soundcheck?

[fowler]

alrite guys, i'm not sure where shud this post belong to. but, it wud great if u guys can share with me/us some tips.

ok lets say,
u got a band, jammed real hard and finally got a gig. Ur first ever gig and u dont want to have a tragic ending, where da volume, amp tuning are not set properly. u noe, too soft lead guitar,too loud bass, unheard vox. It always happen in gigs.

Any tips to share on how to set everything up b4 u rock the set? i believe its something impt..or is it all depend on the soundman? I, myself is a noob, not been on stage b4.So this brother of urs here, wud luv to get some tips from u guys out there. \m/

 

[GrimBrody]

we're all learning too bro..

from the experience that i have, i think the best thing for you is to concentrate on getting your sounding on stage. make sure you hear all your band members, albeit, the drums should have a monitor by his side so that he can hear the guitars and the bass and the vocals. the two monitor amps facing the vocals and the guitars shud be projecting out the overall sound. for sound offstage, the soundman will do the necessary tunings and controls for the audience to get the best sound.

one thing that we all have to do is to give proper respect to the soundman. he is our lifeline during gigs, cos if we trip his wire, he can screw up your sound offstage even though u sound good on stage. i saw a band at a gig treating the soundman like a dog, calling him "Oi" and stuff..that got the soundman really pissed.

haha..i noe there mst be a level of professionalism, but we all have names rite...jst treat him with respect and he'll do his best for you. everybody smile everybody happy.

but if your soundman is really really bad..then...erm...heh..jst play your heart out.LOL.

 

[dhalif]

OI? makkao kurangajar sial..

 

[soft]

Hi fowler

Welcome to SOFT! I actually posted a short note about sound check.


http://www.soft.com.sg/new/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=528

 

[GrimBrody]

OI? makkao kurangajar sial..

haha..i noe..sadly that was the case.. wonder what gave them the right to do that

 

[soft]

OI? makkao kurangajar sial..

hey dhalif, what does that translate to?

 

[fowler]

haha it means ur moms rude. i think.

anyway, that was a good post. thanks

 

[rudy]

i'm a freelance soundman,been evrywhere,from clubs arnd sg to concerts in asiadoing monitor and FOH mix,to all bands in sg,respect the sound crews cos they r there to help u perform the best u can be and be reminded,most sound crews can and are MUSICIANS now or before.I myself a bassist and a guitarist before

 

[Dirt]

hey ho let`s go!!!!!!!

i agree with izaar....nobody`s perfect...n show`s aren`t that easy to play in....there`s bound to b cock-ups here n there..just act professional..b nice...smile no matter wat happens....we`ve had our fair share...it`s normal lah.... :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[robsg]

Hey
again there are good soundman and bad soundman.

However, If you treat your sound man with respect, most of the time he will do his best for you.

There are also times when you get a real un pro soundman who has the "got sound can already" attitude. Then just keep your fingers crossed.

However, at anytime, also don't behave like a weakling and everything scared to ask. This is also something the soundman hates.

Just make you request known in a polite manner and usually the soundman will meet your needs to the best of his ability. Having a female team member do the asking usually works better (somehow this man respond better to a polite woman request still applies!)

Regards
Robin

 

[xris]

Guess sometimes we must also know what we want from the sound guys. I have meet people who wanted something this sec and changes the very next.

Try to learn their lingo to communicate better.

 

[bernardgoh]

yup, Bands should always remember to get their stage mix right. i always heard bands saying.... hey soundman.... i can't hear the bass on the P.A ... mmm..... ofcause they can't hear the bass from the P.A.... cause they're on stage. dud......

 

[AnalogPurist]

yup, Bands should always remember to get their stage mix right. i always heard bands saying.... hey soundman.... i can't hear the bass on the P.A ... mmm..... ofcause they can't hear the bass from the P.A.... cause they're on stage. dud......

I actually disagree with Bernard...sori Bro. ALL the musicians should be able to monitor what they are playing to "make them feel confident". Put yourself in their shoes...If you cannnot hear what you are playing, would you play confidently? LIVE or Studio, this principal stands...
That's where Stage Monitors or Personal Monitoring Systems come into place...


The soundman shoud be the person to get the mix right, NOT the musicians !



Being the "soundman", you need to do your homework...I occasionally do FOH myself and I follow these guidelines:

Assuming that the sound system engineering has been setup correctly (correct numbers and placement of frontal Speakers/Delay Speakers/SubWoofers/etc. w.r.t. Venue Size, Throw Distance, Loudness, etc.) :

- You need to know what music the band(s) are playing and you need to familiarise with their songs...Verse, Bridge, Chorus, Leads, etc.
- During soundcheck, take note the style each musican plays...for Vocalists, take note if their singing are "mic bursters" or "mices". Compensate accordingly.
- Always use tape to mark the different instruments on the mixer...no matter how simple or small part of the song that particular instrument is played, it pays to always know what you are adjusting
- Always use 0db as your reference
- For EQ, always CUT, NEVER boost
- Don't use EFX for the sake of using. Know what EFX you are using and WHY you are using.
- All the different instruments (including Vocals) need to sit correctly on the sound spectrum. Do your EQing, PANning, etc. correctly and properly.
- Don't panic if there is feedback (during the show)...Identify the offender immediately and bring the fader down gently...
- Hear the entire mix through the Main and/or Delay Speakers, Don't attempt to mix the entire show using a pair of headphones!
- Trust your own ears! You ARE the soundman...!


You see, being a soundman is a LIVE thing, it does not mean you have everything (fader levels, EQ levels, etc.) setup and marked-up nicely and wait for the show to start...It is not an easy job...You need to bring up or down levels during different parts of a performance, EQ certain parts, add certain EFX, etc...

I personally have used both Analog and Digital Consoles for shows and my preference is still Analog Boards...Digital Boards are "convenient" if you are running 32 channels or more, with automation, but Analog Board makes you work harder and everything is laid out nicely and conveniently for the Engineer to see and tweak and you just can't beat the sound of analog. I must admit that Digico consoles are becoming very popular nowadays but what about the XL4? It is still very much in demand for LIVE shows!


With all that said, Good Luck...!



- it is NOT what you have, but HOW you use it -

 

[bernardgoh]

yeah, i understand where you come from..... I'm mainly talking about gigs sound mix in singapore where you got small venues with 2 stage monitors.... I just find it strange when musicians is complaining about F.O.H when your speakers is throwing to the audience..... just remember most of the gigs in Singapore is without monitoring engineer to mix your monitors. I love analog console too... Midas is always my choice when I mix . it just that you wouldn't get it everytime.