|
|
Getting a Good Live Sound
|
| Creating a great live sound is an aim of every band. It ensures that your performance is heard clearly, improves the 'buzz' in the venue and makes your gig memorable to the audience which should, in turn, lead to them coming back for more!
|
| In order to achieve this goal, you need to understand some of the principles of sound and sound reinforcement techniques. You may not need to apply all of these techniques every time but all gigs, large or small, will require some attention to the sound to ensure that you get the best out of the event.
|
So, lets take a look at some of the things you should consider. These are in no particular order although we will start with some fundamental principles anyway.
|
Perception of Sound
|
| When working with sound, your ears are the most important tool at your disposal. Look after them!
|
| You need to learn to listen carefully to sound when working with it. If you are a memeber of a band it is all too easy to focus on your own vocal and/or instrument and almost ignore the sound of the rest of the band. The aim is to get a good sound for the band as a whole unit. To achieve this you need to be able to take a step back, put yourself in a neutral frame of mind and listen to the overall sound. Its sometimes worthwhile practicing this technique using CD's at home. Put on some music you find great and listen. Try to pick out individual instruments in the mix. Then work out where they sit - are they dominant or hardly noticeable? Are they central in the stereo image or panned left or right? What about effects - are reverb or delay being employed to add to the music? By doing this you'll start to hear what makes good sounding music and also bad.
|
| The next step is to start being critical. Think about what you would change in an artists recording. Is the balance wrong - too much vocal perhaps? Or maybe the kick drum is not coming through clearly enough to carry the track along and give it energy? You may want to go down to some local gigs and listen to other bands. While doing this, apply the same techniques, looking for ways to make the overall sound better.
|
| Now you can return to your own band and its music. Its not always easy to judge this from the stage, however, as the sound on-stage is very different from the front-of-house sound that the audience is getting. Some guitarists and vocalists will move in front of the stage during sound checks to hear what is going on. This is a good sign but is not always practical. The next option is to get a 'friend' to do the out-front listening. This may be the tour manager, a roadie or even just a good mate. Make sure that they have good ear, though and get them to be brutally honest.
|
Frequency and Sound
|
| Most people understand the concept of frequency with regards to sound. Sound is produced by vibrations in the air and the speed of these vibrations is expressed as a frequency. The frequency represents the number of vibrations per second and is measured in Hertz (Hz). Low sounds like bass and kick drums have low frequency whereas high-pitched sounds such as cymbals and flutes have high frequency sounds. Vocals and guitars tend to sit mainly in the mid-frequency range.
|
| The human ear is capable of hearing sounds from 50Hz up to 20kHz (20,000Hz).
|
|