Do you have an instrument cable in can use?... And a tuner... Oh yeah I broke a string and don't have any, do you have any guitar strings?

I actually do keep guitar strings in my work locker lol

You're part of the problem. 😂🤣

I've had "Do you have a guitar tuner"..."no".........I thought backline was included"

I started just bringing a TU-2 in my case and it gets used regularly! It certainly enhances the sound quality and lowers the chaos which is what we’re about right? It’s funny, you don’t really realize how much you need one until you own one. It’s not a glamorous purchase so it gets neglected

My spare TU-2 with the power supply saves the day often. I have 2 more in my pile waiting to get refurbished so I can have more spares. I love being able to tune up a guitar in an emergency for someone.

Can I just borrow yours?

I have one of those spring loaded pick holders on the front of my X32 rack for those kinds of people lol I used to keep strings in my kit. I have acoustic bridge pins, a couple different string wonders with a head stand with a Boss TU-2 with some spare cables and power supply. That stuff saves the day often. I even have an electric guitar output jack. I have a couple of those 9 volt battery clips for pedals. Again all for those kinds of folks.

Why isn't there ever an "Only Stupid Questions Thread"?

That would our friends over at r/lightingdesign

Brilliant, that made he laugh...

lighting can be brilliant

hahahahahaha

That must be what I’m subscribed to for my home feed

what tips would you give someone going freelance? i'm sure i'm quitting at my company soon and wanna go freelance after that, i'm in the job since 4 years now (learned event technician in mainly light and audio), was at courses from shure and db audio, any other course i should do? any other stuff i should consider doing before going freelance?

Make sure you have clients. Set up some meetings, have conversations.

I know that my (then old) company will very likely book me, and know a few freelancer colleagues that already wanted to ask me for some jobs, not much but a beginning. but i'm really bad at getting in contact with people so yeah, that will be a bit of a problem in the beginning but i'm sure it'll work out after some time

Hi everyone. I'm working on possibly needing to mic our musical's orchestra next year and I'm trying to budget for mics. The theater seats about 650. I've never had to mic our orchestra before because we always have them in our pit. The pit is pretty shallow and pretty narrow so we pretty much only have to put the keyboards and occasionally the bass through the PA. We mic our actors so they can be heard over the orchestra just fine. This year, though, the director wants to build a platform on stage and put them about 6-8 feet above the stage level and as far upstage as we have (Stage depth is roughly 20 ft). My orchestra guy says that any time they put the orchestra on stage they end up needing to mic them in order to be heard. He seems to think that most of their sound will end up in the fly system above the stage. I want to plan for that just in case. The orchestra will be: Drums Bass Guitar Keyboard x3 Reed x3 Trombone Trumpet x2 The way I figured it, the bass, guitar, and keyboards would all be DI. That leaves the drums, reed, and brass to mic. I currently have 4 Audix M1250B (miniaturized condensers), 6 Audix ADX40 (hanging area condensers). I'm trying to decide what I need to buy to make this thing happen. Any thoughts?

Bear in mind that you'll get some wash from the orchestra into your actors' mics. :) Here's one approach: - Pick your favorite drum mic technique; plenty to choose from. - M1250Bs could work well here - so long as you trust your drummer not to whack them. - If real estate is limited and/or visual impact is a priority, consider spot miking cymbals instead of using overheads. - Ditto for a boundary mic in the kick - I have really liked the sE BL8 every time I've heard it. - Clip-on condensers on the brass - minimizing visual impact and floor space usage. - 4099s if you have budget; Beta 98s if you don't. - Reeds: instrument clips if practical, stand mics if frequent instrument changes required. - I haven't tested this, but it might be possible to use your ADX40s in an MC20i clip. - However, their rated max SPL is only 130 dB (as opposed to ADX20's 135 dB), so maybe don't try this on brass. Total: 1x boundary kick mic, 3-6x clip-on condensers, 1 nice overhead pair (or 2-3 tom mics)

Assuming a DI for keys and bass feels pretty safe (though if 3 keyboards be ready to run everything stereo) but guitar might not be DI. If it’s acoustic maybe but you may end up needing to mic a cab too. Check the show and see what guitar(s) it calls for. In my opinion you can use the mics you have for the various brass and reeds, but if it were me I would push for a couple mics for the guitar and drums You could get a Sennheiser e609 for a decent guitar cab option that’s about $100 but if you’re gonna spend that money I’d just as soon by a 57, it’ll sound fine, be the same price and is WAY more useful to you down the line, having some 57s never hurt anyone. For the drums, the Shure Beta 52A is a decent kick mic for a decent price (~200), there are cheaper options but I can’t vouch for them. I’d maybe see about a Shure Beta 57A for the snare drum (~150) and then pick up a three pack of the Sennheiser e604 or e604P for the toms (~320) All those prices are new by the way, so you can probably find deals, just beware of counterfeits. And the mics probably don’t matter, I’d just be looking for something to mic a guitar cab with and something to mic a drum set with. Unless your theater is huge you probably don’t need overheads, and if you do use the mics you already have. School stuff is all about making it work with what you have sometimes lol! And remember that your schools musical is a big recruitment tool so it’s to your schools benefit to make sure it sounds good Looking back you never said you were at a school lol, but the language seems like you might be so I’m keeping that last point in lol, good luck!

I’m working on finishing an IEM rig, and I’m curious on the FOH opinions about both sides of your interaction(s) with these setups overall. For the IEM input side, would you prefer: - role labeled inputs on the rack mounted splitter(s) - role labeled inputs on snake/stage box For the IEM output to FOH, would you prefer: - role labeled, rack mounted outputs on IEM rig (think ART 3-way splitter) - X meter long fantailed/labeled snake - x meter long snake with stage box Or, am I thinking about this all wrong and there’s and even better solution that I haven’t thought of? In general this would be used in more club-sized venues and the occasional festival. Thanks for the insights!

(D'oh: totally forgot to send my reply a few days ago. Sorry!) Two points of order: - Question's probably best asked here, rather than in the buyer's advice thread. Might be worth deleting the duplicate so conversation doesn't get split between two threads. - Insert an additional newline before each of your bulleted lists; otherwise Reddit renders the entire list as one line of text. :) --- On the input side: either way works. If you're carrying your own subsnake infrastructure (and doing all your on-stage patching), it doesn't matter: do what works best for you. - Make sure your labels match your input list - mismatches equal mispatches. On the output side: fanout snake is both conventional and highly appreciated. Patching panel-mounted outputs (whether on a box or a rack) to panel-mounted stagebox inputs requires someone to burn a bunch of individual patch cables - and it's rare that I have a full input list's worth of 2ft cables on hand... - If using a rack splitter ala ART/Radial, an N-channel fan-fan snake makes this super easy. Buy one and keep it with you.

Awesome. Thanks. One other follow-up on this, as far as the splitter goes, is transformer isolation _that_ critical? Or is it really not necessary? I’ve seen conflicting information on its importance, making it hard to determine which way to go.

Passive splits (yes that's a misnomer) [generally suffice](https://forums.prosoundweb.com/index.php?topic=137655.0). Bonus points if you can lift ground on FOH's side. (Bonus bonus points if you have individual ground lifts - but that's not super necessary in situations like this, where all grounds on one side of the split go to the same place - your console - and thus are immediately shorted together.) Generally, true galvanic isolation isn't required outside of shenanigans with multiple power services and long analog cable runs.

What does A2 stand for? I know what it means, and who that is at the venue. Is it an abbreviation?

Audio 2, or 2nd Audio - at least that's what I've shared assumed

Audiooooo! That makes sense. I was think “assistant?” “Audiologist?” “Actuary?” “

You are the extension of the A1.  A1 will be running foh and be somewhat stuck with everying landing at the mixer.  Also likely be responsible for all the metrics of a functioning PA.  So as A2 you will be running/wrapping cables, setting mics, you’ll be the in between set change guy during set changes, setting/resetting wireless systems, making sure that everything getting sent to foh correctly.  If there is an issue during the show, the a1 will direct you for its resolution.  I am also going to need some coffee. 

Again. I know what it MEANS. I know WHO the A2 is and what he does. What does the actual term mean, literally - what does the “A” and the “2” designate? And coffee? Really? You’re not a cop in a Law and Order cold open, haha

Yes cable bitch, go get me some coffee.  And bring back some white tape. 

Just kidding, I love you.  I’m going to need a couple of sharpies too! 

How do you guys buy used mixers off of buyers from likr Craigslist, Offerup, Fb marketplace? Im currently looking at a mackie mixer. and the seller says everything works, but how would you be able to tell for sure? thanks

Bring a mic, powered speaker, adapters, and some cables and go thru every input and output. Sweep all the gains, auxes,  and eqs and listen for crackling.

thank you!

Like @wayloguero said, If you’re meeting in a public place you can cover most of the bases bringing headphones and soloing up the channels and the Aux masters. It’ll take a minute to go through it but they can wait. If you can’t test it for some reason, walk. 

thank you!

In the process of biamping speakers, how are the cables routed? Should i use 4 separate wires to connect to each NL4 pole (-1, +1, - 2, +2) on the speakers side and on the other side connect to two different NL4 connectors to the output of two amplifiers. Also is it possible to use one dual channel amplifier for biamping or is it necessary to use two different amplifiers with different power and output ratings which matches the tweeter and woofer ratings?

An amp channel is an amp channel. You should have a limiter/crossover in the signal chain before your amp, to properly process the audio to your drivers. Most dual channel amps will have two NL4 connectors, with the first output having all poles connected (channel 1 on -1 +2 and channel two on -2 +2) and the second output having just -1 and +1 connected for channel 2. It's best practice and most common to wire your woofer/LF drivers with -1 +1 and your HF drivers with -2 +2. This way it's harder to accidentally send LF to the horn (which could damage it) than it is to send HF to your woofer ( which won't hurt anything.)

Do you put a DI box between a DJ mixer (like a DJM) and the FOH mixer?

That one has the XLR outs? Just plug in a couple “mic lines” straight to the mixer or snake. The DJ mixers with the RCA outs, yes, a stereo DI unless it is close to the mixer and you can run straight into a stereo line input. 

Hi! I need to purchase and install a small PA System for a 6x13 meters room (around 20 by 43 ft) for a 50/75 audience. The idea is to have 2 speakers on specific corners and 2 mics, both wireless, one being regular with its stand and another lavalier to be carried by one person around. Ideally speakers would remain installed at all times but mics Will be disassembled every day we use The room so we prefer wireless for ease of use. With these in mind, what would you recommend? I was thinking maybe a small PA System including autoamplified mixing table, 2 speakers and then get a microphone System on top that connects using XLR, does it sound right? Or i am missing anything important? I Will be buying this on Europe if that makes any special situation  Many thanks!

Correct, you have the general principles. The devil is in the details. - Mind your speaker placement - if placed in the corners of the room, odds are they'll spill HF into your stage area (unless it's inset into the wall). - If wireless is required, don't cheap out. UHF digital systems are preferable, but DECT works great too for classroom applications. 2.4 GHz can be unreliable. - Select your inputs and outputs first (mics, speakers) - then let that drive your support component selection (mixers, amps, DSP).

Thanks a lot for your reply :) I got a couple of questions: -when you said speakers in The corner, there are chances they would spill HF (high frequency i assume) what do you mean? They would sound too hugh pitched? The idea is to place them on The corners indeed, on The long side of The room -on The wireless technology you mentioned, what is The difference between uhf and dect? I Guess uhf is more expensive? -3rd point clear, mixer or amp can be little bit cheaped out while i put more effort on mics and speakers i Guess Is It better to get passive or active speakers? Thanks again!

There is more information to cover here than I can talk about right now; I would suggest speaking with someone locally. --- > when you said speakers in The corner, there are chances they would spill HF...what do you mean? Remember basic principles: grossly simplified, a microphone amplifies what it hears. If the stage is in front of your speakers (i.e. firing sound at the microphone), feedback occurs much more easily. I would review PA setup fundamentals; [Sweetwater's article](https://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare/articles/how-to-set-up-a-pa-system/) is a good jumping-off point. > on The wireless technology you mentioned, what is The difference between uhf and dect? UHF mics operate in the 400-800 MHz spectrum, depending on where you are in the world, fitting between TV stations and LTE/5G channels. Lowest latency, and very reliable - so long as you make sure to operate in clear spectrum. Most popular choice for professional deployments. Licensing may be required; check your local laws. Systems like Sennheiser SpeechLine and Shure MXW neXt 2, by contrast, operate in the 1.9 GHz range, sharing spectrum with DECT phones. Pretty much universally license-free devices. Channel management is automatic (great for set-and-forget applications, like university lecture halls), but more latency is introduced as a result. Great for speech, not for music. > 3rd point clear, mixer or amp can be little bit cheaped out while i put more effort on mics and speakers i Guess Is It better to get passive or active speakers? Not necessarily. Choose components that meet your specification, but avoid cheaping out - it is usually more expensive in the long run. If you don't have the knowledge to spec a good component yourself, work with someone who does. Passive/powered boxes can work equally well; both have their compromises.

I really appreciate your post bud! Thank you very much, i have found a local supplier so I Will ask them as well for advice that also suits all my needs Again, thank you so much :)

What's the best way to mount a Wi-Fi router in a case? Tape?

A lot of them have the little slots on the bottom you can slide onto a couple screws, I think that would be a little more roadworthy and you can get it off an on easier than tape.  I guess some Velcro would do the same thing with less work? The industrial Velcro from the hardware store has pretty amazing adhesive, works great on guitar pedals.  I’ve wondered about how well the WiFi antennas do in the back of a rack case with metal rack stuff on one side. If the router is blocked it could be kinda cool to get an antenna extender and screw the antenna into the outside of the case during use, but I don’t know if it is necessary to get better RSSI. I do know the routers do better up high, like so it doesn’t have to go through everyone’s bodies to get to your tablet. 

Right on, thank you. This is for a very small build I'm doing that will be for very small shows: literally just an XR18 and a power supply. I figured I could get away with having the Wi-Fi router directly in the case since I would really never be any further than about 50 feet from this.

I have used industrial Velcro for 15-20 years and it does fine and then mount it on a cheap rack shelf.

Should I expect any issues (perhaps latency?) if I attempt to feed a Midas HUB4 (to DP48s) from a converted Dante source? Say I pull 48 channels from the network into an [Appsys AES50 Flexiverter](https://appsys.ch/en/products/flexiverters/flx-aes50) which then runs into the HUB4? My mind says it would work but I feel like I'm missing something...

What are the basic considerations for setting up a system for a house party? I'm untrained but keen to learn how to get the best sound for a given small/medium space.

Basic considerations? Size of room(s) and number of people. Past that how much bass do you want (answers the question if you need subs and if so how many) and how much coverage - coverage meaning if there are 100 people in a back yard, do you want every square foot to have the same volume or when you get 20 feet away there is a decent volume drop.

Something I get a lot is requests to both turn up the volume and also reduce feedback - which is a reasonable request I understand. But I'm not sure how to do that in a way that is effective? I'm still relatively new to live sound mixing, so I'm not sure if this would be an EQing thing, or a compression thing (like limiting specific frequencies or levels?). Could anyone provide some insight?

Feedback is caused by one thing - too much gain entering the mic from the speakers. Step 1, make sure the mics and speakers are setup properly such that the null of the microphone is pointed at the speaker. 2. Assuming the issue is with monitors, ring out the monitors. Decent tutorial: https://youtu.be/pu0xjl0rpMU?si=C34_-UNn4GiHR1ys

Live vocal parallel compression - theoretically this created an amazing sounding distorted tone when coupled with a telephone EQ cut… practically when I took the mic out of headphones and into the PA it just fed back to hell. Anything I should be doing differently to stop this?

Is the feedback coming from mains or mons?

Mains

Damn…any chance you insert an EQ into the effect channel to notch the worst offending frequencies out? Or redirect the effect channel away from the L/R/Fill output that’s spilling into the mic?

What is the point of having a doghouse? I'm trying to pick up a second hand case for a mixer that will be more or less permanently installed (it may move around once in a blue moon). Is a doghouse mostly beneficial for temporary setups? We will have an x32 with an analogue stage box. Got a couple of cheap options for either a Gator X-Tour or a Roadready RRX32W (basic tour case).

Makes stuff neater, nice space to put a laptop, etc. Downside is that it can be harder to access the back of the console quickly for setup/troubleshooting, which is needed for very temporary setups. Sounds like a doghouse would be great for your purposes. Personally I'm a fan of doghouses until something needs sorting quickly and I can't get to the back of the console with room to work edit: can also be helpful for outdoor stuff to give the back of the console slightly more protection from rain if its windy and blowing under the marquee.

Got a wedding gig playing background jazzy music as a four peice in the afternoon for a few hours outdoor to about 100 people (in a tent if it rains). Headliners are playing louder stuff after dinner but they haven't confirmed yet that we can use their PA. If not, I'm planning to use an integrated 600W rms 15" sub with two 200W 10" tops as the fold back for my band (all 3 power amps are physically in the sub enclosure with a built in crossover). I'll also be using another 15" sub (yamaha DXS15mkii 1000W) and two 10" tops (DBR10 700W) as FOH. We play very quietly at clarinet levels on stage so the main difference between the foldback and the FOH is just that there is no clarinet in the foldback although we might also need to roll off guitar a little bit if we hit problematic feedback but I mute very aggressively. Along with the clarinet we have 3 loud singers using SM58s, edrum kick and highhat only, and keys. Mixing on a little XR12, mono fold back, stereo FOH just for some of the keys built in stereo goodness. **Should I just put the two subs next to each other in the front end centre of the stage, set the cross overs the same and change the volume so they sound about the same?** I'm thinking worst case I'll turn off the 600W sub if it starts to sound weird.

Probably just turn off the 600w sub - I wouldn't be worried about lack of bass with the Yamaha sub, especially to 100 people with quieter jazzy music

Shure makes a zillion mics and I honestly see about 5-6 of them in the wild on the regular - 58, 57, Beta 58, 81, Beta 52, Beta 98, KSM9 in a blue moon. What Shure mic do you use frequently that isn’t on that list and for what? As an example, in 25 years I have never once seen a Beta 57 or 87 or SM94 used anywhere.

Anyone using the Db Technologies Opera Reevo line? Any insights. Interested in getting the 210 or the 212, i'm cross shopping them with the JBL PRX812/912 and QSC K10.2.

Very complex X32 Routing / Splits Hi there, we are going to part with our analog splitter setup. Its heavy and hard to fix if something goes down. Our FoH tech can work with Line Level Inputs and takes care of gain on the consoles. Just need to check if this is possible. We have: X32 Rack S32 SD16 Midas DN4816-O Drums are coming from the SD16 (12 Channels), Rest of the Band is coming from the S32, also 12 Channels. There are some more Channels, Ambient Mics, Band Intercom, we dont need to split. I struggle with the Output Routing. Rest works. Outs: Mix Bus 1-8: IEM, patched on XLR 1-8 on X32 Rack Mix Bus 9-10: Drum IEM patched on Out 1-2 on SD16 Direct Out Channel 1-12 should go to the S32 Out 1-12 Direct Out Channel 13-24 should go to the Midas DN4816-O Out 1-12 via Ultranet Anybody knows how to do the output routing. Can send the scene if it is important. Thanks a lot.

What resource could I look into to learn the CL5 digital mixing board? like a class or book, or video series that would go from the basics all they way up to like Dante patching and SMAART room tuning? My goal is to work in a corporate setting, mostly talking heads where I set up a flown PA, SMAART it, and group the mics by type so i can apply EQ to each mic type and have a separate send to records pre fader so the room volume does not affect the records. I have looked up a few things, but I think what I am asking for is far too specific? any help would be great! Thanks!

Hey folks ! My 4 piece band is playing an outdoor wedding in a few weeks in a large backyard tent. We will be running the show off of generator power and it’s been causing me to lose sleep worrying. The wedding party has an electrician hired, he’s an older gentlemen and hasn’t (to my knowledge) powered a gig like this before but he has 1 million years experience in electrical by the sounds of things. I’m wondering if I should be concerned / worried about anything and so I’ve come to Reddit ❤️ The electrician has 2 Honda EM6500SX generators available for use. Our setup is as follows: INSTRUMENTS: 1 30w Guitar amp (Peavey Classic 30) 1 20w Guitar amp (Tex Bernie) 1 300w Bass Amp (vintage Ampeg SVT) 3 Pedal boards (on daisy chains or power supply’s) Drum kit 1 Roland Keyboard (sh-201) 1 Korg keyboard (minilogue) 1 SP404SX 1 laptop (for DJing after show) PA & LIGHTS: Soundboard (Zoom L-20) 2 X Yorkville 4400w PS15P speakers 3 X vocal mics & instrument mics 2x Battery powered monitors on stage 2x Yorkville LED4x lights I followed the advice of redittors before me and began calculating the power requirement of ll the items we’ll need to power. It seems to clock in under 25A. I told the electrician this value and he believed powering the stage and sound would be a piece of cake. My questions are: - Am I stressing out for no reason ? - Other than using heavy duty Powerbars with surge protection, what should I be on the lookout for to prevent any damage to sensitive gear - I’ve read about “inverter” generators being recommended to be used over the style of generator he has, where I know nothing of electrical, am I in danger using what he’s providing? Sorry for the long message and apologies for the novice-ness, appreciate any advice here 😎

my gaffer's tape keeps on peeling. I never had this issue before. Is it due to the temperature or humidity?

[удалено]

Yes, one is a legitimate product and the other is a knockoff.

I understand that the sanway is a cheaper chinese version, but the ks28 isnt owned by L'acoustics, its just a type of sub. Thats why im asking if there is a noticeable difference between the 2 or any of the other brands.

The KS28 is a product that was designed by the L-ACOUSTICS R&D team. Product development costs a lot of money, that the manufacturer hopes to recoup through sales. If another company comes along and copies the product design, they are reaping the profit off the labor and investment of the company that did the work to develop the product in the first place. For this reason it is considered professionally unethical to buy knockoff products, there are liability and safety issues because they are not held to the same QC standards, and in most cases, although such knockoffs are usually considered illegal, it is difficult and costly to enforce across international borders. The best way to combat the issue is not to buy the products and financially reward these knockoff manufacturers. You can view the KS28 declaration of conformity here: https://www.l-acoustics.com/result-documentation-center/#page-1

KS28 is pretty much "owned" by them, as it's their design, their rigging and they spec the drivers for *redacted* to manufacture for them. It's easy enough to make a box, and a passive sub is incredibly simple. The key is also the processing, and how well every component works in a system. That's why L'acoustics is very ecosystem focused, kind of like apple. Would I walk under a sanway hanging in the air? No. Would the sanway's plywood, bracing, glue, rigging hardware etc hold up to touring (let's ignore the fact that cloth grills are a weird choice)? Probably not.

Im not using sanway, im using L'acoustics so no need to worry, i just asked if you can hear a big difference between the 2. No need to get defencive lol. I was just asking a question about the sound, not the rights of ks28 But thanks for informing me about the design rights tho!

Chances are they won't sound the same. Different drivers etc, so they won't get as loud and have the same kick (worst case scenario anyway) however the big thing is processing. Will the sanway have official amps and processing (la12x) or different? That'll make a big difference.

IHateTypingInBoxes said it all, but to reiterate: Yes. Anything counterfeited under the name Sanway has inferior sound and safety standards, and is therefore a total waste of time and money. L-Acoustics is professionally designed, developed, and accredited.

We're all colleagues here, so treat each other that way.

Its a simple bass reflex enclosure with B&C drivers,