Soundchecks -- process and procedure

[jrbcjim]

I'm the board op on an upcoming community theater musical, and this will be the first time I've worked with wireless head-worn mics. What's the correct procedure for a thorough pre-show soundcheck, and more importantly, what am I listening/watching for?

Rather than just go through the motions, I want to ensure (to the extent possible) that the mics are fitted properly, that they are working, and that they will deliver during the show.

 

[gpforet]

Understand that most things like monitor mixes and levels, channel eqing, and effects have been set during tech week. And now is not the time to start messing with monitor levels unless a musician or actor specifically asks for something and make sure you understand what they are asking for before making any changes to monitors. The same goes for eqing mics. By this time you've run thru the show, and hopefully have each actor's mic eqed to their voice. So, all of this assumed you've done your homework during tech week and the system is ready to do.

So, once everyone is present:

All of this is done with the FOH speakers muted.

I start with the band instruments, running line checks. Since we've already reheased during tech week, 95% of the eqing for the band is done. Using my God mic thru the monitors, I'll ask each musician to run thru a bit of music, and I'll solo the channel for check. Drums I'll do each mic individually, then ask his to run around the drums just to look for trouble stops.

If I've got background singers using wired mics I'll check them next. I'll ask the band to play, and bring up the background singers monitors, then bring up the band's wedges which are getting the vocals and I'll ask the background singers and band to play for about 5 minutes during which I'll walk to where they are, listen to their mix and their monitors, and ask each one of them are they hearing what they need.

I'll have a radio wrangler putting mics on actors, meanwhile I'm at the console with headphones. My backstage wrangler has a open mic next to him, and as he gets an actor miced he say the actor's name and I'll hear it via his mic which I've already got soloed to my headphones. I'll then use my God mic to call out the actor's name, ask them to step onto stage and recite a few lines.

Since I've already worked thru tech with with the show, each actor's channel on the console has already been eq'ed to their voice. Usually, though, I'll have to trim up some gain since once we hit show night suddenly their level drops a bit.

Once I have the actor checked thru the headphones, I'll thank them and and by this time the next actor is ready.

I'll move thru all the actors this way. Then

Packs stay turned on from that point onward with a battery change and line check during intermission. Typically, during intermission, when the battery is swapped, all I have to do is solo the channel to check that the pack is working.

Once everyone is live and online, I'll ask the musical director to run thru a song or two. During the first song, I'll once again walk around stage, check the stage monitors for the band and background singers, visit the background singers to ensure their getting the actors, and visit the band to verify they're getting what they need.

By this time, everybody is hearing what they need, and even without FOH, it's sounding really good everywhere onstage and in the pit, or wings (where ever the band and background singers are).

I walk back to the console, and for the first time since starting the process, bring up the mains, and the room comes alive. I never, ever, get tired of that moment, 30 minutes before opening the house, where I go from monitors only to FOH and over about a 10 second span, bring levels to full house.

I'm the board op on an upcoming community theater musical, and this will be the first time I've worked with wireless head-worn mics. What's the correct procedure for a thorough pre-show soundcheck, and more importantly, what am I listening/watching for?

Rather than just go through the motions, I want to ensure (to the extent possible) that the mics are fitted properly, that they are working, and that they will deliver during the show.

 

[SHARYNF]

This process is very good and typically how it is done IF and this is a big IF the foh system has been properly installed

If you have to deal with mic levels and issues vs foh speakers then you are going to have to make adjustments

In addition,. again depending on the foh system you need to check monitors vs the foh speakers, so that the correct monitor level remains when the foh is running.

The method presented works great expecially if you have a input split and a mixer set up for monitors. If you are running monitors from FOH it depends on where the send if from is it Pre or post fader pre or post eq etc

be aware that during the performance the orchestra tend to get louder and so you may need to tweak monitors for on stage etc, and if the orchestra has monitors they might need to be adjusted.

All this if you have the setup and the personnel to run it is where a monitor position with a full split that can run independent of the foh makes things much easier.

Sharyn

 

[gpforet]

Very true, SHARYNF.

I'm hoping that no one waits until sound check to get the system running properly.

Load in, set-up, powering, and system setup is a completely different set of procedures.

I love it when I have a split and separate monitor engineer, but for all but the biggest shows, I'm doing both from FOH, and yep, the black sneakers get quite a workout during that 30 minutes of soundcheck.

Whether I'm working with bands or theatre, I try to ensure that the stage never relies of FOH to be able to hear anything.

Additionally, I only give the actors enough of themselves in the stage monitors so they can hear each other, otherwise, I find them speaking and singing with even less volume.

I guess all of this is to say that tech week is the time to take care of all of the sound "issues". Soundcheck is only for catching anything that may have "accidently" been changed, unplugged, or failed between the last tech rehearsal and opening night.

JonL (Jon was lighting designer) and I recently did a big show in Atlanta where we loaded in on Friday morning, were exposed to the show for the FIRST time friday afternoon, and due to late arrivals of the musicians, didn't get our first tech rehearsal until the next morning. Did ONE full rehearsal, ONE abbreviated rehearsal, and doors opened at 7:00 for a ONE NIGHT ONLY show.

This was a ful blown Gospel Drama/Musical with full band, backing singers, and 10 actors on wireless.

However, we were using the house system, Crest Century FOH console, flown EAW mains, understage EAW subs, and EAW sidefills and wedges.

Jon was working with an EON (I think), and we were both using the house crew. By the way, kudos to the crew at the Rialto Performing Arts Center. Everything worked, the system tech was top notch, I had the actors on E6s, bkvox on SM57, and the band was a combo of direct boxes, and condensors. Including effects I was near the 40 channel limit of the Century.

Probably the most exciting two days of my sound career.

 

[SHARYNF]

Sounds like you had fun. I guess when I see a post like this one from the OP I am assuming that you can assume nothing ;=)

I agree with:
Whether I'm working with bands or theatre, I try to ensure that the stage never relies of FOH to be able to hear anything.

except that the more you pump into the monitors (assuming wedges) the more the chance is that you are going to have more bleed you are going to have.

In addition and this is more with bands there definitely is an influence from FOH

typically as the night goes on and the performers ears start to get "tired" you are going to need to crank up the monitors, and also the monitor feed of the bass player to drummer becomes more important to keep them both in sync to that they can hear one another

Anyway just some "finer points" for discussion.

Sharyn

 

[jrbcjim]

Big thanks to SHARYNF and GPFORET for this very useful insight. You couldn't buy stuff like that if you tried.

And as follow up, if levels and such are set with an empty house, is there a rule of thumb you use to compensate for the absorption capacity of seats filled with warm bums?

 

[gpforet]

Depends on the show, and the house. For a rocking musical, I may go as high as 95db c-weighted which is really cooking for a theatrical show. And of course, If there's a full orchestra in the pit, it might take 95 to get the vocals to sit on top.

If it's a dramatic show, them I make sure I can understand each word being said without looking at the script. I actually repeat in my head the words of the actor. As long as the volume is loud enough to understand each word, then, IMHO, it's loud enough.

Big thanks to SHARYNF and GPFORET for this very useful insight. You couldn't buy stuff like that if you tried.

And as follow up, if levels and such are set with an empty house, is there a rule of thumb you use to compensate for the absorption capacity of seats filled with warm bums?

 

[jonliles]

...


Jon was working with an EON (I think), and we were both using the house crew. By the way, kudos to the crew at the Rialto Performing Arts Center.

It was the Ion with 2 full wings, & 2 touch screens. I was a pretty swet setup. Load a look and go.

The Rialto Crew is TOP NOTCH.

The contract guy working Sound FOH (gforet) is a bit sketchy though. Sorry G- I had too!

 

[TimmyP1955]

Packs stay turned on from that point onward with a battery change and line check during intermission. Typically, during intermission, when the battery is swapped, all I have to do is solo the channel to check that the pack is working.

What kind of battery gobbling wireless are you using? We turn our packs on by half six for a half seven show, the show ends at ten and the packs are off by half ten. We get two nights out of a set of batteries.

 

[chrispo86]

What kind of battery gobbling wireless are you using? We turn our packs on by half six for a half seven show, the show ends at ten and the packs are off by half ten. We get two nights out of a set of batteries.

I wish we got that kind of life out of our batteries. We too usually switch out the batteries around intermission. Never more than one show...

 

[gpforet]

Shure U1 packs, 2 AA batteries. With the low price of Procells, I like the peace of mind knowing the batteries are new.

Typically, the rental house I work with collects the basket of used (but still good batteries) and donates them to a homeless shelter.

What kind of battery gobbling wireless are you using? We turn our packs on by half six for a half seven show, the show ends at ten and the packs are off by half ten. We get two nights out of a set of batteries.

 

[GreyWyvern]

Wow. That is both extremes! I wouldn't feel safe going two shows on one battery, but I also wouldn't go to the trouble of changing batteries at intermission. I can't imagine the batteries not lasting an entire show, that's crazy. They should last at least 4 hours. TimmyP, what are you doing to extend the life of your batteries? And chrispo, what are you doing that is sucking the life out of the batteries? :shock:

 

[chrispo86]

Wow. That is both extremes! I wouldn't feel safe going two shows on one battery, but I also wouldn't go to the trouble of changing batteries at intermission. I can't imagine the batteries not lasting an entire show, that's crazy. They should last at least 4 hours. TimmyP, what are you doing to extend the life of your batteries? And chrispo, what are you doing that is sucking the life out of the batteries? :shock:

I have no idea, there's a reason I primarily do lighting!

Alas, the sound system is being completely overhauled starting next week, so all those packs will be gone within a month anyway...

 

[mixmaster]

Understand that most things like monitor mixes and levels, channel eqing, and effects have been set during tech week. And now is not the time to start messing with monitor levels unless a musician or actor specifically asks for something and make sure you understand what they are asking for before making any changes to monitors. The same goes for eqing mics. By this time you've run thru the show, and hopefully have each actor's mic eqed to their voice. So, all of this assumed you've done your homework during tech week and the system is ready to do.

A week??? You get a week??? That must be nice. I've been doing Community theatre on and off since I graduated High School, I've never gotten a whole week...Here's another perspective.
Director decides on Monday of tech week that he doesn't like how things sound, a problem that he brings up during notes AFTER the rehearsal. On Tuesday you demonstrate that underfunded, underequipped theatre just doesn't have the gear to get the Broadway-like sound that the director wants, so the director has to release the funds to rent whatever, which gets ordered and arrives on Thursday. First thing you do is put brand new batteries in anything wireless, because not all rental houses do that and it's better to be safe than sorry. Deliver wireless mics to the dressing room, Set out your mics for the band and hope for the best, cause you have just one night of rehearsal.
Gain is the most important thing at this point. Cue up the mics in the cans, as they come out. Get your input levels set. Then bring it up into the house. I prefer to start with the house first for two reasons. 1) I'm there doing my job for the benefit of the patrons first and foremost. If the need arises, actors and performers can do their thing under less than ideal situations, but if the audience can't hear, or see, or aren't happy,they won't come back or tell their friends,which hurts revenue. The big things that I'm listening for are clarity and tone, in that order. The words in the house should be easily understood, and closely match the tone of the performer as you hear them without a system. EQ as needed. Hollow, metallic, or ringing sounds may indicate feedback potential, which should be addressed before you make the problem worse by adding monitors. After you a comfy with the sound in the house, ask who needs to hear stuff in the wedges. Mix wedges as needed. Since you have the house set you'll know when the wedges get to loud and start competing with the house mix, and the actors can hear the interactions of the wedges and the room and get used to it, rather than having the room and speaker wash get dumped on them if you had done monitors first. Find time to walk the stage. Listen for feedback and clarity, tone is less relevant make sure that the performers are hearing what they need. Less is usually more with monitors, but remember, the monitors are there to help the performers, not "sound good" to you.
If you are lucky to get all of this done in whatever is left of tech rehearsal that's great. If you have a digital board that can save your settings, that's even better. If not, take good notes. Day of show, If you get lucky enough to get a full soundcheck that's fine, otherwise you can recall your settings or check your notes from the night before, have a stage hand talk into band mics, or catch an instrumentalist tuning, for a quick line check. I usually try to work with a costume assistant or stage manage to find a way to get a line check done on any body mics, although I rarely seem to have time to get each one out on stage for a full sound check.
Remember, deep breath, it's called combat audio for a reason.
Matt

 

[gcpsoundlight]

On a lot of proffesional productions that come here, every main actor will have TWO packs, and all batteries changed at interval. The (still perfectly good) batteries then go in to WHEELIE BINS which are placed at stage door with boxes. Didn't buy batteries for 4 years!

 

[TimmyP1955]

We are using EW100G3 with E6. We just turn 'em on and go

There is some variability in how long the batteries last, even with the same actor/character from one performance to the next. Sometimes there's still 3 bars when I fire 'em up the second night, sometimes only 2 bars. If there's only 2 bars, I'll be cautious and put in new batteries. The 2 bar batteries go in the "rehearsal, assisted listening, and flashlights" box, or they might go in the pack of a character who has fewer lines (the batteries seem to last longer when they are transmitting less dialog over the course of the evening).

 

[howlingwolf487]

...f levels and such are set with an empty house, is there a rule of thumb you use to compensate for the absorption capacity of seats filled with warm bums?

Not really, other than waterbags...er, audience members absorb high frequencies better than low frequencies. The sound will tend to dull as the seats are filled. However, and this was true in my university auditorium, you will also notice a "tightening up" of the audio overall. My take on it is that there are less reflective surfaces in the space since people are there and absorbing/scattering the reflections. Our auditorium had a nasty 12dB low-end hump from like 200Hz down when empty, but when people were seated/standing, it was a totally different story. So, you had to soundcheck for the filled room and not the empty room.

Then there's how sound is affected by temperature and humidity...take a look at this article by Dave Rat. It applies to any live sound environment.

 

[SHARYNF]

Most modern PAC seats are designed so that their absorption characteristics are similar to a person to avoid just this problem

Sharyn

 

[Morpheus]

Most modern PAC seats are designed so that their absorption characteristics are similar to a person to avoid just this problem

Sharyn

And if you're at the other 90% of spaces?

 

[gpforet]

Specifically in theatre spaces, I don't experience much high freq. absortion difference between a full and an empty house.

I do agree the room sounds like it tightens up, but from my perspective it's usually because I'm beginning to push the system a little hotter becuase no matter how quet people think they are, a room with 300 quiet people still tend to make some noise and I try to get the house at least 6 db (during the quietest segments) over the house noise.

And if you're at the other 90% of spaces?