Optimising Sound for Gigs
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You've rehearsed for months and it's now time to play your first gig. The PA system has been bought or hired so it's well worth
thinking about how to set it up in order to optimise your performance.
If the venue has a dedicated stage built at a decent height then many of your potential issues will already have been eradicated.
Positioning the PA and backline amps at a height above the audience will greatly improve the sound dispersion. Human bodies
absorb sound very efficiently, so if you don't get enough height on the PA and backline speakers much of your sound will be
soaked up by the first few rows of the audience.
Balancing the Overall Volume
The overall volume needs to be carefully balanced so that it is clear and audible at the rear of the venue, but still at a
comfortable volume for those at the front. Vocal microphones should be positioned behind the outward facing PA speakers so as
to minimise the threat of feedback. Feedback builds up when the sound from the speakers gets fed back into the stage microphones.
If the gain control is then boosted the feedback circulates or "loops" around the system.
Developing Mic Technique
Obviously you need a fair amount of gain to help a typical singer to be heard over an amplified backline so, to prevent your
PA system becoming a very loud oscillator, you need to minimise the amount of sound which can get back into the microphones.
Using good quality cardioid and hypercardioid microphones helps, but the singer also needs to develop a good mic technique. In
most cases this means working very close to the mic, because the closer you are, the louder the sound and therefore less gain
needs to be used. If your PA system or mixer has a low-cut filter on the mixing console, activate this to help reduce low
frequency booming.
Vocal Mics
If your band has a dedicated front man/woman, try and discourage him or her from cupping the microphone. It is vitally important
that their hand isn’t touching the wire basket at the ball end of the mic, otherwise the vents that create the cardioid pickup
pattern get covered, the microphone becomes more Omni directional and everything starts feeding back.
You should also be very aware that the vocal mic doesn't just pick up the singer — it picks up everything it's pointing at, so
nearby guitar amps, drum kit or monitors will also be picked up and amplified. Clearly you will get the best results and retain
he most control over the sound if the vocal mic is pointing just at the vocalist and that nothing unduly loud is set up right
behind them. If you have to have a loud guitar or keyboard amp behind the singer, then at least put it down on the floor so the
majority of the sound passes below the vocal mic rather straight into it!