What's live sound? Live sound is essentially setting up and
running a sound-system for a type of performance, whether it be musical
or theatrical.
Sometimes it only involves a couple of speakers and a microphone for
conferences, other times it involves a huge P.A. system complete with
separate monitor mixing stations and backline. Whatever the case is,
there's always a need for a sound-technician of some sort to run
it.
For me, setting up and mixing concerts is extremely enjoyable. It's one of my favorite aspects of the audio industry. Sure, it has a lot of heavy lifting and horrible hours but being a part of a band's great performance comes second to none.
It combines the working class attitude with an artistic mentality. You have to be on top of things when it comes to equipment malfunctioning but also be able to appreciate and enhance a musician's soulful performance.
Do you have an entrepreneurial spirit? If you love sound reinforcement and want to start your own business, there are many great ways you can set up a live sound business. One of them, is getting yourself a portable sound system and running sound whenever you want, wherever you want!
Are you interested in on location recording? How about the ability to record, mix and bounce a whole concert in under an hour? Here's a great idea for an on location recording idea for the audio entrepreneur
Planning for a gig? Here is a great guide for those small to medium gigs.
After you pack and set up for a live event, you need to be able to listen your PA speakers correctly. Check out how to test PA speakers with your favorite CDs, using your love of music to calibrate different sound system.
There are a few different roles to play in the sound reinforcement industry.
These are the people you see in the sheds at the back of the venue fiddling with buttons. They are controlling the sound you hear.
These guys usually stay at the side or back of the stage helping the band with the on-stage sound. They control the monitors that make the band hear themselves.
These are the roadies. I like to call them runners because when something goes wrong on stage they come running to fix it. Roadies also play a vital role when setting up the sound systems. These are usually the worst paid and overworked people of the whole crew. But they still love what they are doing, because there is a certain vibe to working with huge P.A.s and even bigger bands.
From my experiences in the sound reinforcement industry, I am able to give you a fair amount of tips and useful articles related to a broad variety of subjects regarding everything in sound reinforcement. From gig planning and relationship building to monitor mixing big bands and FOH mixing tips, these articles are here for your enjoyment although I hope you can learn from them as well.
I'd love to hear your stories and experiences with live sound. Whether you're a die hard sound-tech with loads of experience or a band that's had to deal with shitty sound-techs, tell us here!
Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...
In Ear Monitor Virgins 




I was playing drums in a small venue trio a few years back. We had experienced a lot of problems trying to get a good balance between our monitors and …...
BAD MICS AND EFFECTS 




Beware of bands that claim they have their own microphones and effects processors. Recently, I allowed a band to provide their own wireless microphones …...
Building a church youth sound system Not rated yet
Question I am building a live sound reinforcement system for a church's youth program.
I know about equipment and signal flow. My issue is that I've …...
Working With The Sound System Not rated yet
Hi there, I've had a horrible experience with live sound.. I'm in a rock band..
We were practicing just fine in the studio.. but when we actually played …...
RUNAWAY SOUNDMAN Not rated yet
I play in a rock cover/originals band. I had the displeasure of working with a soundman in a small club near my hometown. His overconfidence must have …...
Rock Guitarist Not rated yet
The front person of my rock band insists that all instruments run though the floor monitors when performing.
I have never run anything but vocals through …...
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