Whether you’re a new performing musician running your own sound through a battery operated amp, a seasoned touring pro with a crew or, like myself, a touring seasoned pro who mostly runs his own sound, one thing is for certain—you must have a good sound check! The actual engineering of a thorough sound check could fill a book, and it does, I want to offer a few tips from my decades of experience.
I’ve produced many shows, toured with a band and solo for decades, played huge festivals with tens of thousands and served as MC and stage manager. You only get this short time to make sure your set or concert sound great and nothing, nothing, is more off putting to the audience than poor sound.
If you are doing your own sound:
- Organize and test your gear before you ever leave your door. I unwrap every cable and cord, adapter, plug it in, and test it to make sure it works sometime before the gig. I can’t stress this enough. And then re-wrap the all organized into your gear bag putting the cables you need first on top. For God’s sake learn and teach your friends to wrap cables correctly. http://lifehacker.com/six-ways-to-wrap-your-cables-like-a-pro-1443520196 And buy FRESH batteries for anything that needs it.
- Get to the gig at least 2 hours early. This is assuming you can get into the venue. Don’t waste a single minute. TAPE A PIECE OF PAPER ON THE DOOR THAT READS “CLOUSED SOUND CHECK IN PROGRESS. PLEASE BE QUIET.” If you don’t do this friends everyone and anyone who just “wants to say hi” will intrude. Recently I had a venue owner giving a tour of his space DURING my sound check. His voice became a grating drone like a chain smoking old fridge. I simply stopped and sat down on stage waiting. Luckily the guests got the message and apologized. This is NOT a private concert or preview time. It is for YOU and You alone to dial in your levels, sounds, check EVERY instrument and MIC. Once things are set leave it all alone and go get dressed but put your important instruments in their case or out of site otherwise people will play them. I don’t know why but they do and it makes me homicidal too.
- Put some identifying Tape on your cables and cords. Tell your helpers/sherpas to ONLY touch those cables and cords. Put away the most important adapters first. Put your name on everything that is yours!
- Don’t do FULL songs for your sound check. Just do enough to hear what the room sounds like remembering that bodies absorb sound so you’ll need to be slightly louder. This is not a performance. Do not acknowledge the hangers on in the room. AT ALL. Unless it’s someone you trust to know your levels they shouldn’t be there and it will change your vibe. Be assertive yet gentle saying that you get really nervous or some shit so please could you have the room empty. IF that doesn’t work just ask if they could carry on their conversation elsewhere. I do this ALL the time. No apologies. You don’t start chatting with a professional athlete when they are warming up or stretching. This is about focus and most people honestly, don’t know what that is.
- IF possible, give yourself an hour after soundcheck to prep. In my case I have to unload, set up my merch table, lighting, mic stands, PA system, cash drawer and find a bathroom to change clothes. It’s daunting to then seem as placid and together to deliver two hours of beautiful music. Give yourself some space and quiet time. It’s not a party; you are working and helping people escape their daily lives in most cases. You’ve rehearsed, practiced, sacrificed and are ready for this, but you need a few moments of solitude to focus and find the zone. Usually the bathroom is the only place for me.
IF you have a sound person:
- Go introduce yourself to that sound person. Carry a cup of coffee or something—it’s just a prop. Keep it brief and don’t go into your ego story or who you know. They are NOT impressed and that isn’t the goal here. You are both pros who need to focus and have a ton of details. If you haven’t already sent in your stage plot and input list have one ready. Though in my experience they rarely look it so be able to explain how many inputs you need, Direct Boxes (DI’s), Mic stands, monitors, electricity etc. I travel with my own effects unit (FX), because there are so many different Reverb units etc. that dialing in the one you want during sound check could have hours alone.
- ON stage tell your bandmates that only ONE person at a time will play. No noodling. Drummers are the worst LOL. Be a pro. Don’t chitchat on stage. If you need more in the monitor give the thumbs up or down to indicate that. Remember feedback is often caused by too loud a stage volume so keep the monitor level conservative. Trust the sound person and Learn your own sound needs so you are figuring it out on stage.
- At festivals you will have between 5 and 20 minutes to set up and sound check. I know I know it’s crazy. But knowing that be ready. Do you really need 6 pedals? Won’t one high end FX unit handle it all? This all means you need to prepare way ahead. Keep your focus on stage by looking serious enough that your buds out there won’t keep yelling at you to check your fly.
I could go on and on and on, but I’ll close here by saying to have a good time. After all we are entertainers. That being said you wouldn’t go on a long trip with checking your oil, tire pressure, fuel level etc. Approach every gig with seriousness and focus beforehand and save yourself some draining frustration.
What’s been your experience sound checking or post your comments and questions.
Randy