SOUND MEN

[Anonymous No.1627872]

Hey guys. I'm going to school to be a sound engineer, I was wondering if any of you have experience with school for sound? I've hooked up cables and run the mixer for several shows, but I'm bad at the technical stuff (names of cables and where they go sometimes. I get nervous before the show usually ). Any tips or advice? What is being a sound man like?

[Anonymous No.1628123]

Get yourself a portable label printer

[Anonymous No.1628130]

>>1627872
>What is being a sound man like?
It mostly sucks, 90% of bands think what they hear on stage is what the audience hears and they bitch and moan about the sound, they have no idea that the empty venue sounds completely different than when it is filled with people making sound and doing their part to keep sound waves from bouncing around and that the sound on stage has no connection to the sound everywhere else, empty or full. It is more psychology than anything, you spend most of your time figuring tricks to make the band think it is getting what it wants so you can do what you need to do to make it work. There are times it is pretty great and good fun, and you get to witness some pretty great moments few others ever get to, the old seasoned players are very different at a soundcheck than a show, the show is just business, but the sound check, they are themselves and some fairly amazing things pop up from time to time.

You will often take the blame for the fact that the band sucks or that they just were off that night, and if you get a good string of such incidences you will get a reputation for just not being able to do your job, you really need to be aware of this, if you have a job at a shitty venue that gets a good amount of shitty bands that love to blame the sound guy for their failings, get out and find a new gig before you develop a reputation. Running sound means you have three bosses, the audience, the band and the venue, if you keep the venue and the audience happy you will do fine, if you keep all three happy you will do very well for yourself.

Ultimately, it is just like any other job, you put in the time doing the shit jobs and playing the game for a decade or so and then you start getting the good stuff and life starts getting better. You put in the time and do your job well you will eventually be able to land a cushy job running sound for something like a touring band or a festival and make enough to just work a few months a year.

[Anonymous No.1628131]

>sound men
I usually don't.

[Anonymous No.1628132]

>>1628123
Only useful if you are doing sound for just one band and using your own system, if you work a venue and have different bands every night you will want to stick to the tried and true masking tape and sharpie. The labels from label printers are a pain to pull off after the gig and slow to enter in the info, masking tape pulls off quick and easy at the end of the day.