5 Tips for a successful soundcheck
Got a gig in a bar? Your drummer is late? Need a good and fast soundcheck? No need to worry! Here are a couple of useful tips to make your life easier and ensure the best sound quality for your big night.
#1: Keep the sound volume at a minimum on stage
Yes, you’ll need to play loud enough to stay on top of the beat and give a solid performance. However, if the sound on the stage is too loud, it’ll create some major interference with the speakers in the crowd. Those speakers are calibrated for the venue while those on stage are meant for the musicians. If both are amped up, their sounds will interfere with each other and make it harder for the crowd to hear. The result: a loud pitch on the microphone and an unpleasant feed… a true performance disaster!
You have to imagine that these speakers give off sounds in different angles, projecting music throughout the venue in every direction, which can give the impression of an echo or delay for the audience. By lowering the sound on the stage, you can reach a balance between the instruments and the singers, ensuring an overall sound quality that everyone can enjoy.
#2: Lower the sound on your amp
If you have a microphone on your amp, lower the volume by 20–30%. Why? The power of your amp is much stronger than what the vocal microphone can capture in sound. If the soundman starts to fight against the sounds you’re making, you find yourself with the same problem as before as you risk a negative feed. Also, this is where being “out-of-phase” comes into play: sound waves add up together but seeing that they don’t originate from the same source (amp on-stage vs. speakers in the crowd), the sound will undergo a slight shift and emit a buzzing sound to the audience.
#3: Play, and play LOUD
Imagine you’re on stage and you’re playing the best solo of your life… that’s the level of sound you want to use when you’re doing your soundcheck. To make sure the sound is perfect when you’re giving it all you’ve got, no matter the instrument, play at the highest volume you want to replicate during your performance. This is a crucial step since it is one of the most important data for your soundman.
#4: Communicate with your soundman
Think of your soundman as a member of your band, a newbie that has only a few minutes before the show to learn as much as possible. It’s quite likely that they know very little, if anything, about your group and the kind of music you play; don’t blame them! Instead, explain in simple terms your style and let them know of any particularities in your set. Alternatively, giving them a heads up on the kind
of music you play (rock, ballads, etc.) can help with the pacing and allow for the soundman to prepare and execute good musical rifts at the right time.
#5: Being in sync with the vocalist
A simple tip for a successful show? Make sure that the vocalists can be heard over the sound of the drum, simply because it’ll allow them to stay on key during the performance! While we’re at it, a small reminder: singer, stay as close to the mic as possible and avoid touching the microphone head with your hands.
Good luck and have a good show!
