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Article from Recording Musician, November 1992


With so much emphasis placed on recorded music, it is easy to forget that many recording musicians also play live — after all, music is still essentially a live art form. We've recently been made aware that many of our readers would like to know more about live sound, and as much of the technology and underlying theory overlaps with current recording practice, we've put together an informative new series which covers the subject from the very basics upwards. This month there's an overview of the components that make up a typical mobile PA system, of the type a band might use for pub and club gigs, and in future issues of RM, we'll be looking at the individual components in more detail, as well as explaining how a system should be set up for best results.

While gathering the necessary information to compile the series, I was surprised at just how much crossover there is into the world of recording studios: the power amplifiers used are not that different, the basic physics of loudspeaker design and the crossovers that drive them is the same, and of course many a stage microphone has found its way into the studio. Indeed, even the digital effects unit, once the exclusive domain of the higher-end recording studios, is a commonplace sight even in very modest PA rigs.

For those of you who would like to gain more studio expertise with live musicians, I can wholeheartedly recommend getting a job mixing for a local band. I spent some years doing this and it's amazing what you can learn about sounds and balance. Studio engineering might seem tricky on occasions, but in live sound, you have to get it right first time, every time, as well as wrestling with the problems of feedback, appalling room acoustics, and excessively loud drummers and lead guitarists.

Of course, if anything does go wrong, it's always your fault, and citing the laws of physics does little to calm an agitated vocalist with a wimpy voice who can't be heard over the noise of the two kilowatt guitar stack that's standing only a couple of feet behind him — but that comes with the territory, I'm afraid. As our series progresses, at least you'll be in a better position to cope and, who knows, you might be a better studio engineer because of it!

On a different note, you may have noticed a slightly different reviews format in RM, which comes as a direct response to your comments. Every major review is now accompanied by a table of pros and cons, while a points system has been devised to give you some idea of overall quality and value.

Of course, not everyone wants the same thing from a product, so you still need to read the review to get all the facts, but we thought it would make a useful quick reference. The Performance rating covers all aspects of a unit, from user-friendliness and facilities through to sound and build quality, and it is important to realise that this figure is arrived at in the context of the overall price of the unit. Thanks for your input on these matters and please keep the good ideas coming.

Also in this issue's News & Products page, look out for the name of the lucky winner of RM's Dream Studio Competition — it could be you!



Next article in this issue

Crosstalk


Publisher: Recording Musician - SOS Publications Ltd.
The contents of this magazine are re-published here with the kind permission of SOS Publications Ltd.


The current copyright owner/s of this content may differ from the originally published copyright notice.
More details on copyright ownership...

 

Recording Musician - Nov 1992

Donated by: Mike Gorman, Colin Potter

Scanned by: Mike Gorman

Editorial by Paul White

Next article in this issue:

> Crosstalk


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