The Quiet Sound Couple and the Loud Gig!
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- Опубликовано: 28 авг 2024
- The Sound Couple head off to a venue they have not worked at before to work a wedding. The ceremony was scheduled to be outside at a different location, but the weather changed that plan. Instead, all activities took place within the same venue! We supported the ceremony, speeches, and finally the reception in which we ran production for the band.
We interfaced with a nice QSC house system, but the untreated room proved to be a worthy competitor of all the gear and talent. In the end, it all worked out and the venue was very pleased with the job we did!
Sit back and "watch" the Sound Couple work as for some reason, neither Bart or Stacy were extremely talkative during this gig!
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.
Bitter sweet to find your new video this Monday morning,.. that is after getting a call yesterday from my great musician friend and band leader telling me that after many decades of making beautiful music...he's calling it quits!
Good job guys............ and thanks for the melon coli self-review and reflections of over 40 yrs of making music happen.
I'm sad!
Good luck Buddy! With the end of each chapter there are new ones to open and to find out what's next!
Your videos are always so interesting to watch
Glad you think so!
Loved the purple lights for Prince song. Nice touch Stacy!!
It always is tough when you have to share the room during setup / line check. Nice work.
Thanks for noticing! It was fun to have all purple as an option!
I guarantee you that that room was tuned with those boxes in the air sounds great!having a ground stack system in that room would’ve been a nightmare
We did not fight the system at all, it was more about the room's acoustics.
Wow, you two are fearless! Years of study, thousands spent and gigs still end up on the spot wing it. Love it.
Thanks!
Great work as usual guys! I'd say you "lucked out" by having good quality venue supplied FOH mains and lighting control system. Looks like you figured out how to incorporate them with excellent results. One of the things I admire most about both of you is that you work through all of the "things" that get thrown at you and/or malfunction during the gigs. You may get a little "frustrated", but I've never seen you allow that frustration to sabotage the event. You both have an extremely professional approach to each event and it is appreciated by the bands you support, the venues you service, and the folks that enjoy the output of your hard work!
Hopefully that's a core message that we are delivering with our videos....and that is the show must always go on! Regardless of if you are big or small the principles are the same!
love watching you guys working as a team. My wife and I worked together for 16 years at a steel mill and continue after retirement.
That's great! Thanks for sharing!
Stacy is sooooo snacky🤣🤣🤣
Hey… better than a Hangry Stacy!
good party ,........good people again, and a good ideea to stay in front of a TV and do the work ,......nice
That was a nice respite!
I am from Thailand. I don’t speak English. But I very like your job. It nice 😊
Thank you! We are glad that our videos can be helpful even though we don't speak the same language.
Another great result in my mind, in a room that looked and sounded challenging, with the added challenges of people being in the room unplanned. While I don't personally rate QSC speakers, I would say that was far too much PA for a room that size. I've used the KLA series myself, and one thing they're not lacking in is horsepower. While there was not a lot in the way of floor space, I think your CDL system (and I'd probably have gone with one top and one sub per side) would have actually been better suited. You both made the most of what was available, so a definite win in my eyes!
I couldn't agree more...the vibe I got is that they were struggling with events and not sure why. There are likely multiple factors involved that could be considered.
Quick shout-out to the ROCK'N ROLLER cart. I love mine! Great for pulling gear AND fitting in a full vehicle at the last second!
Totally agree!
❤ from INDIA 🇮🇳 (ASSAM)
Looking forward to hearing the results on the Donner dongle test. I just purchased a set of those not long ago, and have been very happy with how they've worked so far, but this will enable me to have a plan in place for when to look at replacement. Like anything else that has a battery, they're not going to last forever and seeing what type of service life they have is going to be a plus for me. I also have a few spares, it may be worth tearing one apart to see how user serviceable they are for replacing the battery. While they're pretty cheap, and a workaround is to just use a dmx cable, seeing what it would take to extend the life for less money is always a preferable option as it adds to the bottom line.
The primary issue we had is that we damaged our power supply connector on the Donner DMX transmitter, so the power was sporadic (this issue was manifesting over time). We also had one dongle that wasn't holding a charge and a bad XLR jack on our StormChaser....so just a few things going on. Overall, we have been very happy with our Donner DMX products. The power supply connector issue was our fault over time by trying to push the XLR cable too snugly to the power connector. We will explain in a later video!
@@thesoundcouple when it rains it pours. I bought them based off of all the videos I've seen you use them in. Freeing my life of wires, especially when you look at it, by the 10 pack the cost of those is basically the price of a decent DMX cable.
I am totally with you on the issue of running tracks for a ceremony or performance. I hate the responsibility that it might go wrong and have the same respect you do for the DJs and MC's who do it without blinking an eye!
I have only had one instance where we have had to plug in to a house system. It was a condition of the venue's licence that the music volume was limited so they put in a house system limited to 96db which was more than loud enough for the venue. We were allowed backline and monitors but no FOH. I hated it, but a limited system is way better than a sound cut off system, which are quite common in the UK! Go in to the 'red' for too long and power is cut to the stage area!!
Thanks for sharing David! Stay tuned for a future video as the nightmare came true where we had a failure on the grand entrance! The good news is that we had a back-up plan and limped through it, but it was not fun!
If you know a good lighting technician in your area, you may be able to get Wireless modules installed in a few key pieces of equipment. They then make the fixture wireless, and acts as a receiver for additional lights connected to it. It operates the same as the Donner system with 7 channels identified by color. Transmitter flashes red when transmitting and flashes green when receiving. I've put 2 modules inside 2 DMX dimmer packs and 2 inside 2 DMX RGBW Par lights, so they all link to the console. They run solid as they do not use batteries, but are powered by the 5 Volts in the light. It does take a technician to properly install them. This is not a DIY type project.
Interesting....it's amazing all of the options available. Seems endless!
Another great gig. I’ve used the Chamsis QuickQ20 desk before and they are great - really easy to use with lots of control faders. The lighting looked great. Only constructive suggestion would have been be to clear the floor as soon as the bridal party came into the venue - they are paying for it all after all😬
Fair enough....they technically should have not been in the room, and we needed to coordinate with the staff to store our gear, so we only wanted to do that once.
That looks like a nice venue.
I take that back really nice venue. Having video and audio throughout the facility. I've been to places and I've always thought it would be nice if I could tie into their systems because you walk out of the room and you are now disconnected from whatever is happening in the main room.
It is a nice venue, but as see with so many of these places, it would benefit everyone if they would prioritize some efforts to manage acoustics.
Great job guyz...
Thanks!
Awesome job yall. Wish you were closer to mix the band I'm in. Hate big rooms like that.
No world tours on the books? If so, we could consider it! Ha Ha!
Lol no no world tours lol. I'm in colorado tho so eh 😆
I just did a show where all the performers brought tracks to sing with. I requested all to send me the track in mp3 format so as to have them loaded and ready to go. Only 2 of the acts did so. The 4 others brought them to me on their phones. Just creates a mess.
Oy vey! Performers just don’t understand….
@@thesoundcouple as both a performer, and audio engineer, I hear ya! Performers are generally so clueless!
hai both of you, i am from malaysia fan The sound couple. i enjoy watch you video a lot of technical, technology and advance equipment (for me newbie😊) i hope your job running smoothly and successful. Thanks give me something new for learning. may i know all your speaker is active type? great job to give all happy and create great to memories ✌ ✌ 🥰🥰🥰🥰
Appreciate your thoughts and glad that you can find some useful information from our videos as we share our gigs!
Great video as usual. I hate being in charge of the ceremony music also. So much pressure 😫
Yes, not my most favorite thing to do for sure!
your videos are so inspiring that I should be videotaping myself. I've been trying to do it for a few years now. Not having time during the week hasn't helped. I can only imagine the stupid things that I would be doing the equivalent of untangling cables.
Clever name on the videos lol I almost thought about commenting under my other account because of it.... Needless to say I had a couple double takes when I read it.
I don't have that problem too much, I've decided over under and Velcro = done. as long as it gets wrapped right and the ends don't end up in the middle. If you do end up in that situation take the loose end then feed it through each loop then give it a pull through and it should untangle most of the loops if you got them in order.
Hi this account the business account. You'll get the reference if you look at the name of the account.
Appreciate the insight and funny you could relate! We have adopted Velcro for some of our specialty cables, but not so much for XLR.
I would just do a line check and do the sound on the fly. I use all my presets in my mixer from other bands. as a starting point there’s cuts irritating people out front running a kick drum for 20 minutes try to get it to work just saying. Do you not have the capability of doing a virtual check meeting recording a band and doing a quick sound check with the virtual sound check function because I see that you actually do sound for the same beds periodically which you should save on your mixer just cuts down a lot of time.
We do work with a lot of the same musicians but in different line ups so have never really adapted the virtual sound check. The other bands we work with a more consistent line up generally like to do a sound check, if possible. Otherwise, we are comfortable enough to run on the fly.
Yes Label your cables then you can grab out a length. I've seen some that are color-coded with little rings on the end and I have use a LabelMaker to make cable tags. Sometimes I find it helpful to give each cable a number or letter and I have numbered all of my speakers. That way if I'm chasing a problem and it moves around between events I can see if it's the same cable or speaker.
And for most people finger to nose is about a yard, 3 feet. Try it out sometime.
I wonder if part of the problem is the batteries in the units are going dead and that's causing them to drop out. I picked up the version without the batteries I might have to fumble around with a cord but then I'm not stuck with the unit acting erratic if it's a battery issue. Haven't used them yet though just tested. Surprisingly the Chinese ones are fairly standardized.
Numbering cables is something I have never thought of. It would take some work but I can see how this would really be helpful for troubleshooting.
Overall, we see more benefits to the Donner DMX than pitfalls.
Photographer girl is cute!
Gee...didn't notice ;)
The QSC is what I wound up with. What do you think of them compared to the other boxes in that range (VRX, CDL, etc)?
The real answer is that I really don't know....the room's acoustics put me into survival mode and was just trying not to blow the guests out of the room. That said, I wasn't fighting the system but the room will never allow those cabinets to truly shine, imo.
@@thesoundcouple That makes sense. Must be a check in the Pros category though since you didn't feel like you were fighting with it. I came to the same conclusion after watching the rest of the video. That's a shame the room was such a bear-cat, they had the PA rigged really nicely it would've been cool hear it rip! Like you've said in several other videos, they make these architecturally beautiful Event Center and think ZERO about acoustics, in a EVENTS Center. It really is a shame because that space looked like a great place for a wedding EXCEPT for the acoustics.
@@djjazzyjeff1232 I can only guess that in part that it's a historic spot so they want to maintain that character....but when their AV person talks the sound issues they have, the first thing that comes to my mind is that this room is putting everyone at a disadvantage before a note is ever played and it wouldn't take too many other variables at play to sink real fast. One key advantage we had is that they were ready to dance but if that wasn't the case, we could have been in trouble as well.
Great vid again guys. Can I ask a room eq question please? Bart, do you eq every room, of every new room? When you talk about acousticy challenged rooms, boomy rooms etc. And what way do you do this, pink noise or just the band soundcheck? Thanks!
Hi Pat - Good question. This is where my advice is more a goal than anything, especially if you are still getting experienced. Bottom line is I rely on my ears and EQ to what sounds good to me. This is simply because I have been doing this so long and have seen just about everything a room or system can throw at me that I can get the sound out of it that I need to just by listening to my reference tracks that I have used for years. Rooms that are boomy, etc, the key with those is to make sure you are managing the low mid and low frequencies as they can muddy the mix. I think some people react to this by boosting highs and then you end up ripping the heads off the guests. In general, your approach to main mix EQ'ing should be about cuts, not boosts (and that's where "tools" might lead you down the wrong path). If you need to be boosting frequencies to make your system sound good, I would be inclined to say it's not tuned well.
Hello there sound couple i'm new in your chanel...but been waching them for long time.....i realy interesting on the cdl12 and I wanted to know if you recommend those for like out side gigs or if they are good for like 200 people....a set like the one you guys have.....thank you...GOD bless you 🙏
Hi Cristian - Welcome! Part of the reason why we started our channel was to show gear in real action, not just another product demo. We have several videos showing our CDL's in action from weddings to street dances and everything in-between. The cabinets serve us well because of many factors that go into our decisions to choose the gear we use. It sounds like they would work out well for you, but you need to determine the requirements you may have. You can check out this early video where we talk a little bit more about our transition: ruclips.net/video/iK-WH0wueoM/видео.html
Hi guys, great video... we use Donner wireless dmx on our chauvet wash fx2s and adj dotz tpar lights, they have ac outlets built in so we have ac powered transmitter and receivers. Never had an issue, perhaps the ac powered versions are more stable? Not sure
We had a few issues going on at this time that have since been resolved. One of which was a failing battery on one of the units. Overall, the rechargeable units have been working out well for us!
amazing as always.... whats the name of the band? love their style
That is the Blue Water King's Band
Nice :)
❤
Thanks for watching!
What do you guys use to connect your Luminair to your lights?
We use an Enttec ODE box....we have an older version and it still works great!
Hi There Bart & Stacy, Again a nice Gig.
About the lights. I've tested out some wireless DMX sets they work fine for a couple of months. And then start to fail on me. But those who are battery powered are not trustworthy
The Line voltage of the signal is dropping down to much by power drops of the battery and that's not enough for lot of fixtures. I blame the battery's quality for this, some Moving Heads had a party of there own last time i used those dongles...
But when i put a receiver dongle into an DMX splitter and put the lights on the splitter output then they work better. The splitter has its own power supply so the signal voltage that's needed by the fixtures will be nice and steady again.
This could maybe help you to eliminate the power issue. But I'm not sure for how long because those battery's of the dongles are getting worst by the day.
An A/V guy i know uses only the powered ones they don't fail him for a long time now. (Stagg SLI-STICK24) 1 transmitter 4 receivers using 9 to 12 volt power adapters so no battery's to charge they where about € 250 euro's for a complete set.
However I prefer to hard wire the DMX chain. And use only wireless when it's really necessary. Don't forget to put an terminator at the end of the chain some fixtures are very picky on the signal.
Thank you for your input! It's funny that we weren't expecting the lighting to be the big conversation of this video....we are learning a lot!
What is that multi port power line you run in from of the monitors at 6:50? I checked out your about section but didn't see it listed there.
I've looked for one of those for years, but can't find them.
Also, as soon as I saw the room, I knew it was going to be a nightmare to run sound in. I know the pain!
We got our off Amazon, but it is no longer available, but perhaps the link would be helpful in finding another one: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00P2SDEA8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Appreciate your compassion!
@@thesoundcouple thanks for the response!
Hi , I wonder if you or Stacy could show the way you coil (wrap) the XLR cables ? I've see you do it on numerous videos but it's hard to see how you do it .
Sure! We can talk about that in a future video!
Someone designed that venue well with the video/audio broadcast. Was that QSC setup a little much for that small of a room??
The AV system appeared to be designed technically very well. I would tend to agree that the system was too large for the acoustics of that room. We don't know all of the types of events it needs to support so that can play a factor in what they need. For us on that day, it was plenty.
@@thesoundcouple always enjoy your content!! Thanks!
Hi Stacy and Bart. Another great performance! Quick Question: You use Nowsonic Stage Router Pro and also use Presonus SW5E. How are they physically connected? Do you really need SW5E in this case? Any help about the NETWORK connectivity of your sound setup would be helpful. Thanks.
Good question - The NowSonic is our core router, so it's handling all of the networking and non-AVB needs. One of the SW5E ports is plugged into the NowSonic so it becomes part of the network. We are using the NSB stage boxes which rely on AVB, so yes, the SW5E switch is needed to bridge the communication between the mixer (32R in this case) and the NSB stage boxes. That is the the cool thing with AVB as you can run IP (network) and AVB over the same wire.
@@thesoundcouple Ha...IC. That makes super sense. Thanks. So, the SW5E is your AVB Bridge and NowSonic is just serving your Tablets and or PC networking, gotcha!
@@soundgineering4771 You got it! I should mention that technically, you could run Cat 5 directly from the mixer (Audio Network port) to the NSB stage boxes as well and that would work. The NSB boxes would only show as AVB audio devices to the mixer and not as a network device, therefore bypassing the need for the SW5E here. It's not as seamless of a solution and would require you to hook up devices differently when you need an NSB to have IP presence, like in order to apply a firmware update. If you are just starting out or budget is tight, I would consider if the SW5E is where you should spend the money because they are relatively expensive but makes the ecosystem more convenient for sure.
@@thesoundcouple Great tips! Thanks. Another question just popped up when I see the video again and again....Your 32R back panel has a couple of RJ45 Cables connected to it (looks like the Mix Output area?!). They are probably connected to the 1/4 TRS connectors. How is possible with 1/4 TRS RJ45? Also, right above (probably about 4U above) the 32R, I see Ethernet/AVB/AVB/AVB Labels and the connectors on the top, what is this appliance? Is it something you made on your own? Sorry for asking too many questions. Thanks!
Don't use 2,4ghz wireless devices like the dmx thing. it's 2,4ghz. with the amount of mobiles having their wlan activated and constantly searching for wireless devices will cause so much interference that the range of the device is very limited. depending on the circumstances the range can be limited up to 1-3 m only. at every major festival the frequency coordinator will tell you that if you use 2,4ghz devices it's up to your own if they fail and generally advice to not use them whereas with other devices he can generate you frequencies incl backup. (i'm talking non dmx devices in this case. it's just in regards of the frequency range) u should be looking at something with the addition of 5,2ghz & 5.8 ghz. in the end there is a reason why 99% of professional productions always do hardwired DMX because even with the pro wireless devices they are prone to failure as soon as people are in the venue
Seconded. It’s a bit like the old saying: a $2,000 wireless mic works nearly as well as a $5 cable. Stick with wired DMX, and use an opto -splitter so you don’t end up with a single long daisy-chain run. You might also like to consider changing to a lighting console like the Chamsys that this venue has, it’s the same sort of upgrade for lighting as going from a cheap 16 channel analog mixer to the digital mix rig you have.
☝️this👆
I haven't had any issues using 2.4ghz wireless. I try to not use it but there are events where each device is like 25ft apart or we have like 40+ devices around and we aren't able to have wires around
Not true on the 2.4ghz thing. The wireless DMX are in their own range and switch automatically if there is an issue. I have used these Donners for several years at distance of 100’ with no issues. I always keep mine powers with adapters though when I can.
I've been using Donner wireless DMX for several years. Never had an issue with interference.
Hey guys, absolute love you videos but I was wondering if you could answer a question for me….
How did you guys build up your client base so that you consistently have gigs? I have the gear and the know how but I am lacking the job opportunities.
Great question that doesn't have an easy answer....We have some years behind us, so that has allowed us to build relationships over the years that continue to this day. Thinking back, our focus was on catering to bands, which I used to be in as well. There were bands that needed sound/lights and so I was either providing the gear for the bands I was in, or working with others when I wasn't playing. Eventually, I needed to make a decision as it was tough doing both, so I set the sticks and picks down and dedicated myself to production. Another approach is getting hooked in with venues/sound companies. This is probably where there are more growth in size/money opportunities are, but we always felt more comfortable sticking with the musicians. We feel like we are more part of the band and music so it's definitely more satisfying. I used to do more A/V work as well, and although it can pay well, it just wasn't as fulfilling. I could go on, but perhaps this would be best served as it's own video. We will add it to our list!
@@thesoundcouple Thank you for that very well written response. I know you guys have been busy after watching your recent uploads but a future video covering the topic I brought up would be so great!!!
Cheers!
hello sir what is the brand of your wireless mic?
We use the Shure ULD4Q system with 58 or Beta 58 capsules.
thnkyou so much sir i always watch your vdeo 🙏🙂
When it suddenly becomes so loud from members of the wedding party heading inside because of a sudden rainstorm, does the resulting confusion phase the Sound Couple? No, it does not. When the venue encourages the use of their amplifiers and speakers, instead of the sound production team’s usual PreSonus CDL12s and PreSonus CDL18s, does this requirement phase the Sound Couple? Of course not!
When the lighting system owned by the venue needs some supplemental lighting from the Sound Couple, but some difficult-to-troubleshoot issue causes intermittent problems, does this situation phase the Sound Couple? Are you kidding me? No, not in the slightest. When Bart has to act as a DJ during the wedding ceremony-which was originally at another location but now is on-site due to the rain-requiring precise cueing and playback of music streamed from Spotify throughout various portions of the ceremony, does this phase the Sound Couple? Maybe just a very tiny bit, but not really.
Once again, Bart and Stacy earn both praise and thanks for allowing us to view the setup and execution of one of their challenging gigs. Every one of these videos gives those of us, who strive to emulate the kind of care and commitment that the Sound Couple has to doing their very best, an opportunity to learn and grow. Watching a Sound Couple video is best done with pen or pencil and paper at hand to take notes for future reference.
A hallmark of the Sound Couple shines through in every video: namely, by performing each task with utmost professionalism, attention to details, and with courtesy and understanding toward the client, a production team can handle whatever issues might arise at a gig. Bart and Stacy allow us to learn from their experiences.
Among the many lessons in this video is Stacy’s very smart idea of using colored tape to indicate the length of various XLR cables. The effort it takes to color-code each length of cable will pay benefits in reduced set-up time, again and again, at future gigs. We also have the chance to see one of Bart’s signature line check actions, as he waves the mics at the monitor speakers, while adjusting the equalization via the PreSonus UC Surface, to make certain that the mics will not excite feedback during the band’s energetic performance.
Stacy’s suggestion to watch, or re-watch, the previous video entitled “No room to ourselves!” is well worth doing. As with all the Sound Couple videos, this one from 11 months ago gives another look at a situation with some challenges comparable to the ones at this venue.
Thank you once again, Bart and Stacy, for allowing us the unique privilege of watching two very in-sync professionals at work.
Thank you Dean...we can't say enough how we are humbled by your insights to our content. It is so neat to see the story that unravels when we start putting these together...sometimes the storyline is cut and dry, and other times it goes in a direction we weren't expecting....and then after they are posted, it's neat to see what the viewers respond to, especially on things we didn't really see or expect. Honestly, this was a tough one to work on, but I think we did manage to pull it off even though we weren't feeling it much at the time. Then your insights just takes it to different level which is really cool...like we have said before, you have an uncanny sense to see things we didn't even realize! We just hope everyone takes the time to read your comments as you have a way to sum it all up into information that is gold!
I am back to working on the next....We think this one will contain "Dog Day's" in the title, this is another one that will need some polishing!
@@thesoundcouple - One question, driven by idle curiosity: at 6:53 in the video, where Bart struggles a bit with a cable, is that particular cable a special one that you have constructed in order to feed a.c. power to the string of successive 312AI-series monitor speakers, when arrayed across the front of a stage?
those wireless donnor s always cause issues and seems like when you have about a 1000 people lol I hard wire everything now
Fortunately we have less than that, but yes, we have figured out situations where hard wiring will be better. But just saying, they have made life easier! 🙂
I was taught never to tap on mics!
Hmmmm....I think they can take it.
Far as lighting goes, I don't do it. I hire a lighting g company to do them.
We get it! We are sound production first, lighting secondary. Kudos to all of the true lighting artists!
🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷👍🏻☑️
I do not understand Bart why are you are not helping her get completely set up move all the stuff out of the way you don’t need to be playing with front end when there’s people having a discussion . So much confusion for as long as you guys been doing this I do not have any help at all and I could knock out loading monitors front end in an hour and a half.
Thanks for you input Ronald. We were other timing factors you didn't see, such as a scheduled ceremony sound check and our completion time so there was an order of operation we needed to follow. While I was handling ceremony checks, that is the time Stacy could clean up, which we needed to coordinate with the staff to get access, so we only wanted to bother them one time (when we were done). In addition, the guests technically should not have been in the room (I know, who is going to tell them to leave) so we felt it was still our room to do our thing.
🤍🤍
You should really give some thought into STOP using wireless dmx. I get it, it's quick, looks clean, but there a reason nobody is using it in the high end productions. It's only 3 or 4 cables to hardwire your rig and will stop so many problems. Also take a look at the new Onyx NX2. Its a great console for the money. It's small but powerful and really affordable. It would make it so easy for Stacy to take lighting to the next level.
Thank you for taking the time to comment! There are so many good comments on the lighting portion of this video which is surprising us! We were able to work through our issues since this gig, which is good. We understand the issues with using wireless, but there are situations that the risk/cons are not as great as their benefits. We have taken a more selective approach to their use since.