Have you guys noticed Mike often reaching behind his back to his wireless unit that is strapped onto the back of his guitar strap and fiddling with it. He seems to do this often in the footage I have watched of him. He always does it before the evenflow solo, for example. It seems distracting and I always wonder what he's messing with. Is it volume maybe? If it was volume it seems like a volume pedal would be a lot easier. Anyone else notice this or wonder about it or know what it is that he's doing?

Volume to in-ear monitor. Not his guitar volume.

he needs to tell the dude in charge of sound to just turn him up in general....

THIS

The last few tours he has been terribly low. Especially in 2006.

I thought that 2006 was an improvement from 2005. The beginning of 2006, Boston for example, he was surely very weak in the mix. I remember being bummed that Mike's guitar signal was so weak and quiet in 2005 after being so rip roaring for so many years. Is he back more prominently in the 2008 boots? I havn't listened to any of those 08's.

Yup. That's probably it. I wonder if he's turning his own signal up, or the rest of the band up to hear them better while he kicks out a lead.

Are you saying he's been low in the mix on the bootlegs or at the actual shows? For the shows, it kind of depends on where you're sitting. If you're way on Stone's side at a gig, Mike might seem lower in the mix, and vice versa.

Both

It depends on which show you're at and where you sit of course... but in 2008 i went to two shows and sat on mikes side both times, still could have used his guitar higher

Sittin on Stone's side shouldn't make him more noticeable. The crowd doesn't hear anything coming directly from the amps, not in arenas or amphitheatres at least

Location can affect the sound, but only b/c the peculiarities of how sound travels. I'm guessing this is the issue.

i too remember thinking mike was too low at the msg 08 shows i saw. hope that changes this time around.

I've always sat either in the center or on Stone's side, except for one show in 03 when I was on mike's side. In 06 in Boston I was dead center and Mike was WAY too low. And I was near the soundboard where it should have been optimal. In 08 I was on Stone's side and could hear Mike much better than in 06, but still not as much as I'd like to have heard him like I did in 2000 and 2003. And before you say "well, you sat on Mike's side in 2003", I sat on Mike's side for only one show in 2003 and was either center of Stone's side for the other 3 shows I caught and couldn't really tell a difference in the mix between the 03 shows. And as far as the guitars are concerned (bass is a different story), I've felt the boots have been an accurate portrayal of the mix from the shows.