't figured out yet! It always sounded great on the radio though.
The Ryman itself had great acoustics and still does even today. Of course the sound system is way better than it used to be!
Back in those days, there was only an old beat-up upright piano and the drummer played only a snare! And, it was "scorchin' hot out on stage where the only air conditioning came from a hand held funneral fan! (a little paper type)
I can still hear ol' Leon Rhode's burning guitar licks in my memory from those days!
Dave[This message was edited by Dave Robbins on 03 June 2003 at 11:02 AM.] |
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Rick Collins
From:
Claremont , CA USA
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Posted 3 Jun 2003 2:52 pm
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I've been in that auditorium and can attest to the excellent acoustical properties. Although the building is a cubical structure, the corners are rounded on the inside. I remember looking up at the ceiling and seeing that the walls curve into the ceiling. They don't meet at sharp right angles. The party with us suggested that this is the reason for the great sound; although, I'm sure this is not the only contributing factor.
The seating is arranged in a 180 degree arc.
Rick |
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Jussi Huhtakangas
From:
Helsinki, Finland
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Posted 4 Jun 2003 1:55 am
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| Thanks for the input guys!! Next question then... so how did it sound to the audience then? |
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R. E. Klaus
From:
Montana, USA
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Posted 7 Jun 2003 12:36 am
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The "box" that Mr. Robbins refurs to in his above post was a reverb box that was designed and built by (as I recall anyhow)Gordan Evans who was a sound engineer there at the time. I beleive that it had 4 inputs and a single output that fed the mixing console upstairs (which ment that the sound man did not have any individual control of the steels.) The guitar players plugged into an old Fender reverb box. As for power amps, they were a collection of several different PA heads, many of which where Shure PA heads. The house speakers where also a mix of brands and types, some being single speaker boxes and others where multi-speaker columns. The overhead monitors where 4 Ampeg B-15 extension cabinets, one of which was replaced by a Sho-Bud cabinet when it developed a distortion problem. I don't recall what brand the console was. This is the equipment that was there about '73 - '74.
Sorry about maybe being a little long winded, but I loved the sound in there at that time.[This message was edited by R. E. Klaus on 07 June 2003 at 01:38 AM.] |
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Dave Robbins
From:
Cottontown, Tnn. USA (deceased)
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Posted 7 Jun 2003 11:54 am
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I don't remember there being any "reverb" from that box at the edge of the stage. As I recall, it was only a way for us to get to the board since there wasn't any amps being used. I'll check with Jimmy Capps or Leon Rhodes tonight. They played the ol' Ryman "a whole lot more than I did!"
Dave |
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R. E. Klaus
From:
Montana, USA
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Posted 7 Jun 2003 7:56 pm
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It's possible that I am thinking of a different box. Thirty years do strange things to the memory. I sometimes say I don't have gray hair from age, it's just the little gray cells trying to escape.
R.E. Klaus[This message was edited by R. E. Klaus on 07 June 2003 at 08:57 PM.] [This message was edited by R. E. Klaus on 07 June 2003 at 09:02 PM.] |
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Dave Robbins
From:
Cottontown, Tnn. USA (deceased)
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Posted 9 Jun 2003 9:59 pm
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Saturday night at the Opry,
I had a discussion with Leon Rhodes, Jimmy Capps, and "Spider Wilson. They all three assured me that as of the leaving date of the Grand Ol' Opry from the Ryman in '74, there was still "no reverb." In Jimmy Capps words "it was drier than a popcorn fart!" He said that he didn't know what the engineer might have done to the sound for radio, but on stage there was definitely no reverb. There was very little "mixing" done for sound at that time. Leon said that if a person will go back and listen to the old shows from back then that they would be able to tell that his sound was "very dry!"
All of them said that they plugged into a little box at the front edge of the stage and that box (no amps were used back then) was used merely as a way to get the sound upstairs to the sound board for the radio broadcast. Jimmy also said that the acoustics of the Ryman was so good that reverb almost wasn't needed.
It was interesting hearing these Opry greats talk about the old days at the Ryman. Leon and Spider told me that they were the first to use the "echo" type affect there and they had the #2 and #3 units ever made!
Leon told me about how that when he was working for ET there was only "one monitor" (a Standel, according to him) mounted at an angle "high in the ceiling" to the right side of the stage. He said that ET would have to raise his guitar high over the mic stand to turn to Leon when it was Leon's time to play. Leon said that he went to Ott Devine, telling him of the difficulty that ET had turning to the right and asked if another speaker could be mounted high in the ceiling on the "left side" so ET wouldn't have to turn to the right to feature him. Leon said the next time they played there that Mr Devine had seen to it that a speaker was added to the left side. Leon then moved to the left side of ET from then on. That is how "two" overhead monitors came to be at the Ryman! Remember, there were no amps used on the stage at that time, so those monitors were the only way that they could hear themselves other than the main speakers out front!
Jimmy and Spider said that a reverb (a Fender type) unit had once been tried, but due to the stage's wooden floors that it didn't work out. He also said that the same reverb went "south" shortly after that.
Jimmy said that if anyone would know anything about the Ryman back in those days that it would Spider Wison! Spider told me that no reverb was used, only the "echo" effect the Leon and he used, and that when the Opry moved to the new Opry House at Opryland in '74 that Peavey furnished a unit called an "Opry Box" which was a four channel mixer that would give tone and level adjustments "and" reverb for each individual channel/player. Spider also "showed me" that even as of now he is still playing on that "exact same unit!"
It was a very "enlightening" experience to talk with them about the Ryman days and they told many more details that I have not space on this forum to write. They were part of that sound that made the Opry days at the Ryman so great! Thanks Leon Rhodes, Jimmy Capps, and Spider Wilson.
Dave[This message was edited by Dave Robbins on 09 June 2003 at 11:09 PM.] |
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R. E. Klaus
From:
Montana, USA
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Posted 9 Jun 2003 11:19 pm
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As I said, thirty years can play tricks on your memory. The best sources of info are the people who "lived" there. Leon Rhodes, Jimmy Capps, Spider Wilson, Weldon Myrick, Hal Rugg, and may others would definatly be the authorities on the equipment. I will still say it had the best or atleast the most unique sound.
R.E. Klaus |
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Jussi Huhtakangas
From:
Helsinki, Finland
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Posted 10 Jun 2003 4:46 am
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| R.E. that's the kind of information I was looking for, though I originally meant the 50's and 60's. But I'm pretty sure the little box Roy and I refer to wasn't a reverb unit, those were not yet in use back then. Ampeg speaker cabs probably came to use later too, since the B15's weren't introduced until -59. Great info anyway, thanks guys!!! |
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Jussi Huhtakangas
From:
Helsinki, Finland
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Posted 10 Jun 2003 4:52 am
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| oops, looks like you two guys were posting and adding all this great info, while I was typing. NOW WE'RE TALKIN'!!! Thank you guys!! |
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Dave Robbins
From:
Cottontown, Tnn. USA (deceased)
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Posted 10 Jun 2003 8:10 am
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Jussi,
the little box had four 1/4 inputs. Each input had only a volume control (passive I'm sure). That was all the control over your sound that you had. The exception of course being Leon and Spider who were using the echo units in line. We just plugged in and mostly turned that volume control wide open, especially us steel players, since we were using volume pedals anyway (mostly old SHO-BUD pedals).
"One line" came out of the box which fed all four players upstairs to the engineer. There wasn't much mixing with this set up, of course. Most mixing was a product of the talent of those who played the Opry on a steady basis.
That monitor sounded like it was a long ways off! I also remember seeing the power hanging from the ceiling, which Leon reminded me of. I remember looking for the monitor so when I played I could focus my attention on where the sound would be coming from (all us steel players would set to the right of the stage). I remember seeing the old power amp hanging up there as if in mid air with it's power light shining and thinking to myself that I sure hope that thing doesn't fall! I remember seeing how dusty it was and thinking how long it must have been hanging there,too.
By the way, there used to be a "podium" or cainet on the left side of the stage that contained files with the sponsors names on them. When you played a spot, you would first sign up on a file under that sponsors name and time spot. That was the record keeping process for how you would get paid later for the spots/artist that you had picked with. I think I still have an old check stubb put away somewhere showing that I made something like a whole $11.56 for one of the spots I had played!
For a young kid from California, who had only heard about the Grand Ol' Opry from parents and older friends, playing the Ryman back in those days was an experience I'll never forget.
Dave |
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Jussi Huhtakangas
From:
Helsinki, Finland
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Posted 10 Jun 2003 9:24 am
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Dave, very interesting! Right now I'm looking at a picture from Ryman sometime in -55 or -56 with Buddy Emmons, Spider Wilson and Howard Rhoten all plugged into that little box and pickin' with Little Jimmy Dickens. Looks like the box is fastened to the stage floor with a rope, so I guess the Opry staff made sure the ceiling monitors and power amps won't fall down either
I think they sometimes made an exception about amps on stage, since I've seen pics of Chet Atkins with his Echosonic and Pete Drake with his Standel on Ryman stage, but other than that you rarely ever see any amps on that stage. |
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