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[Ray Aberle]

I will end with this one because it wins most of the time : The microphone is an ice cream cone, not a penis.........

Totally using this line when we work Seattle Pride next year...

-Ray

[Woody Nuss]

So, if you had a top three key bits of advice to say to a band to achieve a killer live sound, what would they be?

1) Turn your amps down and play the drums with dynamics.
2) Point the monitor at your head. You have no ears in your crotch. (at least while you're on stage)
3) Balance your playback tracks and keyboard patches so everything is at even levels from song to song and patch to patch. Do this on a loud sound system and make sure things don't jump out or drop out. 

[David Morison]

Seems like some sound engineers have trouble counting to three (or paying attention to the question asked in the first place?)....

Maybe such people shouldn't be telling others what to do in the first place... 

[Scott Slater]

1.  Keep stage volume as low as possible
2.  You are playing for the audience, not for yourselves (refer to item 1).
3.  If you need changes to your mix, ask.  Don't wait until after the show to mention it.

[Kevin McDonough]

hey


some brilliant ideas here guys, pretty much all what I was thinking anyway but some especially good one liners that I may steal to describe certain things if people don't mind. 

Think what I'll do first is an overview of the basic principals, a 10 Commandments of Live Sound (maybe even do it in mock old fashioned language, thou shall not.... etc) as a first page on the site, before delving a little deeper and more in depth on particular issues.

Feel free to keep them coming.


k

[Stephen Kirby]

What it sounds like on stage is not what it sounds like out front

Less is more, that big wonderful sound you've achieved is obscuring what your bandmates are doing.  Work together.

And yet another vote for; The monitors are so you can hear your pitch and timing.  They are not a fully produced studio playback.

[Scott Holtzman]

Totally using this line when we work Seattle Pride next year...

-Ray

Pride is a trip,  I am the most open minded WASP you will ever meet however I have a hard time taking anybody serious that is dressed up like genitalia.


Update - I was talking about one participant I ran into, not the entire event. 


Sent from my SM-T800 using Tapatalk

[Steve M Smith]

your not a live sound engineer unless you do it for a living.

I can't agree with that.  I hardly make anything from live sound (I have a full time day job) but when I am doing live sound, I am as much of a sound engineer as anyone else doing it.

Likewise, during the day, I am either an electronic engineer or a mechanical engineer (depending on what I am doing).

The amount of money you earn from something has nothing to do with professionalism or competence.


Steve.

[Gordon Brinton]

1. You get what you pay for in a sound company. Far too many local bands believe that the sound company is just a necessary evil that takes their pay away. They tend to descend toward the cheapest ones that they can find on the planet...big mistake. If you care about your show and your reputation, sacrifice your pay for now to hire a good company. If your show is entertaining AND the stage production looks and sounds great, the pay will catch up soon enough.

2. The worst thing that any musician can do during a performance is to constantly stand at the mic like a mannequin and look unenthusiastic or indifferent. It looks bad and bores the audience. Move about, dammit! Keep smiling. Make eye contact with the audience. Interact with other band mates. At least try to look like you are having a good time up there even when you are not. It's no wonder so many bands play in empty bars.

3. Eliminate dead air time between songs. Just like when we are stuck sitting at a traffic light, the seconds seem to drag on like minutes. So too does the time between songs for the audience. Keep the music coming and keep the dance floor filled. Always start the next intro immediately. If you need to talk, bring it down a bit and talk over the intro. If you need to tune your piece-o-shitsu guitar, then learn to tune quietly during verses when no one is paying attention to the guitar. Keep the show moving at all costs. Rehearse it that way.

Bonus Tip:
Stop taking long breaks. 10 minutes is all you really need. Piss, grab a fresh water, tune, and get back up there. Talk to your fans after the show.

EDIT: What's this got to do with helping the sound guy? It's going to help fill the clubs with people. And full clubs are easier to mix than empty clubs.

[Kevin McDonough]

1. You get what you pay for in a sound company. Far too many local bands believe that the sound company is just a necessary evil that takes their pay away. They tend to descend toward the cheapest ones that they can find on the planet...big mistake. If you care about your show and your reputation, sacrifice your pay for now to hire a good company. If your show is entertaining AND the stage production looks and sounds great, the pay will catch up soon enough.

2. The worst thing that any musician can do during a performance is to constantly stand at the mic like a mannequin and look unenthusiastic or indifferent. It looks bad and bores the audience. Move about, dammit! Keep smiling. Make eye contact with the audience. Interact with other band mates. At least try to look like you are having a good time up there even when you are not. It's no wonder so many bands play in empty bars.

3. Eliminate dead air time between songs. Just like when we are stuck sitting at a traffic light, the seconds seem to drag on like minutes. So too does the time between songs for the audience. Keep the music coming and keep the dance floor filled. Always start the next intro immediately. If you need to talk, bring it down a bit and talk over the intro. If you need to tune your piece-o-shitsu guitar, then learn to tune quietly during verses when no one is paying attention to the guitar. Keep the show moving at all costs. Rehearse it that way.

Bonus Tip:
Stop taking long breaks. 10 minutes is all you really need. Piss, grab a fresh water, tune, and get back up there. Talk to your fans after the show.

EDIT: What's this got to do with helping the sound guy? It's going to help fill the clubs with people. And full clubs are easier to mix than empty clubs.

All great points, and not the initial ones I had first thought of like stage volume etc!

Point one, and the advantages of paying for a decent sound company with pro gear and not expecting to just pay petrol money and a couple of beers, will make a nice wee article, and stage presence and performance taking in points 2 and 3 will make another.

While not initially about sound, they're definitely all part of putting on a great live show.


k

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