Mike Sokol Author Profile


Mike Sokol
Mike Sokol
Mike Sokol does sound system design and training for JMS Productions, his consulting company in Western Maryland. Visit www.livesoundadvice.com for his educational articles and videos, and email him at [email protected] with comments and suggestions.

Latest Posts by Mike

Church Sound: When System Failure Is Not An Option….

 Noisy mic cables can happen to anyone almost anytime. No matter how careful you are XLR cables are prone to being stepped on, run over… Read More

Speakers On A Snake

 Here’s something I’ve seen in at least three churches over the last several months, so I know it happens. Let’s suppose there’s a standard 100-foot… Read More

Church Sound: Plan For Failure To Achieve Success

 I often hear stories about church leaders who won’t let the sound team “turn any knobs” on the mixing console. The leaders expect a great… Read More

Analyzing Failures In AC Outlet Testing & What It Means For Pro Audio

 I’ve been a pro audio engineer for 40-plus years and a musician for 50-plus years, and during that time, I’ve witnessed hundreds of shock events… Read More

Going Cellular: Call-In Connectivity For The Entire Church Congregation

 I’ve been teaching sound/mixing seminars at churches for the past 20 years, and over that time, I’ve seen a lot of production approaches in their… Read More

Off The Beaten Path: With Mic Approaches, It’s Not Unusual – Until It Is…

 Some may consider me a microphone snob – I’ve been collecting and using mics for five decades and counting. While all sorts of other gear… Read More

Do You Hear What I Hear?

 Many live mixes are not only too loud, but also sonically unbalanced. I got to thinking about this (again) when recently re-reading… Read More

Church Sound: Clarifying The Mysteries Of Equalization

 Some of the most frequently asked questions we get have to do with equalization: “What does it do?” “When and how do I use it?”… Read More

The Scoop On SPL: Getting A Handle On Decibels And Distance

 This is a basic primer on sound levels and how they work, especially when a sound system is outdoors. It’s not an exhaustive study on… Read More

Bypassing Mr. Murphy: The Top 10 Ways To Get – And Stay – Connected

 Few things are more frustrating in a sound system than an intermittent electrical connection. You all know the drill: everything seems to be… Read More

Devising Alternative Monitoring Approaches For The Goal Of A Semi-Silent Stage

 The first installment of this series (here) drew some pretty interesting feedback. One reader called me a “Nazi” who was trying… Read More

Sound Advice: Playing Safe With Power

 No, it’s not the name of an insurance company or a European sports car—GFCI is an abbreviation/acronym for Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter. They’ve been required… Read More

Genny, Genny, Who Can I Turn To? A Primer On Small Stage Generators For Audio Applications

 Back in the day all generators for stage productions were large, diesel-powered beasts. Pulled in on a trailer, the good ones were quiet, had a… Read More

Problems & Solutions

 Recently an attendee of one of my workshops e-mailed about problems he’s having in providing a bass guitar mix over a personal monitoring system utilized… Read More

Troubleshooting: Hum & Awe

 One of the most common questions that comes up on many live sound forums is how to stop noises in a sound system. I’ve been… Read More