Live Sound Blog

Live Sound Blog

I have chosen to engineer for a local band called Chasing Infinity for my live sound assessment, I have already heard them live, and know their style rather well, so this has given me an overall advantage, regardless I will be attending rehearsals and listening to their recordings to memorise their set list. 

So far I have had a full confirmation on the band that they will be performing, and have been provided with a stage plan of their equipment and it's placement, and I will also be attending their rehearsal this weekend.

For our venue we have chosen a small club called Magnet in town, and will be hosting our show on the 29nd of April. Doors will open at 8:00PM, with the first band performing at 8:30PM.

We will be engineering for a sum total of four bands, with two people sharing some bands half way through a set.

In terms of equipment, the Magnet wants us to use their PA system and desk, which should provide a good challenge, and prepare us for a realistic view of what the live sound industry is like, at least in the early days.

The order of bands performing are:

Chasing Infinity 8:30 - 9:10
The Hoplites 9:20 - 10:00
The Havocs 10:10 - 10:50
MotorFocus 11:00 - 11:40



Band's Equipment/Tech Rider + Stage Plan

I have recently received a tech rider list and stage plan of my band, which includes not only stage positioning, but also inputs for monitoring of the wedges, and sample pad.

The tech list I received however may soon be updated, as they may be incorporating the use of in-ear monitors:

Chasing Infinity – Tech Rider

The band includes 4 members:

·  Lead Vocalist

         1 x Mic/XLR -> Board

·  Guitarist / Backing Vocalist

         1 x Mic/XLR -> Board

         Amp Signal -> 1 x Mic/XLR -> Board

·  Bassist / Backing Vocalist

         1 x Mic/XLR -> Board

         *Runs DI signal parallel to amp signal

         DI -> XLR -> Board

         Amp Signal -> 1 x Mic/XLR -> Board

·  Drummer

         7 x Mic/XLR -> Board (4 piece drum kit mic arrangement)

         Sample pad -> DI -> XLR -> Board

        

*Drummer will require a monitor signal sent to an onstage compact mixer to enable an in-ear monitor mix (XLR / Jack connection)

The band will supply:

- Drum kit breakables, including snare drum, cymbals and all hardware (kick and toms if necessary).

- Guitars and 2x12 valve amp

- Bass guitars and amp head

- Electronic sample pad

- 2 x DI

- Compact mixer (for IEM mix)

- 1 x dynamic vocal microphone

The venue will supply:

- Drum shells (Kick and toms)

- Bass cab / combo amp

- Microphones:

         Drums - 2 x overhead, 2 x snare (top and bottom), 2 x toms, 1 x kick

         1 x guitar amp mic

         1 x Bass amp mic

         2 x vocal microphones

- Mic stands

- 4 x stage monitors

- 3 x stage power outlets

If the venue is unable to provide any of the equipment above, please contact Mark Rice at markrice.audioengineer@gmail.com so that other arrangements can be made.

We have decided the mic technique being used is a simple spaced pair of overheads, a snare and kick mic. I feel the spaced pair is a simple route for drum micing, however it is effective regardless and captures every element of the kit proficiently. The kick will be my first channel, the snare being the second, and overheads being 3 and 4. The drummer will also being using a sample pad to trigger any guitar samples through the PA.

For kits we are still sorting out which one we're using, however we have requested the magnet that we use their kit, while the bands provide breakables such as snare and cymbals. The magnet have confirmed that we may use their kit, and will pose as the backline drum kit.


The stage will require multiple plug sockets for amplifiers and effects pedals, extension cables will be taken should the sockets be out of reach for the equipment. Fortunately the stage has many plug sockets, four on the left side, and four on the right (audience perspective).

Mic Techniques/Positions

A good mic technique is crucial for a good, professional sound live, typically drums are the most challenging to mic due to the abundance of equipment.

For the guitars, the typical approach to micing is similar to the way it is done in the studio, adjusting the mic until the sweet spot is found, making any changes to the EQ later. We will be using an SM57 for the lead guitarist, and any other microphones we can use for the other guitarists, as we will run out of supply of the other SM57s due to them being used on the snare. Vocalists will be using three SM58s at the front of the stage

The bass guitar will be DI'd, as micing is not a necessity to acquiring a good bass tone live, this will also allow for less bleeding of instruments, and no feedback.

For the drums, the engineer of the venue has recommended his own technique live. We will mic up all of the toms on the kit, place a D112 in the kick drum, and an SM57 on the snare, however we will not be using any overheads, as doing so washes up the mix with cymbals. As an alternative to scrapping overheads, we are going to place AKG C430s under the ride and over the hi-hat, these mics boost high end frequencies, so are useful for capturing these parts of the kit.




Mic List

Sure SM57- Wildly popular and incredibly durable, the Shure SM57 is a universally praised mic amongst all genres. Due to its great mid-range attenuation, it is a proficient mic to use for guitar amplifiers. The SM57 is a dynamic mic, so not too sensitive to higher sound pressure levels, and its cardioid polar pattern makes it excellent for close micing and capturing a tight, defined sound. The SM57 is also quite cheap, so multiple mics may be purchased.

Shure SM58- These world famous microphones are widely used for vocalists in live settings. The SM58 is a dynamic cardioid microphone, extremely durable so useful for singers with a lot of energy on stage. As shown in the frequency response chart, there is a slight dip in the mid range, with a large boost in the high mids and high end frequencies. High-mids are typically the area of clarity for vocals, especially in context of a mix.

Sennheiser e835- A cardioid dynamic microphone, the e835 is popular amongst vocalists. This microphone will help the vocalists cut through the mix with its attenuation from
2 - 5kHz, an area often considered to be a sensitive zone for human hearing.

AKG D112- Affordable and reliable, the D112 is another cardioid condenser microphone that specialises in capturing low end frequencies, so is extremely useful (and commonly used) for bass amplifiers and kick drums, although bass amplifiers can often sound good enough simply DI'd.














AKG C430- These small cardioid condenser microphones are a very suitable choice for overheads, not only due to their compact size, but also their frequency response, attenuating amongst the mid to high frequencies by roughly 5dB, allowing for more clarity when capturing an entire kit, which could be potentially useful for most live setups, although we won't be using these as overheads, they will prove useful as ride and hi-hat mics. Their cardioid polar pattern allows for a more focused and tight sound from the kit, capturing the kit with clarity.













AKG D40- Another dynamic cardioid microphone from AKG, the D40 is a compact mic, suitable to close micing. The D40 is often used for toms due to its frequency response (low mids to capture warmth of the toms, and attenuation of high mids to capture the attack of the skin). However, this microphone may also be useful for guitars, as the frequency response seems to show some suitable signs of potential intelligibility.

Patch List

We have created a universal patch list that we will incorporate on the night of the event, should there be any changes needed due to variation of band members, tracks will be muted, in my band's case, one of the guitar tracks will be muted.

PA Specifications/Equipment

We had recently acquired the magnet's list of equipment, including PA systems and microphones (listed above), their equipment are as follows:

Upstairs:

4 x Thomann Achat 110 M 10" boxes
1 x Adlib Audio AA15 1000W 15" Sub
1 x Behringer iNUKE NU4-6000
1 x Behringer Ultra-Drive Pro DCX2496

FishTank:

2 x AE Audio 'Red' 12" Mid Tops
2 x AE Audio 'Red' 18" USB subs.
1 x Behringer iNUKE NU4-6000
1 x Behringer Ultra-Drive Pro DCX2496

Main Room:

2 x Adlib AA151 600W 15" Mid Tops
4 x AE Audio 3M 1000W Super Scoop Subs (under stage)
2 x Adlib Audio AA15 1000W 15" subs (rear of room)
4 x JBL JRX 112 12" Passive Monitors / Mid Tops
1 x Adlib Audio AA81 8" Bass Reflex

1 x dbx PA+ Drive Rack
1 x NuMark Dimension 4
1 x Behringer iNUKE NU4-6000
2 x Crown Audio XTi 4000
1 x QSC RMX 4050HD

1 x Behringer X32 Digital 32 Channel mixing console

Microphone / DI Stock:

4 x Sennheiser e835
4 x Shure SM57
1 x AKG D112
2 x AKG C430
3 x AKG D40
4 x Behringer DI100

The Behringer X32 will be a challenge for all of us, as we have never used this desk before, we will be learning all that we need to on the night of the event, and arriving early to get as much experience with the desk as possible.

Venue Specifications

The Magnet itself is a small venue, however despite this, the stage is large enough to house around 100 people, this is our ideal amount of attendants to the gig. The stage is small, but has plenty of space to contain amplifiers and a drum kit. According to the engineer, using overheads in this space will result in cymbal washing up the live mix, so they will not be necessary. The venue has some raised areas for the audience to have a better glance at the performance on stage, these are located to the right of the stage (where toilets are also located). The main stage is located in the basement of the Magnet, with the upstairs area being a bar (which has been under renovations for a while).

The desk is set up in a potentially troublesome place, the corner of the room, where several frequency problems occur (according to the engineer, summing occurs amongst 80, 400 and 680 Hz), the unfortunate reality of this predicament is that we must simply come up with a  compromise and keep that as our mixing space, as placing the desk in the crowd will simply cause a distraction, engineers are usually hidden away in a live event (or at least in smaller ones).

Getting the equipment in should be simple, there is a second door left of the main entrance used to haul equipment in, this leads directly to stairs of the basement, where the main event will be taking place, although this is useful,  the majority of the equipment being used are property of the Magnet.

The venue features a green room just left to the stage, this will allow for easy access to the stage during performances to correct any errors that could potentially happen, as opposed to climbing on stage.

Behind the stage is a small area where mic stands and the drum kit are stored, it is also the place where the amplifier for the PA is kept. The area can be accessed by a door to the right of the stage.

Rehearsals

I had recently attended one of my band's rehearsal sessions, primarily to check out their gear for myself and get confirmation on what they were taking to the magnet, for drums, only cymbals and a snare will be taken and the guitarist will bring his amplifier; a Vox AC30. I have witnessed this band many times live, so I know their style overall, and what to expect when I engineer for them. 

The guitarist and bassist will bring their own pedalboards, the bassist routes his signal through a DI in his pedalboard, which splits the signal between the amp and the PA, allowing him to have his own sound on stage..

Overall, this band is very proficient and well organised in terms of gear, so there should be no trouble on their end.

Health and Safety

There are many aspects of this event that could potentially cause injury to either ourselves, the performers, or the attendants to the venue. Loose cables must be arranged in a tidy fashion that will avoid tripping, or taped down with gaffa tape, this is especially the case on stage, where a lot of XLR cables will be placed. We have been given a lot of advice on keeping a neat stage environment by the engineer. With XLRs, the venue's engineer coils the wires even when placing them in microphones, this eliminates the possibility of musicians tripping on stage, and makes it look more tidy and professional. Any cables that will potentially stretch across the drums will fed underneath the mic stands.

 PAT testing of equipment is an absolute must, failing to do so could cause accidents with electronics.


Links/Bibliography


http://recordinghacks.com/images/graphs/_gen/small/0/0006.png [Accessed 28 Apr. 2015]

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[image] Available at: http://www.cobaltaudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/sm58-polar-pattern-e1318431917758.jpg [Accessed 30 Apr. 2015].

http://www.americanmusical.com/images/descimages/ShureSM58FreqResponse.jpg [Accessed 30 Apr. 2015].

Anon, (2015). [image] Available at: http://recordinghacks.com/images/graphs/sennheiser/e835-freq.png [Accessed 28 Apr. 2015].

[image] Available at: http://en-us.sennheiser.com/global-downloads/file/2700/e-835-polar-pattern.jpg [Accessed 28 Apr. 2015].

[image] Available at: http://recordinghacks.com/images/graphs/_gen/small/0/0335.png [Accessed 28 Apr. 2015].

[image] Available at: https://www.brucetambling.com/w/images/0/0c/AKG-D112_polar.jpg [Accessed 28 Apr. 2015].

 [image] Available at: http://recordinghacks.com/images/graphs/_gen/small/0/0320.png [Accessed 28 Apr. 2015].

[image] Available at: http://www.all4sound.com/files/goods/detail/200906/c4304055c34160e23.jpg [Accessed 28 Apr. 2015].

[image] Available at: http://www.muzbazar.pro/UserFiles/D40.jpg [Accessed 28 Apr. 2015].

Anon, (2015). [image] Available at: http://statics.192.com/estreet/original/large/2117/21171619.jpg [Accessed 28 Apr. 2015].

[image] Available at: http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/06/55/b2/49/the-magnet.jpg [Accessed 28 Apr. 2015].

[image] Available at: https://www.facebook.com/ChasingInfinityMusic/photos/a.147539735275454.23067.147539648608796/910647398964680/?type=1&theater [Accessed 28 Apr. 2015].