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Engineer
Tuesday, February 07, 2012
One-Stop Shopping: Captain, What Does It Mean, This Term “Full Production”?
The sound company’s job is to advance the show with the artist and show up with a rig. Not so when the full production falls into your lap.
Sound companies handle “one-off” shows every day. It’s usually formulaic, and after a while, we do it by rote.
But what happens when the client wants one-stop shopping? This is also known as “full production” or “turn key service,” and it’s quite a bit more involved than an average show. Generally months of planning and coordination are needed, as well as work with a number of subcontractors. It just can’t be done by the seat of the pants.
Normally, when a sound company is hired for a show, the client is a promoter or a venue. They provide the stage, they provide the power, and they provide the labor. The sound company’s job is to advance the show with the artist and show up with a rig. Not so when the full production falls into your lap.
Particularly for large, multi-stage festivals, hiring a single source to handle all the entertainment elements of the event is almost a necessity. The event director has too many other things to handle to have to worry about the details of his entertainment.
Steve Rosenauer, director of the St. Mary’s University Alumni Association Fiesta Oyster Bake in San Antonio, Texas, once told me his definition of full production: “As a client, full production means working with a knowledgeable and experienced company that can produce a turn-key operation with regard to organizing, building and operating the necessary staging, sound, lights and equipment needs, with all meeting the negotiated specifications of the event as well as the bands. A company that does this can greatly enhance the quality of the event and provide a solid peace of mind to the entertainers and the event organizers.”
For the purposes of describing the process of a full production event, I will use the Fiesta Oyster Bake as my example. It’s a two-day, six-stage festival which kicks off San Antonio’s annual Fiesta Celebration every April. Fiesta has been ranked as the second largest party in the U.S. (Mardi Gras being first) by the National Meeting Planners Association. (And yes, they bake tons of oysters!) For years, our company, Sound Services, worked with this event. (Note that we recently chose to close the company for reasons completely unrelated to business.)
PREP MAKES PERFECT
In order to be ready by mid-April, we would start working in November. To be fair, we had been doing this event for nearly a decade, and had amassed a team of subcontractors with whom we were all very comfortable. Until a company gets to this point, preparations probably need to commence even sooner.
In November, we would begin talking about what our needs were going to be. Because city electrical inspectors were involved, we checked the City Code Compliance for any new electrical requirements. For example, one year (and for the first time), we were required to ground all of stages to the audio power distribution services, as well provide non-conductive covering of all power cables running in public areas. Not fun to discover things like this at the last minute!
We provided staging, sound, lights, backline, labor and all technical personnel for the festival. Because the client uses many more generators than just ours, they made those arrangements, but they used our generator provider so we were assured that power would not be a problem. The generator provider also stayed in contact on any change orders he received that might affect us.
Also by November, the client usually had more than half of the talent booked, so we got a vague idea of what to expect from headliners’ riders. By December, we started talking with our subcontractors, discussing what had changed from the previous year, giving them the firm dates, and requesting a firm price by January.
After ringing in the new year, and still four months out, it was time to nail down the financials. Be very meticulous with this process! Everything must be committed to paper, and math triple-checked in order to avoid any mistakes that could cost an entire profit margin.
It’s doubly vital to get this facet correct in the first year with an event, because the client will base future projections on those first year costs. Therefore, a mistake probably can’t be made up for next year.
Only after every cost is defined and listed, as well as those of the subcontractors, should the price be committed to the contract submitted to the client. Note: the one thing we found most often overlooked is the cost of a production manager. The hours and hours you spend working on this shouldn’t be done for free!
WORKING IN EARNEST
We would submit our contract on the first of February, with the understanding that requests on artists’ riders would probably cause an increase in total price. By this point, the client had all talent booked, so we could start working in earnest to learn just what those extra costs might be. My goal was to have all this information by the 15th of the month, still two months out.
There is a negotiation with contract riders and advancing the show that can - with some diplomacy - help reduce the number of additional line items for your client. Because most headliners’ riders are based on arena shows, for example, they will often concede some lighting instruments.
On the other hand, you don’t want artist representatives to think your client is cheap, so know where and when to stop asking for concessions. It’s important to manage your client’s expectations in this regard as well. Most touring artists also understand that festivals differ from concerts, so if the stages are adequately stocked to begin with, most of the added line items will be for backline and spotlights.
Once we determined all of the additional artist-related expenses, we submitted a contract addendum. This addendum should include absolutely everything - a. client will begin to lose confidence if presented with more than one price addition. His budget is set in stone by this time, and your math errors and oversights are not his fault.
MINIMUM OF 40
Because Sound Services was responsible for the entire Oyster Bake Festival, not just the two stages we were physically covering, it was imperative that we advance the show with every artist. In this case, we’re talking a minimum of 40 bands, which made for a lot of work. But it accomplished several very important things.
First, we got a thorough look at the requirements of every stage, and were assured that each subcontractor could adequately cover the entertainment line-up. If there was a particularly tough set change on a stage at a particular time, we could arrange to have extra help on hand at that time.
Second, it gave each artist a feeling of confidence to know that individuals who care about their performances run the festival. Third, we established consistency in the way the artists were handled. The subcontracting sound companies all appreciated this.
And fourth, we could apprise artists of the “special quirks” of this festival. For example, it’s held on a university campus that is, itself, located in a neighborhood, not on a major thoroughfare. Getting to the venue is difficult when 80,000 other people are also trying to do the same, and there is no alternate route.
Sometimes when we told first-time performers to allow three hours to arrive, some balked, but we remained adamant. The ones who didn’t believe us were invariably late, which is a no-win for everyone. (By the way, returning artists were never late!)
Further, artists can’t drive to any stages except the main one, because they’re all positioned among campus buildings. For this reason, full backline was provided at every stage, and musicians were discouraged from bringing more gear than they absolutely had to have. To accommodate this, the university set up a team of volunteers to ferry musicians and their gear to the stages. It took several years to streamline this process.
Once all the advance work was complete, we created stage plots and input lists for every stage, and for both days. These were then dispatched to the sound companies working the festival with us.
GETTING CLOSER
A pre-production meeting with the festival committee and all stage managers was held six weeks to two months out. Each committee reported on their progress and, although we weren’t involved in things like pizza ovens and beer sales, it helped us to know what was going to be happening around us.
Entertainment production is an important part of this meeting, and we made it a real bonding experience. Construction of “Stage 1,” for example, meant an entire campus parking lot has to be closed two days prior to the event, and thus it was critical that the timing be executed properly by the university security department.
We also got to meet the stage managers and orient them as to what was expected of them. These folks are critical for smooth-running shows, and we let them know that. While their duties are light, the few things we needed from them are all important to the show.
Other things covered in this all-important meeting were issues of water, green rooms, use of volunteers (there are hundreds!) and getting musicians to the event and their respective stages. Over the years, and learning from our mistakes, we developed methods to efficiently accomplish these tasks, but until you’ve worked with an event for a long time, these issues are extremely important to thoroughly think through. For example, from experience we all learned that as much water as we thought we needed - double it!
At this time, we also walked the campus with the festival director, making note of things like trees that needed trimming or light poles tp temporarily remove. (Grounds and electrical departments need to be notified in advance to schedule work like this!)
WHO’S DOING WHAT
By one month out, we had a firm grip on exactly who was doing what. For example, if there was a sound company short a monitor engineer, this was the time to step in and lend a hand. Each subcontractor provided us with a list of personnel and how many vehicles (and of what type) they would be bringing on site. One aspect to double-check: be sure each contractor is providing enough people. For example, backline duties done properly for six stages requires more than two techs.
At this point, we would tally up all production people (including stagehands and spotlight operators) and provide the festival director with the number of parking passes and wristbands needed. Remember - on a multi-day festival, each person might need a fresh wristband each day. We also padded this number by a few more to replace ones that were inevitably lost.
Very key: the best technical person on staff must be in charge of production management. Even with the best preparations, all kinds of little things can go wrong, especially at multiple stages. One person not involved in production at any one stage has to be free to fight the fires, and this person should be well versed in technical knowledge as well as diplomacy.
Our production manager for the festival spent each day traveling between stages, providing a break to a beleaguered engineer here, dealing with a power problem there, handling a recalcitrant band engineer somewhere else. He also carried a radio for instantaneous contact. And, this person must have healthy legs – in a very crowded festival, a golf cart won’t work!
Three weeks out, we assembled packets for all of the subcontractors involved. These included parking passes and wristbands, a map of the campus showing all stages and parking areas, a complete schedule of the event, and for the sound providers, stage plots and input lists. Load-in times were also provided.
Scheduling personnel is critical at this point. We staggered the load-in times so that we could make the best use of our stagehands. Stagehands have a four-hour minimum, and each is usually scheduled to work at more than one stage during a shift. For load-out, we scheduled a much larger number of stagehands. This schedule was then filed with the labor company as a written work order, and note that this also included spotlight operators as well.
IT’S SHOWTIME!
Two days before the festival, we began to build the stages. The provider arrived with semi-trucks loaded with staging, and we again walked the site with the festival director, spotting the stages, front-of-house risers, spot towers and security towers.
The day prior to opening, we loaded in at our two stages, which then left us free to address the mayhem of everyone else loading in the next morning. The lighting contractor also loaded in with us in order to be out of the way, and this left the lighting directors free to work with headliners who might arrive early. On-site security was continuous at this point.
Day one of the festival would arrive, and we were free to conduct headliner soundchecks on our stages. Fortunately, the first act didn’t begin until 6 pm, so the atmosphere wasn’t too stressful.
The production manager was also available to address the various surprises that unfold, as they invariably will. This is where months of planning pay off and you can look really good to the client, who’s running around putting out all kinds of fires while his production people are calmly doing their jobs.
If all subcontractors are competent and well prepared, the event should run like an average one-off show. One caveat, however: it’s still a multi-day, multi-stage festival, with thousands of people swarming all over, so competent, well-informed stage managers become critical to your existence.
They aren’t needed to get artists on and off the stage – we had already planned that out. They are most definitely needed to competently answer artist questions - “Where are our food coupons?” and “Where is our dressing room?” and the like. They also kept lots of water on ice, and plenty of ice in the ice chests.
The most important thing stage managers did, however, was manage the radios. Each stage had a radio, as did the production manager and the lead backline technician, and they were on a common channel with the event director.
As the production staff performed its various tasks, we didn’t have time to monitor a radio, but when we had a problem or needed help, we simply asked a stage manager to contact whomever we needed. Previously we carried individual radios, but learned that this alternative approach worked so much better for everyone, plus it gave the stage managers a sense of ownership of their jobs as well.
The best advice: “be round.” Roll with the punches and don’t get too excited by the inevitable little surprises that spring up. Make the production of entertainment as smooth as possible and don’t create tension or problems. That’s a big reason you were hired!
THE AFTERMATH
When it’s all over, the results of diligent planning and scheduling should continue to pay off. We found that handling a large number of stagehands at the end of the festival worked best if we arranged for the crew chief to assemble all of them at a pre-arranged site and make assignments from there.
Stagehands were first dispatched to the stages manned by our subcontractors, then re-routed to our stages last. We always got this show loaded out within our four-hour labor minimum, by the way.
The production manager continued to make a circuit of the stages, being sure each stage had its allotted stagehands and collecting any left-behind belongings. We later attempted to repatriate these items with their owners.
When all the dust cleared a week or two later, we sat down and created a recap of the event, and this went into the file for next year. We also sent this recap to the festival director. Included were a summary of any issues that came up, general incidents, what worked well and what didn’t, and suggestions for improving next year’s event.
By working with the client in this fashion, we made ourselves a part of the event team, and enjoyed a multi-year contract. We also ingratiated ourselves to our subcontracting partners, who appreciated the work and reciprocated when appropriate.
It’s just good business to develop this kind of working relationship with your clients and fellow business people, and it leaves you feeling pretty good about yourself as well.
Teri Hogan is a long-time audio professional and was co-owner of Sound Services Inc., a sound company based in Texas.
I’m in the process of helping one of my churches transition from an analog mixer to a digital mixer.
They were in need of more channels than their Allen & Heath 16-channel MixWiz with some outboard gear (front of house EQ, couple of compressors, effects unit) could provide.
Based on the maximum number of channels that they anticipated needing over the next five years, I recommended the PreSonus StudioLive 24.4, one of the least expensive 24-channel digital mixers on the market.
The church has two audio volunteers that are pretty much average in their knowledge of sound and sound systems so this would be a typical transition for a lot of churches in the 100-400 person attendance range. Volunteers selected more for their willingness to serve than their knowledge of audio. I know that nothing has been touched with the front of house EQ, compressors and FX since I helped them set it up about a year ago.
Some things that you need to consider in this transition is how uncomfortable the volunteers are going to be until they make the paradigm switch from the analog WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) to the digital layers.
Depending on the digital board, layers control everything from different grouping of faders (1-8, 9-16, etc) to control over the aux sends, FX, etc. Outboard gear usually goes away and everything is now handled with the digital mixer. It’s a big transition and you shouldn’t minimize it, but treat it with care and planning and the transition will go smoothly.
Getting Started
What I recommend is that the digital mixer not be put into service immediately but be brought into a two-to-four-week training duty cycle. It requires some mics and cables as well as a couple of speakers for monitors and front of house stand-ins. If you have instruments that you can plug in that helps as well. Keep the existing analog system going as the production system until everyone has been trained and is comfortable with the digital board.
Before you start with the digital mixer, make sure everyone has reviewed the user manual. A digital board is a computer with knobs and faders and is significantly more complex than an analog mixer. While they are pretty robust, you can still mess them up and repairs can be costly.
An Investment of Protection
One thing to invest in if you haven’t is a top-line power conditioner like those from Furman. I also recommend a computer UPS (battery backup) from a company like APC or Tripp Lite. Get a decent capacity one. The reason is that because a digital mixer is a computer, when power is interrupted you can’t just switch it back on like an analog mixer. You need to boot it up and, depending on the mixer, that could take anywhere from a minute to several minutes.
Having a UPS unit, the mixer will stay powered on, so even if the rest of the system is knocked offline by the power interruption, when the power comes back on, the mixer will still be up.
Unboxing The Mixer
Once you get the mixer unboxed, check for any damage. If everything looks good bring all faders down to minimum and turn on the mixer. I like to let the mixer “burn in” for about four hours with nothing going on or plugged in just to let all the electronics warm up to full operating temperature. This will check to ensure that nothing is shorting out. Be aware of any burning electrical smell or smoke. If you detect either one shut the mixer down immediately and unplug it. Contact the vendor.
Preparing For Training
The StudioLive is close to an analog board in that all the channel faders are on one surface as opposed to layers. This makes the transition somewhat easier. All effects, aux send levels are controlled through the center “Fat Channel.” That will be where most of the confusion is going to come in so be prepared to spend a lot of time going through this area.
The StudioLive is set up pretty easy so I was able to figure 85% of the board out without looking at the manual. There are also a ton of video tutorials on the PreSonus site and YouTube that can help with anything to do with the board. But for volunteer sound techs it will be a bit of a challenge.
Building A Mini-System
Hook up a mic to channel 1 on the mixer and hook up a speaker to aux send 1 and to front of house. This will be the basic training setup.
Once you get it hooked up, bring up the gain to an appropriate level. A digital board is less forgiving about exceeding the 0 level than an analog board before going into clipping so run the level less than needed for training until you get comfortable with the way the board handles signals.
Don’t worry about EQ settings or FX yet. All you want to do is to learn the signal flow from the channel to the aux send and FOH.
Once you’ve figured out how to adjust the aux send levels for the channel and you can adjust FOH level you’ve gotten over the initial hump.
Using EQ
The next thing you’ll want to learn is how to adjust EQ’s for each channel. Depending on the digital mixer you’ll either have a screen that will have a parametric equalizer, or in the case of the StudioLive, you’ll have the knob adjustments for high, high mid, low mid and low bands. As with all digital mixers you are able to set the frequency points for all these bands as well as the Q, which is the width of the frequency adjustment. This is a lot more adjustability than what an analog mixer has and is worth spending some time practicing.
After the channel EQs get figured out you’ll want to adjust the front of house EQ. On the StudioLive it’s set the same way that the individual channel EQs are set. One nice advantage about digital mixers is that most of them have a library of preset EQs that you can start with. The StudioLive has built in a nice set of professional quality EQ presets that are good enough to leave alone and assign to each channel.
The other nice feature of digital boards is the ability to save all your settings to a scene. So you are able to set up multiple scenes for different worship teams or different instruments and recall them just by dialing up the scene and pressing the load button. So no more needing to reserve channels based on who’s playing that day.
Enter Effects
The power of digital mixers means that you can assign FX to each and every channel, both to auxes and to front of house, so you’ve got a lot of flexibility. Just remember that just because you can doesn’t mean you should. Less is more, at least in the beginning. Some boards give you more FX capabilities than others. The StudioLive offers two channels of FX, others more.
Multi-track Recording
Another advantage that digital mixers have is that they usually provide some form of multi-track recording capability. In the case of the StudioLive, it’s provided by a FireWire port into the provided Studio One software. This means you can record each channel separately into your computer, as long as it has a Firewire port.
One very cool reason for doing this for the worship team is the ability to do what’s called a Virtual Sound Check. What that means is that you don’t need the worship team there to set up the board. You can play back the individual tracks back into their respective board channels and use those tracks as the sound check.
Then, once the band gets in, sound check is very minimal. It’s also a great way for the sound team to train on the board and allows them to massage settings without needing the musicians.
Saving Scenes
Once you get everything set the way you want it remember to save your settings to a scene. I usually recommend naming the scene with the church name and 1. That way you can always recover your baseline settings.
Sound techs should create their own “sandbox” scene, which allows them to manipulate settings and save it to their own scene without affecting the master scene. Make sure that no one other than the lead sound tech saves to the master scene.
Once you’ve got the master scene saved it won’t matter what changes people make to the board during the week. Bringing back the master scene will only require a quick push of a button, and in the case of the StudioLive, resetting the gain and adjusting the faders. In other digital boards, gain settings and fader positions are saved within the scene.
Making The Switch
Once the sound techs are comfortable with the digital board then it’s time to switch out the old analog board with the new digital one. Check all your settings. Be sure any settings you change are saved to the master scene once you’re happy with how everything sounds.
Finally, when you shut things down, do NOT shut things down by just turning off the power conditioner. This WILL damage the digital mixer. Follow the shutdown procedure in the manual. It can be anything from just powering off the mixer with the mixer’s power switch to a shut-down procedure on the screen.
Summary
A digital mixer is a whole new way of doing the same old things. It’s exciting as well as terrifying for volunteers, so go slow. Take it one step at a time and ensure they are comfortable with the new system before putting it into production. You’ll achieve a seamless transition and have fun doing it!
Brian Gowing has helped over 30 churches meet their technology requirements. Brian works towards shepherding the church, analyzing their technical requirements, sourcing the equipment, installing the equipment and training the volunteer personnel. As he likes to say, “equipping the saints with technology to help spread the Good News.” Contact Brian here.
Church Sound Files: The Reason For “Bad Sound” May Not Be The Sound System
Three factors, roughly equal importance, play the key role in good sound - and “two out of three” isn’t good enough
Many things around us are getting better. Computers are faster, televisions have more resolution, and dishwashers are quieter and more powerful than ever.
But with all of our digital wiz-bang processors, technology has been unable to eradicate “bad sound.” Why is this so? This short piece is an attempt to shed some light on three possible causes, two of which have been completely unaffected by the technological revolution.
The goal of most sound reinforcement systems is to deliver high quality sound reproduction to the listener. While we would like to think that a high quality sound system guarantees this, it does not.
The quality of the reproduced sound will only be as good as the weakest link in the reproduction chain. Let’s examine some of the major “links” individually.
The Room
The room is a major factor in the reproduction chain. Most large spaces are hostile environments for sound systems, unless they have received special attention from a professional and a considerable financial investment from their owner. Good acoustics doesn’t just “happen.” It is the by-product of careful planning.
A quality sound system may radiate an exceptionally high-fidelity sound field into the room. Unfortunately, most of the radiated energy will create acoustic events that detract from the listening experience. While small rooms have their share of acoustic problems, these problems pale next to the late reflections, reverberation, and energy build-ups encountered in large spaces.
If your sound system doesn’t sound good, ask yourself the question “What have I done to provide a good acoustic environment?” If the answer is “nothing,” then you got what you paid for.
The Sound System
Of course, a good sound system is a vital link in the reproduction chain. But this doesn’t just mean expensive equipment. It means that equipment that is suitable for the environment has been selected and implemented by someone who understands the compromises involved in large room reinforcement systems. Money can be wasted on “features” that offer no real benefit for the large room environment.
The vast majority of auditoriums that I have visited are not suitable for multi-channel formats such as stereo, surround sound, etc. since each channel must be delivered to all listener seats. Loudspeaker placements that are optimal for stereo reproduction are horrible choices for single-channel systems.
Even with monaural systems, “first choice” loudspeaker placements often create problems with sight lines and aesthetics, and are therefore ruled out by venue owners. Multiple loudspeakers must overlap somewhere, and there will be sound problems in these areas.
A properly designed system will often sound bad in the aisles – the very place where casual onlookers will stand to evaluate it. We all have good sound at home, but the rules change as the listening space grows. Intuition that is not filtered through the proper large-room principles leads to errors.
Sound system designers are often forced to compromise away the performance of the system to make it fit aesthetic concerns, budget limitations, and fashion trends within the industry.
The Operator
I’ve intentionally saved this one until last. The most overlooked link in the chain is the end user of the system. This includes the mixer operator and any supporting staff, such as those who run the monitors and place microphones.
A monitor system that is too loud will dump excessive energy (usually low/mid frequency) into the audience area. This excess energy will upset the spectral balance of house sound system, tempting the front-of-house operator to compensate by over equalizing (usually in the form of high frequency boost). This results in a reduction in gain-before-feedback and an unnatural sounding system. Microphone placement is equally critical, as is an understanding of the shortcomings of various miking techniques.
If a lapel mic could sound like a hand-held, then no one would use hand-helds. The overhead drum mic that captures the cymbals also captures the stage monitors and “spill” from other instruments, as does the vocal mic used at arm’s length. And that “mellow” bass guitar sound that the musician likes in the practice hall turns to “mush” in a large space, where increased definition provided by the use of a pick and brighter strings may be required.
These factors and many more “eat away” at the sound quality of the system as a whole. A good mixer operator will evaluate and optimize the sound of the instruments individually before allowing the band to perform as an ensemble. There’s no room for democracy here – effective mixer operators learn to say “no” and “be quiet.”
A question that I recommend for an interview of prospective mix personnel would be “What will you do if something starts to squeal?” If the answer is anything other than “Turn the offending channel down slightly until I figure out what the problem is” move on to your next applicant. Filters implemented in desperation do nothing to preserve sound quality.
Modern mixing consoles pack a considerable “wow factor.” It’s fashionable to sit behind a large one and move knobs all of the time. But doing so doesn’t make one an engineer. Completing an accredited academic program or piloting a locomotive does. The decision as to which console to purchase is often made with no consideration as to whether anyone at the facility will be able to operate it. The result? Bad sound.
I have personally witnessed the performance of many good sound systems ruined by bad rooms and incompetent operators. I have also seen skilled operators “salvage” the sound reproduction in situations where the room and system were less than optimal.
The performance of a sound system is only as good as its weakest link. Unfortunately, all of the links that I have mentioned are of roughly equal importance, meaning that “two out of three” isn’t good enough. Good sound requires all three.
Experienced, well-trained audio people realize this and are there to help you find your weakest link. Pay for their advice and follow it.
Pat & Brenda Brown lead SynAudCon, conducting audio seminars and workshops around the world. Synergetic Audio Concepts (SynAudCon) has been a leader in audio education since 1973. With nearly 15,000 “graduates” worldwide, SynAudCon is dedicated to teaching the basics of audio and acoustics. For more information, go to http://www.synaudcon.com
This article, #InstallationFail, has been inspired by the many, many instances of bad installation practices I’ve seen throughout the years.
I’ve been taking pictures and cataloging these for quite some time, and I figured it’s time to share them with the world.
Now, I should point out I’m not publishing these to make anyone feel bad. Though some of you should feel bad for some of these installations. But that’s not the point.
The point of this article is to show you how not to do things. My thinking is that many bad installation practices are repeated because someone saw it done that way before and no one told said person it was wrong.
Surely, if you knew it was wrong, you wouldn’t do it this way… right?
In that spirit, here we go. Our first installment is a run of Cat-5 cable. The cable comes up from a lower floor into a pull box; and it comes up in a conduit.
That’s where things get weird. I’m not sure if they found pulling the cable through the conduit just too dang much work or what, but instead of continuing on out through the conduit at the top of the box, they punched through the side of the box and tie-wrapped to the conduit. I’m not kidding.
Easier than running through the conduit? Perhaps. Correct? Uh, no.
Now, there is a proper way to bring cable in and out of a box without using conduit. Cable clamps and bushings are two such options. Apparently, neither were handy when this cable run was done.
And in case you’re wondering what might be wrong with pushing cable through a box in this manner, take a closer look from inside the box.
See those nicks in the insulation? They’ll get worse with time as the building vibrates.
Those sharp edges on the box will gradually cut through the cable as the building vibrates. It may take a while, but the wire will eventually be compromised.
They also pulled rather tight, which puts pressure on the cable, another no-no.
Finally, after continuing up the outside of the conduit, the wire goes through a fire-rated wall; a big no-no. This is the kind of stuff that will get you shut down if you have a fire inspector with a limited sense of humor.
There are proper ways to go through a fire-rated wall. This is not one of them.
This #InstallationFail has a lot going for it (perhaps more correctly, not going for it). The sad thing is that it was installed by a company that does cable installation. Meaning, this was not the work of some well-meaning but uninformed volunteers.
Nope, this was a “professional” job. And frankly, that irritates me.
Now, let’s move long to some great reader finds. I won’t give credit, largely to protect the guilty, err… innocent. But you know who you are.
Actually, these were all found by people who were just as amused and disgusted at the same time as we all are.
Why try to cram too much into a work box? (click to enlarge)
This is a classic case of “Why work hard if you don’t have to!.” I’m not exactly sure how the bolt is connected to anything structural, but I’m pretty sure that little metal dome is not rated for holding a Parnel.
And really, trying to stuff all the wires inside the box? Waaaayyyy too much work. Let them all hang out. Keeps ‘em cooler, anyway. Nice work, to be sure.
You can use wire nuts for almost anything. I love the art of this piece.
The interplay of the yellow and blue wire nuts is stunning. The fact that someone took the time to do it is impressive. I’m not sure what exactly the little stub of a RJ-11 may have been plugged into, or how they managed to plug anything in while it was mounted in the wall, but it’s got creativity written all over it.
I can’t say for sure, but I’m guessing there was a RJ-11 coupler somewhere in the mix here…
The safety of this device is unquestionable.
Unquestionably bad, that is. I can’t decide which I like more…the duplex outlet with only one leg attached, or the plug end with no backing housing, leaving the hot terminals right out there in the open for all to experience.
I’ve seen a lot of sketchy electrical wiring in my day, but this one takes the prize for most sketchiest. I’m not sure what in parallel universe this may be considered safe, but it’s not this one.
They could have at least used gaff tape to cover up the hot leads…
Moving along, consider this a primer on how not to install cables.
The good news is there’s plenty of cable should the equipment need to be re-located.
At least I can’t chalk the above mess to a professional installer. The next photo however…well, it’s just the way the installer left it.
Bushings? We don’t need no stinking bushings. Or the cover for that matter.
Man it was nice of those plumbers to put those pipes there for the cables to run over.
And just to prove the A/V guys didn’t favor plumbers over HVAC guys…
We’ve got loudspeaker cables going over HVAC and electrical! Score!!
Yes, we’ve seen all sorts of creative installs. This is one of my favorites. Props for using conduit. But feeding an extension cord through it to plug into a dimmer? Hmmm…
Hey, at least they put the extension cord in the conduit…
Sometimes, however, conduit seems hardly necessary.
This isn’t so much an “installation” as a lack thereof…
I really have nothing more to say about that one.
Mike Sessler is the Technical Director at Coast Hills Community Church in Aliso Viejo, CA. He has been involved in live production for over 20 years and is the author of the blog, Church Tech Arts . He also hosts a weekly podcast called Church Tech Weekly on the TechArtsNetwork.
The real art of audio, or, I mean the real science of audio, is...
One of my favorite sayings: “Audio is an art that everyone thinks is a science, and audio is a science that everyone thinks is an art.”
There’s no doubt that delivering an accurate (not to mention good-sounding) mix without missed cues is the right blend of both art and science.
Knowing the science helps in setting up the mix and making sure that everything is routed properly and the right things plugged in to the right parts of the system.
Knowing the art helps to creatively bring all of the various sounds from the instruments and singers together to deliver a pleasing sound without any distractions.
If that title were true, I would not be here writing this, and the unfortunate thing is that I would be dead from self-inflicted wounds! Over the years I’ve found that I can usually attribute the reason for the bad sound that I’ve mixed to one word: anticipation.
On the science side, anticipation means:
1) Being generally prepared, having the right tools, and being aware of what is going on at the event.
2) Check over the system to make sure everything is working.
3) Check all the inputs to make sure they are working and patched correctly.
4) Visually reviewing the board, making sure things are routed were they are supposed to be, the channel EQs are on and aren’t set too crazy, etc.
5) Having a backup emergency microphone on stage that everyone knows to go to if his/her particular mic fails.
And on the art side of things:
1) Thinking ahead, planning to boost the levels for solos.
2) Keeping my eyes on the stage to make sure mics are turned on ahead of people speaking.
3) Having my headphones handy so I can pfl channels to check anything, and quickly.
4) Being in tune with that is going on so I can react quickly to any changes that occur.
5) Having my cue sheet or order of service right next to me and then read ahead and mentally prepare for the next event on the sheet.
6) Listening to the worship songs ahead of time to hear what the original recordings sound like.
7) Knowing where the backup emergency mic is patched and being prepared to use it for any surprise events (unplanned testimony) or mic failures.
Obviously anticipation alone doesn’t guarantee a great mix - you still need to have the fundamentals down. But it does greatly increase the potential of having an error-free service or event.
So there you have it. The real art of audio, or, I mean the real science of audio, is… well, in both cases, it’s anticipation.
Cue the Carly Simon…
Gary Zandstra is a professional AV systems integrator with Parkway Electric and has been involved with sound at his church for more than 25 years.
In Profile: Front Of House Mixer Dave Natale, Presenting Artists As They Are
A look at a career in sound that includes mixing The Rolling Stones, Mötley Crüe, Fleetwood Mac, Van Halen, and many more
Beyond technical expertise and experience, Dave Natale stresses that one of the most important qualities a front of house mixer should possess is knowing how to deal with people.
“Now, anybody who knows me and reads that will say, ‘Yeah. Your people skills… Great,” he laughs, admitting that he can be blunt with co-workers at times, but adding that talking around a problem doesn’t help anyone. “You have to tell people straight up what’s going on.”
Natale’s ability to strip a problem down to basics, and adopt a course of action based on common sense, has been a key driver in his career.
Given that he’s worked for many of the biggest acts in the world in his 30-plus years in pro audio, it’s an approach that appears to work very well, and informs both his preferences for who he works with, as well as his insistence on using analog gear, whenever possible.
“You’re only as good as your crew. It doesn’t matter how well you mix if the system isn’t put up by people who know what they’re doing and have a good work ethic. The guys that fly the system, run cable, mic the stage - they deserve most of the credit. It’s a ‘no recognition, no glory’ existence. It’s also not an easy life. You go to work at 8 am, work through meals, or eat standing up, until the last bit of gear is on the trucks at midnight – if you’re lucky.”
Getting Involved
Natale’s approach to mixing is equally succinct. “People don’t come to hear me mix, they come to hear the act. I want to present artists as they are. Hopefully, I’m just turning up what they’re doing.”
It’s an outlook rooted in his early experience as a teen playing drums in a band from his hometown of Camp Hill, PA. “Basically I’m trying to make it sound like it did when I was sitting in the middle of it.”
When he started losing interest in the material the band was playing, he offered to find them a drummer, but stayed on to mix their sound. “I didn’t know anything about audio, but I still wanted to be involved.”
Eventually, he began working for a Lancaster, PA-based band and relocated to their home base in his early 20s, which ultimately led to his long-time association with Clair Brothers. “Roy and Gene Clair came to see the band and I guess they thought that the mix sounded particularly good, because when I went for a job at Clair Brothers, they remembered me.”
He started out as a warehouse foreman, building cabinets for the company’s S4 system and learning how everything worked from the inside out. It was Roy Clair, Natale says, who brought him out on his first big tour, as a system tech for Yes.
“I owe a lot to Roy. He’s the guy that initially hired me and put his reputation on the line suggesting to people that I mix them. Two or three years on, when Yes became Asia, they asked Roy for a recommendation. He said ‘you should get this guy,’ and now I’m here.”
Immediate Attention
Throughout the 1980s, Natale mixed some of the most successful acts of the time, from pop icon Olivia Newton-John to “southern fried” rock bands like .38 Special. He often did double duty, acting as crew chief and mixing front of house, with the only role he flatly refused to take on was monitors.
“In no way do monitor guys get enough credit,” he states. “You have immediate attention from the band - if you screw up, they know instantaneously, especially now with IEM. And now, monitor guys are doing 12 or more stereo mixes, while I’m out there doing one.”
Natale left Clair Brothers in 1987 to work with Van Halen. “I either needed – or wanted – to work with them. Probably both. Clair didn’t do them, so I called up (the band’s sound company) Audio Analysts.”
After fulfilling that wish, he returned to Clair Brothers in 1990 and continued to serve the acts he’d toured with previously, as well as Prince, Bush and others. He also mixed high profile television events such as The Grammys and the MTV Video Awards.
In 2000, he decided to go the free-lance route, exclusively, having come to a point where he wanted more freedom to choose his gigs. Although it put pressure on him to find work, it also opened up fresh opportunities, including a diverse assortment of tours with Lionel Richie, Fleetwood Mac, Liza Minnelli, Mötley Crüe, and The Rolling Stones.
Telling The Story
Natale believes that agonizing over recreating the sound of a band’s record is far less important than presenting the band as they actually sound, on stage, as accurately and powerfully as possible. And when someone takes issue with that approach?
“You must hear and be able to understand the vocals. They’re telling the story,” he says. “That’s probably the one component of a song everyone knows. They should occupy the top space of the mix. When the vocal isn’t happening, something else needs to occupy that space in the mix, so you figure out what that is and turn it up. When the vocal starts again, you turn down whatever you turned up, so you can hear the vocal again. There’s nothing mind-bending about it.
Mixing Tina Turner at Madison Square Garden in the early 1990s. (click to enlarge)
“In my opinion,” he continues, “trying to recreate the album mix live is a bit redundant. If you’re looking to hear a studio mix, save yourself a couple hundred bucks, sit at home, listen to the CD and have a couple of beers. Live, it has to be punchy, huge and exciting, a bit exaggerated. You have to present the band as if they’re 15 feet tall, especially in a giant venue.” Some bands – The Rolling Stones, for example – make that easier than most. “They don’t need my help,” he adds.
It’s not always basic, of course. During Mötley Crüe’s 2005 tour, he had to mic some out of the ordinary instruments, including a beer keg drum kit and the Harley Davidsons the band rode on stage.
Although the roster of artists Natale has worked with is incredibly diverse, his approach to mixing them doesn’t vary that much. “Again, it’s common sense; obviously, Liza Minnelli wouldn’t sound right with the kick drum punch of Mötley Crüe.” So the sonic choices he makes are based entirely on what’s best for that particular artist, at that particular show.
Level Of Comfort
Natale still equalizes his systems with the same Sheffield Labs direct to disc recording of James Newton Howard and Friends that he’s used for years: “because the drum sounds are great,” he notes.
His take on analog and digital consoles is characteristically straightforward. “An analog console will not do anything until I want it to. If a digital console decides to have brain damage, you can’t do a damn thing about it.”
Further, he’s of the mind that our ears don’t properly convert the sounds we hear from analog to digital. “Our ears have evolved naturally, over time. We’ve got a couple million years of R&D into that.”
His desk of choice is the Yamaha PM4000, which, he adds, he only started using well after its release, when he was certain all the bugs had been worked out.
“I’m not saying (digital technology) is wrong, or that it doesn’t work. I’m coming at it from a reliability standpoint. I’m more comfortable with analog stuff running a system for 20,000 people who are paying high dollars to see a show.”
Natale also prefers to set up his console himself. “I’m not the kind of guy who plays golf, so there’s no reason for me not to be at the venue at eight in the morning being a pain in everybody’s ass.”
More importantly, he wants to make dead certain nothing’s left to chance. “This is serious business. It’s not to be taken lightly. I’ve been very fortunate to have had the pleasure to work with people that take this as seriously as I do. I trust them implicitly. I can be very blunt, but it’s only to impress upon them the importance of the situation. I will not, however, ask anyone on crew to do something I would not, could not, or wasn’t prepared to do – with the exception of doing monitors, of course.”
Inevitably, things do go south from time to time, such as the time his console took a header while being rolled into the venue, and the time his console caught a pitcher of beer during a show, as well as the time a generator died a horrible death moments before The Stones were to take the stage at a sold-out stadium show.
Turning it up on his preferred Yamaha PM4000 console. (click to enlarge)
“You have to stay cool. Losing your head and panicking will only add to the mayhem,” he notes, adding that those moments are balanced out by better memories, like mixing Lionel Richie in Cairo with the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx as a backdrop.
Too Much Fun
Natale also credits manager Roger Davies (Tina Turner, Joe Cocker and Olivia Newton-John) for early opportunities integral to his success. In fact, he’s worked at least 12 tours for Davies’ acts. He doesn’t measure his worth in terms of the high-profile artists he’s mixed, but rather in their opinion of his work.
“More people than not thought I was O.K., so I kept getting work,” he says. “I’ve never thought ‘I’ve got to make myself more marketable.’ I was having too much fun to think of it in those terms.” It’s a fact borne out by the sheer amount of time he’s spent on tour – on average, 10 months a year every year since 1979: “I’m into this full-time, a lifer.”
That said, after The Stones’ Bigger Bang tour ended in 2007, he slowed down some, with the idea of seeing what it might be like to be at home for a while. “I like working around at the house, raking the leaves. When you have to do it for 40 years running. you’d probably hate it, but for me, working outside is a novelty because I’ve made a whole career out of being inside.”
It also gives him more time to hang out with his closest friend, his wife, Birgitta. “We get along great. If you don’t have a spouse that’s cut out for this lifestyle, I can almost guarantee you a miserable existence. In 25 years, she’s never once asked me to get off the road.”
The couple has two grown daughters, Ingrid and Britt, both great sources of enjoyment for their proud papa. While both are pursuing careers of their own outside audio, they both spent some time working at Clair Brothers. “And they can solder like nobody’s business,” he adds.
Unforgettable
Currently Natale splits his time between Lancaster and an apartment in New York City, primarily mixing one-offs for VH-1, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and charities such as The Robin Hood Foundation for his good friend, Dan Parise of Diversified Production Services. He also mixes the Radio City Christmas Spectacular and works regularly as a stagehand at Radio City and Lincoln Center as a member of IATSE Local 1.
However, the 53-year-old “lifer” is starting to feel the pull of the road again. “I’m looking around,” he says. “When you turn the kick up in a large arena with a massive PA, it’s something you never forget. Once you’ve mixed, you always want to mix.”
Based in Toronto, Kevin Young is a freelance music and tech writer, professional musician and composer.
Vatican Television Center Chooses Clear-Com For HD Outside Broadcast Van
Clear-Com is pleased to announce that Vatican Television Center (CTV), the official broadcaster of Vatican City, has selected Clear-Com Eclipse-Median digital matrix and Tempest2400 digital wireless intercoms to help cover the official activities of Pope Benedict XVI as well as the ongoing religious events and services held at the Vatican.
The extensive communication capabilities offered by the four connected Eclipse-Median, six I-Series intercom panels, two Tempest BaseStations and four Tempest BeltStations assure that CTV broadcasts have fast access to reliable, high-quality communications.
CTV has no production studios as a majority of the broadcaster’s work is ENG. The Clear-Com gear resides in a new outside broadcast (OB) van, which has full HD capability, and is the central hub for critical operations at the network. Its four operating areas include the audio room, equipment room, primary and secondary production control with VTR and camera control.
“The combination of the Eclipse digital matrix with V-Series panels and Tempest2400 gives CTV a tremendous amount of communications flexibility, making it much less stressful to manage the broadcasting of the Pope’s ministry,” says Karlie Miles, Director of EMEA Sales, Clear-Com. “Our system has certainly proven to function flawlessly during critical situations.”
She continues, “The signal transmitted from the Tempest2400 wireless intercom system easily penetrates the thick walls of the church and can travel far distances to the van. We are thrilled that CTV has entrusted Clear-Com to help deliver the Pontiff’s and Vatican’s message to worshippers around the world.”
The 112-port Eclipse-Medians, which interface with the I-Series intercom panels, provide the CTV team with fast audio routing, many communication paths and sophisticated features for ample flexibility and exhaustive functionality.
Operating in the 2.4 GHz frequency band, the Tempest2400 utilizes patented Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum radio technology, which withstands frequency interference and maintains high quality audio for reliable communications.
The two- or four-channel version Tempest2400 enables the employees in the CTV OB van to effectively coordinate between the OB’s production area and camera operators.
Advice on cleaning and maintaining microphones to ensure their continued reliability
You’ve finally invested in a high-quality vocal microphone and your voice has never sounded better.
Unfortunately, the keyboard player in your band decides he wants to use your mic during his featured rap. You cringe as he practically eats the microphone.
You can barely watch as he encourages audience members to scream into the mic.
Afterwards he returns your mic, still operational but considerably wetter and unhygienic.
Microphones are subject to an inordinate amount of abuse, especially in live music. Grilles and foam windscreens can become saturated with saliva, clogged with lipstick, and will absorb the smell of cigarette smoke prevalent in most clubs.
Regular cleaning of your microphone will not only improve its performance, but is also good hygiene. This document provides several simple yet effective techniques for cleaning microphones.
Dynamic Microphones
The best way to clean a microphone is to remove the grille. Most vocal microphone grilles simply unscrew, e.g., SM58, BG3.1. If the grille doesn’t slide off easily, gently rock it back and forth while pulling it away from the cartridge. Do not pull sharply or with excessive force, since that could damage the cartridge or separate it from the microphone housing.
Once the grille is removed, it can be thoroughly cleaned without damaging the mic. Since most of the offensive material on the grille comes from the human body, plain water should be a sufficient cleanser. Adding a mild detergent (dishwashing liquid) to the water will act as a mild disinfectant and remove odors absorbed by the foam windscreen.
To remove lipstick and other material stuck in the grille, use a toothbrush with soft bristles. In some models, the foam windscreen can be removed from the grille, but this is usually not necessary since water will not damage the grille. Most Shure microphone grilles have a nickel finish that makes them resistant to rust, and replacing the foam windscreen can also be difficult and time-consuming.
The most important thing to remember is: let the grille dry completely before reattaching it to the microphone! Microphones don’t like water, and although dynamic mics can withstand small amounts of moisture, a soggy foam windscreen will introduce more than is acceptable.
Air drying is the best way to dry the grille, but a hair drier on a low-heat setting can be used. Care must be taken not to get too close to the grille as excessive heat can melt some windscreen material.
Cleaning must be done more carefully for microphones that do not have removable grilles, e.g., SM57, 545.
Using a damp toothbrush, hold the microphone upside down and very gently scrub the grille.
Holding the mic upside down will prevent excess moisture from leaking into the microphone cartridge.
This technique is also useful for cleaning the foam that covers the diaphragm inside an SM58.
Again, keep the mic upside down, and be very gentle.
In live situations with multiple acts, it may be desirable to clean the microphones between acts. Use a diluted solution of mouthwash (Listermint, Scope) with water. Using a toothbrush and holding the microphones upside down, scrub the grille of the microphone.
At the very least, this technique will make the microphones smell more pleasant to the performer. Also make certain the sound system is turned off before the cleaning begins!
Condenser Microphones
Due to the more delicate nature of condenser microphones, never use water or any other liquid for cleaning purposes. Even a small amount of moisture may damage a condenser element.
For microphones with removable grilles like the Beta 87 or BG5.1, the grille and foam windscreen may be washed as described above.
Again, the grille and windscreen must be completely dry before reattaching it to the microphone. To clean a microphone with a permanently attached grille like the SM81 or BG4.1, use a dry, soft bristle toothbrush and gently scrub the grille.
Keep the microphone upside down so that loosened particles fall away from it. Take care not to let stray bristles get caught in the grille. This technique also works well for lavaliers and miniature gooseneck mics.
For condenser microphones that will be subject to harsh conditions, such as vocals and theater applications, it is advisable to use a removable external foam windscreen.
This will protect the microphone from saliva and make-up, and can be removed and cleaned with soap and water after the performance. Remember, never get water near a condenser element!
A 20 Percent Chance Of What? Weather And Live Production Work
Doing the extra footwork ahead of time can save a world of grief, not to mention things far worse
It’s the season when many head for indoor venues, leaving the “great outdoors” to winter hibernation.
But for some of us, especially here in the southland, outdoor festivals are still the rage.
Although the summer thunderstorms are long gone, bad weather of other types still poses a problem.
While I’m addressing this missive primarily to the newcomers in sound reinforcement, it never hurts any of us to brush away the cobwebs and remind our brains as well.
Regardless of the time of year, weather forecasting by the technical crew still plays a big role in the continuity of any outdoor show. While I generally trust the event planning staff to keep an eye on the sky (or at least they should be), I trust my crew even more.
My company recently completed a two-weekend festival that included a dose of it all: high winds, rain, and cold temperatures made for a near impossible event. Four outdoor stages full of PA and lighting, not to mention power distribution all over the place. Nerves on edge, and of course, the cry “the show must go on” echoes from the sponsors and promoters.
To which I respond “safety first!”
Most of us working have (or should have) a clause in our agreements that provides the sound/lighting crew with at least some decision-making ability with regard to shutting down when the weather gets ugly.
This is essential when the safety of stage and performance personnel – not to mention our paying patrons – is at stake. It should be a quick but calculated decision between tech crew and event coordinators whether or not to shut down. Further, a “plan B” should always be discussed at pre-event meetings.
Getting back to that recent gig, there was no heavy rain, but drizzle combined with 35 mph winds and mid-30s (Fahrenheit) temperatures. It wasn’t quite bad enough to totally shut things down, but plenty enough to make things pretty miserable.
At times like these, I really count on my wingman – the person who watches the radar constantly on his/her PDA, shuts down the phantom power supplies on consoles without being told, is just as handy with a welder as a soldering iron, and graduated at the top of the class in knot tying. When faced with 35 mph winds, this is the person that makes sure nothing moves!
We all need someone this handy and responsible if we’re not doing it ourselves. I used to be the wingman, but when handling larger venues and festivals as the front of house guy and technical supervisor, I simply don’t have the time to run it all. Lean on the wing man – mine always seems to be one step ahead of me and that’s a good thing.
We also position easy-to-get-to road cases that are specifically labeled “weather” and stock them full of plastic sheeting, tarps, towels, and several five-gallon buckets filled with everything from carabineers and rope to bungees and ratchet straps.
Additional steel safety cables are also a must. Secure those lighting trees and trusses. Sandbag those tents and canopies.
And regardless of what anyone else says, if it’s a heavy downpour or at the first sign of lightning, shut down and cover up. Cut off power sources – literally pull the plug if that’s the situation. Clear the stage and fall zones of personnel.
Doing the extra footwork ahead of time can save a world of grief, not to mention things far worse. Here’s to a safe and prosperous 2012.
Greg Stone has worked in live sound since 1976 and is the owner of Hill Country Ears Sound Company (www.hillcountryears.com) in south Texas.
From the archives of the late, great Recording Engineer/Producer (RE/P) magazine comes a wealth of knowledge about echo chambers which first appeared in the July / August 1979 issue.
A live echo chamber can be a considerable asset for any recording studio, that is providing that it is a good one.
That’s the problem — how do you construct a good echo chamber? When someone builds a chamber, they hope it will turn out great and pray it won’t turn out absolutely dreadful and good for nothing but storing echo plates.
The truth is there are a number of complex variables which will make each chamber unique.
These factors which effect the chamber include the type of wall construction and the selection of materials used on the inside surface.
Probably the most important consideration is the cubic volume and physical proportions of the chamber.
This leads to the first question to be asked before a chamber can be built. What space is available?
Space
Most times echo chambers occupy surplus space. The more space that is available to start with, the easier the construction job since the builder won’t have to deal with odd angles or cramped building conditions.
The size of the chamber can generally vary from 1,000 cubic feet to about 2,000 cubic feet of internal volume. 1,500 cubic feet seems to get excellent results within a workable space.
A small chamber won’t get optimum results and the largest chambers are a luxury since they occupy a space large enough to be usable for other purposes.
When determining if enough area is available, it is necessary to remember to allow for figuring the wall thicknesses.
Figure 1. Click to enlarge.
There is also a need to consider a wide enough passageway around the structure for a hammer to be swung. If this isn’t planned for putting on the exterior sheeting is going to be a difficult proposition.
It is also suggested that the space be large enough to accommodate a chamber with a minimum interior dimension of 7 feet. A chamber with a side shorter than this will usually give unsatisfactory results.
The Floor Plan
Once it has been decided that there is enough space, the next step is to design a floor plan (Figure 1). When laying out the sides of the room none of the walls should be parallel or even near to parallel. The ceiling should not be parallel to the floor. This is very important if the room is to have maximum random reflections and a smooth decay. It’s at this stage that a bit of math should be introduced (1).
T = Const X M/α S
where:
T = Reverberation time
V = Total volume of the room in cubic units
S = The total combined surface area of all sides in square units
α = The average absorption coefficient Constant:
.049 if measurements are in feet.
.161 if measurements are metric.
The American National Standards Institute (in S-l. 1-1960) defines reverberation time of a chamber as the time it takes for the mean square sound pressure level to decrease to 60 dB after a steady state signal has ceased (2). Generally this level is referenced to 500 Hz although some information relates the level to 1 kHz.
The following equation for figuring decay time was developed by Wallace Clement Sabin (1900). Since his time there have been a number of alternate equations developed but the original equation continues to be the most popular. This is due partly to the simplicity of the computation and the similarity of the resulting data.
Figure 2. Click to enlarge.
Sabin determined that the reverberation time was related to the volume of a room, its surface area and the total amount of absorption.
As the formula would indicate, the time is directly proportional to the volume and inversely proportional to the surface area of the room. With this being the case, the longest echo will be obtained when the required volume is achieved with a minimum of interior surface area.
Trying to achieve more diffusion in the chamber by building accordion type splays will have the effect of cutting down the delay time because the total surface area will have been increased.
Another point to be remembered when figuring out the length of the sides is that none of the dimensions between any two opposing walls should be the same or a multiple or fraction of any other two opposing walls.
There are a number of ratios which serve as guides when figuring acceptable proportions, including the Golden Section; (5^1/2 + 1): 2 :( 5^1/2 - 1).
This relationship was proposed by the Greeks and divides a line in such a manner so that the smaller dimension is to the greater as the greater is to the whole. There are four or five other ratios which have been proposed and accepted to varying degrees, (3) but the one most often used is Sabin’s 2:3:5 relationship. (Figure 2) (3)
Wall Angles
The angles used for the intersecting corners should not be severely acute. In practice, the simplest way to arrive at the wall angles is to build the sides so that two of the joining sides meet at right angles.
Their opposing walls are constructed similarly, but without permanently nailing down the floor plate. Once these walls have been framed, the entire unit can be angled inward. For the average chamber moving one end of each of these two walls in by a foot or so should be sufficient.
Rigidity And Isolation
Two things which are important in making a good live echo chamber are maximum interior wall rigidity, and the total isolation of the chamber from its surroundings.
The more rigid the wall is, the less energy dissipated when a sound wave hits it, hence the surface is more reflective. The isolation is important since it’s essential that the rooms broadband ambience be very low.
Figure 3. Click to enlarge.
Echo chamber wall systems which achieve these goals can be constructed from a variety of materials. There are a few chambers that have been built with walls, floors and ceilings of poured concrete. Such a design if properly executed will get very good results, but will be expensive to build, very permanent and extremely heavy. It will be there forever, providing you haven’t underestimated the strength of your sub- floor.
The second most popular approach is concrete block walls. They are easier to build, and a bit easier to tear down, but once again you have the weight problem.
The most popular and cheapest type of construction is a wood frame design made of 2” x 4” and 2” x 6"s. It is the easiest to build with hand tools and more importantly is relatively light compared to concrete and block.
Walls
In recording studio construction it is very popular to use 2” x 4” staggered stud construction since the results achieve a better transmission loss than a conventional wall. (Figure 3) A staggered wall uses two rows of studs 8” apart (2” x 4” alternating 16” centers) on 6” top and bottom plates. Every other stud is flush to the opposite edge of the plates. In this way the wall sheeting of the two sides is only connected at the top and bottom plate.
A standard stud wall uses a 2 x 4 plate. The sheet rock covering both sides is connected through each of the common studs. The transmission loss between these two types of construction with insulation is STC 36 dB for the standard wall and STC 49 dB for a staggered wall.4
The staggered wall would be the preferable wall design if transmission loss were the only consideration, however, rigidity is a more important factor in the design of the inside shell, hence standard construction is preferred. (Figure 4)
Figure 4. Click to enlarge.
The reason for this is that staggered construction does not allow enough space for cross bracing. The interior shell should have a cross brace splitting the span of every stud, joist, and beam. There should be no unbraced span longer than eight feet.
The preferred layout is to use a staggered exterior wall, and a standard interior one. These two walls should not be coupled in any way and hopefully will not only be decoupled from each other but from the rest of the building.
Floating Walls and Floors
A very important part of the de-coupling of an echo chamber is isolating it from the building it sits in. What sort of isolation is needed will depend on the specific situation and the funds available.
The drawings shown use Celotex for de-coupling. As can be seen, the outer shell is de-coupled from the floor of the building, while the echo chamber has a completely floated floor.
If the location requires extreme de-coupling then it might be necessary to construct the outer shell on its own completely floated floor. It is also likely that something other than than Celotex will be needed.
Machine rubber is a good alternative to Celotex. It seems to work acceptably when used in a quiet environment but it does seem to compress a great deal and might break down with time. A thickness of or more is necessary.
In an extreme isolation situation involving low frequency vibration more severe measures will be necessary. The worst case may need a floated concrete floor on spring isolators, but once again you have considerable weight and expense.
The best material which has been found for most situations are Fiberglas decoupling blocks. As shown, they are two inch cubes, covered with latex (to keep the moisture out) and are specially designed for floating floors. They can be used for both concrete and timber designs.
When they are used with concrete, a sheet of plywood is laid over them and a border runs around the plywood to create a pouring form. Be sure all cracks in the form are sealed so that none of the concrete will seep and re-couple the floating floor to the structural one.
When the blocks are used with wood construction, they should be set under three or four 2” x 6” headers. The timbers form the base for the echo chambers floor joists. Isolators should be placed about a foot or so apart along the entire length of the headers.
The only problem with the block spacers is the gap it leaves between the floating floor and the structural floor. The solution is to fill the space with Fiberglas and run the sheetrock down to %” away from the floor caulk.
These blocks are available from a number of suppliers. The blocks can also be used to isolate ceilings from walls. For this application the blocks seem to work best if they are split in two.
A chamber built on a concrete ground floor can be further de-coupled by using a concrete saw to cut a slot around the perimeter of the chamber. This helps quite a lot in isolating the rest of the building from the chamber. The newly formed slit can be stuffed with Fiberglas but a hard sealer should be avoided since it will slowly harden and compress and re-couple the slabs.
Insulation, Sheetrocking and Sealing
All the walls should be liberally stuffed with foil backed Fiberglas insulation (3%” #R-11). Note: when working with the glass, be sure to always wear gloves, goggles, a mask, and clothes that won’t allow the glass to touch your skin.
Both sides of each wall are covered with sheet rock. Two layers of y2” sheet rock is specified for the interior wall but two layers of 5/8” will work just as well or better. When two layers are used one should overlap the other so that none of the seams coincide.
All seams should be taped and sealed so the room will be airtight. In addition to standard seam Hydroseal which is a black gummy adhesive is highly recommended.
It is normally used as a roofing sealer and will stick to anything. It should be used liberally at every structural intersection of the sheeting or the stud construction. You end up using gallons of this stuff and practically glue the building together.
The purpose of the Hydroseal is to close every crack or seam. The smallest crack should not be ignored. If you have a 1/32” crack along the floor, the actual total area of that hole is considerable.
Figure 5. Click to enlarge.
A final note on Hydroseal. It is suggested that trowels are unnecessary for the application. Wood shims made from construction debris works a lot better. These are good for only about one or two applications. It is almost impossible to clean Hydroseal off anything, including the applicator.
The Chamber Surface and Its Application
After the walls have been built and the last inside layer of sheet rock has been taped and sealed, the chamber is ready to have its reflective surface treatment applied. The reflective walls of the echo chamber can be made from a number of different materials.
The key to how good a particular material is for this application depends on how rigid it becomes after installation and what its absorption coefficient is. Referring back to the earlier formula, the length of the echo is inversely proportional to this coefficient.
The absorption coefficient of any material is defined as “the ratio of sound energy absorbed by a given material to that which arrives at the surface from the source.” (5)
Hence, a porous surface will have a much higher number than a reflective one. This figure will not only be different for each material but vary widely depending on the frequency. Figure 5 shows an absortion coefficient chart of materials versus frequency. As can be seen, plaster has a remarkably low number and is relatively flat. The plaster which Scott uses is Keen Cement (absorption coefficient of .015). He says, “when it is properly applied, it is as smooth as a baby’s bottom.”
Before plastering the surface, the sheet rock has to be prepared so that it will hold the plaster. This is done by nailing on the actual buttonboard.
The actual plastering involves the application of two different layers. The bottom one is a brown coat layer and is put on as a preparation for the top coat of Keen cement. It is strongly suggested that the actual plastering be done by a very good professional.
The mixing of the two cements is nothing more than following the directions on their respective bags. One of the most important things to remember about the plastering process is the amount of time required for proper curing.
As often happens the chamber is complete after the final coat of plaster is applied and there is a desire to use it right away. If the chamber doors are closed prematurely, ventilation will stop as will the drying of the walls. How long it takes for a wall to properly dry changes with the temperature, ventilation, and humidity of the environment, and can vary from a few days to a few weeks.
The longer you can continue to ventilate a new chamber, the better. Scott suggests hooking up a dehumidifier in the room during the drying. He added, “you’ll be surprised how much water comes out of those walls.” This is a crucial part of getting the best end results.
“I have been in chambers that were built years ago that have walls that have never completely cured.” Needless to say such a room has a poor reverberation.
Some chambers sound bad only because the plaster coat was improperly applied. In such cases all that might be necessary is a re- plastering. It is also likely that an additional layer of buttonboard will be necessary so that the new plaster will have a firm base.
Connections And Doors
The chamber should have an IN and OUT opening so that the speaker and microphone lines can be kept separate. The pipe used should be flexible and have an I.D. of 3/4”.
Increase the diameter if there is a need for more than two or three lines per pipe. The smaller it is, however, the less possibility there is for any leakage. Plastic hose works well because it is flexible, has gentle curves and there are no ridges inside for wires to hang-up on.
Make the hole through which the hose is run as small as possible since you want to maintain the integrity of the wall system as much as possible. Once the hose has been installed, any gap between the hose and the wall should be completely caulked with Hydroseal.
A door is obviously needed somewhere in the chamber. Be sure the access to the door and the passageway leading to it is large enough to get a good sized speaker in and out of the chamber.
Figure 6. Click to enlarge.
The two doors used should be of solid construction, not hollow. They are mounted on completely separate frames and jambs to coincide with the de-coupled inner and outer walls. (Figure 6) Machine rubber should be used between the two frames where they almost touch (%” to between the walls.
Rubber should also be used completely around the jambs of the two doors. When they close the rubber should compress and make a tight seal. Since these doors are generally used infrequently, an elaborate closing is unnecessary.
Additional Construction Notes
A light should be installed somewhere inside the room. The switch for it can go anywhere convenient including right on the fixture. Be sure that de-coupling practices are maintained while running the AC conduit and mounting the fixture.
All the walls are built with studs on 16” centers. When laying out the studs, be sure to take into consideration that the drywall is 8’ or 12’ high and 4’ wide and the centers of every third stud needs to line up with the edges of the drywall. #16 nails are used for all end nailing and #8 for toe nailing.
Drywall nails are used on the first layer of drywall, but because of the added thickness #8 nails are used on the second layer. The buttonboard should be nailed on with #8 nails.
Be sure to estimate lumber lengths thoughtfully, to limit the amount of scrap.
However what is left should be used for blocking. The greater the waste, the more the chamber (and for that matter any type of construction) will cost.
Speaker(s) and Microphone(s)
Changing the speakers and microphones or altering their placement will change the sound heard in the control room. Deciding what type of speaker sounds best or what microphone should be used becomes a matter of taste.
This is equally true as to where they are placed in the room.
Providing there was adequate space to start with and care was taken with the design, construction, and isolation considerations, it is probable that the chamber will end up sounding very good.
With a little bit of luck, it might turn out to be the sort of chamber that gains a reputation for itself as well as the studio that has it.
References:
1 - Sound Recording Practices, J. Borwick; “The Acoustics,” by Alex Burd, Oxford Press, page 27.
2 - Acoustic Design and Noise Control, M. Rettinger, Chemical Publishing, page 25.
3 - Acoustic Design and Noise Control, M. Rettinger, Chemical Publishing, page 87.
4 - Handbook of Multi-Channel Recording, F. Alton Everest, Tab Publications, page 261.
5 - The Audio Encyclopedia, H. Tremaine, Sams Publications, page 44.
Scott Putnam has been extensively involved in studio construction, having designed and built a number of echo chambers including two for Kaye- Smith in Seattle, and a pair for the Record Plant. As a builder he has collaborated on various projects with a number of acoustic consultants and architects including Jack Edwards, George Augspurger, and Scott’s Father, Bill Putnam.
Editor’s Note: This is a series of articles from Recording Engineer/Producer (RE/P) magazine, which began publishing in 1970 under the direction of Publisher/Editor Martin Gallay. After a great run, RE/P ceased publishing in the early 1990s, yet its content is still much revered in the professional audio community. RE/P also published the first issues of Live Sound International magazine as a quarterly supplement, beginning in the late 1980s, and LSI has grown to a monthly publication that continues to thrive to this day.
Our sincere thanks to Mark Gander of JBL Professional for his considerable support on this archive project.
Please send all questions and comments to ProSoundWeb Editor .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Working Sound Reinforcement In The Wonderful World Of Celtic Music
As this genre grows in popularity, more and more audio engineers will be exposed to it for the first time, so it's helpful to know what to expect and how to approach Celtic music
It is not usual to encounter an entirely new musical genre, nor is it unusual not to have a clue what to do with it.
And that’s exactly what some in the live audio community are encountering with the burgeoning Celtic music scene.
Historically, Celtic music has been around a lot longer than America itself. In fact, Celtic music is the roots of bluegrass.
Irish and Scottish immigrants brought their traditional folk music with them and several generations later, it morphed into bluegrass in Appalachia and spread all over the south and east.
Somehow, most folks missed the fact that it came from across the water and assumed it was born here.
All that is changing, as is Celtic music itself. The Celtic community has always had its traditional folk music but only small samplings of it ever leaked out into the general public.
The change started in the British Isles with the folk revival of the mid 1970s and finally made its way to the US when, in 1995, Riverdance exploded onto the scene. The American public had never heard (or seen) anything like that before and tens of thousands of people really, really loved it.
It captured the imaginations of young girls who flocked to the dance studios to learn how to step dance. But more importantly, it gave musicians all over America something new and fresh, which they’ve now taken to their hearts and made their own.
There is something for everyone in the Celtic genre, which I break down into five categories: traditional folk music, bluegrass, balladeers, rock, and pipes and drums.
Hamish and Drew, members of the Australian world music band, Brother. Multi-instrumentalists all, two members play bagpipes and guitar, three play didgeridoo, plus bass, keyboard emulator and drums, as well as stunning vocals.
WHAT TO EXPECT
As these festivals multiply, it becomes more and more likely that audio engineers will be exposed to it for the first time, and thus it might be helpful to know what to expect and how to approach Celtic music.
We worked our first Celtic festival in November of 2001, when we were hired to do their main music stage because we had a reputation within the regional bluegrass community for knowing the difference between electric and acoustic instruments.
The festival was a real eye opener for us. There were a number of instruments we’d never seen or even heard of before. And how the heck do you mic a bagpipe?
But it was immediately evident that this music is predominately acoustic… except for the wailing rock bands.
The review of our work at the end of the festival was immediate. We were hired for the next year, to do all four stages.
In fact, we’ve regularly added new Celtic festivals in the region.
The musicians within the Celtic community are a tight-knit group and word gets around quickly which festivals have “the good sound.”
The festival coordinators really care what the music sounds like because, unlike most run-of-the-mill festivals, the public comes specifically to hear the music and they have a critical ear. They actually sit in chairs and listen.
And more than once, I’ve seen them confront the boisterous Guinness drinkers and tell them to move on or shut up.
This community is becoming aware that they don’t have to put up with inappropriate sound for their festivals.
It is amazing how many musicians have complimented us by saying, “Thank you for not mixing us like a rock band.” That is the prime key to successfully providing production for one of these events.
Issac Alderson and Eileen Ivers jam out in a duet of Uillean Pipes and fiddle. (click to enlarge)
Flutes, mandolins, concertinas, violins and the like have to be treated with artistic finesse, because that’s the way these musicians approach their craft.
Don’t get me wrong – there’s plenty of room for rock ‘n’ roll – and I’ll get there in a bit.
Several things have struck me since we’ve been working in this market.
First, we never (and I actually mean that) encounter ‘wannabees’ on our stages. No matter which festival we’re working, every artist on every stage is proficient. I can’t say that in any other genre in which we work. The level of artistry is superb.
In fact, I have determined that the best fiddle players in the world are women in the Celtic market. We work with excellent fiddle players every week of the year in our regular gigs, but we are continually amazed at the female fiddle players we encounter at the Celtic festivals. Check out Eileen Ivers, Natalie McMasters or Bonnie Rideout for examples.
Second, you will encounter every instrument you can think of, and a few you’ve never even imagined. There’s room for everything in the Celtic scene, including every bluegrass instrument and a profusion of percussion – particularly the bodhran, or Irish hand drum – hurdy gurdys, six or seven different styles of accordion, and even Australian didgeridoos, as well as dozens of stringed instruments of various descriptions.
Even on the smaller festivals, I will typically fill my 40 input channels and usually double or triple up the instruments on them. Then guess what; one musician may play upwards of three of four instruments, changing from fiddle to bouzouki or bodhran in mid song – and maybe back again!
Another thing that typically occurs is that the festival coordinators will cram the schedule with acts.
Their challenge is that more artists want to perform than they have available slots for.
You will also usually see the same band perform more than once a day on your stage and usually on consecutive days as well, so you should be prepared to chart your consoles, as there is almost no concept of 30-minute set changes.
These shows require very hard work, but they’re an immense amount of fun and the performers are so appreciative of ‘good sound’ that it’s well worth the effort.
STYLES OF CELTIC MUSIC
As I stated earlier, I divide the genre into traditional folk, bluegrass, balladeers, rock, and pipes and drums.
The first group is almost always completely acoustic. Every year, thankfully, we find more and more artists installing pick-ups in their instruments but you’ll still encounter a healthy proportion of instruments you have to mic.
For these groups, it is wise to have a large number of condenser mics available. You’ll find everything from solo guitarists to seven or eight-piece ensembles with almost everyone singing. You’ll rarely see a drum kit but often there will be a bodhran (sometimes two or three) or other hand drum.
Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul, from the Bronx.
Loud is not an adjective to apply to these artists and generally, every musician is a soloist at some point.
That also presents the problem that you really have to be paying attention. There is no set-it-and-forget-it. The musicians will expect you to highlight each soloist as his or her turn comes.
The bluegrass groups are pretty straight forward as far as instrumentation. There are lots of upright basses, banjos, accordions, fiddles, guitars and vocals, as well as the occasional drum kit, but not often.
These groups are mostly just down-home fun. They are generally booked on the smaller stages of the festivals, and the engineer’s biggest challenge is to contain their exuberance to the venue. Banjos are just plain loud and it can be difficult to get a balanced mix without having the whole thing get out of control.
The balladeers are the singers of the traditional pub songs, nowadays mixed in with modern folk type ballads. Think Peter, Paul and Mary. The words are not incidental – they are essential.
If you dare mix the guitar, fiddle, flute or stand-up bass too loud and drown out the crystal clear vocals, you will certainly hear about it from musicians and audience alike.
Celtic rock is the newest aspect of this genre and it has won my heart. The first time I heard a Celtic rock band, my jaw hit the floor. In my mind, rock ‘n’ roll died the final death in 1995.
But I was wrong. It simply went underground, and now I’ve found it again but with such an unexpected twist. I had no idea bagpipes and fiddles could rock out so hard! The variety is incredible and I’ve heard influences from the Beatles to Pink Floyd.
To be fair, the Celtic rock bands spill easily over into the World Music category. It’s fresh, lyrical and driving and this is where you really can ‘mix ‘em like a rock band,’ because that’s exactly what they are.
But don’t kid yourselves. These guys have just as much musical talent and savvy as any traditional fiddle player. Indeed, after the festival you will most likely find them in the hotel bar taking an equal seat in the ceili circle with the rest of the musicians.
“What’s a ceili?” you might ask. On the evening before a festival begins, and each evening during the event, you will almost always find a rather large group of the performers (and some avid attendees) gathered together in the nearest drinking hole having a grand old jam session.
Wolf Loesser of Jiggernaut from Houston playing Bazouki.
It’s a great place to sit back and listen to some wonderful totally acoustic Celtic music without having to work.
Lest I forget, the fifth category would be pipes and drums. You really don’t have to worry about what to do with them. A chorus of bagpipes speaks for itself.
It’s amazing, however, at how many people will flock to a performance of a group of pipers and stay for the entire set.
A FAMILY AFFAIR
Celtic festivals are almost unanimously family affairs and should be approached with children in mind, because they will be everywhere. The production company that dresses badly, comes with an attitude and isn’t flexible won’t be asked back.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for a challenge and lots of fun, and exercise your skills at mixing, you’ll win the hearts of the musicians and word will get around.
Our biggest festival is the North Texas Irish Festival, held the first weekend in March at Fair Park in Dallas. It’s reputed to be the largest (and they proudly say the best) Celtic festival west of the Mississippi.
It lasts three days, with Saturday being the big attendance day, and has seven music and dance stages. We’ve had 20,000 pass through the gates on a Saturday alone.
My point is that these really are viable festival events and if you like mixing great music in a congenial atmosphere, this is an excellent genre to get into as long as you have the right people with the right skills to service them.
And for the women in our readership, men really do look great in kilts!
Backstage Class: Developing The Sound Of A Rock Show
My sonic vision should be well in line with the way the artist wishes to be presented
Beauty in art revolves around the realization that there is no “correct” way for something to look, sound or feel. I believe this to be also true about the way audio is presented at a rock show.
In fact, there’s a fairly wide range of possible sonic footprints which a sound engineer can offer the music to the audience while still maintaining an impressive auditory presentation.
An even bigger challenge is to find a “sound and mix” that optimally compliments the artist’s vision and management’s expectations while fueling audience immersion.
So let’s take a look at some of the various factors in play.
First we have the way the artist wants to sound. Awkwardly, the humans that create and play the music rarely get to hear the way their own show actually sounds, so they must rely upon the opinions and reactions of other people.
I smile when chatting with a band after the show and they ask me “how did the show sound?” when ultimately it is them who should be telling me whether my mixing skills and choices rocked or not.
The driving force behind the confidence that stage performers gain in their sound engineer’s skills tends to be based heavily on the opinions of band management, spouses and close friends. Concert reviewers, fan club message boards and real-time audience reactions are also very important aspects of the equation. To reach a level of harmonious success as an engineer, it’s important to also be aware of your own personal preferences, biases and opinions.
I’ve developed a bit of a strategy to balance out the sometimes conflicting pressures in order to end up with a mix that is a solid fit. Though I often do not have the luxury of following the complete process, I’ll share the steps here.
Defining Roles
Meeting the band for the first time is like any personal or business relationship: first impressions are crucial. If possible, I’ve already listened to some of their recordings and asked whoever hired me some basic questions. Early on I really want to determine their expectations. Am I helping a young band get their sound dialed in? Am I temporarily filling in for another engineer? What were the issues and assets of my predecessor? Did he/she leave, get fired, or is it just a logistical choice to use an engineer in this geographic region?
It’s pretty much a fact that every band wants to sound as good as they can - but - are they willing to spend some money to hire in high-quality gear to help achieve this? Or perhaps they want me to squeeze better sound out of whatever gear I happen to encounter?
Persuading artists and management to approve an adequate sound budget can be extremely frustrating. One of the methods I use in order to surround myself with the gear I desire is to say, “if you give me the tools I need to do my job, I will make every show sound great.” This is a very powerful statement because it establishes a self confidence in skill.
Further, it institutes a level of accountability and value in that the expenditure will achieve results. If they do provide the gear you ask for, then you must perform, and they get what they truly desire: a great sounding show. Additionally, the more money they spend on the gear you request, the higher their expectations in results will be.
Focus On Playing
Returning now to meeting the band: “Ooh, that’s cool, how long have you played through that amp?” “What did you play through on the most recent album?” “Is there new gear in your setup?”
By asking them questions along these lines, I want to determine how set they are in their stage sounds. Are they happy and comfortable, or flexible and searching for some new solutions?
I don’t like to change the sound of a band on stage, what I want to do is stabilize it. I want to help them create an acoustic environment that works well for them so they can focus on playing the show instead of messing with the gear.
The next adventure is hanging out at some rehearsals. For me, this is the most important interaction. My mode is watching, listening, and wandering. I will stand near each of the players and hear what they hear when playing. For example, I’m more interested in the tone of the guitar amp where the guitar player stands than what is coming from the amp.
And, how similar are the instrument sounds to the recorded material? I make mental notes of any discrepancies and address them later with the artist. Do you prefer the sound on the album or the rehearsal sound? What about the vocal effects? Some album effects are nearly impossible to do live. How much focus should I put on emulating the backwards guitar solo?
Minimize The Changes
Also in evaluating rehearsals, I start building a mental picture of how I think the show should sound. Factors that are taken into account include: Is there a single person that is the driving force behind the band, or is it balanced between two or more members? Which instrument will reproduce the lowest frequencies? Will the kick sit tonally below or above the bass? Will vocal sibilance create breathy high frequencies above the cymbals?
In addition, there are many ways to overlay two guitars. There is the “wrap around” with one mid-range guitar and the other guitar with lower and higher totality and the mids scooped out a bit. There is the “high low” with a heavy chunky guitar and an edgy bright guitar that sort of combine to form a whole guitar sound. And then there is the “overlap’” with both sounding similar and relying on stereo panning and width to offer spatial differentiation. These also can be combined and altered based on the song or part of a song.
A big goal is trying to minimize the changes I actively need to make during a show so that the primary focus is on distilling several “sonic scenes” that suit particular songs or song tempos. Slow songs work well with extended low frequencies, crisper highs, and longer reverb times. Fast songs light up with a tighter kick and bass, as well as more snare bottom.
About Those Levels
I also pay very close attention to volume levels. Experience has taught me that when a band has a well-balanced stage volume, it makes everything else easy.
By well-balanced. I mean that when I stand center-stage and all of the stage monitors are off, I should hear a well-balanced mix of all amplified instruments meshing well with the acoustic drum sounds.
If things are amiss, I open a discussion about refining stage sound, ideally with each player individually. Since there may be past resentments between band members over volume levels, the last thing I want is to be seen as taking sides.
I stay away from suggesting changes in the volume levels of the amps; instead I discuss physical placement distances and tilting upward, inward or outward of the speaker cabinets. Another thing I avoid is directly broaching the subject of turning down amp volume unless I know the artists well and a strong trust has been developed, and further, that there is no doubt that a distinct improvement will be realized.
Quite often, I’ve found that once the artists realize there is a truly functional and logical stage volume to strive for, they will adjust amp volumes on their own. I also try and get each band member and backline tech to stand stage center at some point and listen.
Speaking of backline techs, I can’t count the number of times that a musician would gladly play at a lower volume, yet the tech, in an effort to please, finds turning the rig up as loud as possible to be irresistible. It’s not uncommon for the amp sounds at rehearsal to be quite good and then at the actual show, everything gets turned up and the sound falls apart.
If all goes as planned, working with the musicians and techs will result in dialing up a desirable stage volume. Whether it’s during rehearsals, sound check or maybe directly after a particularly good show, as soon we reach that happy balance, I take photos of all the rigs and the drum set. They provide a great starting point or somewhere to return to.
Second Nature
If permitted, I will also grab a recording of some rehearsals as well. From this point forward it’s all about complete immersion into the band’s music. in my car, at home, and in my headphones while traveling.
My goal is to commit the music to sub-conscience memory. I want it to be second nature, where my hand automatically moves to push a guitar solo. I also start figuring out which songs have backing vocals, and/or unique effects, and whether I hear any other instruments beyond what I’m aware of on stage.
Notes are jotted in my phone, ready to be asked the next time I see the band. Hopefully, whether this process is a day or two months in duration, by show day, I have a strong mental image of exactly where I want to go with the sound.
My sonic vision should be well in line with the way the artist wishes to be presented. The amount of time I’ve spent with them, in addition to demonstrating a high degree of attention to detail, will ideally establish a confidence in my skills so they can focus on purely playing the show, while I can focus on connecting the music created with the audience that desires to experience it.
Dave Rat (www.daverat.com) heads up Rat Sound Systems Inc., based in Southern California, and has also been a mix engineer for more than 25 years.
Sound Reinforcement Or Reproduction? It’s All About The Intent
You are the key to what the audience ultimately hears. So what do you want them to hear?
One of my first jobs in the pro audio business was to make cables, do simple repairs and be a general “tech” at the USC film school audio department. I was one of those destitute students who asked around about “anything I could get” in terms of work. And this was it.
It was a good experience for a number of reasons, foremost of which was that THX guru Tomlinson Holman was one of the main teachers at the film school, and he was often around the department. I had taken a class from him and knew who he was.
One day at the shop, he was hanging around a bit and I decided to ask him about his thoughts on tube vs. solid state amplifiers, figuring that A) he knew a lot about the subject, and B) he would have some interesting insights for a budding engineer like myself. His answer surprised me but gave me something to chew on for many years after that. He said “what you have to think about is the difference between ‘reproduction’ and ‘production’ in terms of what the two different designs accomplish.”
In terms of live sound, I think this same concept is very important to consider. It is fairly common to debate the issue of “reinforcement vs. amplification” and this is close to what I’m getting at. So that these concepts can be more thoroughly examined, I would propose naming three different categories: reproduction, reinforcement, and production.
Reinforcement: The Most Basic Approach
Generally, most music begins with acoustic instruments of one form or another. Even the electric guitar is usually paired with an amplifier which is a very important component of the sound. And thus, the first goal of sound reinforcement is just that: to reinforce the existing acoustic sound so that A) a larger audience can hear the music – i.e. the sound is capable of filling a larger space, or B) that certain instruments can be brought up to the level of other instruments on the stage. This second category is quite common when mixing drums or electric instruments with acoustic sources such as horns or strings. Of course most often, reinforcement is a combination of these two things: some amplification of quieter sources to balance the louder ones, and an overall boost to fill a larger space and project to a larger audience.
An additional thing to consider here is that not all audio frequencies propagate equally. Low frequency sounds generate standing waves and are difficult to absorb, while high frequencies are absorbed easily. Often, along with doing internal balancing between instruments, it is necessary to add or subtract certain frequencies from specific sounds so that the resulting impression is one of “natural-ness”. For instance, you may want to add overhead mics to the drums just to bring out the upper harmonics from the cymbals and hi-hat, even though the drums are plenty loud on their own. In order for this to work, of course you may want to cut everything in the overhead mics below about 400 Hz…
Reproduction or Production?
This is where things get interesting. For certain types of music, reproduction is the goal of reinforcement. In other words, the FOH engineer is attempting to re-create the original event on a larger scale or in a different venue. Exactly what he or she is trying to re-create is an interesting question in itself. If the original event is purely acoustic music such as from an orchestra, an opera singer, chorus, or big band jazz group, then usually the goal is to do what was described in the paragraph on reinforcement. This includes some internal balancing with the addition of greater volume for a larger space. In other words, the original intent of the music is preserved.
A very different situation, but still reproduction in my opinion is when the original event is a recording. In many cases, a touring act wants to present a live sound event that is similar to the recording in many ways. The same vocal effects, drum sounds, basic mix, etc. are all part of this approach. Often times, FOH engineers listen carefully to the recordings in order to glean these specifics so that there is a good starting point.
Where the live sound becomes production, in my opinion, is when the engineer makes choices that take the overall effect in a different direction than either the original acoustic event or the reference recording. The reasons for this approach are many, and include trying to achieve an effect, perhaps the original would be considered “dated” or just the fact that the artist wants to present something unique to the audience. Often this is accompanied with new arrangements or “extended” versions of songs. It may also coincide with other production effects such as lighting or pyro.
In fact, this reminds me of when I saw the Metallica tour in the late 1990s. Although the overall mix was reminiscent of their albums (I’m thinking of Master of Puppets, And Justice for All, and the “Black” ablum specifically), there was a decidedly different element to the live mix that simply couldn’t be captured on the recordings. Some of that effect was just simply that it was friggin’ LOUD.
But in contrast to a lot of shows that I’ve seen that were loud, this one was very clear, punchy, and had the effect of transporting the audience to another planet: the Metallica Planet. The lights, the pyro and the arrangements of the songs were specifically designed to accomplish this goal along with the mix done by “Big” Mic Hughes. I’ve seen a lot of good shows over the years but this one sticks in my mind as being excellent. It didn’t hurt that Suicidal Tendencies was one of the opening acts… they rocked, too! My only disappointment was that Alice in Chains had just fallen apart and thus was replaced by Candlebox, who did not fill the admittedly large shoes very well. But I digress…
It’s All About Intent
To me, it all comes down to making decisions about how you will approach your craft of live sound, and it should be different depending on the various types of music and different audiences. If you are trying to create the illusion of Glenn Miller on stage for the blue hairs, well, I’d advise reproduction so that the audience hears what they expect to hear. But for different audiences and different acts, it’s really up to the artist and up to you how to best approach this question. And it goes beyond mere mixing – it extends into the speaker system design, what effects you might want to bring, and your selection and placement of microphones. Think holistically and realize that you are the key to what the audience ultimately hears. So what do you want them to hear?
The devil is in the details when we're talking about motorized winches and lift machines.
Motorized winches. Lift machines. Line shaft winches. Cable drum winches.
Whatever you want to call them, they’re everywhere these days, with more coming.
To ride the wave, however, a lot more understanding has to be brought on board. (Get it? Wave…board?)
Winches that are designed to lift scenery, lighting or other heavy stuff is what we’re talking about.
Please don’t confuse them with machines used for opening and closing curtains on traveler tracks. They are a whole different animal and are not what we are discussing here.
The basic components of a winch are: Electric motor with brake, gearbox (or speed reducer) drum, and control. We’ll take ‘em one at a time.
Electric motors with brakes are simple enough. The motor makes a steel shaft go round and round and the brake stops it.
If your motor does not have a brake then you don’t have a lift machine. (You have either a curtain machine or a boat anchor.) Most motors in our industry have output shafts that run about 1700 RPM.
The important part here is how much muscle they have. Muscle, in this case, is defined as horsepower. More horses, more power.
Now, the gearbox. This is where things can start to get interesting. The gearbox, or speed reducer, is that box-like thing bolted to the motor. Inside there is a shaft connecting the two.
When the shaft comes into the gearbox it is spinning like a bat out of hell. When it leaves it is walking. Maybe something like 30 RPM. It really depends on the desired end result.
And how does the gearbox do this, you ask? Magic? No.
Gearboxes work on a simple principle: different size gears working in conjunction will not only slow down that pesky shaft, but also develop enough muscle (torque) to turn the drum. Different gear configurations get different results. It depends on what the desired result is.
But all gearboxes have two things in common: They all have gears and they all need lubrication. (There’s a joke in there, but I’m not touching it.)
Manufacturers of gearboxes have specifications for lubrication. Buyer beware, however, for these specs are written for industrial users, not us theatre folk. Their specs call for replacing oil after about a zillion hours of use.
In an industrial application this may be once a month. In the theater it could translate to once every ten years. Inaction, as we all should know, can be just as dangerous as action.
If you don’t use that motor very often the oil begins to turn to sludge at the bottom. Less and less oil gets to the gears when you turn it on. Replace your gearbox oil at least once every two years. Check it every year. If it looks dirty, or you see stuff swimming around in it, change it.
Okay, now we move on to drums. Unfortunately, cable drums are not nearly as exciting. (Buddy Rich, now he was exciting.) Cable drums, when lifting heavy stuff over people, (especially when it’s ME down there) must have some common characteristics.
First, they must be grooved. This way the cable will wrap on the drum in a dignified and controlled manner every time. No overwrapping or jumping around.
Second, the drum must be long enough to accept the entire travel distance of the cable on a single layer, including some extra “dead” wraps for safety.
Series winches are designed for continuous duty pulling and their compact design makes it difficult to get cable caught between the drum flange and end support housing.
For example, if you are lifting a piece 20 feet into the air with 3/8-inch cable, the drum must be at least 4 inches long. 20-feet x 3/8-inch cable plus three dead wraps on a 12-inch drum. (At least that’s what Peter Scheu said, and I always believe Peter.)
Third, the drums have to be connected to the gear box. The only right way to attach a drum to a gearbox on a standard lift machine is via direct coupling. (What an image!)
No belt drives, no chain drives, and no flexible couplers - the fewer the parts, the less potential for failure.
You need to get out of your normal audio routines.
The more you keep doing what you’ve always been doing… well…you aren’t going to improve your sound.
Therefore, I’m starting out 2012 by giving you seven assignments.
These assignments will make you really think about your mixing, your equipment, and your expectations.
Best of all, these assignments are relatively easy!
1. [Mixing] Consider two vocalists singing the same lines. Try creating contrast between their voices. Now try removing much of that contrast and creating one voice. Which sounds better?
Experiment with different songs and find out where they should be blended as one versus contrasted. What would you do if they were singing different lines?
2. [Mixing] Walk around the sanctuary and carefully listen to the music at different points in the room. Note any places in the room where the music sounds different. Perform this during a band practice.
How can you alter the mix so you get a more uniform sound throughout the whole room?
3. [Mixing] Ask a fellow audio tech, a friend, and a musician about the mix. Compare their responses. How are they different? How are they the same?
What did you learn about your mix? What did you learn about that person’s preferences?
4. [Mixing and Equipment] Take an inventory of all the microphones; note the make and model, the type (condenser or dynamic) and the polar pattern. Focusing on the type and the polar pattern, where do you think each would work best?
Try different setups during practice until you find the one that gets the best sound. Take note of that and use that instrument/mic and vocal/mic setup from then on.
5. [Equipment] Use a sound meter during your church services. Note the average volume levels of the pastor and of the band. Track this in a spreadsheet.
Whenever you get a volume complaint, look at that day’s average volume compared to other days. It might be it was louder or softer than normal. It might be that person just wasn’t in the mood for the music.
6. [Equipment] Follow the signal path of all cables coming out of the mixer. Create an easy-to-understand schematic of how the sound booth is wired. Track all wires going into other components and where they go.
The next time you have a problem with equipment in the booth, use the schematic to determine where the problem likely originated and what other components might be involved.
7. [Expectations] If you attended a concert, what would you expect from the audio tech? If you were in a band, what would you expect from the audio tech?
How do your answers to these questions reflect what you are currently doing as a sound tech?
BONUS: [Mental Anguish] Avoid the “constant tweak” mentality by asking yourself this question…will the congregation notice what I want to do? They are not going to notice a slight mid-range bump in the guitar EQ.
They will notice if you add clarity to an instrument so it sits better in the mix.
Ready to learn and laugh? Chris Huff writes about the world of church audio at Behind The Mixer. He covers everything from audio fundamentals to dealing with musicians. He can even tell you the signs the sound guy is having a mental breakdown.
Quote meon an estimate et non interruptus stadium. Sic tempus fugit esperanto hiccup estrogen. Glorious baklava ex librus hup hey ad infinitum. Non sequitur condominium facile et geranium incognito.
