Superior Sound for Music Gig

By Sean R Mize

I have been to a number of live gigs lately, small bands playing in small pubs, and I've seen the identical scene each time. The fold back is on the brink of feedback nonetheless the singer needs more, the entire mess is painfully loud and screeching, and therefore the band are looking nervous as a result of there are far more individuals walking out than there are walking in. The space in front of the stage may be a sonic void that no-one wants to pass through, let alone stand in. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what's wrong: IT'S ALL TOO LOUD.

What is the matter with musicians and small public address systems is it too exhausting to perceive that a box containing two 15 inch drivers and a horn is no match for two quad boxes, a bass amp, and a drum kit at full blast. Obviously, musicians do not perceive the basic principles of fine live sound. Thus, I now present "Four Steps to Higher Sound through Small public address systems".

Step 1: Garbage in, garbage out

This is often so blatantly obvious, I am unable to believe I am writing it. If you sound like a wisp on stage then you'll sound like an amplified wisp through a PA system. On the other hand, if you sound good on stage, a smart engineer can build you sound nice - and you may blow away the other bands that also sound like wisp. Thus how do you sound sensible on stage?

Step 2: Play balanced

Sounding good on stage begins by sounding good in the rehearsal room. Next time you're in preparation, move into the middle of the band and take a critical listen. Could you hear all the instruments clearly? Is anyone instrument dominating the others? Does it sound sort of a defined musical event, or sonic mush? If it's sonic mush, you've got to try to to something about it.

Step 3: Play soft

With all the instrument amplifiers all the way down to zero, begin taking part in a song. Hear the drums. Alter the level of the PA so that the vocals are in a good balance with the drums. Take some time to get it right, because the vocals and the drums are your points of reference. Now, start turning up the bass amp till it sounds balanced with the drums and vocals. Add the other instruments, one at a time, turning their amps up slowly until they fit into the proper balance within the room. If an instrument drowns out the vocals or drums, it's too loud. By now, you must be in a position to listen to a a lot of better balance of the band, and the PA system will no longer seem sort of a useless piece of howling wisp.

Step 4: Learn to love it

I know what you're thinking currently: "my amp is not giving me the proper tone", or "I can't get enough sustain", or any of a zillion different excuses for turning your amp up. Bad luck. The reality is that if you want to sound good through a small public address system, this is your only option. There are answers to most of these complaints that do not need turning up the amplifier.

Now that you have got your volume settings and instrument layout sorted, use the identical settings and layout after you play live (however flip the vocalist around to face the audience, in fact!). Keep your amps playing to yourselves, and let the PA play to the audience. You will get abundant higher live sound, and you will have so much less issues with fold back. If the venue's PA is significantly little, work with the sound engineer. You'll have to repeat these steps during sound check. - 18418

About the Author:

Amperes Global Marketing was established in 2002 as a partnership company, the corporate early stage operation involved small sales and selling in Amperes Product. Year 2005, Amperes Global Marketing Sdn Bhd was formstarted and have grow and expand gradually in our brand awarness, market share in PA System Services as result of growth in company talent pool and expertise.