In the production world some days seem to go smooth as silk, and other days present one problem after another. For an audio engineer, nothing is more nerve-wracking than a stressful sound check. Perhaps the band is being more picky with their monitor requests, or a string of gear failures put you in the weeds. Regardless of the problems that may arise (and problems will happen at some point) we can increase our chances of a stress-free soundcheck by following these three simple principles.
Tip #1. Time Management
We have the ability to control the pace of the sound check. Showing up with plenty of time for setup is key. It is always my goal to have the entire stage wired up, labeled and ready to go before any band member is on the platform. I typically want at least an hour to wire up a stage if I am going doing it from scratch. If the stage is already prewired I would want at least 30 mins to be able to test every line before anyone else comes into the room.
Another aspect of good time management in a sound check is being a calm proactive leader at this time. Letting the band noodle around on their instruments while you are checking your email does not honor anyone in the room. On the other end of the spectrum bossing musicians around like a drill sergeant does not create a calm atmosphere. Many times the band leader leads the sound check by organizing all of the musicians and leading each player in the band through their monitor changes. If you do not have an experienced band leader to be in this role, then you must step in and lead, or time will be wasted. Margin is the currency of a good sound check because problems will arise from time to time. If you have not used the time early in the day efficiently then you will be playing catchup the rest of the day.
Tip #2. Stay Organized
I always like to have a physical copy of the input list and stage plot at hand. Even better is one copy at FOH and one copy on stage. A digital copy that is easily accessible on my phone is a suitable substitute. I prefer the physical copy in the event I need to mark up a last minute change quickly, also I can set a piece of paper down anywhere on the stage without fear of someone stepping on it or knocking it over.
Perhaps your church is such that the input list doesn't change and hasn't changed for the last five years. You are wondering why would you need an input list or stage plot for a smooth soundcheck? My experience has revealed that those of you in this situation are less equipped should a problem arise.
I have traveled with worship bands to such rooms, and because the nothing ever changes week to week, the audio engineer does not know or remember what channels are plugged into what stage box. These engineers simply know that it works, and so they don't change anything. It's taking the old adage “if it ain't broke, don't fix it” to an unhealthy extreme. When something in the signal chain goes down, you will be at such a disadvantage that it may take an hour to chase down one bad channel. Having a reference point frees your mind up for other things and it gives you an ability to quickly address problems when they arise.
Tip #3. Be a good servant.
The tools I use most when running a sound check I did not learn from a book on the physics of audio or a class on mixing techniques. It came from my first service industry job at a restaurant. That job taught me how to be a warm host to the guests I was serving. It taught me how to anticipate the needs of guests by being observant and engaged with them.
Know your musicians and other team members. Seek to understand the things that put them at ease, and care for the things that they care about. If a musicians isn't happy with how something is sounding or having a problem, do what you can to help. This builds trust and respect. Maybe a keyboard player is struggling with a sound, a sound that doesn't work at all in the mix. I don't come out of the gates with a comment like “That's not working, change it”. I start with questions like “What sound are going for?” or “What don't you like about it?” I try to understand their instrument and signal path and see what the goal is. It could simply be that the both of us are after the same sound, but we have different ideas on how to get there.
Working in the service industry also taught me how to keep calm in the face of problems. When the kitchen is backed up and things look bad, a good server controls the situation by being calm and offering solutions that put the guest to ease. It's the same in production.
I was once in a sound check that was going along smooth for the first 15 minutes. I had checked drums and bass, and was moving along with the rest of the band, but none of the other channels where coming up correctly. I was confused and didn't understand what could be wrong. I checked on stage in the machine room and the stage snake patch had not been reset from the previous Sunday. Things were patched in all sorts of random places and it was going to take me about 10 mins to check my plot and input list and re-patch accordingly. Internally I was frustrated and stressed, but I didn't want that to effect the band. I wanted to walk on stage and complain: “the patch is all messed up, someone didn't do their job and now I gotta fix this and its gonna put us behind.” Knowing that wasn't going to help I decided to walk onto stage and said: “Hey everyone, I'm sorry but I've got a system problem I need to work out. Everyone grab a coffee or some fresh air and be back in 10 minutes ready to jump back into it.”
Controlling these three areas and you will be well on your way to having a good sound check. Not because it goes perfect, but because you are ready for any situation that may arise. Being prepared will allow you to lead well in face of problems. People will know that they can depend on you and trust you when you are involved on Sunday.
