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Sound checks

seanm

seanm

I'd kill for a Nobel Peace Prize!
Supporting Member
Feb 19, 2004
8,629
3,199
Ottawa, Canada
seanm.ca
#1
How long do you usually take for a sound check at a new venue? It would help if you mentioned band size and normal venue size (bar/club/stadium).

<rant>
I showed up at a gig with a mic pre and compressor to try to get more volume from the PA. I have to use a mic pre because the mixer has no inserts. So I have to get the levels right on the mic pre and the compressor, both of which I have only tried at home at very low "bedroom" volumes. We use a completely different PA setup at rehearsals.

So it was decided we don't need a sound check :scowl: I didn't even bother strapping on the bass for the first song while I dialed in the gains. Probably took half of the first set to get everything right. Would have been *much* faster if it weren't that I was also trying to play :rollno:

On the positive side, the compressor helped a lot! I never needed a compressor before, but our volume has gone way up.
</rant>
 
#2
Sean,

I'm going to say, if I'm doing a LineCheck (you know, gimme the kick, gimme the snare, gimme the bass, what's that spell?)...let's say 10-16 inputs...can take 5-10 minutes tops.
Closer to 5 minutes if it's 4, 5 piece standard formation (2g, b, dr, vox)
This is barring any issues-feedback, line failure, guitarist forgetting to tune (or their guitar)...

Soundcheck...where we are going to fine tune each instrument and work out any kinks-before an audience is in the room, run through a song or two, with a manager's (or parent's) approval...25-45 minutes, for the same band.

Take into consideration; 300 cap room, full PA, 4mix monitors.


I can still name the power trios that gave me more headaches than the 9-12 person ensembles in the very same room.
 
#3
Yup, as Arsonaut said, for ~200-300 audience, 5-10 minutes for line check, depending on size of group, and 30-45 minutes for a more comprehensive sound check.

However, sometimes a line check will drag on a bit if there are 4+ monitor mixes and they keep getting tweaked. ("more of him, less of her.. no wait, less of him...hmm, more me...even more of me..." and so on, ad infinitum)
 
#5
That's what the LineChecks are all about...set the monitors, pretend you've got the mains, then fix it while you mix it.

If you can't hit a straight rock ensemble within the first half of the first song...either you're sucking wind as a sound engineer, or the band is seriously hosed...

There are always going to be extenuating circumstances to the above statement...sometimes you've got 2 lead vocals, and that 2nd guy might hold off til the 3rd song, for example. Well, Mr soundfella, you're just going to have to wait to: have a smoke/use the bathroom/get high/freshen drink, won't you.

Let's pretend there's a headlining act, and 4 openers. Let's pretend, shall we.

The headliner will load in hours in advance. We'll give them an hour or 2 to load in, set up (or whatever contract states). Then maybe 45-60min soundcheck (again, per contract).

Once that's over...either strike their gear, or roll it back and backline them.
Load the opener (or openers) onstage. Give the opener a soundcheck...heck, why not...we've got 30 minutes to doors.
However, the ensuing acts will get the linechecks.
Sometimes that headliner's soundcheck takes us right to doors, or after. The venue holds the doors, till their soundcheck concludes with something witty...
Then slam the openers onstage, jam a mic in their hands, linecheck and go!


If you are running your own gear at a bar, or club...doing multiple sets, I'm sure there are a few bassists kickin around here who can enlighten us.
 
#7
the Arsonaut said:
If you can't hit a straight rock ensemble within the first half of the first song...either you're sucking wind as a sound engineer, or the band is seriously hosed...
Click to expand...
+1

even at my bar/club level of playing and mixing, even with no real soundcheck, a good soundguy in front of a regular "rock band" band that has their stuff together can scrape the mix into shape within the first song, and get things sounding really good within the first couple.

it really helps me as the soundguy running wedges from out front with no time for real checks to spend a big portion of the time i do have getting vocals in the monitor wedges to where they sound loud and good (as opposed to just good and loud); if the band can hear themselves sing, they can get by up there until i have a chance to get them whatever else they need in the wedges.
 
#9
So much depends on the sound guy and his equipment. Festivals, 5 min or less is all you are going to get, levels only and maybe a chorus of a typical song with all the channels. Sometimes just the monitor levels and that's it. IEM's take a bit longer typically so I avoid them at fests or when the sound tech has that dazed look in his eye when you ask.

The sound company we have used lately uses a Presonus board with memory monitor settings. With 2 or 3 band standard show this is great as everybody can check and get their levels before the event starts and it's all seemless. 30 min is adequate for a full sound check usually. But when the gremlins come with the Murphy's Law handbook, anything can happen and usually does - usually with the lead vocalist's vocal processor. All bets off then.
 
#10
7 pc band.
When we are at a venue where it's just us, and we arrive a couple of hours before showtime,
once we're all set up and the sound guys have all the systems ready it
takes about 10 min to get all the monitoring levels set and run thru a couple
of tunes to check the stage and FOH mix.
At a festival situation, where there is a line up of bands, we do a quick 5 min check of the monitor levels
and kick it off. They'll adjust during the first song.
 
#11
Does anybody find it is hard to get feedback from bands?

For example, I have been told after the fact that the monitors where too low. I can't hear the monitors, just tell me to turn them up! I sometimes worry I am too nice and people don't want to bother me.
 
#12
At the last several gigs I've played, our sound check consisted of our first song. One band is an acoustic trio with occasional drums, and the other is a five-piece classic rock band. In both bands, we've been at it long enough to start the gig with just a level check on each channel, which takes less than ten minutes, maybe less than five.

Weird thing about the monitors, sean. Usually that's the first thing that members complain about - often during the first song.
 

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