Simple steps to help you get the sound person on your side
In every concert there are two types of people running around.
Before you sigh, this isn’t turning into a “there’s two types of people in the world” joke.
No, this is about the two personalities that work at every concert.
The musician. And the sound engineer.
As a musician, for a good show to sound great, you need the sound engineer to be on your side. He’s the one that’s looking out for you when you can’t hear what the audience is hearing. He’s the one that’s walking around the venue making sure you sound good.
Sadly, bands often don’t realize the importance of this relationship. As a musician and a sound engineer, I’ve often found myself on both sides of the stage. Here are a few things you should keep in mind about your sound person the next time you’re out gigging.
The sound guy is your friend
You didn’t hire him and he can finish the job without needing to be friends with you. But make him your friend and he’ll treat you better.
You need HIM to sound good. Not the other way around.
Dale Carnegie’s book “How to Win Friends and Influence People” is just as relevant in the concert scene as it is in the business world.
Introduce yourself to the sound person, remember his or her name and treat him as you would any of your fans. Communication and friendliness is key to a good sound.
Don’t be loud
There’s another, more technical term for live sound.
It’s called sound reinforcement.
Basically, the sound engineer takes the sound that you have on stage and reinforces it out to the audience. This gives him the power to create a balanced live sound mix. Makes sense, right?
Now, if you all crank up to 11 and the stage sound is too loud, you don’t give him any control over what the audience hears.
And if all they hear coming from the stage is distorted guitar then congratulations; that’s what your show will sound like.
The key here is to get a good stage sound that’s not too loud. Then you reinforce that stage sound with some monitoring for the vocals and the instruments that are lacking. If the sound engineer is asking you to turn down he’s not doing it to insult you. He’s doing it to make you sound better. Nobody is attacking your ego here and everybody is just trying to have a good sounding show.
Be prepared for your own instrument
There’s only two ways you will be plugged in:
* Quarter inch jack cable
* XLR cable
Do yourself a favor and buy yourself the adaptors that you need.
Sound engineers don’t have every possible configuration of a cable in their pockets and it’s dangerous to rely on that.
So if you need to plug in your laptop, bring an adaptor that turns into a quarter inch cable.
You’ve spent hours upon hours working on your music. You should spend 5 minutes figuring out how it connects to the sound system. Jack plug or XLR cable. If you have a way to connect that way you’re golden.
Don’t tell him how to do his job
I have to admit I do this too much. It’s hard when you’re both a musician and a sound engineer.
Some sound engineers don’t want (or need) your help. They have a set way of doing things and interfering with their job is the best way to piss them off.
If you feel especially persuasive, or you know something that you’re certain he’s overlooked, feel free to let them know. But it’s risky to tell other people how to do their jobs — so veer on the side of caution. If you followed suggestion number one then it’s to point something out because they already like you. However, if you’ve already pissed them off and are now trying to tell them how to do their jobs, you’re not doing your sound any favors.
Keep this in mind during your next gig and make the sound engineer feel like a part of your band. Your concert will go smoother because of it. I guarantee it.
Author bio: Björgvin Benediktsson is a musician, audio engineer and entrepreneur. He is the co-founder of Crowd Audio, a unique new startup connecting musicians that need professionally music production services with audio engineers all over the world. Check it out at www.crowdaudio.com and sign up to their blog for more tips on becoming a better musician.
Arists vs engineer relations. Good read, but the "sound guy" isn't always a guy 😆
ReplyDeleteArists vs engineer relations. Good read, but the "sound guy" isn't always a guy 😆
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