Street Talk: So Much Has Changed, Yet…
Is it time to get back to basics?
By
Ivan Schwartz
Alarge mixing console at mission-control is enveloped by the cool glow
of computer monitors. Racks filled with a dazzling array of signal processors
surround the mix position. Long dark forms of large line arrays hang above
each side of the stage.
All at once the stage lights up, the crowd goes wild, the band starts
to play… And it sounds like you’re back in the ‘70s. Vocals are unintelligible,
guitars lack clarity, the bass is a droning tone, and the drums have no
punch.
The front-of-house engineer seems to be trying to get things under control,
so you figure all will be well after a couple of songs. A half hour goes
by, not much has improved, so you decide to walk the room to see how it
sounds in other areas. A short time later, your ears are ringing and you
begin to ponder the state (and fate) of our industry.
So much has changed over the years why isn’t the end result universally
better?
THE ADVANTAGES
There have been amazing changes in equipment over the past two decades.
All-in-one loudspeaker systems have replaced individual low, mid, and
high cabinets. Networked audio transport, control, and monitoring are
commonplace on large tours. Digital mixing consoles offer total recall
capabilities and dynamics on every channel. Power amplifiers are higher
in power, less expensive, and lighter in weight.
Anyone with a laptop PC can have great audio test and measurement capabilities
for around a thousand dollars. And a plethora of signal processing choices
are available, ranging from retro tube designs to tremendous computing
power in a single rack space. We pretty much have even conquered (drum
roll please!) the “which pin is hot?” XLR dilemma.
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So why doesn’t every show sound great? I’m not talking about the
sonic aesthetics of mixing nearly as much as the ability to provide
a good interface between input to mixing console and acoustic output
within a given venue. |
While I love to investigate and debate the latest and greatest piece of
equipment, no magic black box is going to save a poorly implemented system
or a bad mix. I remember (here comes the old man talking again) when we
didn’t have computer-based acoustic test and measurement systems. And
when we didn’t have all-in-one loudspeaker systems that were the result
of many man-years of research.
What we did have was a pile of gear and a desire to get the most out of
what we had. Maybe desire is the wrong word; let’s try a NEED to get the
most of out what we had, since what we had wasn’t much!
MAGICAL MOMENTS
I know that acoustic memory can be misleading, but even in those “dark
ages” we had some amazing sounding shows. The type where the hair stands
up on the back of your neck and you can’t believe just how great it sounds.
Those magical moments which remind us why we’ve made a questionable vocational
choice in the first place.
Fast-forward 20-plus years: what does any of this have to do with the
state of our industry today? Simply, (at least sometimes) we used to be
able to deliver amazing results through application of whatever knowledge
we could muster at the time, combined with a healthy counterbalance of
common sense.
Much of this is the audio basics still taught in Syn-Aud-Con classes to
this day: setting up proper system gain from mixing console through to
amplifiers; aiming loudspeaker systems to cover as much of the audience
as possible without directing large amounts of acoustic energy towards
reflective surfaces; setting system controllers properly first and then
using minimal equalization to fine-tune the rig.
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In other words, keeping things simple. And understanding how your equipment performs, not just how it works. One of the most important basics is getting better acquainted with your gear, especially anything with an input and an output. Spend many an hour with even the smallest mixing console, running signals through it and monitoring the results with both test equipment and your ears. How does the mic pre sound at different gain levels? Does anything other than signal level change when routed through subgroups and at different fader positions? When does clipping actually occur, and how does this relate to visual clip indicators? |
Knowing the workings of your equipment to this degree of detail not only
makes for a better operator (or mixer or engineer or whatever you want
to term it), but also goes a long way to fostering better evaluation of
new equipment in the future. Obviously, learning the limitations of your
equipment in the shop is preferable to finding out at the gig!
HINDRANCE OR HELP?
When these basics are understood, then additional equipment can add small,
incremental yet noticeable increases in overall sound quality. Without
these basics, additional equipment will typically become more of a hindrance
than help.
Will you actually be able to hear the difference that cool new black box
makes while running sound in a hockey arena? Will you be spending more
time tweaking the knobs on the box than getting a good basic mix of the
band? Will you be watching your computer display rather than paying attention
to the stage?
We’re all guilty of adding complexity to our lives, and running sound
is no exception. Do we really need to have dynamics inserted on every
channel for a one-off show? Are audio subgroups definitely needed, or
can VCA subgroups be assigned on the fly during the first few songs?
Too often we’re scrambling around manipulating a tremendously complex
signal path, meanwhile missing a simple task such as bringing up a fader
during the guitar solo.
A system can be complex and sound good, but it doesn’t have to be complex
to sound good. The simpler the routing, and the less equipment in the
signal path, the more you can concentrate on the mix and the sound, rather
than the gear.
It’s easy to get so caught up in the technology that the basics get lost.
Perhaps we need to step back, remember those magical gigs of the past,
and think about how those results were obtained. Chances are, that mental
processing was just as important as fancy signal processing.
Based in the Seattle-area, Ivan C. Schwartz is a pro audio industry veteran providing market and product development services to equipment manufacturers. He has been involved for over 25 years in mixing and both portable and installed sound system design and implementation. Ivan can be reached at ivan.schwartz@verizon.net
September 2003 Live Sound International