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[Tav]

I'm so glad I don't own/install/run a PA...seems like a lot of hard work and endless twiddling.

[MTA]

Originally Posted by Tav

I'm so glad I don't own/install/run a PA...seems like a lot of hard work and endless twiddling.

Yes it is hard work. But when it all comes togeather it's worth the effort. not only for the engineer but the people who want to hear the music. looking forward to trying the new delay fills..

[Flash@TMB]

Originally Posted by Tav

I'm so glad I don't own/install/run a PA...seems like a lot of hard work and endless twiddling.

We enjoy doing this. But yes it's a lot more work that setting up a HiFi LOL.

The good news is that the twiddling requirement is reduced over time. It's at the point now where it's going to be hard to spot any further improvements - we've reached the point of diminishing returns.

The difference between the sound we have now, and the sound that we had when Hot Mangu came down to help with the initial test is incredible. Back then, although on paper we had the best PA in town, it was easily the worst sounding. Now in my opinion it is by far the best sounding, and I'm sure most people that heard E106 on Saturday would agree.

Hot Mangu are back in under 2 weeks time, it will be interesting to compare the difference!

Here's my checklist for doing comparing PA systems / engineers:

1) Pick a competent band with a clear sound, and attend all their local gigs.


2) Can you here every single musical component clearly, and at the correct level? Every nuance should be distinct. The hardest parts to get right are the vocals, the bass, and the drumkit. You should hear every part of the drum kit.

In my opinion there is a tendancy for other rigs to sound very muddy and be dominated by the bottom end. With our rig you can hear and feel the bass but it doesn't overwhelm anything else, and has beautiful clarity.


3) How low can they go? The rig should sound the same at all volumes, only louder/quieter. The actual sound shouldn't change. Is the venue able to play recorded music through their rig at background volumes? If they aren't doing this then my guess is they can't (although I'm sure they'll have another excuse). We play the jukebox through our rig all day, every day. For an excellent demonstration select "Don't Let it Show" off the Pat Benatar CD, and listen carefully as the intro fades in. That track also has exceptionally good dynamics, so listen to the change in volume as the drums kick into the mix.

Badly produced CDs should sound no different, or perhaps even worse than normal. Good CDs should sound like the band are really there, and the effect can often be amazing on a good system.


4) How quietly can they do the actual gig? Volume is often used to cover up problems. I resorted to this during our early gigs until we had the system sorted out. If you have good clarity then you require less overall volume.


5) How loud can they go without any loss of clarity? No matter how loud they go everything should sound clear right up until the point you feel physical pain in your ears. Any loss of clarity is due to distortion from the rig and not your ears. With good rigs people often don't realise just how loud things are until they attempt to talk to someone.


6) If you close your eyes, or turn your back, can you clearly ascertain where everything is on stage? Can you tell if the drummer is left or right handed? This is simple for the sound engineer to do, but one of the first things to be sacrificed to cover up other problems.