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[Ted Christensen]

I do an occasional wedding gig here or there which i have found is different from a rock show or anything else. It has its own little niche almost. Here is what i mean

Power is limited to usual 2-4 20 amp circuits

No matter 200-500 guests the pa only needs to cover the dance floor for the band

 but somehow people can expect it to cover a whole 5k-7k square foot building for toasts and speeches in the worst reflective and reverberant rooms.



So i have been limiting the PA to QSC hpr stuff. usualy 122's over 181's just a stack on each side with 122's for monitors. Its great cause it can be on  2 20 amp circuits and still have room for backline.

covering a whole room is a different story for speeches.. At what point do you draw the line?

[g'bye, Dick Rees]

For the speeches and non-band stuff, a second system covering the seating area if the space is large enough to warrant.  If the after dinner stuff ends up happening during the music/dancing, the second system should be set up as a delay system from the stage, likely with MC mic only.

Try to keep the sound coming from the direction of whoever is speaking.

Charge accordingly and don't fall for the "oh, by the way...we also need/want etc etc etc".  Make it clear from the outset what you are providing.  It's OK to give a price for anticipated add-ons in your original contract.  That way they'll think about production a bit and have an inkling of the cost/time/logistics involved.

[Mac Kerr]

Charge accordingly and don't fall for the "oh, by the way...we also need/want etc etc etc".  Make it clear from the outset what you are providing.  It's OK to give a price for anticipated add-ons in your original contract.  That way they'll think about production a bit and have an inkling of the cost/time/logistics involved.

"I'll get right back to you with a price on that."

Mac

[Brian Jojade]

For weddings, this is an important part of the questionnaire when quoting the system.  It's pretty simple. Will the PA for the band be used for speeches and toasts?  If yes, then the designed coverage area may be vastly different than what is needed for the band.  Often time, the dining area is in a different area than the dance floor, and an entirely different setup is required.  As long as that is taken care of before hand, it shouldn't be an issue.

If the customer balks at the price for a PA dedicated for that task, and they try to talk you into it the night of the event, you can then decline, as it was not set up for that purpose and would make it look as though you were the incompetent one setting things up.  Let them use the crappy house PA for announcements.

[Thomas Le]

For weddings, this is an important part of the questionnaire when quoting the system.  It's pretty simple. Will the PA for the band be used for speeches and toasts?  If yes, then the designed coverage area may be vastly different than what is needed for the band.  Often time, the dining area is in a different area than the dance floor, and an entirely different setup is required.  As long as that is taken care of before hand, it shouldn't be an issue.

If the customer balks at the price for a PA dedicated for that task, and they try to talk you into it the night of the event, you can then decline, as it was not set up for that purpose and would make it look as though you were the incompetent one setting things up.  Let them use the crappy house PA for announcements.

Unless there is no House PA, then they're stuck with the music PA.

[Seth Albaum]

A couple wanted me to DJ (yes, I said DJ, but I can do live sound also) with one PA and tie into the house system to provide music and a mic for speeches in a dining room that was completely separate from the dance floor/bar room.

1st uh-oh. Their system only accepts rca or 1/8th jacks. I have balanced outs only on my mixer. So, I take a line out from my laptop directly and "DJ" in software only (I hate that, but it can work). Except, when first connected, still no sound. No sound from my mic, either.

House staff don't know how to work their own system, except this one young kid. They take him off his other duties to help. BTW, I couldn't figure it out because it was some LCD panel thing that made no sense whatsoever in audio-speak.

Long story short, they use their crappy "Mr. Microphone" or whatever it was with captive cord, and I'm DJ'ing from another room with no headphones and out of audible range of the ceiling speakers in the dining room. :/

No more house systems unless you're event is in a nightclub (a reasonably decent one). No exceptions.

[Ray Aberle]

The key point here is advance planning. These kinds of gigs should be advanced just like any other-- venue, the room, coverage needed, power availability, load-in/out access, timing, etc etc. There shouldn't be any "Talking you into it the night of the event" -- as long as you work out what is required in advance, then life is good.

Now, you're always going to get people who balk at the price to do it right-- and that is where you give them options. "OK, so my VRX rig is this much. It'll cover your dance floor with no problem. However, the further away from the stage you go, it will get quieter, so I suggest we put some delay speakers halfway back, which will cost you $XX." If they choose to not purchase this additional rental from you, then just make sure they know what they are going to do to the quality of their sound based on their choices.

In short, we gotta educate the clients as to what the outcome is going to be based on how much they are willing to spend.

Same deal with your post, Seth-- in that case, when the couple was asking about this, I would have explained to them that the house PA system may not be up to the job, and that with an installed system, we might not be able to use my quality wireless microphone for their speeches. And then I probably would have been just like "for $150 more, I will bring another set of 450s/stands/a basic mixer, and we have guaranteed success."

I have done gigs on installed house systems before, but I also have a pair of 450s in the car, just in case. I'm slightly paranoid. After all, my clients are paying for results, not "the house system sucks!" excuses. You also never know what "some other guy" did to the house rig the night before your event...

-Ray

[g'bye, Dick Rees]

Ray...

We all know that the best surest way to p*** someone off is to give them facts they would rather not face.

"Shoot the messenger."

[Seth Albaum]

Same deal with your post, Seth-- in that case, when the couple was asking about this, I would have explained to them that the house PA system may not be up to the job, and that with an installed system, we might not be able to use my quality wireless microphone for their speeches. And then I probably would have been just like "for $150 more, I will bring another set of 450s/stands/a basic mixer, and we have guaranteed success."

Usually I try to check out a new venue in advance. For example, I have an upcoming gig in a new place where the edison plugs are on the ceiling :/. It's a "pavilion"

In this case, I brought up my concerns about the house system. The couple insisted that they had some fantastic state-of-the-art house system and refused to pay for something they thought the venue would provide. They got me cheap because I offered them a package without any lighting. They got a fancy-pants venue cheap because of a school connection. I did what I could for them and at least got the music right for 90% of the guests. (the other 10% were really annoying though)

I rarely do weddings anymore except for people I know, and people whose tastes in music are not so mainstream. Who has blasted punk across Gloucester harbor for a wedding party? This guy 

[Ray Aberle]

Ray...

We all know that the best surest way to p*** someone off is to give them facts they would rather not face.

"Shoot the messenger."

*sighs* dammit, you're right. I gotta stop living in my fantasy world.

[ProSoundWeb Community]