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Author Topic: Ah, the stress of running the sound board  (Read 15041 times)

Ole Anderson

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Ah, the stress of running the sound board
« on: August 22, 2012, 07:55:41 PM »

So I am running the sound Sunday and just into the announcements, I hear a funny sound almost like feedback, just loud enough to be annoying.  A few folks, including the pastor's wife, stopped by the booth to see if I heard it too, and a few folks just looked back from their pews with kind of a dirty look.  The sound would vary in pitch, almost like music.  Even with all of the main faders at zero it was still there.  So I turned off all but the FOH amp, it was still there.  The guy running projection had a fancy BlueTooth hearing aid remote, so he turned it off; no change.  I was thinking it might be one of the 14 new 300 watt CFL's we placed in the sanctuary a few months ago, but I didn't dare turn off the lights to see if that was it.  This goes on for half of the service until a lady leaves.  When she reenters the sanctuary, it starts up again.  Turns out it was her oxygen concentrator whistling.  Knowing that, I was finally able to relax and enjoy the rest of the service.
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Jeff Carter

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Re: Ah, the stress of running the sound board
« Reply #1 on: August 23, 2012, 10:38:58 PM »

It's always awesome when people come back to the booth and let me know about a problem that I was already aware of, and until interrupted, was trying to localize and fix.
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Ivan Beaver

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Re: Ah, the stress of running the sound board
« Reply #2 on: August 24, 2012, 07:39:08 AM »

So I am running the sound Sunday and just into the announcements, I hear a funny sound almost like feedback, just loud enough to be annoying.  A few folks, including the pastor's wife, stopped by the booth to see if I heard it too, and a few folks just looked back from their pews with kind of a dirty look.  The sound would vary in pitch, almost like music.  Even with all of the main faders at zero it was still there.  So I turned off all but the FOH amp, it was still there.  The guy running projection had a fancy BlueTooth hearing aid remote, so he turned it off; no change.  I was thinking it might be one of the 14 new 300 watt CFL's we placed in the sanctuary a few months ago, but I didn't dare turn off the lights to see if that was it.  This goes on for half of the service until a lady leaves.  When she reenters the sanctuary, it starts up again.  Turns out it was her oxygen concentrator whistling.  Knowing that, I was finally able to relax and enjoy the rest of the service.
I have had the almost exact same thing happen at one church.  A feedback that would come and go-even with the sound system off.

Come to find out it was a leak in the HVAC that sounded EXACTLY like a low level feedback getting ready to "take off".

And even when it was pointed out that the sound system was not the problem-some people still blamed the sound system-because it sounded like feedback--OH well-----------------------
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Kyle Leonard

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Re: Ah, the stress of running the sound board
« Reply #3 on: August 24, 2012, 11:38:23 AM »

I've had peoples hearing aids do the same thing.

Sometimes we just have to grin and bear it.
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Chris Hubbard

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Re: Ah, the stress of running the sound board
« Reply #4 on: September 14, 2012, 02:47:45 PM »

It's always awesome when people come back to the booth and let me know about a problem that I was already aware of, and until interrupted, was trying to localize and fix.
Amen! So it doesn't just happen to me? Whats even better is that 98% of the time its something that can't be fixed from booth- turn on the mic for a performer, performer holding  mic directly in front of a stage monitor....
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Kent Thompson

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Re: Ah, the stress of running the sound board
« Reply #5 on: September 15, 2012, 12:55:06 PM »

Amen! So it doesn't just happen to me? Whats even better is that 98% of the time its something that can't be fixed from booth- turn on the mic for a performer, performer holding  mic directly in front of a stage monitor....

the one I love *turns microphone off and starts talking*
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Jason Lucas

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Re: Ah, the stress of running the sound board
« Reply #6 on: September 16, 2012, 01:13:48 AM »

...turn on the mic for a performer, performer holding  mic directly in front of a stage monitor....

I had to get to the point where a performer (or the Pastor) could walk right in front of a speaker and not have feedback, because that happens quite often during each service.
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Jonathan Johnson

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Re: Ah, the stress of running the sound board
« Reply #7 on: September 17, 2012, 01:20:16 AM »

the one I love *turns microphone off and starts talking*

This is why none of my microphones have switches. (Except for the wireless.)

If there is a switch, it's like a magnet: the performer/announcer WILL turn it off when done. However, the next performer will NOT have any clue to turn the switch on even if it jumps up and bites them on the nose.
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Mark McFarlane

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Re: Ah, the stress of running the sound board
« Reply #8 on: September 17, 2012, 04:48:45 AM »

This is why none of my microphones have switches. (Except for the wireless.)
...

One nice thing about the Sennheiser handheld wireless mics is the ability to disable the switches on the transmitter.
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Mark McFarlane

Arnold B. Krueger

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Re: Ah, the stress of running the sound board
« Reply #9 on: September 17, 2012, 09:50:17 AM »

This is why none of my microphones have switches. (Except for the wireless.)

If there is a switch, it's like a magnet: the performer/announcer WILL turn it off when done. However, the next performer will NOT have any clue to turn the switch on even if it jumps up and bites them on the nose.

We solved that by:

Not putting wireless mic inputs into any of the stage monitors with any amount of gain.

The main speaker system is just below the ceiling, 27 feet up.

;-)
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Stu McDoniel

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Re: Ah, the stress of running the sound board
« Reply #10 on: September 25, 2012, 05:40:34 PM »

So I am running the sound Sunday and just into the announcements, I hear a funny sound almost like feedback, just loud enough to be annoying.  A few folks, including the pastor's wife, stopped by the booth to see if I heard it too, and a few folks just looked back from their pews with kind of a dirty look.  The sound would vary in pitch, almost like music.  Even with all of the main faders at zero it was still there.  So I turned off all but the FOH amp, it was still there.  The guy running projection had a fancy BlueTooth hearing aid remote, so he turned it off; no change.  I was thinking it might be one of the 14 new 300 watt CFL's we placed in the sanctuary a few months ago, but I didn't dare turn off the lights to see if that was it.  This goes on for half of the service until a lady leaves.  When she reenters the sanctuary, it starts up again.  Turns out it was her oxygen concentrator whistling.  Knowing that, I was finally able to relax and enjoy the rest of the service.
OK FUNNY.............http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4JYM67IIUc
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Jeff Carter

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Re: Ah, the stress of running the sound board
« Reply #11 on: September 25, 2012, 06:30:00 PM »

OK FUNNY.............http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4JYM67IIUc
THANK YOU!!

I saw this at a tech conference a few months ago and couldn't find it on Youtube for the life of me.
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BobWitte

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Re: Ah, the stress of running the sound board
« Reply #12 on: September 26, 2012, 12:24:21 PM »

+100 on hearing aid feedback. I was doing sound when we visited a Church we designed and installed the sound system for - took about 30 minutes to realize that I was not going to get rid of this. Was difficult because it would last for maybe 2-4 seconds and then disappear for 5 minutes.....


I've had peoples hearing aids do the same thing.

Sometimes we just have to grin and bear it.

Frank DeWitt

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Re: Ah, the stress of running the sound board
« Reply #13 on: September 26, 2012, 04:38:23 PM »

Being a sound guy is like being a hockey goalie.  Everything is fine and no one pays any attention to you until you do something wrong.  Then there is a loud noise and everyone turns and looks at you.

BUT  We also get to hear the plan of salvation in our headset as we adjust the volume so all can hear, and then hear the pastor say "Yes, I see that hand, Praise God."

I mix the most important program material on earth and I have the best job there is.   Grin
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TJ (Tom) Cornish

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Re: Ah, the stress of running the sound board
« Reply #14 on: September 26, 2012, 04:59:17 PM »

I was attending (not running sound) the funeral for my great aunt.  In the middle of the special music, what sounded like a rifle shot filled the sanctuary.  The sound operator lowered the volume of the system and several veterans ducked.  Many eyes turned toward the sound board. Turns out an over-inflated wheel on a baby carriage blew.  The force was strong enough to bend the rim of the wheel, and it made a heck of a noise.
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BobWitte

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Re: Ah, the stress of running the sound board
« Reply #15 on: September 26, 2012, 05:06:29 PM »

Being a sound guy is like being a hockey goalie.  Everything is fine and no one pays any attention to you until you do something wrong.  Then there is a loud noise and everyone turns and looks at you.

BUT  We also get to hear the plan of salvation in our headset as we adjust the volume so all can hear, and then hear the pastor say "Yes, I see that hand, Praise God."

I mix the most important program material on earth and I have the best job there is.   Grin


AMEN!!!!!!! And that is why we do what we do!

Ole Anderson

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Re: Ah, the stress of running the sound board
« Reply #16 on: September 26, 2012, 07:11:22 PM »

Before we ran all of the sound, the local funeral director would play the requested CD of special music over the old PA system.  Well, we had a very large funeral of a well liked guy who loved his country music.  So during the service when they cued up Garth Brook's popular song "The Dance", they inadvertently cued up and played his other hit "Friends in Low Places".  I am not kidding.   All 250 in attendance just roared, and the pastor commented that the deceased had the last laugh. I was in the basement running the video switcher for the only funeral we ever videoed.  I wish I had kept a copy.
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Mark McFarlane

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Re: Ah, the stress of running the sound board
« Reply #17 on: September 27, 2012, 01:06:29 AM »

Before we ran all of the sound, the local funeral director would play the requested CD of special music over the old PA system.  Well, we had a very large funeral of a well liked guy who loved his country music.  So during the service when they cued up Garth Brook's popular song "The Dance", they inadvertently cued up and played his other hit "Friends in Low Places".  I am not kidding.   All 250 in attendance just roared, and the pastor commented that the deceased had the last laugh. I was in the basement running the video switcher for the only funeral we ever videoed.  I wish I had kept a copy.

I selected the music for my brother's funeral who died a few years ago of a drug overdose after decades of battling substance abuse. 

Grateful Dead "He's Gone" received a warm reception.  "9 mile skid, on a 10 mile ride,... He's gone, and nothing's gonna bring him back"  It was a well fitting theme song for Mike's life, and one of his favorite bands that he first saw live at Watkins Glen in '73. I was grateful Mike died in comfort on his couch, I think he would have ended up living under a bridge within another year.
« Last Edit: September 27, 2012, 01:09:29 AM by Mark McFarlane »
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Tom Hulbert

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Re: Ah, the stress of running the sound board
« Reply #18 on: December 03, 2012, 08:35:11 AM »

Hey everybody,
I'm new to the forum although I have visited here for research but I just joined today. Anyway I run sound at my church which meets in a gymnasium. I don't pretend to know everything about running a sound system but I'm pretty confident that I can find my way around any (analog)soundboard. Last night at church we had some people sing the special music who we have never had in church before, they used to be part of a church quartet but since have retired, they do still sing special music, plus their new church-pastor sang with them.
My problem was they came with a track to sing with almost ten minutes before service was to start, so I didn't have much time to do a good sound check and get the eq's right, and to add to that there was a lot of people in the gym so it made it much harder to hear the mix. There weren't any complaints as to how it sounded in fact one of singers said that it sounded good. But the main problem for me was the monitor mix which I was getting feedback, because the pastor who sang kept asking to be turned up in the monitor, and he sings so loud that he barely needs a mic.
I have a few theories as to how to avoid this next time, but I will take any advice.
Thanks
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Mark McFarlane

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Re: Ah, the stress of running the sound board
« Reply #19 on: December 03, 2012, 08:53:51 AM »

Hey everybody,
I'm new to the forum although I have visited here for research but I just joined today. Anyway I run sound at my church which meets in a gymnasium. I don't pretend to know everything about running a sound system but I'm pretty confident that I can find my way around any (analog)soundboard. Last night at church we had some people sing the special music who we have never had in church before, they used to be part of a church quartet but since have retired, they do still sing special music, plus their new church-pastor sang with them.
My problem was they came with a track to sing with almost ten minutes before service was to start, so I didn't have much time to do a good sound check and get the eq's right, and to add to that there was a lot of people in the gym so it made it much harder to hear the mix. There weren't any complaints as to how it sounded in fact one of singers said that it sounded good. But the main problem for me was the monitor mix which I was getting feedback, because the pastor who sang kept asking to be turned up in the monitor, and he sings so loud that he barely needs a mic.
I have a few theories as to how to avoid this next time, but I will take any advice.
Thanks

Hi TC, welcome.  FYI, you need to change your account to use your real name or you'll get locked out. Forum rules.

Then use the search function to search for 'monitor feedback". It is discussed frequently and there has been a lot written about it, even very recently.

REgards,
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Mark McFarlane

Greg_Cameron

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Re: Ah, the stress of running the sound board
« Reply #20 on: December 04, 2012, 07:01:44 PM »

In the venue I do sound in, our lighting guy brings in custom built robo-lasers for some shows. The servos whine is right at 8kHz. It drives me nuts when he fires them up because I always think it's the PA getting ready to take off. It also doesn't help when they're mounted on the truss right above the drum kit and the overheads pick some of it up to. He said in the next redesign he'll be using different servos and applying internal acoustic damping. I can hardly wait!
« Last Edit: December 04, 2012, 07:04:19 PM by Greg Cameron »
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Re: Ah, the stress of running the sound board
« Reply #20 on: December 04, 2012, 07:01:44 PM »


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