Microphones How do you run your sound check?

[flash1322]

Hey all,

Just thought I'd start a fun little discussion on how different sound guys do their sound checks. Mainly i'm talking about performance sound checks with body packs, but feel free to post about band sound checks and more. I love to learn new techniques! Maybe some fun stories about fighting with directors for mic check time. Figured it would be nice to hear how some of the pros do it.




Thanks,
Ryan Williams
Undergrad at WMU

 

[themuzicman]

When I'm running a musical sound check takes two parts - speaker check and then actual sound check. I'll spend an hour or two getting the speakers dialed in to reference recordings, and then once I get actors on stage I'll have each person sing a bit of a song to dial them in to the system.

If its a show sitting in once place I have a weekly sound check (daily through tech rehearsals) and on tour I do one every new venue and one a week after that. The days I don't sound check I PFL each mic at the console and my A2 will do it from their listening station.

PS: go broncos! I got to play Miller on tour in the spring, and my sister is a Bronco!

 

[MNicolai]

When I'm running a musical sound check takes two parts - speaker check and then actual sound check. I'll spend an hour or two getting the speakers dialed in to reference recordings, and then once I get actors on stage I'll have each person sing a bit of a song to dial them in to the system.

Similar process for me. I put a lot of emphasis on tuning the system to correct for the room acoustics and program material, then tuning the mic's. With a finely tuned system, mic's generally shouldn't need much EQ. With a poorly tuned system, every mic needs corrective EQ for the room acoustics.

In an ideal world, house systems are already tuned, but I've heard many house systems that need lots of love and attention before they are usable. If you find yourself during mic checks killing the same frequency on most/all channels, it's probably a harsh frequency for the room that needs to be gutted from the overall EQ of the mains.

 

[bishopthomas]

I'll answer the question as it relates to concerts. I will do a line check without the band to make sure everything is working. It's a waste of the band's time and puts more pressure on me if I'm having to hunt down bad mic cables because something isn't working. So when the band takes the stage I'll have the drummer start with the kick drum. If I'm doing monitors from FOH I'll get that instrument sounding good in the house, then I'll ask who needs to hear the kick drum in their monitors. This is wear universal hand signals come in very handy. I'll do this right down the input list until everything sounds clean in the house and everyone has a good starting point with their monitors. During line check I'll use that time to ring out wedges and get everyone's vocal as loud as possible in their mix. The band will play part of a song, I'll set up a FOH mix, and afterwards they'll ask me for any adjustments for their monitors. They may play a bit of another song just to make sure the adjustments are going to work, then on to the next one (or on to catering). On digital boards a scene is saves; on analog I'll take a picture(s).

 

[JLNorthGA]

We have to take everything down after each performance. When we set it up for the next performance - we set it up to the stage plot provided by the band. If we're using our microphones and everything else - no problem.
1) Speaker and amplifier check
2) Cable/microphone check - either using our microphones or using one of our microphones and checking all the cables.
2) b) DI Box check - run loads through the DI boxes (if necessary)
3) Monitor check
4) Sound check with the band - hopefully not a rehearsal - just a sound check
5) Adjust monitor feeds (can I have a little more guitar in this monitor...)

Our biggest problem is that our acoustics are reasonable for the size of the space. If you can project, you don't need a microphone to sing. In many instances, you don't need much amplification at all.

We don't have body packs or lavaliers. We do have four microphones pointed at the stage for plays, choruses and the like. Many people can project well enough so that we can adjust the stage microphones as needed.

 

[Aman121]

Preliminary system setup, at least for me, is usually about the same- test all amps, speakers, ect, tune system as best as possible, crank it to just above what a typical show level would be to test integrity. But before all tha, check your power!!! $5 pocket circuit tester can save you allot of money in fried equipment.

From there, if its body packs, I just have actors line up onstage and say a few lines and walk around a bit. If Im pushed for time, and its not the first show, they just get a sentence or two.

For bands, I go through channel by channel and ask everybody through their monitor if they want a specific channel. If yes, its added. If no, its not. House settings are roughed in here. Then I have them play a bit of a song to set final house levels and give them an idea of what their monitor mixes will sound like, then ask for monitor corrections. Usually their are a few level and eq adjustments but nothing major. I try to ring out the vocals beforehand if possible. Then another 20-30 seconds of song to do a final level check in the house and onstage and then done.
Thats my total novice way of doing monitors, Im sure it wouldnt fly for big acts but when its a small band outdoors or in an auditorium it works. When you get into 18 monitor mixes and 70 some inputs im sure there are better ways of doing things......

 

[JohnD]

Here is an interesting article by Dave Rat:
Live Sound: Backstage Class: Alternative & Effective Approaches To Sound Check - Pro Sound Web

 

[museav]

Just thought I'd start a fun little discussion on how different sound guys do their sound checks. Mainly i'm talking about performance sound checks with body packs, but feel free to post about band sound checks and more. I love to learn new techniques! Maybe some fun stories about fighting with directors for mic check time. Figured it would be nice to hear how some of the pros do it.

I think you may find it also depends on the situation. Is this an installed system at your venue, an installed system at another venue, your portable/touring system or someone else's portable/touring system? How much time do you have for sound check? Are you working with monitors or IEMs and if so, are they mixed at FOH or do you have a dedicated monitor mixer?

Regarding the link to the Dave Rat article, Dave has many great insights and ideas to offer but keep in mind Dave's experience and knowledge as well as the venues, performers and systems with which he works. Many times his ideas may need to be adapted to be effectively implemented in other situations but I think that in general that is really what Dave is often trying to say, don't be locked into a way of doing things, get to understand what is happening and why and you can then potentially adapt what you know to many different situations.