Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Mike Sullivan]

Not sure if this is the right place, I didn't find anywhere else that would fit a "intro" but I figured I would just tune in here.  I'm Mike, I'm 20 years old and I own a small sound company in a little town in Kentucky.  Been at it for about 5-6 years total now, serious into live sound for about 2-3 years.  All pretty much self taught or researched, with a 7 week course at a recording school in Ohio to give me some pointers.  I'm always looking to learn new things, and always open to constructive criticism (not trying to be mean, just always had the occasional you-know-what barking at me instead of teaching me...).  My current system is more or less new (bought most of it a few months ago) and still working on finding tweaks here and there, but it's as follows

Presonus Studiolive 24.4.2 (soon to be a 32.4.2)
QSC KW front of house (4 KW153's over 4 KW181's, with plans to purchase 4 more KW181's soon)
EV LiveX monitors (old FOH rig, 4 ELX112P's, 2 ELX115P's, and 2 ELX118P's)
Audix RAD360 wireless microphones + lavalier packs (purchased used)
Shure vocal and instrument mics
Audix drum mic kit
K&M mic stands
EWI cases and cables
Blizzard Fab5's for lighting

It's been a tough road, and I've had to enlist some help from family which has helped me greatly, but it's picking up slowly but constantly.  Just hoping to share some personal experiences in sound with the community, make a friend or two, and have a good time.

Here's a picture I have from my last show, a free music festival in the hills of West Virginia.  14 local bands on two separate stages (my rig being on the main stage), last count was at least 1,250 people in attendance.  Not bad for a free by-donation festival.


Excuse the PRX618S-XLF's sitting with the KW181's, one of my 181's has a bad amp module and is in the process of being replaced (still not sure how that happened, if it was a lemon or what...they've been out of the rain since I have gotten them)

[Chuck Simon]

Looks like you're off to a good start with equipment.  I wish I could have had a Studiolive and those speakers when I started out!   Hell, I wish I could have had a descent analog board back then! Welcome and good luck.

[Mike Sullivan]

Looks like you're off to a good start with equipment.  I wish I could have had a Studiolive and those speakers when I started out!   Hell, I wish I could have had a descent analog board back then! Welcome and good luck.

Haha, Thanks Chuck!  This isn't my first board.  Technically, my third.  First was a Behringer Xenyx 802 from when I did small DJ gigs.  Then I moved up to a Mackie 1604-VLZ3, decent analog board.  The Presonus is my 3rd board.  Love it, love the interface, love the sound, can't wait for the 32.4.2AI to come out.

[Luke Robinson]

Haha, Thanks Chuck!  This isn't my first board.  Technically, my third.  First was a Behringer Xenyx 802 from when I did small DJ gigs.  Then I moved up to a Mackie 1604-VLZ3, decent analog board.  The Presonus is my 3rd board.  Love it, love the interface, love the sound, can't wait for the 32.4.2AI to come out.

I know what they say about opinions... but I feel like interjecting mine right now.

Do yourself a favor and look into some options other than the presonus "fake digital board". The Behringer X32 has earned behringer a new reputation among the live sound community, and is alot more capable than the presonus board at $1000 less.

with features like Flying faders, recallable head amps, digital scribble strips, iPad control without having to connect a computer, and in my opinion much more logical work flow, I am surprised that anyone is evan looking at presonus any more, my friends have all sold theirs off.

again just my 2 cents,

luke

[Samuel Rees]

Edit: Welcome!

I understand you like the console, but look into other products such as the Si Expression and the X32 as well, perhaps for no other reason but this:

If you intend to become a professional engineer you are, hopefully, soon going to be asked to jump onto professional desks without much prep. Avid, Digico, big steps up. Desks like the Soundcraft Si Expression, the Allen Heath GLD, and the Yamaha LS9 are all built and function much like their companies large format desks. The X32 even shares some design philosophy from Midas and Yamaha. The StudioLive is not like this at all - with the small exception of a select, using a SL won't do much to prepare you for those big desks. If you can use an LS9, an M7 shouldn't be to hard. Soundcraft's small Si series should translate easy to their full size Si or Vi series, etc. All of these UI interfaces will inform usin Avid, Digico, and etc. Even if you like your Presonus desk better, the fact is each and every one of those other choices I mentioned is going to be more informative of using high end professional desks. If you are anything like me (we're both 20 some starting up small businesses), the the desk is 89% for your gigs, 11% as a learning tool. Something will all the compressors and EQs you want that you can stay up late trying out on you own time for YEARS. That's worth something, and I'll tell you that "11%" is a lot less valuable from the Presonus. I also trained on an LS9 for years under a pretty smart dude, and though I owe a ton to him it mattered that we were not on some cheap analog rig. We were on a rider friendly digital console out on thousands of rigs even in 2013 that worked about like all digitally consoles sort of do give or take.

Perhaps not everyone will agree with me. But I considered the Presonus, and I firmly believe that the professional "sandbox" my Si Compact served as was superior to what the Presonus might have been. Flying faders (huge, get used to em, you have a long future together), screens, muliple fader layers, digital patching, full recall, these things helped prepare me for easy jumps up to Digico, and Avid. Considering the Presonus actually costs more than some of what I'll call more informative choices, I think the choice is clear.

So this is my 2 cents from going through a similar process in the last several years. We're young and there are plenty of guys clinging to analog out there who can do your job, so embrace full professional digital ASAP. You won't regret it.

[Kirby Yarbrough]

look into other products such as the Si Expression and the X32 as well

+1

[Robert Weston]

Welcome to the board.

You have some good equipment, it should serve you well.  You're young and you can still drive your future.  It's great to see younger people taking an interest in this field!

Try to keep this in mind... don't go down the road that so many people do into thinking that obtaining the latest/greatest piece of electronic gear (console, outboard, etc...) is going to "fix" something or make them a better sound person.  There's some great equipment available (digital and analog), but like many things, these are tools of the trade and they may not be the best tool for you.

Take time to understand the physics of sound and how your equipment can manage it.  Anyone can push a slider up/down to mix... please don't become that kind of person!  I'm only saying this because there's more than enough sound engineers floating around with quality equipment, but have no concept of how to put a mix together (it's epidemic!)

There's a lot a great people on this board with a vast, vast knowledge base of information.  Don't be afraid to ask questions.

[Chuck Simon]

I know what they say about opinions... but I feel like interjecting mine right now.

Do yourself a favor and look into some options other than the presonus "fake digital board". The Behringer X32 has earned behringer a new reputation among the live sound community, and is alot more capable than the presonus board at $1000 less.

with features like Flying faders, recallable head amps, digital scribble strips, iPad control without having to connect a computer, and in my opinion much more logical work flow, I am surprised that anyone is evan looking at presonus any more, my friends have all sold theirs off.

again just my 2 cents,

luke

Wow, now there's a real nice welcome!  Do we really have to play the "my board is better than your board" game?  You don't have anything better to talk about?

[Tim Perry]

Wow, now there's a real nice welcome!  Do we really have to play the "my board is better than your board" game?  You don't have anything better to talk about?

Nope: everyone gets to find what equipment works best for him or her ... and express and opinion about it.

You have a nice setup that will serve you well. 

[Mike Maly]

Welcome!

My best advice, in my opinion, listen to as many different styles of music that you can. That way when it comes time to mix a particular style, you've probably heard some of the sonic staples of that styled material.

Keep learning!

[ProSoundWeb Community]