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Category: Live Event Sound

Speaker Systems

James

Introduction to Speaker Systems

Most speaker systems will use a simple “Stereo” system. A speaker on the left, and on the right of the performance area. This has the effect of making the sound come from between the two sources. Sounds like a good plan? Well, only when you are the same distance from each speaker. If you are off to the side, sound will arrive at different times from each speaker. This coupled with being closer to one making it sound louder means the stereo effect is lost on most positions apart from directly between them. Sometimes the fact that there is one on each side is for coverage purposes. If you have a stereo audio track with instruments or voices panned hard left and right, you may not hear the intended track if you are not in the firing line of both speakers.

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The Ins and Out of Audio Signal Paths

Peter

One of the most important things to understand if you are operating any kind of sound desk whether in a live or studio environment is the Audio Signal Path.

It took me a good while to see the significance of understanding the signal path on the sound desk I was using. I thought that, because there was a button for everything, I could just wing it. I could always find what I wanted and away I went. Until it goes wrong, and you can’t understand why you’re not getting the results you want from the desk.

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Fault Finding

James

Fault finding is a brilliant skill to have. The best at it are those who take a step back and think outside the box – so as not to waste time on something that is less likely to have a fault. Oh and btw, it’s always the jack lead. (that the guitarist has bought with him) Read More

Microphones

James

How does a microphone work?

A microphone is a type of transducer. It converts sound pressure waves into electrical signals that can then be manipulated and amplified. Different technologies are used in different types of microphone to pickup the sound pressure wave. Some are better at picking up different frequencies compared to others and are therefore more suited to particular jobs.

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What is Sound? – The Basics

Peter

Sound is vibration through a medium such as air or water. This vibration causes a mechanical pressure and displacement of particles, the frequency of which affects the pitch and the amplitude of which affects the volume. A good analogy for sound is dropping rocks into a pond. A big rock makes large ripples (waves) and travels further. The smaller rock makes smaller ripples (waves) and doesn’t travel as far. Sound travels at 330mps.

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Decibels, Pressure & levels

James

DeciBel

There was once a bloke called Alexander Graham Bell who you may know invented the telephone? Well he also invented a unit of measurement called the Bel. A 10th of a Bel is a Decibel. A Decibel or dB is used to express the difference between two values – often a measurement and a reference value.

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