If we are talking about the Sound Academy in Toronto they have a Clair brothers I4 System in there I have mixed on it and its one of the best sound systems installed in a club in all of Toronto probably one of the best in North America. If it sounds bad in that club its because they have a moron doing sound when you recorded the show. Its a huge venue so you are always going to get better sound close up but that sound system is anything but shit.
Chris, we are indeed talking about said venue. Of the four shows I've seen there in the past two months, two were really good and two were really muddy. One of those shows was in July and the other was in September. The two other shows recorded there in September were really good. One of them was Saga, with management's permission with no stands, etc., and for "personal enjoyment only" while the other was a UK pop-duo that released a new record this week. The Saga show was great sounding, however, my recording was very bass heavy because of where I was standing (about six-to-seven rows from the stage (no barricade) smack dab in the middle (which we all know gives a recording the dreaded excess bass issue). Of course, this is the worst spot to be in but I was also trying to get some good pictures (which I did). The other band in September had me standing about 10-11 rows from the stage (with a barricade) in-line with the stage-right stack. That was a sweet sounding recording. The other two shows were a rock show in the second week of September - it was a touch muddy but I was standing off centre this time (the vocals were burried compared with Saga). The other show in July was a rock show of a recently reformed trio to a over-capacity venue on the hottest day of the year. I ran the cards on that night and it was a hot-mess. Luckily I have enough experience from previously working in television audio that I could make it sound "decent." That night, I was stuck to the left of the soundboard/lighting area and couldn't get any closer. I also managed two other recordings of them; one in Lockport (with the omnis) and the other in Anacaster (also with the omnis) but the sound system at that recently relocated festival sucked severely this past August.
So, since I posted this, I've changed my opinion on the venue. It's much better than the Guvernment (RPM) or the Kool Haus (The Warehouse) complex venues -- it's just a b**ch to get to.
My Friend Todd manages Saga He actually has a pair of my mics.. He is a good guy and we have talked about taping and how it can actually help promote an artist. He was reluctant at first but now he agrees. Obviously if you have a good sound engineer its going to sound good, if you dont it wont. You can put the best gear in the world in a morons hands and you will only get a shit sandwich.