During a concert, a live sound engineer regulates the volume of all instruments and vocals. He or she makes necessary adjustments to the gain and volume levels, as well as adding effects, to ensure that all instruments and vocals blend well. To combine the input from all of the microphones on stage, he or she uses an audio mixing board. This is referred to as a FOH (front of house) mixer.
The engineer must have technical knowledge of how to use the sound equipment in order to get a good live mix. A basic understanding of acoustics is also required. Above all, the live sound engineer must be a creative individual with a good musical ear.
Before the audience arrives for the show, the sound engineer’s job begins. The engineer performs a sound check after all instruments, microphones, and other equipment have been set up. During a sound check, the band performs and the engineer mixes the sound. During the sound check, various mixes are created.
The sound that is sent to the loudspeakers for the audience to hear is created by the FOH mixer. Members of a band must also be able to hear themselves perform. Furthermore, each band member may prefer to listen to a different mix. More drums and bass may be desired by the drummer, while the vocalist may prefer the vocals and guitar to be amplified.
These custom mixes are sent to the monitors of the band members. Small speakers placed on the stage in front of each player or earphones placed in a band member’s ear can be used as monitors. These monitor mixes are not heard by the audience. Monitor mixes can come from either the FOH or an auxiliary mixer.
During the mixing process, the audio engineer can also apply various effects. To change the sound, use effects like compression, reverb, chorus, and other digital effects. If effects were used during the recording process, the live sound engineer might want to recreate them. This will aid the engineer in producing a live sound as close to the recording as possible.
If the live performance is being recorded, an additional mixer may be used. It’s possible that the live sound engineer will also serve as the recording engineer. He or she could also delegate this task to another engineer with experience in recording.
The audience mix may need to be adjusted once the show starts. The concert hall was completely empty when the sound check was finished. The acoustics of the concert hall will change as the audience grows. Throughout the show, the live sound engineer will adjust the sound mix as needed.