Just like in politics, it is very difficult to be rational when we think, discuss and make decisions about sound.

Of course much about sound is subjective, even if there are quantifiable aspects to what we do.

No matter how it looks on Rational Acoustics Smaart, the end result has to be something that satisfies the audience, or at least satisfies us – and we should (hopefully) be the toughest customer of our own product!

Opinions Vary…
The first thing that came to mind while thinking about all of this is that microphones seem to be one subject about which people have more passionate opinions than just about any other piece of kit.

I was reminded of all this when perusing forums on ProSoundWeb.com and noticing that of all the questions asked, the ones that get the most responses are along the lines of “What’s the best vocal mic for a female singer?” or “What’s the best choice for guitar cabinet mic?”

In other words, opinions are like microphones, everyone has at least three favorites…

Maybe this is because there are so many microphones, and even models that have been on the market for 40 years are still being used today.

But I suspect that it is also because microphones are where sound gets magically changed into electrical impulses, and thus there is such a huge opportunity to get things “right” or “wrong.” People seem really polarized about this, and count me among them.

There is just something about the fact that microphones are the focal point where art meets technology. The emotive sound of the human voice becomes electrons moving on a wire.

The beautiful sparkle of that pre-war Martin moves the air, which moves a diaphragm and coil, and somewhere a meter moves in response. And then a loudspeaker changes the final resulting signal into a much louder version so thousands can hear that sparkle, but it all starts at the microphone.

To me, the right choice of microphones and the knowledge of where to put them makes such a huge difference in the end result. First of all, it makes mixing much easier and reduces the need for EQ on the console. And we all know that adding too much EQ starts to wreak havoc on our sound.

With modern DSP-based consoles, this is less of a problem, but still an issue. Why add 6 dB at 10K when we can just use a brighter-sounding microphone at the starting point?

One last thought is that I think the choice of microphones has evolved along with other changes in the PA world. The use of in-ear monitors (IEM) and the fabulous loudspeaker systems of today mean that you can actually choose microphones based on the way they sound, rather than just simply to avoid feedback or to overcome the loss of highs in the mains.

In my opinion you have to become familiar with these microphones and trust your own ears on your artist’s sound rather than relying on what anyone else says. Of course it can be useful to see what others say in order to narrow the choices.

But beyond that, it’s up to you.

Picture Without Sound Is Surveillance
You’ve heard that one, right? Sound without picture is radio… you get the idea.

Although I have heard some people (OK, specifically it was guys) argue that porn doesn’t need sound. I’ll leave that one alone.

But my point is that sound is so critically important to any type of entertainment, and yet it seems to be an afterthought in so many cases. When things go wrong with sound, everyone notices.

Ever had massive feedback at one of your gigs? If so, then you know what I’m talking about. Or how about a loud hum? Same thing – people notice.

But I would be willing to bet that if one of the banks of lights didn’t work at a show, very few people would notice.

Unfortunately, we’ve probably experienced the fact that there seems to be a universal hate for the “sound guy” or the “techie” or whatever semi-derogatory phrase might be used in a given culture. It refers to “Those nerds around here that screw up the sound.”

Why does the event producer, sometimes the corporate client, festival organizer, city cultural office woman or other “person in charge” always seem to take offense when it is brought up that the budget for the PA is not even close to adequate for the event at hand?

Meanwhile, why is there always plenty of money for decorations, the hotel ballroom, spokesmodels, door prizes, etc.?

Sometimes I think it is because they see too many movies, and not only that, but Hollywood gets it wrong. They have created this illusion that
A) whenever someone walks up to a microphone, we should hear feedback, and
B) loudspeakers don’t exist but everyone has great sound, and maybe
C) when they show sound reinforcement in the 1950s, despite the horrible mics of the day and incredibly limited PA systems, sounded just like the records of the day (in other words great).

The result is this disconnect between how people imagine an event and what it really takes in terms of budget, logistics, sightlines, AC power, etc. to really make things work.

How do we fix this?

I’m not sure we can directly do anything. But of course it helps to be confident, competent, and be ready to give references. Maybe even talk to a few of your past good clients (if you haven’t already) and prep them that future potential customers may be getting in touch with them.

And finally, be diplomatic. Sure, there are times when it is appropriate to simply drop the job, but usually there is a professional way to nudge those involved to consider just how important sound really is. Maybe the thing to do is make a short video that starts out with no sound at all, then when the sound comes in, it is distorted, then it clears up a bit but there is a loud buzz.

Then, at last, the sound is clean and clear. Ask the client at which point the sound became acceptable and then explain that you are the vendor that can provide them with quality sound because you know how important it is to them.

All Roads Lead To… Wireless?
This last musing is on a topic to which I’m very close, since I work for a manufacturer making wireless microphone products. But my observation isn’t about being a supplier, it’s about the fact that whenever I’ve been around a show, and anything, I mean anything goes wrong with the sound; the first blame gets placed on the wireless microphones.

Let me relate a story about that…

In September ’07, I provided the wireless microphones and backline wireless for a show in San Diego. Between comm, IEM, microphones and backline, we had about 45 channels of wireless on the stage – certainly not a system where you would want to “guess” the frequencies. To coordinate everything, I used the IAS software from Professional Wireless Systems.

During rehearsals, one of the main guitar players in the house band was having problems and he mentioned to me that his level was going up and down, sounding “weak”, etc. Note that he came to me first… and that’s the point of this story.

I proceeded to swap out his transmitter and receiver and put him on a different pre-coordinated frequency, thus eliminating any one of the three things that could have been causing the problem IF the wireless was at fault.

Guess what? He still had the same problem. He was very understanding and realized that it probably wasn’t the wireless, although he didn’t know what to check next. Meanwhile, the stage manager started giving me a hard time, and no amount of calm explanation on my part would sway him. He was simply convinced that it was the wireless causing the problem.

I knew that the problem was likely the guitarist’s pedal board, seeing that it was the most complex part of the chain and had the most opportunities for intermittent connections, etc. I made a note of this, and worked in a quick trip to Radio Shack. There, I got some contact cleaner and ran across the street to a hardware store to get some Scotch Brite.

After I got back, during a break in rehearsals, I went through that pedal board with a fine-toothed comb – cleaning all the quarter-inch plugs and jacks, and DC connectors – then I put it all back together. From then on, it worked perfectly. I was there to provide RF mics, but I was the only one convinced that the wireless had nothing to do with the problem and thus set about to find a solution.

After that, the stage manager seemed to give me more respect. And I think this is one way that we can all improve our standing when handling wireless mic systems – know your system inside and out and be prepared for anything.

A lot of people still seem to believe that wireless systems are run on voodoo because they don’t understand some of the fundamentals involved. But math and physics are what determine success in the RF world.

A quick side story is that one of the house IATSE guys told me that just a few weeks before, they’d had a show in that same theater and had all kinds of problems with the wireless. When they called the manufacturer for help and described their location (downtown San Diego), they were told, “You guys are basically screwed,” because of the heavy use of the spectrum by TV broadcasts.

I was pretty shocked to hear that, and invited the house guy to listen to some of my channels. Not a blip, hit, dropout, nothing. He asked how this was possible, and I explained that we had done careful frequency coordination and set the antennas up properly.

Another related bit is that the monitor engineer told me that he wasn’t surprised that the wireless mics worked so well, but he wanted to know, “How come the IEM system seems so solid?” His experience had been that wireless IEMs were usually prone to problems.

Again, I explained that we had done a good coordination and thus we would be able to count on these systems to work – end of story.

The Bottom Line
All these issues are inter-related and to me, they point to the fact that we really have to know our craft inside and out. I’ve said it before, and here it is again – we should never stop learning and never think that we know it all.

We can’t assume that what worked before will necessarily work again. And we have to be studying our systems and the underlying technology all the time in order to stay current. As we move more and more into digital consoles and wireless mics and IEMs – there is no excuse not to master these systems.

Things are constantly getting more complex, but at the same time, the possibilities for excellence are ever more available to us. Don’t forget to rely on your quality resources – the good manufacturers are always there to help.

And the basics of physics never change – until scientists and mathematicians tell us they do. Until then, have fun and make some good sound.

And keep making good sound.