What is that SOUND? Football Stadium

I was asked to evaluate a local high school's stadium sound system. They were getting a lot of complaints about inadequate sound and needed to find a solution quickly. When I arrived at the facility, I was met by the Athletic Director and escorted into the stadium. I immediately went out to the 50 yard line and looked to the press box to get a better view of the space. Here is what I saw:

Looking at the press box, I noticed 2 full range speakers on the roof spaced pretty evenly and directed out at the bleachers. On each end of the bleachers was a light pole with a speaker attached to it, directed back toward the bleachers. These speakers were all weather horns, not full range cabinets like the press box. The bleachers spanned almost the entire length of the football field; approximately 220-240 feet. The distance from each light pole to the press box was approximately 80-100 feet.

The opposite side of the field, which was at my back as I faced the press box, had only a small set of bleachers that appeared to be for the visiting marching band. There were no speakers on this side of the field, only the 2 main cabinets on top of the press box that were facing that direction.

As I stood at mid-field processing everything that I was looking at, I turned to the AD and said, " I don't even need to hear your system at all, I guarantee you I know what your biggest problem is". He was eager to hear my assessment. What was it? And what would be the solution?

Go to our website to submit your evaluation. Click here if you need to download the picture of the stadium for a better view. Post any comments or questions that you may have, or email me. You never know, I may be feeling generous that day and offer some helpful advice. Good luck and have fun. We look forward to seeing your submissions!

The first 2 correct submissions will receive a new Good Sound Studio T-shirt.

Remember: If it can't be heard, it can't be Good!

What is that SOUND?

This is a new segment of our blog that allows readers to find solutions to everyday problems that we encounter in our business. A situation will be described with just enough information provided that should allow you to identify what the significant problem is; provided you have some background in sound reproduction. Describe what the problem is in detail and then how it would be corrected. Some situations may have several possible problems and/or solutions while others may only have one.

Simply read the scenario and then click the link to complete the form and submit your evaluation and solution. At times there will be opportunities to win free stuff or receive special discounts. Have fun and lets see if we can figure out the answer to the ever perplexing question: "What is that SOUND?"

Running Sound for Houses of Worship: Keep It Simple!

If you are someone who is involved with running sound for your church then you know how hectic and chaotic it can be when several people have their hands on the sound board. Many churches have to rely on volunteers to handle this responsibility and while these folks truly have a desire to serve, they lack the basic fundamental skills required by sound technician to adequately provide quality service. And of course everyone has their own opinions about how to do things. So when you have 6 different people taking turns at the sound board, it can only lead to disaster!

But, it doesn't have to be that bad. With a little bit of time and attention to setting up the board correctly, you can greatly simplify things so that sound can be consistent from week to week. Here are a few tips that might save you some time and aggravation.

1. Set all channel volumes with the faders at Unity (0)
2. Turn up the Trim (Gain) until feedback and then back down to comfortable level
3. Make slight volume adjustments with fader if needed and then return to Unity
4. When system is sounding great, take pictures to record all parameters

Let me explain how this works and how it can save you some headaches. Setting all the channel volumes at Unity (the little 0 on the fader line) can be beneficial in a number of ways. First of all, having all the faders at one level is far less distracting to the engineer than looking at a board where the faders are all over the place. Second, it keeps things consistent from one engineer to the next because everyone will know that the level is where it should be. Third, it will eliminate a lot of confusion and expose those people who tend to get trigger happy with playing with the settings.

If the faders are at Unity, then adjusting the volume with the Trim (Gain) knob until the channel feeds back will let you know where your limit is. You never want to have to guess how much louder you can make the Pastor during their sermon. Once you get feedback and then back it down to a comfortable listening level, you now will the have the confidence that you can raise the fader to get more volume if you absolutely need it without making the congregation wrench in pain from the horrible squealing of feedback. This will help to keep things simpler for those at the board.

If some minor volume adjustments need to be made to mix some channels for any reason, do that with the faders and then return them to Unity. For example, if several handheld mics are being used for a music performance, you may need to adjust volumes to mix the sound well. That would mainly be because you would want harmonies to blend together well under the lead voice. But don't leave those channel faders there, put them back to Unity because that may not be the place for those channels every time they are used. Again, this keeps everything consistent from engineer to engineer, week to week. The less knobs and buttons have to be touched, the better off everyone will be.

Finally, if the system is sounding the way you want it and you are using an analog board that can't save settings, take some pictures that will show where everything is set. Its not a bad idea to print them out and have them somewhere that engineers can access them. Pictures don't lie and if the system sounded great with those settings, then it should continue to sound great without any changes.

As a sound engineer, I want to keep things as simple as I can. The less I have to think about something, the better. I use these methods every time I run sound and encourage others to do the same or something similar. Taking some time to set up your system this way will make everyone's job much easier and more enjoyable and allow the congregation to enjoy the service the way it was intended. Isn't that what we all want anyway?

Check us out on the web at www.goodsoundstudio.com for more ways to help your sound sound Good!

And remember:
If it can't be heard, it can't be Good!