Allow me to help you understand what Signal Flow is. Also this is an excerpt from my book Essential sound principles.

Signal flow is one of the most crucial concepts to grasp when working with live sound. The course of an audio signal from its source, to its output, is known as signal flow. It’s how sound travels from an instrument, or input, into the audio console. It’s also about what path the signal takes through the console, before finally going out of the speakers, which is what sound mixing is all about. 

Loudspeakers, crossovers, amplifiers, signal processors, audio consoles, microphones, DI boxes, sub snakes, splitters, and other pieces of equipment are all part of a sound system19. For this equipment to perform effectively, the audio signal must follow a precise path through it. You can correctly wire all of these components together if you understand the signal flow. 

The stage’s inputs must be routed to the snake, which must then be routed to the consoles, which must then be routed to the system EQ and processors, which must then be routed to the amplifiers, and ultimately the amplifiers to the speakers. 

For more information buy the book Essential Sound Principles by Edison Muhwezi

Allow me to help you understand what Feedback is. Also this is an excerpt from my book Essential sound principles.

The ringing noise (commonly described as shrieking, screeching, etc.) that can be heard in sound systems is known as audio feedback. This is caused by a looped signal moving in a continuous loop. 

Acoustic feedback happens when amplified sound from any loudspeaker enters the sound system through an open microphone and is amplified repeatedly. It’s that persistent, ringing tone that ranges from a low rumble to a piercing screech that we’ve all heard. In technical terms, feedback happens when the signal loop’s gain hits “unity” (0dB gain). 

Let’s imagine you position the microphone in front of the speaker. When you tap the microphone, the sound travels through the amplifier, out the speaker, and back into the microphone. This feedback loop is so fast that it develops its frequency, which results in the howling sound. This is an oscillation produced by sound entering the microphone. Putting the microphone too close to the speakers, too far away from the sound source, or just turning the microphone up too loudly, all increase the chances of feedback. 

For more information buy the book Essential Sound Principles by Edison Muhwezi

Allow me to help you understand how frequencies work. Also this is an excerpt from my book Essential sound principles.

Before we look at the equalizer itself, we need to understand what frequencies are. Frequency, to put it simply, means the number of times something happens. For example: How frequently do you wash your hands? How frequently do you listen to music? etc. In the audio world, this means the number of cycles (oscillations) per second and this is measured in Hertz(Hz). So when I mention 1000Hz, it means 1000 cycles per second 

As human beings, we have discovered that the lowest frequency we can hear is 20Hz and the highest is 20000Hz(20KHz). Equalizers are used to influence the volume of a specific frequency or a range of frequencies within the audio spectrum that we humans can hear. That means they can be reduced or increased depending on the situation. Changing the frequency of a sound will change its timbre. 

Timbre is the perceived sound quality of a musical note, sound, or tone in music. It is also known as tone color or tone quality. Different types of sound output, such as choir voices and musical instruments, are distinguished by timbre. 

The audio that we hear is broadly classified into 3 parts – Low, Mid, and High Frequencies. But it can be further broken into Sub- Low, Lower-Mid range, Higher Mid-range, and High range. Remember, this is regarding the spectrum of frequencies that human beings can hear. 

For more information buy the book Essential Sound Principles by Edison Muhwezi

Allow me to help you understand what Amplitude is. Also this is an excerpt from my book Essential sound principles.

Amplitude refers to the height at which a sound wave appears before it is projected. When the volume is lowered or increased, the amplitude of the sound is lowered

Amplitude is measured in decibels. An audio engineer can say, “boost” or “cut” the amplitude. 

Most people can tell the difference between a 3 dB change and a decrease in amplitude. 

The amplitude of a sound wave is a measurement of the wave’s height. The loudness of a sound wave can be described as the maximum displacement of vibrating particles of the medium from their mean position at the time the sound is produced. 

Volume level is mostly known as Sound Pressure Level(SPL) in the audio world. As air pressure continually changes, our eardrums deflect these changes and send the signals to our brains to perceive it as sound. 

We measure SPL using the decibel(dB). Decibels convey a ratio between two volume levels by definition, but SPL can also represent an absolute volume level in practice. 

For more information buy the book Essential Sound Principles by Edison Muhwezi

If you’re in charge of putting up a sound system for a small band that wants to reach a crowd of 300 to 500 people, there are several factors to consider, both strategically and technologically. Audio engineers have never had access to such a diverse choice of sound reinforcement equipment and techniques. Because the variety of technologies and goods available can be bewildering, let’s take a look at a few of them.
The number of speakers you choose should be determined by the amount of coverage you need and the size of the venue. There are several things to think about when it comes to the shape of the room and how the speakers will interact with the walls, ceiling, and floor.

You want the best speakers that your budget allows. Begin by determining your budget and then deciding what sounds best to you within that price range. Before you buy, always listen to the speakers because not all of them are created equal. You should study the specification sheet before picking a speaker, which should be easily available from most respectable manufacturers. The frequency response, SPL output, and dispersion are the most crucial parameters to know. You’ll need to know the wattage and impedance if you’re utilizing passive speakers (ohms resistance).

Many kinds of music, such as country, folk, or folk-rock, may be OK with a full-range speaker with a frequency response of 60 Hz to 18 kHz because the kick drum and bass don’t require extra punch. A subwoofer is required for rock, metal, pop, hip hop, EDM, and other genres. A subwoofer increases the frequency response down to 45 Hz or lower, providing more headroom and output for full-range speakers.

A speaker’s sound pressure level determines how loud a speaker is at a particular distance (typically 1 meter). Peak and Continuous outputs are shown on most spec sheets. The peak output refers to how loud the speaker is during loud transients, whereas continuous output refers to the average loudness. This gives you a decent idea of how dynamically the speaker performs. Sound pressure levels (SPL) will attenuate by 6 dB with the doubling of the distance. If a speaker can produce 135 decibels at 1 meter, the SPL at 2 meters will be 129 decibels. The speaker would generate 123 dB if the distance was doubled to 4m, and so on. Another factor to consider is that doubling the speakers will result in a +3 dB gain. If a speaker’s peak output is 135 decibels, adding another speaker raises the output to 138 decibels.

The way sound is projected horizontally and vertically from the speaker is referred to as dispersion. This is extremely valuable for choosing speaker placement since it allows you to steer sound away from obstacles like walls and ceilings. In a narrow space, for example, a speaker with a 60-degree horizontal dispersion may work well, while adding another speaker could extend the dispersion to 120 degrees. The idea is to cover the entire audience while also guiding sound away from the walls. Many speakers are designed to couple by utilizing a trapezoidal enclosure, versus a square or rectangular enclosure. The trapezoidal form enables for easier speaker placement, since they may be arranged in a tight-knit group or array, allowing for better coupling and less interference between speakers.

The vertical dispersion will define the height of the full-range tops required to give enough sound coverage for the audience. There are a variety of options to construct a system in terms of height and whether ground-stacking, speaker stands, scaffolding, or trussing should be used to raise the speaker to a level that allows for wider coverage. The higher the speaker, the farther the sound will go. There will be a loss of impact in the front if it is too high. If the volume isn’t turned up high enough, the sound will be too loud for the front row.

Conclusion

There are a lot of options when it comes to putting up a sound system for your band or event. When making decisions, the most important thing to remember is to use your ears. Always listen to speakers before buying them, and if possible, demo speakers and subs together, especially if they’re from different manufacturers.

Always Keep Learning.

Allow me to help you understand how the human ear works. Also this is an excerpt from my book Essential sound principles.

Three sections form our ear. These are the outer, middle, and inner ear. The outer ear directs sound into the middle ear. The middle ear has bones that help amplify sound. There are muscles in the inner ear to help protect/defend it in cases of loud volumes. 

The human ear is essentially a transducer, a component that turns one form of energy into another form of energy. When sound waves enter the outer ear and travel through the canal into the eardrum, the eardrum vibrates. These vibrations are sent to the middle ear which has 3 bones. These bones amplify the sound’s vibrations and which are then sent to the cochlea, which is filled with fluid. The cochlea has a basilar membrane. 

Now here’s where the magic happens; the vibrations cause the fluid to ripple, for example when you throw a stone into water. The wave from the ripple goes along the basilar membrane. The basilar membrane has different hair cells that detect higher-pitched and lower-pitched sounds. As the hair cells move, stereocilia found on top of the hair cells start bending. And when they start bending, the pores at the tips of the stereocilia open up. When this happens, chemicals rush into the cells creating an electric signal. 

This electrical signal is then carried to the brain to then be recognized and understood. 

For more information buy the book Essential Sound Principles by Edison Muhwezi

Allow me to help you understand who a Mastering engineer is. Also this is an excerpt from my book Essential sound principles.

The term “mastering” is most usually used to describe the process of preparing an audio mix for publication. This process involves various factors, including unifying a record’s sound, keeping consistency across an album, and preparing for distribution. 

Mastering has several goals, including correcting mix balance errors and enhancing specific sound features, as well as taking a solid mix (typically in the form of a stereo file) and polishing it. This may entail changing the volumes of the tracks and general “flavoring.” Consider the difference between a good-sounding mix and a completed master that sounds professional. 

This can include things like providing broad equalization, compression, and limiting, among other things. In the world of LP and CD replication, this is known as “pre-mastering,” but for the sake of simplicity, we’ll call it mastering. 

Depending on the sort of anticipated playback environment, the engineer will listen to various levels between 70 and 85dBSPL. The frequency response of the ear is not linear and changes with the level of sound pressure. The mastering studio must be a sufficiently quiet listening environment to hear the quieter portions appropriately. Listening to the mix through headphones or an inexpensive sound system is also a fantastic way to see how it translates. 

For more information buy the book Essential Sound Principles by Edison Muhwezi

Allow me to help you understand who a Recording / Studio engineer is. Also this is an excerpt from my book Essential sound principles.

A recording engineer is an audio expert who knows everything there is to know about audio. They are mostly responsible for setting up and operating recording equipment for themselves, or a client. They’re also in charge of creating and tweaking the music until it’s just right (especially for the client). 

Electric engineering, psychoacoustics, and music theory are just a few of the disciplines that come into play in this career. Recording engineers must be well-versed in a wide range of musical instruments, both analogue and digital, as well as a variety of audio editing software packages and Digital Audio Workstations(DAW). 

They must strike a careful balance between science and art to comprehend an artist’s needs and then translate the artist’s ideas and vision into a polished song or professional master recording. They achieve this by using technologies such as digital recorders, mixing boards, preamps, compressors, mics, listening equipment, and various software packages. 

When looking for jobs and working for customers, mastering at least one instrument and being extremely educated about the entire process of recording music and the music industry will be quite advantageous. 

For more information buy the book Essential Sound Principles by Edison Muhwezi

Allow me to help you understand who a System engineer is. Also this is an excerpt from my book Essential sound principles

Systems Engineers will be in charge of setting up amps, complex PA systems and configuring speakers. 

Systems engineers have a wide range of tasks, but they all work toward the same goal: to construct a sound system that is effective, safe, balanced, and efficient, while also giving sound engineers the tools they need to create great sound. 

The systems engineer is in charge of a team that carries out the rigging design, which is based on the venue’s requirements as well as the intended acoustic coverage. The systems engineer collaborates with electricians to ensure that power is distributed securely and effectively to each piece of equipment once everything is set up. The systems engineer then begins what is likely the most critical task: resolving acoustic challenges in the venue like wall reflections. 

Systems engineers guarantee that the audio system can seamlessly distribute high, mid, and low frequencies by using sound-measuring software to acquire a sense of pressure levels throughout the space. They also identify and eliminate problematic resonance frequencies, manage problematic sound reflections (for example, from a giant TV screen suspended from an arena’s ceiling), and strategically arrange delayed loudspeakers. 

For the duration of the show, the sound systems engineer is on call to resolve any sound issues that may develop. The systems engineer is in charge of the sound equipment breakdown and storage at the end of the concert. 

For more information buy the book Essential Sound Principles by Edison Muhwezi

Allow me to help you understand who a Front of House engineer is. Also this is an excerpt from my book Essential sound principles

The FOH Engineer is in charge of mixing the sound for the crowd at a concert. FOH stands for Front of House. The FOH Engineer is in charge of the majority of what you hear coming out of the PA speakers. 

From the lead singer, all the way down to the individual drums and cymbals on the drum kit, each instrument on stage has its microphone and input. The FOH Engineer blends the levels and equalization of the various instruments and vocals, as well as adding reverb and effects as appropriate, to create a band mix that is amplified through the PA system. 

The amount of creativity and control a FOH Engineer has over the mix varies by artist. A band or artist may have a distinct idea of how they want to sound live. It is the responsibility of the FOH Engineers to interpret and re-create this through the sound system. Occasionally, a band may leave its sound fully in the hands of the FOH Engineer. 

The FOH Engineer is usually in charge of deciding or at least recommending the microphones to use on each instrument and vocal. The FOH Engineer gives a technical specification of the sound system requirements on large tours. This usually represents their preferences for microphones, mixing consoles, outboard gear, plug-ins, PA systems, and other equipment, as well as any additional information about how the system should be set up. 

A tip for Front of House Engineers, Great communication and interpersonal skills are essential. Not only will you be working with the artist, but also with their management, label representatives, agent, family, and friends. Tact and diplomacy are quite advantageous. 

For more information buy the book Essential Sound Principles by Edison Muhwezi