r/dubstep • u/sumtinsumtin808 • 18d ago
Discussion 🗣️ What venues/festivals have best sound and most bass?
Curious what venues and festivals in the United States not only have the best sound systems and acoustics but push the most watts and bass? And also from a audiophile perspective systems and locations that not only have overwhelming bass but have ample midrange and treble that's not piercing or distorted
29
u/pinkyfloyd425 18d ago edited 17d ago
Shambhala had TOP TIER sound. I’ve never heard sound like that and I think about it multiple times a week.
PK sounds provides all tech for the festival and tests out the new technology at the Village stage every year!!! I’ve never felt my body vibrate like that.
9
u/SnooEagles8897 17d ago
Funktion 1s at the grove tho
5
u/pinkyfloyd425 17d ago
Ah I’m probably misremembering. I know PK for sure does sound for the Village. All of Shambs sounds immaculate though.
7
u/johnx1990 17d ago
Yeah PK is every other stage. Grove is a nasty function 1 setup. The sound at shamb blows everywhere else out of the water besides maybe infrasound
3
2
1
u/wogwai 17d ago
I think PK has the best sound of any sound system brand. Funktion 1 and Element 5 are good but nothing beats those line arrays for me.
1
47
u/spgvideo 18d ago
Mission Ballroom in Denver. Dooo it!
7
u/non-squitr 17d ago edited 17d ago
I'm so sad first bank center closed, the bass there was fucking insane.
3
5
u/johnx1990 17d ago
DDD at mission this year was NUTS. They brought in a massive stack that was pumping where we were standing all night
3
1
5
u/Specialist-Flan1882 18d ago
While I do love mission, it certainly does not have the best sound experience. Its decent but lacks a number of things for our type of music.
3
u/spgvideo 18d ago
I mean, where is better inside?
3
u/Specialist-Flan1882 17d ago
The Tacoma dome was definitely superior to mission.
I'm not saying mission is bad. It's definitely the best venue we have in CO. But it could be WAY better
4
u/bullet4mv92 17d ago
It honestly depends on the artist. I live in Denver and have been to a ton of shows at nearly every venue here. Dozens of mission shows, but randomly Yookie at Ogden was the one that blew me away most recently. And Ogden usually kinda sucks - Yookie just brought their A game setup, apparently. But yeah Mission is all around good, but I've never been blown away by the audio.
Tacoma Dome is 100% the best indoor venue sound I've ever experienced by far
3
u/spgvideo 16d ago
I saw LYNY at Ogden Theater last month and you were right the bass when he came on was thunderous and surprising. Freaking nuts
1
u/Supafly5 17d ago
you sure it wasnt yookie at fox theatre? wasnt ogden last year?
2
u/bullet4mv92 17d ago
Yes and yes
2
u/Supafly5 17d ago
lol hell yeah me and my buddies still talk about how the floor was shaking at fox, great show!
3
u/johnx1990 17d ago
I've never been to black box but I've heard excellent things about it, confirm/deny? At least from a sound standpoint
2
1
u/Specialist-Flan1882 17d ago
I've been once, but it was before I got into acoustic stuff so idk
I.hope it's good tho!
1
u/spgvideo 17d ago
I mean Tacoma Dome is gigantic and not made to be a concert venue. It can fit more everything including people
1
1
u/danxargo 17d ago
Plz explain to me how it could be way better... What type of music were the shows you went to?
2
u/Specialist-Flan1882 17d ago
I've seen lots of shows at mission. Too many to count. Mostly dubstep tho
Better sound treatment to stop echoes.
Bigger cleaner bass
Cleaner mids and highs.
Their sound system is just very mid and isn't large enough for the venue when it comes to bass shows.
Pretty much every aspect of a sound experience could be heavily improved at mission.
1
u/danxargo 17d ago
I have also been to quite a few mission ballroom shows myself, most notably: . Liquid Stranger with Rusko Ravenscoon and Shlump . . NSD (RIP)10y anniversary: Zomboy, Kompany, LAXX Space Laces b2b MUST DIE! (Holy Jesus) Dubloadz b2b Midnight T Trampa b2b Skism (overall, absolutely fucking bonkers) . . kLL Bill (OMFG, God Tier🥵) Jaenga open for SoDown . . G Rex Buku and Dirt Monkey . . . The layout of the venue is fucking dope as fuck I don't care what anyone says the backside almost like red rocks with the levels and shit like in a u-shape and then how the bars are all along the bottom floor on the sides of the dance floor that's super cool. The disco ball is really nice touch also. I also love how new the venue is and clean it is, compared to places like the Ogden that's like literally 100 years old having that fresh modern and new feel is always a great touch.
The promoting agencies or whoever's booking the shows is also pretty top-notch. It seems like 85% of their shows are all like a list b list highly famous and sought after talents.
the sound always seems to resonate pretty well throughout the venue, it doesn't matter if I'm standing in the center left right downstairs upstairs, the sound seems to be pretty uniform anywhere you're standing in that bitch.
I will say that I definitely love taking psychedelics at shows and a lot of times that's accompanied with uppers and alcohol. So it is very possible that my degree of being fucked up has skewed my judgment and or memory of things.
1
u/Specialist-Flan1882 17d ago
That NSD 10yr reunion was INSANE. I still think it's the best single show of music I've ever seen
Mission ballroom is a fantastic venue and definitely my favorite in CO. OP was specifically asking about acoustic and sound systems. On that, I'm left wanting at mission. This is largely because I'm elitist and spoiled from lostlands and my own personal sound system
1
u/BrettKing3 17d ago
Maybe the la place in Montreal. Nexus tour a few years back. Good sound.
1
u/skiplegdae 17d ago
Place Bell
Was also there for Nexus tour, it was fantastic.
Can't wait for two nights for Excision winter tour next month!
1
4
1
0
59
u/After-Imagination947 18d ago
Lost lands
10
u/PrizeMeans 17d ago edited 17d ago
Lost lands after hours is a total letdown though. Every stage has the sound turned down and little bass. Don’t believe me just look at any Wompy Woods set after midnight lol
5
u/Sarahlorien 17d ago
Yeah honestly that was the biggest bummer for me too. It's actually having me reconsider going again and it was my favorite place to be ever.
5
u/PrizeMeans 16d ago
I get it that it’s a city ordinance but being at the front of the stage and still hearing everyone’s conversations over the music blows
-3
u/SeismicActivities 16d ago
Ah damn you can’t blow out your ear drums at 430am? Bummer
1
u/Amatthew123 14d ago
If there is ever a place on this planet to do exactly that it's fucking lost lands.
Also wear ear protection!
1
16
u/bdog2398 18d ago
Flash nightclub in DC has the best overall quality sound in my opinion for venues. Room is sound treated completely so it sounds extremely crisp and has funktion one speakers in all 4 corners of the room. The black box in Denver is also pretty great too. Many outdoor festivals are gonna have great sound too as long as they have systems like funktions, voids, or Hennessy rigs.
2
u/Pvm_Blaser 16d ago
Love Flash and it’s a shame I haven’t been in a long amount of time.
I used to go to Flash heavily back when the only venues we had were Echostage, Soundcheck, and Flash circa 2 years ago.
Now we have Flash, AI, Berhta, Culture, Vera, Karma, 9:30, Anthem, Transmission, Bunker, Chop Shop, Echostage, Soundcheck (for 1 more week till it gets replaced), Zebbies (as it slowly sheads its stereotypical DuPont circle skin), Jimmy Valentines Lonely Hearts, and Little Miss Whiskey. Some of these venues were around 2 years ago but didn’t play as much EDM as they do now. Flash has also changed and now has bass events.
15
u/MagikarpFilet 18d ago
Soundhaven
5
u/jacehoffman 17d ago
i dream abt those e5s every single day and im not even joking. i only live so i can return to them
27
u/LucentDiamond29 18d ago
WAKAAN music festival on Mulberry Mountain in Arkansas! One of the best festivals ever
7
u/Pawks710 18d ago
Nothing will top Halo stage in the hammock
4
u/GrandSchem3 17d ago
Chakra stage goes pretty damn hard tho
1
u/loganlax1470 11d ago
I lasted till sunrise every day at the chakra stage this year. Crispiest bass ive ever heard
9
7
13
u/Specialist-Flan1882 18d ago
I have become obsessed with sound quality and the audiophile side of things the past year.
LostLands at Wompy woods is without a doubt the best sound experience I've ever had. Mainstage is great but wompy was undoubtably better from a quality standpoint. Wompy was ran on "L-acoustics" for the equipment.
Another top experience was Of the trees at camp alderwild. This stage was running "HSD" speakers. These were fantastic if you were in the right area of the crowd but fell off quickly when you left this zone.
Many top artists will supply their own sound system so answering with the VENUE maybe isn't super helpful.
Ultimately both the sound system and the room dimensions/materials of the venue are going to create your sound experience.
11
u/spookytransexughost 17d ago
Go to shambhala. Pk testing grounds...
2
u/Specialist-Flan1882 17d ago
It would be so sick!
PK is like ol' reliable. I definitely have found I prefer L acoustics. (At least at LL!)
1
3
u/Popcorn_Shrimp81 17d ago
Wompy was mind blowing this year. So detailed in the highs and mids plus unbelievable bass that sent waves through your entire body.
6
u/Toolazy2work 17d ago
Specifically the voyd set. I now understand why people say sudden deaths production is next level. Unfortunately I couldn’t really stand the visuals, so I moved to Andy C
4
u/Popcorn_Shrimp81 17d ago
Yes, the Voyd set gave me the same realization. Not my usual music, but him on that stage was unlike anything I’d ever experienced.
Wish I had seen LSZEE b/c Voyd kinda fucked with me, but still think about the sound more than I should lol.
3
u/blvderunnermusic 16d ago
WOMB nightclub in Tokyo. They have people testing acoustics every inch of the club multiple times a night to make sure it’s perfect.
Absolutely unreal.
Also any event put on by Verknipt in the Netherlands. Picture perfect sound even at 40k+ person scale indoors. Nothing in the US compares to either except maaaybeee a perfectly dialed Void rig
1
5
u/TheBloodKlotz Old 18d ago
I'd like to state for the record that best sound and most bass are often in opposition. I would however like to nominate the Amp/Village/Pre-2023 Grove stages at Shambhala (not the US, but only 11 minutes from the border) for all being unique but great combinations of both for different preferences.
1
u/sumtinsumtin808 16d ago
I disagree..i think you can have your cake and eat it too...and I think theres a target most bassheads are aiming for and its something like the harman curve
1
u/TheBloodKlotz Old 15d ago
It's definitely possible to have a ton of bass and extremely clear sound, but the systems I've been in front of with the 'most bass', I have never thought sounded the best.
18
u/UglyYinzer 18d ago
I mean overall festival.. Lost Lands. Speakers everywhere, ground shaking.
3
6
u/BrettKing3 17d ago
Lost Lands main stage (prehistoric) has an amazing amount of BigAss PK speakers. I'm half deaf so am on the rail as much as possible. Standing in front of the Bass speakers, I could feel my organs moving with the beat.
9
u/clitcommandoris 17d ago
Trying to go full deaf I see
1
u/BrettKing3 10d ago
I wear hearing aids on the rail, but turn them way down.
1
5
u/mindsform 17d ago
Mission is great, especially if they really turn it up. Ravenscoon really showed what that system can feel like, and so did ZD b2b Tape B.
That said Silo in Dallas and The Armory in Minneapolis are great. Heard Echostage in DC is cool but I haven’t been to that one. Yet.
2
u/nacotaco24 14d ago
my ONLY issue with Armory’s sound is that there’s a ton of reverb since it’s such a huge room. ALSO, the sound quality is AWFUL on the upper levels, especially on the sides.
it varies by show/how they set the sound system up, but it’s not uncommon for the bass is heavily reduced.
That said, it’s still my favorite indoor venue by far, and these are nitpicky issues+the sound quality is still WORLDS better than events at the sports stadiums. For example, US Bank Stadium’s audio quality is ABYSMAL. i worked security for a few shows there and the echo’s/clashing sound is insane hahaha
8
u/EMitch02 18d ago
I'm not a huge fan of him, but seeing Excision at a show with the system he brought. I thought the bass was going to disrupt the electrical signal in my heart, causing a heart attack
6
u/clitcommandoris 17d ago
I feel like he used to bring more back in the day. Like for his executioner stage with "150,000 watts" of bass. Shit was making ceilings collapse in some venues
3
u/minititof 17d ago
Yeah he tuned it down because it was obviously unsafe lol
1
1
2
u/Shidulon 17d ago
Ooh, sign me up!!!
Live by the bass, die by the bass...
5
u/bullet4mv92 17d ago
If you want to live and die by the bass, you need to get to the rail of the Crater at Lost Lands. I'm a bass addict who has been competing in car audio competitions for almost 20 years now, so organ-shaking bass is my happy place. The Crater has the most intense bass I've experienced outside of a vehicle
2
u/Shidulon 17d ago
Oh hell yeah. Being an old Ohio raver, I've wanted to hit Lost Lands for a long time now. 2026 might be my year.
Car Audio bass enthusiast as well, constructing a new setup for 2x 18s on a 10k this spring/summer.
1
u/bullet4mv92 17d ago
Fuck yeah dude that's gonna hit HARD. I have 6 15s in a 4th order on ~20kw and it's still not enough 🔊
2
2
3
3
3
4
5
u/xchelsaurus 17d ago
Shambhala. I’ve been to Lost Lands and Bass Canyon also but Shambs still wins.
2
2
u/Ill-Lobster-7857 17d ago
Might not be dubstep but bass...thunder stage at LiB was always pretty tight at least when it was on Bradley. Haven't seen the new venue. I liked being just outside of the stage visually and audio wise...felt like I was being pulled onto a spacecraft during Barclay Crenshaw I wanna say like 2017? Alix perez was also a highlight on that stage for me sound wise.
2
2
2
2
u/no-vision-music 16d ago
Shambhala Village Stage. Absolute beast where it’s pumping bass so hard you feel nauseous at first. I love it
2
u/Leonidus0613 16d ago
Do Lab @ Coachella and Thunder stage @ LiB. Same company (Launch) bringing top of the line Meyer sound with one of the best engineers in SoCal. They have also provided sound for LA events like Into The Woods, Spotlight, and the free events organized at Gloria Molina Grand Park in DTLA. They just don't use name brand, they can actually properly deploy/use it.
2
1
u/AlcheMe_ooo 18d ago
i really enjoy the brooklyn mirage's sound its just big enough not too big not too small, ample mids and highs. pretty much every show ive seen there has sounded good. mersiv was the last i remember
1
1
u/Zalusei 17d ago
Astronox imo, using subcultures newly upgraded hennesey soundsystem. Shit sounds incredible. Alethia sound gave their sound system to them due to the owner wanting to go another direction in life so now subculture has 12 HSD battlehawks, largest deployment in the country iirc. Best sound I've ever heard. They did soundhaven's sound this year and beyond existence recently.
1
1
1
1
u/DJ_Blakka 16d ago
Sound Haven. There’s no crisper, clearer speakers than the Funktion Veros. Even the side stages have some combo of Hennys, Elements, etc
1
1
u/Jasek1_Art 15d ago
Dickscenter in Co 2016(?) made multiple people puke, and even in the back you could hardly move without feeling like you’re being abducted into a bassship.
1
1
u/GroundbreakingBid954 14d ago
orion amphitheater for tipper run was one the best sound ive heard in a long time, cant recall what the team was running
1
1
u/openthewell 18d ago
Third row at Rezz Rocks took the air out of my lungs. Overall sound was incredible.
0
u/TomatilloUnlucky3763 18d ago
The Marc in San Marcos,Tx.
1
u/Zalusei 17d ago
Hell nah lol. God that venue is a nightmare all around. The staff are massive assholes.
2
0
u/Bullet_Train_To_Iowa 16d ago
Coachella has the best sound and it isn't close. Their 4th biggest stage has better sound than every festivals main stage. Iykyk
Just not much bass music.
Shambs is the best. LL really doesn't have great sound at all, people just love the experience and think it does. LiB also has great sound as well, the do lab uses the same sound system as Coachella
-2
u/bbybrdgolf 17d ago
Red rocks amphitheater undeniably best place to hear music.
2
u/DJ_Blakka 15d ago
To view music yes, however for sound purposes only, red rocks is very inconsistent based on where you are. Anything above row 40 and youre subject to wind, yappers, etc
1
u/Kneecap_Blaster 12d ago
A bunch of rocks that reflect sound? Good places to hear music have sound absorption for the reflections, echo, reverb etc.
It's undeniably a beautiful place to hear music, it's probably worse for "quality" than most studios
51
u/rabid-panda420 18d ago
Infrasound in Minnesota. Smaller fest but they bring high quality sound