Audio producers who specialize in live music should show competency in a wide range of music equipment down from the basics such as lights, microphones, and monitors to the complex ones such as mixing boards, speakers, and everything in between. Aside from that, they should be able to have good coordination skills with other people in the team, especially with the logistics of this stuff. They have to be sure if there are logistics companies that can transport the equipment, heavy duty towing businesses that can come for whatever reason, and so on.
Many of the audio technicians will help in developing to attain optimal proficiency in audio equipment and toolkits. They can be seen running the lights, setting up the stage and stands and mics for the performer. Below few of the basics checklist that audio producers ensure to have when having live music events.
Mic
Having the right mic is the heart of every live sound production. For live performance actually, the Shure SM-58 serves as the industry standard. This is a mic that is perfect for most instruments and voices. Aside from that, it has excellent sound production and outstanding construction. Of course, there are other brands preferred such as AKG and Sennheiser mics.
It is critical to have and use the right mic for the venue. Believe it or not, lots of aspiring live sound engineers are spending a lot of their time studying and analyzing the interaction among mics with other sound equipment, instruments and artist’s voices.
Mic Stands
Much like the mics, its stands are perfect for the purpose. Standard stands are good enough for vocalists alone but the boom stands play an integral role among singers who might play instruments while they’re seated similar to a keyboardist or a singer. It is essential too for other instruments that might not have built-in mics like cello, piano, percussion instruments, or violin.
Mixing Boards
This can be considered the “moneymaker” of every experienced audio producer. This is like the heart of every live event. There are mixing boards that might be basic enough for small events that can host 4 to 6 channels but for bigger events, mixing boards can carry more channels and have more advanced features.
