Sound Plan

What is needed for better sound at concerts?

Goals

1. Intelligible vocal solos
2. Intelligible choir
3. Audible instruments (all of them)
4. Vocals sound good
5. Instruments sound good

These are in priority order, and in practice, the goals are tiered like so:

1. Vocals are audible and intelligible
2. Instruments are audible
3. Sound is good

What Is Needed

Taking as the baseline where TSC is today, the following changes are needed:

Solo vocals

• EQ. This generally needs to be done per soloist.
• Compression (this is in the "sound quality" bucket, I already have basic compression for safety/intelligibility).
• Mic technique and soloists listening to themselves.
• Solo monitor mix.

Choir

• EQ. Different from solo EQ because choir mics, most notably, don't get enough high frequency content from the singers due to much larger distance.
• Choir monitor mix (probably does not affect quality of sound coming from choir but does make a difference in choir's quality of life).

Instruments

• Mic selection and placement. See MicrophonePlacement. Some instruments are OK, some are very much not OK.
• HPF and LPF to reduce noise.
• Leveling of multiple musicians playing the same instrument against each other (flutes, violins).
• A better approach for adjusting faders at concerts (subgroups, pre-set levels for different songs, etc.).
• Effects (e.g. reverb for violins).
• Gates.
• EQ. Unlike HPF and LPF, EQ is in the sound quality bucket. Most instruments will probably benefit from some EQ.
• Compression (this is 100% sound quality bucket, and is toward the end, but for example violins can possibly benefit from compression).

The Plan

1. People set up the correct microphones in all positions.
2. Set correct gain for each microphone. Start with +36 dB as default gain. Write down gains for each microphone/instrument combo.
3. Investigate output level of keyboards vs corresponding gain needed in the mixer preamp.
4. Investigate using gain + trim vs using gain only. Gain probably should not be used to compensate for instruments being played at an insufficient volume or poor mic placement. But, trim could potentially be used to level faders without adverse effects. Consider keyboard in particular which requires much higher gain, perhaps this wouldn't be an issue with keyboard output level adjustment.
5. Look at how mics are placed, check against MicrophonePlacement, record differences/plan adjustments.

At this point, each mic or instrument input should be properly audible in their channel, and the fader levels should be in a sensible spot to make mixing easier.

6. Work out desired input level into mix bus (dBu, as seen on the meter).
7. Acoustic piano microphone (Beta 87A) and melody keyboard need to be leveled equal to be interchangeable without redoing all of the monitor mixes at the concert. This is required to pre-set monitor mixes. If acoustic piano and keyboard are not interchangeable, need to look into compressing the piano?
8. Get the range for input levels produced by vocal soloists, quietest and loudest, write it down.
9. Listen for lead vocals vs piano balance between quietest and loudest soloists, also with and without orchestra but consider only lead vocals vs piano balance.
10. Work out fader settings for monitor mixes and which adjustments are needed during concert, and whether these adjustments can be automated at all.
11. Listen to actual monitor output for lead vocals or choir (other monitors are less critical, possiby because their users can adjust the volume and just need a decent mix).

At this point the monitor mixes should be defined before a concert, and during setup/sound check the channel levels/gains would be adjusted to make inputs match the predefined mixes.

12. Perform incoming level evaluation for all instrument microphones.
13. Set LPF/HPF for instruments.
14. Level match different musicians playing the same instrument (violins, flutes). Prerequisite: all instruments are properly audible in their microphones (otherwise making any adjustments is pointless).
15. Set up mixes for strings/woodwinds/rhythm section in various combinations. Make notes, observe when instruments become inaudible.

At this point instruments should generally be audible for the majority of the concert.

16. EQ choir mics - maybe done?
17. EQ solo mics - specific to singer. New singers need to be recorded for EQ purposes, and mics should be matched to singers during concerts.
18. Review vocal compression for lead vocals.
19. Evaluate compression for choir - should be done on all channels combined (subgroup?).

At this point the vocals should sound pretty good.

20. Evaluate instrument panning to improve clarity when same frequencies are output - flutes with strings for example? Viola/oboe?
21. Evaluate effects for instruments - e.g. revert for violins.
22. Evaluate EQ for instruments.

At Concert

1. Ensure correct instrument mics are installed at each position.
2. Check positioning for each mic.
3. If proper mic level is not obtained in mixer, check positioning and work with musician to adjust.
4. Musician is responsible for playing their instrument into their microphone.