| When you are a new band, playing live is nerve | | | | you’ll be surprised by how much more treble is |
| wracking enough without having to worry about the | | | | evident. Adjust the settings on the amp from the |
| front of house sound. Surely it’s enough to be | | | | position of the mic to get the best sound through the |
| concerned about whether your finely crafted and | | | | PA system. |
| highly practised material will stand up to public scrutiny, | | | | Bad microphone technique is a common issue and can |
| or if you’ll make a tube of yourself by falling off the | | | | have a derogatory effect on the production of your |
| stage in front of the gathered mass of friends and | | | | vocals. Dynamic unidirectional vocal microphones of |
| family. Very important things both, but there are a | | | | the type predominantly used for live vocals have a |
| number of simple things you can do to help yourselves | | | | very specific area in which they pick up sound, usually |
| and the sound engineer ensure you have the best | | | | within a couple of inches of the mic head. This design |
| possible sound coming through the PA. With that | | | | feature is to reduce the likelihood of other noises being |
| sorted you can worry less about the sound and more | | | | picked up from around the stage helping to produce a |
| about whether you look like a tool in your new skinny | | | | cleaner sound and reduced chance of feedback. To |
| jeans and winkle pickers. | | | | get the optimum sound from the mic, try and keep |
| First and most importantly arrive on time, en masse | | | | within a couple of inches of the head, sing clearly and |
| and fully equipped for your sound check. The sound | | | | don’t move your head excessively when singing. |
| check is as important as the live performance as this | | | | This way, a fairly consistent signal will be picked up by |
| is the time the sound engineer will tune the PA system | | | | the mic and your vocal won’t appear to be fading |
| to get the best from your performance. He will tweak | | | | in and out. Also, try not to cup your hand over the mic |
| the system to suit your style of music, vocals and tone | | | | head or hold the mic’ upside down as this will more |
| as well as familiarise himself with your set-up and any | | | | than likely cause feedback. |
| requirements you may have that are slightly out of the | | | | Positioning yourself correctly on the stage can have a |
| ordinary. It’s no good showing to your first gig five | | | | positive impact on your sound. More than likely you’ll |
| minutes before you are due to go on with an | | | | have been trapped three feet apart from each other |
| unexpected twelve piece choir and full brass section | | | | in a sweaty, rehearsal studio for weeks previously, so |
| and expect the engineer to accommodate them and | | | | when faced with a nice, big stage, the temptation to |
| get them sounding their best. No doubt he will do his | | | | get as far away from each other as possible is |
| best, but the sound may not be as good as it could be | | | | understandable. But try and stay compact on stage, |
| and your performance may suffer as a result. | | | | particularly if you are only a small band, as this will not |
| Arriving on time will allow you to have a relaxed and | | | | only help you hear each others amps better for |
| thorough sound check, to solve any little problems that | | | | monitoring purposes but will also prevent you looking |
| might come up and for you to familiarise yourselves | | | | and sounding disjointed and appear more of a |
| with the venue and stage layout. | | | | cohesive unit. |
| Discuss your sound and how you want to come | | | | Lastly, there are certain items that you should always |
| across to the audience with the sound engineer during | | | | remember as although the engineer may be able to |
| your soundcheck. More than likely he will have never | | | | help supply you with them, do not expect him to. There |
| have heard you before and so will not know what sort | | | | may be a time when he cannot and that may leave |
| of mix you require, so cannot be expected to | | | | you in a pickle. |
| magically guess what you want to sound like. You | | | | • Drum mat – a vital addition to your |
| may not be able to get the exact sound your after | | | | drummer’s gear. Without it the kit will make its way |
| due to limitations in the PA, poor acoustics in the venue | | | | slowly across the stage and into the audience. Lack of |
| or any number of reasons. But if you are on time, polite | | | | a mat usually results in the extensive use of the sound |
| and constructive when addressing the engineer he will | | | | guy’s vital and surprisingly expensive gaffer tape to |
| do his best to get you sounding as good as is possible | | | | secure the kick drum. |
| with the equipment available to him and will more than | | | | • Electrical adaptors – ensure you have sufficient |
| likely look forward to working with you again. | | | | extension reels and adaptors to support all you gear. |
| Another tip is to consider your on-stage amplification | | | | The engineer may only have enough to cover the PA |
| purely as monitoring for yourselves and only turn them | | | | equipment so, again if you really have to plug in all |
| up loud enough for you to comfortably hear them. You | | | | fourteen of you effects pedals make sure you have |
| may be used to winding your amps up to eleven in the | | | | sufficient power supplies to do so. |
| practice studio, but doing that during a live performance | | | | • Audio cables and adaptors – make sure you |
| can cause a number of problems. Firstly the sound | | | | have enough guitar leads (including spares in case of |
| engineer will have mic’ed the amps up and as such | | | | breakdown), as again the engineer may not carry |
| will be controlling they’re sound through the PA. The | | | | spares. Also if you are plugging in keyboards, click |
| louder you have your amps on stage, the lower he | | | | tracks or decks have the correct leads or adaptors to |
| has to have them through the PA and the less control | | | | plug them into the PA – usually either ¼ inch jacks |
| he has over the overall sound mix, so you have a | | | | or XLR. |
| slightly messy and disjointed sound out front. Secondly, | | | | • To be nice to the engineer – He will have been |
| you will have on-stage monitoring so you can hear you | | | | there four hours before you mucking around with |
| vocals, as such the louder you have your amps, the | | | | cables and lugging heavy equipment around to make |
| louder the monitors have to be for you to hear | | | | you sound half decent and will be there two hours |
| yourselves. This increases the risk of feedback and | | | | after you’ve disappeared down the pub to muck |
| can result in a slightly messy and disjointed sound on | | | | around with cables and lug heavy equipment around, |
| stage. So overall that’s a slightly messy and | | | | so be nice. |
| disjointed sound out front and on-stage and with | | | | Professional PA hire companies such as |
| everybody struggling to hear what’s going on | | | | Audiorent.co.uk have highly experienced, professional |
| everywhere. Not good. Trust the engineer to make the | | | | and approachable engineers who will be more than |
| most of your sound out front and leave the volume | | | | happy to discuss any aspect of your set-up or |
| dial on your amps alone. One way of improve your | | | | performance. It is the engineer’s job to get the best |
| ability to monitor your amps is by sticking them on | | | | from your music and ensure that the audience can |
| crates so they are closer to your ears and not pointing | | | | focus on your performance rather than any anomalies |
| directly at your legs. | | | | in the sound, so if you follow the simple tips given |
| The tone of your amps can also prove to be | | | | above the chances of that are greatly increased. |
| problematic. Excessive treble will carry through the PA | | | | If you need any information about the hire of PA |
| and result in a nasty jangly sound. This excessive top | | | | equipment for your bands live performances or any |
| end is not always noticed by bands as by the time the | | | | aspect of PA, lighting, backline or AV hire in Nottingham |
| sound has reached them from the amp it is ok, but | | | | and throughout the UK, contact Audiorent.co.uk on |
| bear in mind the position of the instrument mic. If you | | | | contact@audiorent.co.uk or call us on 07951164194. |
| listen to your amp from the proximity of the mic, | | | | |