Why is it so loud?
by Johnny Stewart

Poor equipment makes poor sound. Even good equipment can produce bad sound with an inexperienced operator. When the sound quality is bad it will seem too loud. In this article I can give you some sound advice which most experienced operators utilize.

I want to divide this article into sections.
1. Power and size
2. Placement
3. EQ
4. Mixing
5. Volume

Power and size

An amplifier should be rated at the same power as your speakers. If the amplifier is too small it will produce the kind of sound waives (square waves) which will blow out speakers faster than too much power. Also square waves make a distorted sound.

Placement

Place your equipment where you can easily run it. If you have to reach for it your concentration goes to your equipment not your show. Let the audience see your equipment and be entertained by the blinking lights. If you don't have enough blinking lights get some. Your speakers will sound a lot better if you spread them wide apart and point them inward (towards the singer) and place them close to a wall and best of all, in a corner. The corner becomes much like the shell at the Hollywood Bowl. Though not as large. Lift your speakers over the heads of your clientele so they don't block the sound and keep the high frequency horn over the crowds ears so you don't cause ear damage. As mentioned in the prior article, don't blow sound at the bar area. It is important to allow for areas of the room where disinterested customers can retreat from the loud music.

EQ and Compression Limiting

All rooms have a sound of their own. Each room supports different sound frequencies at different volumes. These are called standing waves. I have found that I usually find standing frequencies at 250hz. If you don't know what this is, get an EQ (Equalizer.) This will solve many feedback problems. Don't over use your EQ. An EQ is only a number of volume controls lined up from the lowest frequencies to the highest frequencies. A twenty band EQ has 20 volume controls. I generally use my EQ to avoid feedback. I also use it to make the over all sound more pleasant. I find that if I lessen the upper mid range frequencies listeners accept greater volumes of music.

A Compression Limiter can save your show! The music you play is compressed in order to provide a distortion free CD+G. If you compress the vocals they seem to fit better with the music. It also keeps the screamers from blowing up your speakers and chasing out your crowd.

Mixing

To a DJ, mixing is the order of songs you create in order to make an exciting show. You need to think like a DJ. Mixing is also the difference between the volume of the singer and the music. The music always sounds professional, the singer sometimes doesn't. If the singer sounds bad you can bury them in the mix a bit. The singer will thank you for it. And even if they don't, the audience will.

Volume

Volume is too much to some and not enough to others. If you produce good sound you can make more people happy with your show. Volume encompasses every aspect mentioned in the article, power and size, placement, EQ, and mixing.