r/livesoundadvice

I am a second year computer science and mathematics student, and I am feeling a little bit torn. I am most likely ending up in data science, whose job security is really the only thing that attracts me to it. Love my classes, hate the desk job future.

However, I have a lot of live sound experience. I was my high school theater's A1 all 4 years (and before that learned how to operate a sound board in middle school), which I know doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things but by my junior year I was the expert on the audio equipment. Long story short, my technical director left and they just... didn't hire another one who knew anything about audio because (their words, not mine) they had me. Sucked, but I learned a ton because I had to resort to manuals, online forums, etc. instead of asking a teacher/mentor. Also trained the student who took over A1 after I graduated, which taught me a lot.

In college, I got a job as a production assistant at my school's orchestra hall, where I mix orchestras/talks both in the house and on ProTools for livestream. I absolutely adore the job.

I am still really tight with my former high school technical director who taught me basically everything I know, and I have worked with him to do a little outdoor concert thing, helping mix and set up equipment which was fun.

Every time I think about letting go of live sound it makes me really sad, but I have no idea how I would balance a full-time corporate tech job with this. Being an A1 at a concert venue or something is kinda a dream of mine, but I am extremely hesitant because of the pay, weird hours, and having to deal with difficult performers. Another thing is that I really haven't seen ANY female A1s, and as a woman I do not know how smart it would be to put myself in that situation.

I would love advice from people who have live sound as a hobby along with a full time job, women in the field, or really any one who has a solid opinion on this!

Hello. We would like to set up a live music setup at an events company. the plan is to get bands in and for a start we will be playing to 500 to 1000 people. as we grow we can grow the setup as eventually we would like to be playing to crowds of 2000 people. the current setup we are looking at: Agera 15" Speakers x 12

Agera 18" Subs x 6

Allen & Heath SQ5 Mixer + 2 Dx 168 Stage Racks

Mics and cables will be purchased too.

Can anyone tell me if im on the right track ?

Thank you

Hello! I'm mixing this festival, it is my first mixing a festival this big, and I'm on the production company's Yamaha dm7 which I have never used before since we could not fly with my own behringer Wing. Do you have any piece of advice for me? I prepared some info for the monitor guy and we advanced our tech rider

Thank you!

Hello sound people,

This is my first EVER Reddit post, so please forgive me if I mess this up.

Here is my situation. I've played in bands for 20+ years. I've done a lot of DIY shows and owned several PA systems for rehearsal spaces and backyard shows. Not a problem. But...I'm a grown up now and an active member of my town. I have been helping out by doing sound at our Community Day fair. We have an outdoor bandshell and groups play (rock bands, mostly) to an area the size of a football field. I've done this two years in row and have gotten by with this gear:

Mackie DL16SE mixer (with an iPad)

Two Behringer NX3000 power amps feeding the mains: Four 15" Peavey 400W speaker cabs.

I use an old Peavey XR8600 powered mixer to feed the monitors and run two separate mixes (front and drummer). I use 12" wedge monitors I got off FB Marketplace and they work great.

This whole set up is probably archaic, but it is really all I know from playing DIY punk shows.

Here is an issue: I have noticed that when I have to really push the vocals (some singers are REALLY quiet and their band is really loud) I can start to hear clipping.

My question is, what can I do to level up this system? Is the answer as easy as Sub-woofers? If so, tell me more. If not, please tell me what could help.

Thanks!!

I've worked on gigs for typical rock/pop groups, but a symphonic rock ensemble is coming up to the venue and I wanted some help to clear up some ideas.

The ensemble consists of:

• 3 voices
• 1 drum kit
• 1 electric bass (amp + DI)
• 3 electric guitars (amps)
• 2 keyboards (DI)
• 1 flute
• 2 trumpets
• 1 sax
• 1 trombone
• 6 violins

We have plenty of:

• SM58
• SM57
• Beta 98H/C
• Beta 98D/S

A pair of SM81 and two Beta 52.

I've mic'd string quartets with the Beta 98s with good results.

I usually use the SM81s as drum overheads, but the venue doesn't really need them. I feel they could be better suited for something else.

My biggest concern is the brass section, which I haven't worked with much. The venue is medium-sized, and I'm not sure they need microphones. Although I could use the Beta 98s as well.

How would you use the equipment we have to offer an enjoyable gig?

Hi, I'm a FOH mixer and I'd love to start touring with my own outboard gear. I'm going to buy an H9 for modulation effects and I'm looking into reverbs.

I heard about the UAD Golden, OTO Bam and BigSky as main options. What are your opinions on those ? Any other underdogs ?

I'm usually working for indie / americana / pop / rock stuff. I don't really care about lushy-slushy shimmery sounds, I'm more into beautiful but simple rooms, plates, halls that just fit in the mix nicely. I'll get the modulated sounds from the H9 anyway.

It could be a pedal but also a rack, even though for example I would fear that if I buy a Lexicon PCM70 for 800 euros I'd be very frustrated to have it die on me a year later..

Anyway thanks for your recommandations !

Just fired up my xr18 for first time in 8 months or so and i can no longer connect to it with the ipad i have always used. the XAIR app opens and closes when im connected to the xr18.

Ive redownloaded the app and reset the xr18 now im at a loss any advice would be great thanks.

I’ve seen a lot of different answers in my search, so I figured I’d start up this conversation again.

I’m about to start the journey of building an IEM rack for one of my bands, with the hope that I can use said rack to be contracted to work with other folks/MD etc…

I also do recording in a studio environment and ideally would like to be able to get contracted for more live recording work as well.

My main question is as far as splitting goes, what is the norm these days regarding isolated or passive splitters? Having a split snake seems like the quickest and least cable-iest way to do things, however most of the more budget friendly ones are not isolated.

I’m not worried about phantom power being an issue since we won’t be using ribbons and I know voltages won’t add up if both parties were to accidentally send it, my main concern is consistency and quality. A big plus would be to not piss off my sound crew. I’ve heard that RMI can become an issue with non isolated options, as well as ground loop issues. So I’m curious from the engineer perspective if someone handing you a non isolated tail from a split is a big no no. Alternatively if anyone has any experience with non isolated splits being a problem or not that is helpful as well.

Some options I was looking at regarding splitting for IEM/live recording use were Seismic Audio split snakes (I am aware of durability concerns there), behringer sm8000, CAT rack splitters. I’d love to hear any other suggestions that might fall into these price ranges.

I'm having a brain fart here, and doing a quick refresher on running live audio.

A client I'm working with uses these JBL wireless mics. The receiver for the wireless mics uses a TS 1/4".

My mixing board only takes XLR mic inputs (onyx preamps) and TRS/TS line inputs (no preamp).
I'm waiting for my TRS female to XLR male adapters to come in the mail, but I'm not sure if I'll get them on time.

Questions:

1. Could I use a audio interface, specifically a Focusrite 2i4, to take the mic input, output it via line output, into the line input of a mixing board?
2. Also, on a Focusrite 2i4, for purposes of using channels 1 and 2 for these wireless mics, do I set the channel input to "instrumental"?

Hello,

I’ve been running sound at venue for about 8 months now. I’ve had to learn how to use a Midas M32 from YouTube videos and learning on the fly. I’ve put a lot of work in and I feel that I can now comfortably handle any type of situation/show that is thrown at me.

Long story short, I was running DIY shows at my friend’s restaurant with a very simple PA setup. The shows started doing well so they started regularly happening. They moved into a much larger venue and bought the Midas M32 and asked me to learn how to use it.

I typically run shows at least twice a week, and all I ask for doing so is a $100 cut from the door. Aside from doing the sound I’m also checking in bands and distributing drink tickets, and also dividing up door at the end of the night to pay myself and performers. Sometimes I book shows altogether.

I’ve never really considered this as a career path. But since I’m doing it so often, and how much work I’ve been putting in, I’m curious, is $100 a fair amount to charge? Should I start charging more? I appreciate any and all responses.

Btw I’m sorry to the mods, I don’t know what a user flair is I’m just trying to get some advice here.

Im trying to run samples through the PA at shows while our drummer has a click track in his ears, ive got a two channel mixer that would connect to my macbook, what do i need to connect it to the PA for sound to effectively come out of the PA and not my macbook?