Sound System at Live Gigs
A recurring weakness I have observed in the local live music scene (bars, cafés, tap houses, and similar venues) is poor sound production. This does not refer to bands which include an audio technician and is not a comment about quality of musicianship. I’m referring only to the sound that fills the room, what people hear, what comes out of the main speakers. Sometimes performers can successfully control the sound from the stage, which can work well for a soloist or duet or maybe a trio, but to get a sound mix that properly supports the needs of the musician(s) requires the attention of a dedicated individual. Someone who is not onstage but listens from the audience’s perspective.
The techie is a musician and a bone fide member of the band. The best setup is an audio engineer sitting at a sound board – listening closely and adjusting levels throughout a show. Their instrument is the sound system and they are the critical link between the musicians and the audience. A bad sound person can make a good musician sound horrible, but a good sound techie cannot make a bad performer sound polished.
Constant vigilance from the audio operator is necessary because the sound of a room changes as people come and go; a full house will absorb sound, a sparsely attended venue’s walls, ceiling, and floor will produce lots of echo, especially of certain frequencies, which interferes with what the musician should actually sound like. Singers may change from song to song requiring subtle changes to the voice channel, a soloist may come across too loud or too quiet; and a guitarist, for example, might choose a new instrument in the middle of a set.
And issues arise: a voice or instrument may be too loud or too quiet in someone’s monitor, a cable can malfunction, feedback may suddenly erupt, and speakers can overheat and either shut down completely or distort the audio signal. Also, a person at the sound board can adjust the overall volume so it does not overpower the audience – very critical in a venue where clients expect to be able to talk to each other, and helpful to the wait staff who need to hear orders without asking customers to shout.
Of course, the inclusion of a dedicated audio techie is complicated; whatever fee the musician(s) receive (usually well less than what they deserve) needs to be split with an extra person. And the sound board operator needs to attend a practice or two and be one of the first to arrive at a gig and one of the last to leave.
Gigging musicians invest a lot of time, money, and soul into their craft – purchase and repair of instruments is costly; writing and learning tunes is time-consuming; travel demands reliable transportation; hauling heavy equipment to and from a stage can be laborious and sometimes dangerous; audiences may be unappreciative and occasionally hostile – especially when they pay good money to hear what they assumed would be a professional performance.
It makes no sense for musicians to put so much effort into developing their craft only to have their hard work cheapened by a substandard mix coming through the sound system.
So, please, if you’re going to invite people to listen to your music, do your absolute best to ensure what they hear is as close to your ideal sound as possible. Otherwise, everyone – performers and audience members – get less than they deserve.
Dear Oil and Gas Pipeline Companies:
April 1989, Inuvik, Northwest Territories. Excerpt from presentation to National Energy Board regarding proposed natural gas pipeline from Canadian Arctic to Alberta.