Same But Different: Working Corporate Events

Focus On The Money

A primary focus at corporate events is the “money” channels, such as the podium mic and/or main presenter’s wireless. We spend extra time getting money mics sounding great and rung out so there’s zero percent chance of feedback. Many of the people using these mics aren’t profession presenters and lack an understanding of mic technique (some haven’t even used a mic before.)

Counsel presenters not to do this…

So prior to the event, we speak with everybody who’ll be using the podium and explain that unless they’re unusually tall or extremely short, they won’t need to adjust the mic, and to just speak toward it. In addition, we post a note on the podium stating the same thing. (We also speak with wireless users about proper mic technique.)

Placing a “confidence” monitor at the podium or small monitors onstage helps presenters hear themselves. Veteran presenters and performers understand that what they’re hearing on stage from the back of the PA sounds nothing like the output coming from the front, but amateurs think it’s what the audience is hearing and it can distract them.

Often, corporate events have a lot of playback cues, so we keep those channels all on the same console layer. A desk that offers either a “user” layer that can accommodate all of these inputs (and possibly outputs) on a single layer, or that allows moving channels around between the layers, is a good choice. It puts everything at your fingertips, lessening the chance of missing a cue.

Routing Options

Signal routing is another primary focus. Even smaller events might need console feeds to the mains, delays, front fills, stage and backstage monitors, recording and video. A console with plenty of routing options, including a matrix, is highly recommended. The matrix comes in handy for a variety of sends, including mix-minus feeds for specific facets of the mix.

For example, we work in a lot of wide ballrooms that require front fills because the mains are so far apart that the audience in the first few rows might be out of the coverage pattern. Depending on the PA configuration, just need a little of the presenter’s voice in the front fills might be needed to help with intelligibility, not necessarily any music or subs. So using a matrix, we can create a mix specifically for those fills.

The ballroom spaces that usually host these events present some coverage challenges. Due to limitations in height and distance, the mains can easily be too loud up front while coverage is insufficient beginning at the mid-point all the way to the back.

This means distribution via plenty of delay loudspeakers to enhance clarity and to bolster coverage to the entire listening area. Again, a matrix makes it easy to create mixes and mix-minus feeds optimized for the various zones.

Another staple of corporates is Q&A mics, placed in the aisles on stands, handed to audience members by “mic wrangers,” or simply passed from person to person.

Smaller digital consoles like the Soundcraft Si Compact 24 can provide a good deal of flexibility for corporate events. (Credit: Warner Audio Visual)

The presenters and the audience need to hear these mics, but if one ranges near a loudspeaker, feedback can happen. A mix-minus feed of that mic, routed to all loudspeakers except the one in close proximity, reduces the chance of a problem.

Gates are also useful with Q&A mics. When there are two or more of them in the aisles, it’s sometimes not clear who will be speaking first. So I gate all of the mics until a person speaks and then manually mute or drop the fader on the mics not being used. A leveler also helps get a more consistent vocal signal from these mics because again, a lot of the folks haven’t used a mic before.

Additional Aspects

Larger events often present an awards ceremony and a gala, and/or after-dinner entertainment. The performers may provide their own mix engineer and bring (or require) a separate console.

We typically route the second desk into the matrix or submaster inputs of our console, but if no other inputs are available, we might end up using channel inputs. Either way there may be some noise, so it’s a good idea to bring line-level transformers for the interface.

The main system may be equalized for speech and not very flat, so we give the second console (and operator) a “clean slate.” If we’re using an analog board, we simply bypass the outboard EQ. With a digital console we save a scene of the speech setting for later use and then flatten the system.

Another easy approach with a digital board is to route the main outputs to a matrix that feeds the PA, with all EQ for the outputs done on the stems that feed the matrix. The second console can be inserted into the same matrix, which has a flat output.

Something that comes up often is the need to “hack” a bunch of frequencies out of a wireless lav or podium mic so it won’t feedback in the live PA. It will sound fine in the room but somewhat lackluster on the recording if using the channel EQ to make the adjustments.

There are a few ways around this dilemma. If there are any spare channels on the console, our first choice is to assign these inputs to two separate channels. The first channel is sent to the main PA, and the second channel is sent to record, so that each can be equalized.

If there aren’t extra channels or there’s not a need to EQ the recording, an aux bus from the one channel can feed the recording, with the aux output EQ used to make adjustments.

One last thing about working corporates – don’t forget to bring a small, dimmable desk lamp to help in reading the cue sheet or script during the show.