top ten: getting good live sound

20Aug08

As most, if not all musicians will tell you, stage sound is one of the hardest parts of playing out. Given that you know your material, have a solid backing, etc., the next priority is creating an environment onstage that frees you up to really relax, open up the pipes, and connect with the audience. For me, it’s really important that I can just slide into the groove of the room and be and give myself fully. Often, the chief obstacle to this for me as a singer is stage sound. I don’t have my own sound engineer, so find that I often feel at the mercy of the venue sound engineer. After a particularly challenging show recently where I could barely hear myself in a large theater, I surveyed a few musician friends about what it takes to get great sound at a show. The conversations led me to making this little list for myself:

1. Know What Mix You Like in The House
I know I like a vocal-centered, acoustic vibe that supports the low-energy, breathy stuff but also gives me room to get all belty in the places that require it… without blowing the sonicscape (and subsequent eardrums) in the room. When you listen to live bands, take note of what levels bother or delight your ears and which instruments sit where, then try to apply what you notice to your own list of sound “likes”. Get to know your own sonic taste and how to describe it.

2. Ask For What You Want and Need
While much of my dynamic vocal inclinations simply require acute attention to mic technique, there’s a lot an engineer can and will do to help make it as effective as possible – their job, in essence. A lot of rooms out there are inclined towards a heavy rock sound, so I take special care to talk with the engineer and ask for a soft, acoustic sound. I offer my take on levels for band members, such as wanting the upright bass to be extra heavy in the house and the piano pulled back a touch. This helps me feel like I’ve got a grip on the situation, too, which is important since I personally can often feel a little at the mercy of the elements around me on stage.

3. Check In Before Sound Check Begins
While most of us instinctively say hello and shake hands with the sound engineers pre-check, it’s good to have the bulk of your sound conversation at this time, too, since doing it from the stage can be a little awkward. This is where I chat up the house-engineer especially, try to sync up mentally as much as possible in five minutes, and explain the sound I’m looking for.

4. Physical Positioning
Make sure that the monitors are sitting and angled in a way that goes right to your ears. If the monitor is sitting too high, the sound pops over your head and your ears end up in a black hole. Equally difficult is when they are too close or angled too low and send the sound only to your torso. Also, help yourself and the band by paying close attention to sight lines – everyone needs to see each other and give room for movement (I like to dance a lot on stage, so make sure I have space to do it without blocking the band’s vision of each other.) Band monitors often cross each other sonically, so don’t hesitate to request repositioning for yourself and others to make the stage sound as tight as posible.

5. Vocals Last But Not Least
Vocals are often checked last, which gives me a great opportunity to listen to everyone’s requests during soundcheck to learn how my personal mix fits in with theirs, However, I don’t skimp on sound for vocals and if a band member’s monitor is just too loud in my ear, I say so. I want everyone to be comfortable and supported, but at the end of the night, if the vocal is off because your personal sound is challenged and the audience doesn’t get everything you have to give because of it, acquiessing to others doesn’t help anyone. I’m naturally the “Oh, that’s okay, I’ll deal with it” type, so asserting myself around sound is a challenge that I’m overcoming with time and is making everything run more smoothly.

6. Cutting the House
A major obstacle to getting the right monitor mix on stage can be interference from the house speakers. I like to get the levels I think I want with the house on then ask for the house sound to be cut for half a song or so and adjust again. A room full of people will swallow up a lot of sound and ofter requre hotter monitors once the show starts, so this step can help reduce adjustments during the show.

7. Stepping Out
If you are playing with a band, take a moment during the check to step out into the house with the engineer and listen. Give guidance in the affirmative. “I really like the level on the bass, can you back the piano down a little more. Let’s drop the whole thing be about 15% because we really kick harder in some places…” etc. You can also have a friend or a band member step out to get a similar read on vocal mix.

8. First Song as Second Sound Check
As I’ve mentioned and every artist has no-doubt noticed, the sound in a room and on-stage can and often does change dramatically with a room full of people. I really listen to the first song and before I move on to tune two, I take time to check in and make some changes.

9. Take Care of Everyone
Before the second tune, I’ll often ask each band member how they’re doing with monitors, then if I feel that it could be too loud in the house, I just ask, “Hey you guys, how’s it sounding out there? Too loud for anyone? No? Cool! We’ve got a great crew on sound tonight – don’t they rock?!” That sort of thing. Here is where I might simply say, too, and with a big appreciative smile, “Hey I’ll take a little extra vocal.” Somehow, in this process, you get a real sense of the crowd, slow everything down a bit, give your confidence a boost because you are taking care of others, and let the audience experience a little bit of vulnerability while letting them know you are doing everything you can to make their experience a great one! After all, the only reason to get all this sound stuff running smoothly is to give the fans the biggest gift you can for their time, money, and attention!

10. Speak Up Mid-Show
After all this sonice-focus, you should be pretty good to-go, but sound is an living thing and so is your music, so adjust as needed. Don’t badger or belittle the sound guy/girl, and don’t bemoan the situation if it isn’t great, though. Giving music is an act of generosity that can get a little muddied in the face of on-stage whining and blaming. I’ve tried to give you lots of ways here to get the sound you need, but at the risk of contradicting myself, don’t forget that you are responsible for a lot of people in the process.

11. (Bonus) Thank Everyone
Of course. Go out of your way, even if the sound never got where you felt you needed it, to thank the sound crew for their efforts. They do this because they love music and artists, so no matter what, give love back. Give specific positive feedback if you can, and let them know you are looking forward to working with them again in the future because hopefully you will be.

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