Gig-a-Palooza! Live Sound Production-Five Bands in Four Days!
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- Опубликовано: 26 дек 2024
- How many gigs can The Sound Couple provide production for? How about 5 in 4 days! Every now and again, the stars align and we are able to support multiple events in one day!
We decided to bundle all of these gigs into one video....we go from rain just ending, to rain, to severe weather, to weddings and dB restrictions! This one has a lot going on...we hope you learn and enjoy!
The Sound Couple primarily use PreSonus gear featuring:
PreSonus UC Surface
PreSonus CDL12
PreSonus CDL18s
PreSonus 32R
PreSonus SW5E
PreSonus NSB Stageboxes
PreSonus AVB-D16
Please see our "About" for a more comprehensive list of gear we use (updated 12/2024)
What a wonderful video! Three cheers for the production versatility of The Sound Couple. Bart and Stacy had a number of challenges, but they met each challenge head on, overcoming every obstacle.
Each of these gigs gave those of us who faithfully follow The Sound Couple a significant opportunity to learn how to prepare for and resolve challenges that might arise at a gig.
Thanks to Bart and Stacy for allowing us to tag along at each of these venues. And, thanks for the shout-out at connecting a snake to the mixer.
Hey Bart and stacey, nothing but respect. You will always see 4 gigs in a row and then you have to deal with annoying circumstances. so recognizable. You did a great job. On to the next gig. I look forward to the next video.
I absolutely loved this video in particular. You guys are professional and you care. It is way easier to turn down a car radio. Unfortunately, many venues think it’s the same thing. Great work.
Great job!!!!
Thank you!
Always the staunch professionals, some venues are just awkward but you guys handled these situations very well kudos to Bart & Stacey
Great job! Brain not braining days like the first day happen. It's part of being human. You did a phenomenal job with the weather and dealing with unfamiliar mics.
I have run into every situation that you did in this video and more. It's the life of a production company. Try not to take it personally, be a duck and stay happy while the water flows off your back.
Something I have found useful is to immediately connect with the venue representative before unloading a single piece of gear. I go over everything: load in, parking, power, dB limits, load out, timeline, etc. The client signed your contract, not the venue, so they don't know all the details. Similar, the client signed the venue contract, so you don't know all those details. A 10-20 minute connection between you and the venue makes a massive difference.
When a limit is presented, always ask what measurement (A, C or Z weighted) and from where.
I had a hotel tell me there was an 85dB limit for a new year's party with 800 people. The person telling me the limit had to go ask for more details and guess what? It's 85dBA at the property line because of complaints from a nearby condo building. Made a huge difference in how we ran things.
The lav didn't work because of the distance and people. Those things have a tiny antenna and require line of sight to the receiver. I had the exact same issue at my first wedding with lav mics. It was really embarrassing.. To fix it, I now run then through a combiner with an a big wing antenna.
This video is an eye opener for anyone who thinks our job is easy. These gigs threw pretty much everything at you guys but you worked through it and got them done. Well done. I feel your frustration and have been there too. Hope 2025 is a great year for the SC 🎶🍺🖖
Thank you Scott! It makes this all worth it when we struck a chord with our viewers.
Bart always looks like a guy busy staring at his iPad playing candy crush 😂
LOL!!! I have had some people come up and ask me what it is I am doing!
Hi Bart,Stacy, you guys always do a professional show whatever happens,happens.
The joys of gigging things do go wrong and always will, we are humans not robots.
But whatever happens we do our best and that’s all that matters.
Keep it up guys ,carry on.
Great episode! A weekend that busy sounds so exhausting. Impressive work.
Thanks for watching! It certainly was exhausting!
Oh my, where do I even start...
Long time listener, first time caller. I really appreciate your videos! I own/operate a company (located halfway between Philadelphia and Atlantic City), and I work shows extremely similar to what you feature here - both in size and type. I regularly work events throughout Philly, the Jersey Shore, Delaware/Eastern Shore, and I pick up a few travel weddings a year that take me as far north as upstate NY, or south/west out to VA. My rig is almost the same as yours too, I just chose a few different vendors for my equipment. It's incredibly cool to see how things are handled in other parts of the country, and even just to see how other weekend warriors are approaching the unique trials and tribulations we face on a regular basis in our field.
This video in particular drudged up a TON of PTSD from this past summer for me though. 😂
I totally feel your pain on bands providing their own vocal mics. I carry my own wireless (not quite ULXDs - at least not yet - I'm still using UHF-R) mics, along with my own IEMs. For the often highly limited load-in and load-out times we're presented with, it's ten million times easier for me to use my own wireless mics that are already racked, cabled, and ready to go, rather than running a cable to their $20 Peavey mic (which is my fault when the complete lack of pattern control results in a bad sound, or the loose XLR connector is causing crackling), or dealing with their unracked wireless receiver that they hand to me five minutes before the show starts when they arrive late - and then get angry at me that I'm having to dial the mic in to their liking in the monitors during the first song.
There are certainly exceptions to this rule. I work with several bands who have their own mics/IEM rig very properly set up and are knowledgeable enough about it that I'm never needed to assist with frequency coordination or anything of the sort. And when a band does need help with their gear - I'm always more than happy to assist - but man does it grind my gears when their lack of knowledge of their own equipment (which they insist on using) causes problems and they blame it on me.
I used to work often with a band who had upwards of 8 wireless systems between mics and IEMs, which were all uncased, and would get dropped off 15-20 minutes before showtime, unlabeled, next to my console. The expectation was simply for me to "hook it up and figure it out" - Grr!
As for the power - I'm totally in agreement with you on the "let the venue handle it if they offer" approach - and there's absolutely nothing wrong with you appreciating that letting them handle it also hands over liability! I obviously have no insight on your financials, but if the market out where you are is anything like it is around here, I make money, but it's not a major profit margin, it's just enough to make the labor and owning the gear worth it. I can't afford to handle the logistics of huge cable ramps, cones, etc - so when I run my power cabling, I'm limited on what I can do to secure and protect the cable run. I am insured, but I'm certain that even one claim would do financial damage to my business that would be tough to recover from.
One thing that I am always weary of with letting the venue handle power is that I have lost count of the number of times I've given specific requirements and had them not been followed. One of my favorites (which I'm ashamed to admit I've seen several times now) is when I ask for "three 120v 20a circuits" and arrive to find three 14 or 16AWG extension cords, run 200ft from an outlet - and they're all plugged into a triple tap heading into the same receptacle! Oftentimes I find that venue owners are not informed enough to understand even basic electrical lingo. If I want it done right, I almost need to do a site survey in advance or handle it myself - and my compensation rarely reflects that (but somehow there's always someone willing to do it for less).
Weather has been a consistent theme for my events too. I really felt for y'all in that second to last gig. There is nothing more exhausting than battening down the hatches, dealing with wind and rain for an hour, and stressing about your gear getting wet... but then being expected to set it all back up again in record time and play the remainder of the gig, again with no additional compensation. I've been struggling for years trying to come up with a fair weather policy that protects my ability to call a show if things are getting hairy weather-wise, but doesn't sell my compensation short (after all, I am still having to set up and tear down the whole rig), and allows the band to play a part in that decision making. I've come up empty - curious if The Sound Couple has a set approach to that or not.
I felt your pain on the rant about the staging company starting to break down the stage immediately following the performance (and the band going over time too). That info is something I always try to advance - "is there a particular time we need to be out of the venue/off the stage." One of the challenges I find with advancing cover band shows in general is that there are usually several layers of obfuscation between me and the person who can answer my questions. I'd say about 80% of the bands I work with have an agent or manager, so sometimes I may ask the band a question about the show, they'll ask their agent, their agent will either ask their point of contact directly, or sometimes the venue will also have another, different agent to go through. Then once you get to the venue POC, if it's a township concert series, they might have to ask the public works supervisor, who has to ask the electrician... you get the idea. It's like a big game of whisper down the lane! Then the answer to your question has to go back down the chain, and by the time it gets to you, important details get omitted or changed. It's highly frustrating. I usually don't make a solid contact who can help me until day of show.
That 65dB limit gave me a good chuckle too. My favorite reponse to dB limits is to ask the weighting of their measurement (they never know the answer) - or "when was the last time your meter was calibrated, and to what standard?"
I'm all for keeping the SPL level at a safe level. It's incredibly challenging, if not impossible at times, to do this in small venues though. I recently did purchase an RTA mic, calibrator, and SMAART license which I've been setting up to take some measurements. In a small venue with a hard hitting drummer and wedges shooting right off the back wall, I can EASILY hit 85dBA before I even turn the mains on. It's very reasonable, in my opinion, for a venue to have a limit, as long as they are reasonable with the limit they set!
Interestingly, when it comes to hearing damage, the SPL level is actually far less relevant than a function of the SPL level and length of exposure. SMAART has a dosimeter in the SPL bridge that helps to monitor this. This is extra challenging for us in small venues and bars, because not only are we fighting stage volume far more than a show in a theater or arena would, but we are also often mixing for 3-4 hours straight!
I'll touch quickly on wedding logistics/share a recent nightmare story I dealt with, then I'll wrap this up, because it's quickly approaching novel length! Those city weddings can be a real blast. 🙄 There's a chain of wedding venues here in Philly that does a great job, but is notorious for being unfriendly to vendors. I had my first show there a few weeks ago. I confirmed arrival time and logistics with the wedding couple - we were to provide a PA for the ceremony in one place, which would then flip to the cocktail area, and the reception was in a different room altogether.
I arrived a little bit early, and it was pouring when I got to the venue. I met the maître d', who informed me that I was mistaken - the ceremony and reception were in the same room, cocktail was in a different room. No problem - I've had to flip my setup during cocktail hour many times. I figured I'd just stage my gear in a closet or a corner somewhere, go park, and then come back to set up the ceremony, then flip for the reception.
Only one small problem - they allegedly had "no room whatsoever" to store equipment anywhere in the venue, and they had no onsite parking. This part of the city is older, there are a ton of narrow one-way streets and limited parking, so parking and walking back could take 15 minutes or more. I couldn't even store gear in a small secure outdoor area they had due to the rain.
I'm still not sure how I managed to get everything done during cocktail hour (the band lent a hand, which was very appreciated), but that was one of the most stressful shows and least cooperative venues I've ever worked in. I'm a little jealous that there are two of you - most of my shows I handle solo, so when things like this pop up, it all falls on me!
Anyways... I could talk shop forever, so I'll wrap this up here! Sending my best for a dry and easier 2025! Keep up the great work on the gigs and videos! Who knows, maybe I'll break out the camera for a few events and try my hand at the vlogging thing. I just picked up a new full time job at a more sizable production company too, so there might be some good content there. Looking forward to more in the new year!
- Walt
Excellent video. I have some takeaways from it too! Have something about DB limits in the event contract between myself and the client. And then prep prep prep prepare!
Hi guys, thanks for the life lessons shared. I think that you should have a pre-gig fill-up questions list for the client. Short and simple questions, mandatory to be filled-up, so in the future you can avoid such a situatons like in this case. Let us know when you come up with one, if you go that route. Thanks, and keep posting, it is fun to watch.
Merry Christmas SC, Its hard to work as a couple when its easy to blame each other when its heated at gigs, Stacy is contributing a lot, I have to give her props, every little thing helps so much in the equation, Bart is absolutely correct about the DB bullshit, Venues don't want to tell their clients about noise limits cause some may cancel and won't book with them, Happy new Year guys:)
Thanks for posting this, warts and all. The last venue was a nightmare, but looked like a typical public venue trying to cash in on the wedding market, whilst being totally unsuitable. I wonder if the 85db limit was a limit imposed by licensing by the local council? Personally, I think you handled it right and I would have done exactly the same. Best wishes for a great 2025.
Thanks! Our goal for our channel is to stay real - warts and all!
The db limit was probably due to the fact that there are apartments/condos above the venue. Happy Holidays!
You guys did great. Love it that you got to play with the RCF J8 mix. I have 4 of them. Love them. Can't wait to have you guys back on the show in the New Year.. Keep up the good work.
Thanks Buddy! We'll keep in touch!
It's a story as old as live performance - all the problems land on the crew to solve, no matter what the cause.
Amazing video! I can tell you guys were tired from the 4 days in a row and the rain always hit out of nowhere and it’s true to make the call or not. Also during rain I was soaked in rain and wind to tarp up PA and the gear and always have an extra set of clothes in the car in a bag incase you need to change after the rain!
Hello Bart and Stacy Merry Christmas - Carlos - São Paulo - Brasil
Glad to see there's another fellow brazilian alongside. Cheers from Porto Alegre - Brazil
Thanks for watching! Happy Holidays to you as well!
The lack of knowledge around sound production is something that is always gonna be a hassle with un-experienced venue owners/staff. The sad part is that it affects the poor people that has paid a lot to use the venue for their costly event. The only thing you can do is to inform, and make your checklist more efficient to detect potential issues before they arise.
I think you did great in handling the different scenarios, we've all been there and done that.
Boy, what a rush! Thank God everything went well...
congratulations on the beautiful work and rest a little, you deserve it!
Thanks for watching! Looking back on a week like this certainly gives us perspective and our breaks we don't take for granted. :)
❤❤❤❤❤ aku senang dg kerja anda membawa inspirasi
Terima kasih telah menonton! Senang kami dapat terus menginspirasi Anda.
85dBA in a smallish venue is essentially "No live bands". Or "No amplified bands". Or best said: "No Live Drums"
Acoustic duos, a string quartet, a pianist... those are all quite do-able.
Otherwise, the option is a DJ. The DJ might not be happy with the dB limit, but they can still manage to do it because they have no live instruments making sound. Their overall level can be as low as they want to set it. But this still does leave the question of energy and entertainment, and expectations, wide open to question.
This is all where there needs to be some discussion between the venue management and the people renting the venue before any contracts are signed. Not just a line in the contract that isn't even mentioned. If it's that important, and going to be enforced, then it needs pointed out during discussions.
And it wouldn't be all that hard for the venue management to go into the room, turn the ceiling speakers on, and demonstrate exactly how loud 85dBA is to a prospective client.
The problem comes in when people that don't understand stage volume, nor what 85dBA means, ASSUME that must really be loud and "nobody wants it real loud anyway!". So the contracts get signed, the band hired, and nothing is mentioned to the band about the dB limits until day of show... or when they exceed it on the first note. Maybe even the client isn't TOLD about the dB limit and it's just buried in the signed contract that they just read the amount owed and the times they could be in the venue.
Kudos for dealing with it as best as possible. It's essentially an impossible situation. No winners.
Five into Four! No whole numbers here. The band on Day one sounded great. Chekclists are good, as long as they are flexible for small gigs and large gigs.
Day 2 instruments all sounded hot except the keys during sound check; much better Live. Expect the unexpected wrt the rain, and life.
Day 3 was nice. Day 3 had the Free and Easy Band. Hopefully there was not too much lightning. When there is hail, there is sometimes .....
Day 4 was awesome with at least two areas to cover. You had sound limits??? Teardown was greater than 85 db!
You two will have lots of notes when the next "five in four; three in two; seven in five" time occurs. How were you all afterwards physically and emotionally - done for a week? Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to the Sound Couple!
HI BArt , we go through the exact same things, here in north germany, so now I am sure who works the stage is hooked up to us.That makes it a little bit easier. We have 10 Outdoor venues each year, 7 are normally in rain, so taking everything down wet.
It's good to have people you know! Rain - everyone wants the show to go on - but won't be there afterwards to do the clean up!
Some gigs are just tough!
A wedding reception venue with an 85db cap??!!?? I'm guessing they won't be in business long. We've all had wedding crowds that are way louder than that.
But hey, you made it through with your reputation and sanity (MOSTLY) intact!!
Keep up the good work.
Thanks. It makes you appreciate the easy ones when you get them. :)
You did a great job at all the venues! I’ve come across a db limit at a few venues and it sucks. One venue had a db meter linked to the power which tripped if you exceeded it - the problem was always the crowd singing along which tripped the system along with all of our expensive gear - not good and I wasn’t happy. 85db peak is way too low for a serious wedding venue with all those hard walls bouncing the sound around. Well done for keeping your cool. The stage situation sucked too - it’s never good being in a rush at the end of the event when everyone is tired. Thanks for your videos and see you in the new year.
As usual, time well spent watching your post. A great mix of venues, shows, challenges and positive outcomes. I’m sure the average punter and many venue managers have no idea how much effort goes into a gig, from set up, running the show & the bump out. Throw in some rain, subcontracts like - staging, power or location staff (who just want to get home asap) and the gig can change dramatically. I understand high dB levels over many hours/days/years can cause hearing damage - but a max 85dB for the whole night, in a low ceiling, reflective surface venue is not only unrealistic- but it’s well outside the industry standards. Thanks for sharing - another great job. 🔊📢🇦🇺🎙️🎤
Mill City honestly shouldn't offer indoor events if they're going to impose an 85dB limit. They've probably gotten a ton of complaints from the neighbors next door, so it's understandable to some extent...yet at the same time I've been to events in their courtyard that were easily 90+ dB.
Good stuff as always. I use radar scope to track the weather, it’s a professional app used by pros and storm chasers.
Good suggestion. Thanks!
I had the same problem with Audio Pressure in another event, and when you decrease the volume, is like do put water in your draft beer. Everybody look at you thinking that you are sabotaging the band.
Exactly! And the guests have no clue of the unrealistic rules we get put under!
Hey Bart, very few venues on there due diligence when it comes to db limits! These venues love to sell first then expect limits after.
At the bigger event, how are you time aligning you subs and your center fill to LR? Are you using DSP or is it built in to the presonus speaker software?
It's kinda morbid, but I find it refreshing when other engineers/techs run into similar problems I do!
Little bit of everything in 5 gigs.
When you need to be quiet, nothing is louder than a snare drum.
Yes....snare drums are a topic within themselves!
Ok, the two issues that you faced,
1. the stage getting dismantled, question to be asked is whether this is the festival's first run or if this is the client's first festival?... Reason being, most festivals have stage/truss, facilities (portable toilets, tables, chairs, etc) dismantled the next day... It is a safety thing because of the public, weather(like your case), and it has to be done in daylight(so idiot checks can be done as well but most importantly, no public people around)
2. The 85db limit... Most cities do have a sound limit which is around 85dbA... The most important thing to ask but gets overlooked is that this is an ambient sound limit... Like in an open space. So in this case, the measurement needs to be taken outside the building. Technically, it was the venue at fault, around 200 pax in that space would generate more than 80dbA with people chit chatting, so it's pointless taking a measurement in the venue as it is a city limit. Well that's my point of view... You have to be confident in dealing with these situations. It won't be (and never will) be a C weighted measurement as this is a gallery space and not a place where a full range PA is expected.
I would look into some fat Ivan doorstops. You can carry a few in a bag and use them to hold doors open.
Whoa! Just checked them out and will definitely be adding them to our gear. Thanks for suggesting!
There are a few venues thar I do that have a db level limit and actually have db level displays mounted for the band to see. The max at one venue is 85 and another at 87. Some of the bands I've ran sound for have over 90 db of stage volume. Csn be very frustrating.
Raise your rates to Gandalf levels.
I have been wondering this since I started watching you guys . What is it you both do (as my ex wife would say)For a REAL Job ? I don't recall you ever telling us ... How did you like using the RCF EVOX8 cabinets ? I am a RCF dealer and I have the EVOX8 Ser2 and rent them out a lot . MERRY CHRISTMAS to you both .
We may have shared bits and pieces through out....but since you asked specifically, Stacy is in the education field and I work in Cyber Security. We didn't get a chance to work with RCF directly, but it looked nice and the owner had nothing but good things to say. We would definitely check them out if we were in need. Thank you for all your support and Merry Christmas to you to!
People who just show up to events and sit there and enjoy, have no idea how much work it takes you to make it all happen. Have you ever refused to return to a venue because of difficulties dealing with venue staff etc?
Sadly they don't....for the guests, that's ok, but for the rest that we rely on to do our job...thats when the problems can start. Yes, unfortunately we do have a list of a few venues that either we will not support, or we would charge a premium to return. Thankfully, our clients are generally aligned with our views so it's not a problem. We don't want that list to grow...for 2024, I think we added just 1 to our we will never return. Stay tuned for a future video for this awesome venue that was so supportive and happy we were there....not!
Well, that venue with the 85db limit, can NEVER host a Big Band jazz ensemble! Acoustically a Big Band is louder than that! The pipe organ at the church I run sound fur hits 100 db pretty regularly!
With the last show Bart what can I say,you just can’t educate idiots,spoiling it for the happy couple is on them not you,sadly they will just have to deal with that and it will come against them in the future.
What’s so annoying for an outside gig is no consideration given to provide extra cover to protect very expensive sound gear and musical instruments!!!
Sadly, this happens a lot. Not very often where we run into stages that include an effective roof. They may good to block some sun, but not blowing rain.
Bart they must provide exacting details and times layouts ect,if they go over they PAY,no if buts or whys,your there longer that expected they pay they must provide any or all requirements of all stakeholders in the event,this must be made available to the people who are requesting your services.
Be sure to tell them and be sure they understand the terms of your services you provide and what they must provide.
I like you Bart don’t like static with Venues,but on the rare occasion that happens what do you do?,well as you experienced it’s not pleasant and it’s just ignorance on their Part,and no respect generally is the culprit.
There’s nothing wrong with outdoor shows,it’s just the people who do them,just keep it up tell them your requirements and if they don’t like it ,they’re not worth it or you’re time.
Bart and Stacey it comes with the job it just the way it is. As a DJ I've had my fair share of things that was out of my control aaand it pissed me of. One time i was asked to move my equipment after it was already setup, because the wedding planner didn't liked it when specifically said to setup in that area so i had moved it, an hour later i was asked to move it back because it was in the way of the photographer i almost lost my shit and threatened to walk out. Merry Christmas