Sound reinforcement Installs and System Designers

	Why does it seem that designers of sound
reinforcement for theaters, house of worship,
convention facilities, and sports arenas, so rarely
consult with the end user or, have ever been real nuts
and bolt soundmen? The soundmen that have experience
in theater, stadium, live music venues (Oh no, do I
mean, oh the horror! clubs, bars, honky tonks.), and
coliseums. Some of the most talented soundmen work
original music venues. 98% of the time are dealing
with of date systems cobbled together basic mike
package, sm58s, sm57s, and occasional EV re20 or SM91,
if their lucky. Pushing 4-5 bands a night, plus the
couple of so called national acts months. They often
deal with 15 minute “No you can’t leave your drum kit
set because you play last” to small a stage “EXCUSE ME
GUY’S please talk to the fans/hopfully miss
rightforthanight off stage and get your bass rig out
of here!” set change, but, always run on time, whew!
That was a mouthful and it does feel like that
sometimes. I know 20 years of bands, house sound,
festival, small sound companies, IATSI, theater,
installs, recarpet cabinets (curse you powder coat),
multi pin building, whatever it takes to feed me and
my two kids. Oh, sorry, I went off on a tangent there.

Well lets say I have very strong back ground,
including 6 years of two major televised football
games, 7 years state fair, two of those as one two
supervisor of audio for special events, livestock and
small stages. I’m not a “my way is the only correct
way” fools; I want to learn everyday about new
approaches.
Where was I? OK, the designers seem look down at down
their noses at console jockeys, even though in doing
so they overlook many highly capable people. Has the
designer guy never pushed a fader, set an EQ, gate or
compressor, gain structure? Thinks “headroom means
the distance between their legs and the bottom of the
console? If I am mistaken, please show me.  I will
list actual problems encountered in three, different
venues I am currently part o f the staff. I will not
state venue’s names.
Venue A
1.	NO MONITOR SPLIT in the snake for theaters that
bring touring plays, live bands and choir. The system
designed for this venue has some really glaring,
problems. But no monitor split come-on! This means
everybody that tours with an 0nstage Monitor mix has
to run there split snake, and it wastes  man-hours,
which translates to money,  which gets passed on to
the patron! Bad idea folks event tickets are too
expensive as it is. Better yet spec multi pair cable
it has an outer insulation which act as a stain
relief. When you spec single line 2 conductor shield
to make up 90 channels + or- for snakes, make the
conduit that the wire run through half inch larger, we
are pulling 22ga in a perfect fit pipe than we take a
chance of breaking the foil shield or wire. Order this
cable with multi-pin connectors mounted to panels for
sub snakes and xlrs mounted on the panel, and console
fan out with no xlrs attached to pull through the 5in
or bigger conduit. And would somebody please put a
multi-pin on the panels stage left and right for an on
stage monitor mix! STANDARD EQEPMENT
2.	5 band Parametric EQs, not a 1/3 octave graph for
the house monitor system. And, the EQs are mounted in
the amp rack back stage not in the Front of House
rack. What yutz, thought of that! “Alright pull some 
250 hertz out of the monitors” walk up there from
console, to eq cut  250, walk back, turn monitors up
some more, now 4k is starting to ring, walk back up.
I’ve seen better heads on a flat mug of beer, than
head that came up with that major time waster.
3.	 The Main Cabinets! I really want to get very ugly
about this obvious lack of judgment. They are 6 huge
looong throw, outdoor concert cab that look like throw
backs to the old “Showco Hurler”, clustered in the
center above the stage, 4 on there side, in an attempt
to make them line array, then 1 on either side 90
degrees off axis from the center 4, as you walk to the
stage from FOH the first three rows drop clarity by
about 12db, no joke! Then there is one EAW 750s at
flown far Stage left, and right. Marked as effect
cabs, huh? And then 3, same long throw cabinets delays
just above and behind the FOH position for the
balcony, but point at back wall not balcony seats. All
for 1500 seat venue.
 
Venue B [Stadium College]

1.	Console; Anybody with experience in sport stadiums
knows that,
Press floor; wants to hear the stats mic, referee mic,
stadium announcer, and parabolic mic. The fans in the
stands, hear announce, ref, half time narrator,
Jumbotron and pump up music. 
 VIP suites; TV announcer, or if televised, halftime
show, or radio.
Radio or TV truck; ref, parabolic dish, and there
talent. So, you spec a monitor console, not a FOH
console, to send what ever where, 8 to 12 different
ways. And definitely not 15 rack spaces of old style
TRS patch panel, 12matrix mixers in amp room and sound
booth splitting signal all over

2.	Processor; really no problem, “Omni Drives”! except
5 out 8 are just using the delay to run some full
range  delay fills. A lot of wasted money.
3.	Auto gain for announcer; to counteract sudden crowd
noise. The microphone that monitors the rise in crowd
noise so it may adjust the audio above said crowd
noise, is 2 feet from a delay speaker, and can’t
function.
4.	wire and conduit;  I repeat when you spec single
line 2 conductor shield to make up 50 channels + for
snakes, make the conduit that the wire runs through a
half inch larger or more. If we are pulling 22ga in a
perfect fit pipe than we take a chance of breaking the
foil shield or wire. Runs of single line two
conductor/shield bundles packed tight in conduit, the
wire on the outside has a longer turn radius then the
inside. The outside wire turn has to stretch and/or
inside compress.  Pull to hard, you can break foil
shield, brings new definition of hummer! 
Specify that conduit bends for long, lot of channel
pulls, should not have 90% but two 45% bends.



This just touches the surface. If a designer can not
walk up to a sound system at a festival with a strange
band, no sound check and get a badass mix first note
FOH, and do this on different gig over and over, he
should probably not design a system without the input
of someone that does. Sound systems should be very
user friendly with a minimum of movement. Headhunt for
local talented, sound and lighting people. I know
there are a lot of turkeys around. Call Local sound
companies small and large; ask the owner who they know
that has a good ear even better disposition free
thinker. Go to Festivals and to the stages listen
watch a set change. Efficiency is mandatory in
festivals. They might look a little rough and
appearance is out of what you are wanting to project. 
You will be able to talk to them; just don’t expect
them to change overnight. When you find gold you will
know. Thank You for your time.

At your service
Tom “Axle” Allen 
Ft.Worth Texas

Dallasmusic.com
staff writer