The differences between studio engineering and live sound are like the differences between reality shows and real life.
One is manufactured. It’s designed to be as appealing as possible and there’s little concern for realism. The other is about experiencing something in the moment and reacting to situations in real time. They both have their ups and downs (*wink wink*), and while they may seem essentially the same, we all know there’s a world of difference.
What I’m trying to say here, is just because you know your way around logic, Ableton, pro tools, FL studio etc doesn’t mean you’re qualified to run a live show. It’s equal parts signal flow, miking technique, ear training, problem-solving, psychology, yelling and good customer service is key.😁 We're gonna start with a word many newbies to sound hardly use or even understand (just a brush up before the main stuff) called "signal flow"
Let’s take it from the top.
SIGNAL FLOW
The most important skill you can have as a live sound engineer is a solid understanding of signal flow. Without it, there’s no music, and you’re not much of an engineer at all, actually.
You need to know where the signal is coming from, where it needs to go and how to get it there at all times. In order to do that, you need to know how all the pieces of the PA system work together.
For the purposes of this article, we’re going to use a passive analog PA system to run front of house and monitors, in order to demonstrate how everything works in full detail, stay hooked for more to come...
Stay Sound.
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