Professional sound engineer?

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little_jazz · #1 Post by **little_jazz** » Sat Feb 16, 2008 3:21 pm

Does anyone use professional sound engineers at their events (exchanges, dances, etc.)?

We will have an all-DJ’ed dance and I wonder if a sound engineer can really do anything to improve the sound quality.

russell · #2 Post by **russell** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 5:38 pm

We ran the Australian Hellzapoppin Competition last year where we were using DJed sound for the competition (plus a small live band for social dancing). The hall is big and has difficult acoustics so we hired a big PA and used the sound engineer that came with it. I think it helped the sound but that is a combination of the equipment and the engineer. A good sound engineer should be able to properly equalise the sound to give the best results.
I suppose the questions to ask is how many at the dance, the difficulty of the sound at the venue, and the cost of the sound engineer. They should be able to improve the sound if they are any good and given the right PA setup. But is it worth the extra cost.

zzzzoom · #3 Post by **zzzzoom** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 8:29 pm

ABW uses a sound engineer to sound the bands (Jonathan Stout Orchestra, Campus Five and Boilermakers) . . . and last year he helped with the DJs that did the band breaks.

Lawrence · #4 Post by **Lawrence** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 3:02 pm

The sound system is often one of the most overlooked things in setting up dances. Many people just assume that you plug stuff in and it works, which simply is not true for most of the P.A. systems that we tend to need to adequately fill the room with sound. There are so many little tweaks and knobs that can ruin the sound quality with just one inadvertent knob twist.

It will also depend greatly on the complexity/flexibility of your sound system. The better the system, and the more flexible it is, the more variables can get screwed up. Hard for us to judge from the ether.

From the fact that you need to ask, I assume you do not have someone who really knows their way around sound systems and you are not in a venue that has its own sound guy; so I do suggest you hire one to at least set up your system and give a group of you a brief education on how to set it up. I doubt he needs to be there for each and every dance, but hiring him for the set up and such will definitely be worth it.

If you have a live band, DEFINITELY hire a sound engineer.

kitkat · #5 Post by **kitkat** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 4:26 pm

Lawrence wrote:If you have a live band, DEFINITELY hire a sound engineer.

Yes and no. Depends on how good of sound you'll need, how close to (or beyond) your needs one of the bandmembers can do with his/her own equipment & talent, and the price of paying that bandmember to "play sound engineer" as opposed to hiring an actual sound engineer.

One of our bands around here costs, for most gigs, $100 extra (I think) to have the bandleader bring a nicer PA than many of the dance venues have and play sound engineer. Give him enough warning and he'll even dig up parts to make sure your DJ setup can go through his PA, and he'll toggle a few knobs before the DJ goes on if it works out. And unless we're going for perfection, eh, that usually works out as a great deal.

Lawrence · #6 Post by **Lawrence** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 4:41 pm

kitkat wrote:One of our bands around here costs, for most gigs, $100 extra (I think) to have the bandleader bring a nicer PA than many of the dance venues have and play sound engineer. Give him enough warning and he'll even dig up parts to make sure your DJ setup can go through his PA, and he'll toggle a few knobs before the DJ goes on if it works out. And unless we're going for perfection, eh, that usually works out as a great deal.

Yes, I have done that, too, but in that situation, you are just getting a great deal on a sound guy (included in the band), not bypassing a sound engineer!

I also have done it, myself, for smaller shows because I have learned enough from working with sound guys on other gigs. But the point is to get someone who really knows how to set up and work a PA, which is usually more difficult than a home stereo, which, itself, usually goes beyond the tech capability of many people.

For a large gig/venue, I still would hire a sound guy to sit at the controls to make adjustments from the floor during the performance.

dogpossum · #7 Post by **dogpossum** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 5:41 pm

I've worked with professional sound guys who specialise in jazz (yes!!) at a number of gigs around town, and it's wonderful - the sound difference is amazing, and all I have to do is choose songs and watch the crowd. As a DJ, it's a lovely experience.

We also get some serious sound gear for MLX (Melbourne Lindy Exchange) and have a designated sound team for the weekend who handle the bands (unless they bring their own soundie, which some of them do) and the DJs. The sound set up for our late nights is truly wonderful (if I do say so myself).
This can add work to your bump in and out (lugging heavy gear around, coiling cables, etc) and can affect the way you lay out your room/decorate, so be aware that it can eat into your volunteer budget.

If you're using a challenging space (hiiiiigh ceilings, as in a church hall, for example) then it will at least help to get some professional advice on what gear to get and how to set up the room, even if the soundie doesn't stick around.

I've noticed that only DJs will comment on how amazingly good the sound is, but that everyone comments when the sound is poor.

little_jazz · #8 Post by **little_jazz** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 11:52 am

Lawrence wrote:From the fact that you need to ask, I assume you do not have someone who really knows their way around sound systems and you are not in a venue that has its own sound guy

I used to work for an event venue and set up PA systems for all kinds of occasions. (I freaked out when in my first weeks working there a band showed up unannounced and I had to sound check them.) But I know my way around...

The reason for me to ask for Swingdjs.com opinions is because I live in one of the world’s most expensive cities and I want to be sure to spend the event’s money wisely.

If we would have a band I would definitely get a sound engineer in, but as we now only have DJ’ed music for the night – probably not.

Lawrence · #9 Post by **Lawrence** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 12:31 pm

little_jazz wrote:
Lawrence wrote:From the fact that you need to ask, I assume you do not have someone who really knows their way around sound systems and you are not in a venue that has its own sound guy
I used to work for an event venue and set up PA systems for all kinds of occasions. (I freaked out when in my first weeks working there a band showed up unannounced and I had to sound check them.) But I know my way around...

The reason for me to ask for Swingdjs.com opinions is because I live in one of the world’s most expensive cities and I want to be sure to spend the event’s money wisely.

If we would have a band I would definitely get a sound engineer in, but as we now only have DJ’ed music for the night – probably not.

Again, it still depends on the flexibility/quality of your system, the room, and other variables we can't know without being there. Like dogpossum wrote, the generic answer is "yes, a sound engineer can make a huge difference," but only if your equipment is flexible/adjustable enough to allow him to do so: even in the minimal sense of being able to move the speakers around to more ideal locations, which is not always feasible. It is not just about twisting the right knobs.