Live Sound: Making the Best Production of Your Day
When You're Not Carrying
Abstract (summary)
The
author offers suggestions for how to approach and enjoy mixing while on tour, even when the working
conditions are not ideal. He touches on the importance of listening, reacting
to problems, incorporating extra equipment when needed, and taking the
opportunity to pursue tourist activities.
Full Text
Headnote
So your
band doesn't have a big record deal, isn't playing the "enormo-dome"
to sold out crowds, and you don't have a half dozen people on your crew and two
trailers full of the latest and greatest equipment. Nonetheless, you are on
tour, people are coming to the shows, and you need to have your act sound good
every night, regardless of the situation. Some simple tips for keeping sane and enjoying mixing:
Listen
First and
foremost you are the ears, so listen ... to everything! From advancing (knowing
what's there before you are there), to the PA (listen even after you look), you
are a professional. Figure out a way to make that mess of boxes into a
nice-sounding rig. Listen to your musicians, and especially the way the stage
sounds (happy musicians who can hear themselves make good music). Pay attention
to the local technician, even if all he wants to talk about is when Sonic Youth
were there. He's still in that venue a lot more than you are. Finally, listen
to the crowd. If they are singing along, they can hear the vocals. Even the
shifty promoter has something to say. Then spend a full set every night really
listening to the band you get to mix
for a living.
Work
If it
doesn't sound good, turn the knobs in the other direction! Some days you will
walk into a perfectly-tuned room with plenty of PA and everything will go
swimmingly. The rest of the time you may need to get creative. That's what you
are there for. Again, talking (and listening) to your musicians helps, so when
there are no subs in the club, it gets to be the bass player's favourite day
ever. Point the cabinet into the centre of the room and turn it up until the
frequency range is (somewhat) balanced. Turn your guitar player down, and lift
the amp to somewhere it can be heard better.
If the
system tech isn't giving you what you need, help - even if that just means
holding the flashlight and continuously asking questions until things are
working. Walk around and make sure it sounds OK everywhere. You know, do that
thing they pay you for as well as you can every day.
Cheat
Bring as
much stuff with you as you can. A small FOH rack with some dynamics, effects,
and, if you can, some form of freguency control will work wonders. EQs are fine
devices, but these days having a crossover with you can be a fantastic thing.
Get your subs off an aux, and have a delay so the front fills are aligned. Have
EQ points and a system comp you can slam your band into so the speakers on
sticks make it through the show, or so you can back up a PA to that
ridiculousiy-loud piccolo snare your drummer bought last week. Bring mies that
you know work and clams and clips instead of stands, and a iew turnarounds,
insert cables, phase reverses, and ground lifts can sure help out. A phase
checker and a spectrum analyzer can improve your day in a hurry.
Have Fan
If it
were rocket science, you wouldn't be there! As much as it will wear you down,
test your patience, hurt your brain, mess with your home life (and possibly
your bowels. . . ), touring and mixing
is a pretty good way to make a living. If the opening acts aie good, catch then
show 01 mix them if they
have a couple of bucks. If you are the opening act, walk the room for the
headliner's mixer. Be creative - stick an effects pedal in a channel on the
insert. Pan things. Find a good setting out of any and every effects unit.
Also, do the touristy thing where you are that day. Walk around. Remember the
record shop, shoe store, gear seller, and good restaurants in town. Tell people
about your band. Then remember to spend a full set every night really listening
to the band you get to mix
for a living - and enjoy the time you get to spend with them.
AuthorAffiliation
Cam
Loeppky is a live sound
engineer who's worked with acts like The Weakerthans and Constantlnes, and aleo
runs Prairie Recording Co. in Winnipeg.
Word
count: 718
Indexing (details)
Narrow
subject
Live
Sound Engineering, Listening, Mixing
(Recording), Troubleshooting, Equipment
Setup, Touring, Working
Conditions, Tourism
Broad
subject
Title
Live Sound: Making the Best Production of Your Day When
You're Not Carrying
Author
Publication
title
Volume
Issue
Pages
60
Publication
year
2009
Publication
date
Jul 2009
Year
2009
Publisher
Norris-Whitney
Communications Inc
Place of
publication
Toronto,
Ont.
Country
of publication
Canada
Journal
subject
ISSN
0708-9635
Source
type
Magazines
Language
of publication
English
Document
type
Instruction/Guidelines
Document
feature
Photographs
ProQuest
document ID
1360098
Document
URL
http://search.proquest.com/docview/1360098?accountid=144516
Last
updated
2012-09-17
Database
International
Index to Music Periodicals Full Text
No comments:
Post a Comment