Sound Management at Live Music Events

Sound Management at Live Music Events

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson you will be able to explain sound management and how it is undertaken at a live music event.

This slide sets the learning objective for the lesson.

What do you already know about sound management at live music events?

What is Sound Management?

Sound management is the process of ensuring optimal sound quality and volume levels for live music events.

This slide introduces the concept of sound management and sets the foundation for the rest of the lesson.

Importance of Sound Management

Sound management is important for a successful live music event as it can impact the audience experience and the artist's performance.

Have you ever been to a live show where an artist or bands performance was ruined by the sound quality?

This slide explains why sound management is important.

Sound System Components

The sound system consists of speakers, amplifiers, mixers, microphones, and other equipment necessary to produce and control sound. The sound team are responsible for setting up and managing the use of this equipment. 

This slide explains the components of the sound system.

Sound Check

A sound check is performed before the event to ensure that the sound system is working properly and that the sound quality is optimal.

Sound checking is vital. Novice musicians will often insist that they don't need to soundcheck but the quality of sound during a performance can be the difference between a good and bad show. 

This slide explains the importance of the sound check and what it entails.

Sound checking

During a sound check, the sound team will make use of a sound desk to ensure the below:

- All sounds are balances and can be heard (Using faders).

- Any harsh frequencies are removed using EQ.

- Reverbs and delays are added where necessary or requested by the band.

Communication

Clear communication between the sound engineer and the artist is important to ensure that the sound quality meets the artist's expectations. A lot of the time artists will have specific sound requirements that their performance NEEDS. 

A band with an "ambient" style and a band with an aggressive metal style will require different sound effects in order to communicate their vision during a performance. A rapper and a singer will require different compression and reverb settings.

It is the job of the sound team to communicate with the band or artist during a sound check to ensure that the mixing style is to their preference. 

This slide emphasizes the importance of communication between the sound engineer and the artist.

Room Acoustics

Room acoustics refers to the way sound behaves in a space and can impact the sound quality at a live music event. 

When managing sound at an event, sound engineers will need to take into consideration the acoustics of the room that the performance is taking place in. Taking this into consideration will help the sound team with amplifier placement.

This slide introduces the concept of room acoustics and its impact on sound quality.

Equalization

Equalization (EQ) is the process of adjusting the frequency response of the sound system to compensate for the acoustic properties of the room. Though the filters that are available to use can be different, EQ in a live setting works similarly to in a music production scenario. 

This slide explains what equalization is and why it is important.

Volume Control

Volume control is important to ensure that the sound is not too loud or too quiet for the audience and the artist's performance.

This is where gain staging and compression comes in. Using the faders on the sound desk, sound teams will create balance using the faders and control the dynamic range of each sound using compression. 

This slide emphasizes the importance of volume control and how it can impact the event.

Practice Exercise

For the practical part of the lesson, we will be going into the venue and doing a soundcheck with a band. 

This slide provides an interactive element for the students to discuss the importance of sound management.

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.