One of the most vital roles of the coordinators and crew is to run a live show seamlessly. However, making a show look effortless actually takes a lot of effort. Setting up a sound system for live concerts and shows considers both technical and strategic aspects.
You may be a music enthusiast with interest in audio technology. Or you can be a musician aiming to take your live show to the next level. Whichever you are, knowing how to set up a sound system for a live concert is essential.
Here we will explore the significant sound equipment required for setting up a sound system for a live show.
Vital Sound Equipment For A Live Concert Set-Up
Here is the list of essential sound equipment for a live concert sound system set-up. We will learn about their functionality in brief.
Speakers Or Amplifiers
You must have different types of speakers and amplifiers to set the sound system for a live concert. It includes the main speaker, stage monitoring speakers, and amplifiers for various instruments.
Microphone And Microphone Stands
Condenser and dynamic both are essential types of microphones for a live concert. You must acquire microphones for different vocalists and musicians’ instruments. Finally, microphone stands are a must for convenience.
Live Mixing Digital Audio Workstations
You can find Digital Audio Workstations for live concerts just like you get them for recording studios. It can replace the mixing board for some instances as it does the same job without taking extra space.
Cables To Connect Equipment
Get an adequate quantity of cables to connect the devices with each other. Make sure to check the connections and variety of cables that you need for different purposes. These types of wires are TRS, XLR, RCA, TS, etc.
Mixing Boards
You can purchase your mixing board according to the venue. Smaller venues require a simpler mixing board hosting fewer channels. On the other hand, a mixing board for a larger or open-door venue can be more complex, hosting many channels.
PA System
Last but not least is a PA system or public address system. Your PA system must be durable and must not interfere with the other on-stage equipment.
Step By Step Guide To Set Up Sound System For Live Concert
From the list above, you must already note down the necessary sound equipment you may need. Now, below is a step-by-step guideline with which you will be able to set up a sound system for a live concert.
Step 1: Make The Stage Layout
The very first step is to know the venue properly. If you do not determine the stage layout, putting things in the right places will be difficult. So, this step includes the following things:
Place The Speakers Mindfully
You must place the speakers in the places where the sound reaches everybody in the audience. Take an example of multi channel home theatre, which has multiple speakers designed to produce surround sounds. Similarly, you must place the speakers accordingly to get the maximum of the audience.
It is ideal for placing speakers on either side of the stage for maximum lateral coverage. In addition, you must place some speakers a little bit higher to make the sound reach the back row audience. Lastly, keep the mics at the back of the speakers for no mic feedback.
Locate The Mixer At An Ideal Place
The ideal location of a mixer is right in the middle of the stage and the audience. Thus, you get to hear what they are listening to.
Check The Cable Pathways
Placing the cables at places where it is safe for people and performers to walk around is vital. You must keep the wires at the corners of the stages as much as possible to avoid any tripping.
Step 2: Connect To The Power
After getting all these done, let’s connect everything to the power. This step is not a hard one as you just need to check the power once and connect the system with it.
Step 3: Set The Mixer At Default
Next up is to set the mixer at its default setting. The reason behind this is to avoid any unpleasant surprise from the settings done by the last user. Once you have the default settings, you can tweak and change them to make your unique settings.
Step 4: Connect Speaker To The Mixer
Once you have completed the settings of your mixer, it is time to connect it with the speaker.
Primary Speaker
It is ideal for connecting the main output of the mixer to the main speaker. Sync the output sides with the speaker’s side, like connecting the mixer’s left output to the left speaker’s input and vice-versa.
Stage Monitor Amplifier
Stage monitor amplifiers are ideal to co0nnect with the auxiliary output of your system.
Step 5: Connect Mics To The Mixer
Now connect your microphones with your system. You will mostly see the condenser and dynamic microphones in live concerts.
Step 6: Test The System
Now, after all the hard work, it is time to test the entire system to see if they are running correctly. Starting with the lowest volume is ideal, and then you can check the sound by playing some music on your device. You can finally do some last moment tweaks like amplifier or microphone adjustments.
Final Words
So, these are all for the step-by-step guide on how to set a sound system for a live show. As a sound engineer, you may face challenges throughout this process. However, it is more about learning and continually working with a wide range of equipment competently.
You can share these tips and guidelines with others who may require them. Also, keep reading more of our content if you like it.
Jesus Jackson is a freelance content writer and enthusiastic blogger. He loves to share his Thoughts, ideas and experience with the through blogging. Jesus Jackson is associated with exclusiverights , voiceofaction , techrab , newsstoner, newsprof
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