In previous columns, we discussed speaker processor operation and how to phase/time match mid-range drivers to high-frequency drivers. And we went through the various crossover filters for differing size high-frequency throats and diaphragms. But this time, I want to focus on frequency response adjustment of high-frequency drivers, as it is crucial to the quality of the sound system.
Read More »The topic of “rider-friendly” gear is an ageless debate among sound company personnel, and a beauty contest of what is currently rider-friendly and what is not. In this column, I will throw out some thoughts on rider-friendly, and see if the readership can concur.
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When we rail on the importance of “gain structure,” what we are really aiming for is less noise or “hiss” and a louder signal. In other words, we are trying to optimize signal-to-noise ratio that is typically expressed in decibels. Having discussed some basics on gain structure previously in this column, I want to recap a bit and move forward.
Read More »I am going to flirt with disaster and show the licensed and unlicensed electricians/sound persons the basics of tapping feeder wires into venue switch boxes and subpanels. Those of you who do not have a professional license can at least understand what is happening, and what could happen if done incorrectly. So, if you think your ego trumps your unlicensed status, I want you to thoroughly understand people could die (including yourself), if done incorrectly.
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In Soldering 101 last fall, I went through the basics of tools, tips and technique on getting good soldering skills. In this soldering 102 session, I still want to keep it basic, but show more examples and commonly encountered soldering tasks.
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Audio distortion is one of those topics that has been so perjured in the last couple decades that most engineers have either ignored the specifications on their equipment or just had their eyes glaze over as they were given the data. The real question is how much distortion is too much? And the second question is, does a much lower distortion specification really justify the extra cost or other performance compromises such as power efficiency or power output?
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Yeah, we all have a techno-ignorant past that we have to bear, especially when it comes to speaker cables. I remember when speaker cable for the P.A. system was that clear plastic stuff with copper and nickel/copper wires inside that we bought innocently at some retail store. Eventually, we realized that cheap is as cheap does, and better speaker wire leads to a listenable improvement in sound quality. This column is intended to dispel some myths about speaker cabling and to help you think about the right way to choose high-power handling cables.
Read More »Audio gates are what I call an accessory, and pretty far down the list of new gear purchase priorities. But if everything further up the list is okay, then procuring a few gates to insert on percussion and other noisy/buzzy sources is a good thing. This column will address a little history of “noise gates,” how they work, key features to look for when shopping for gates and typical applications.
Read More »Poor man’s power distribution is pretty much using the existing install venue power distribution, either because you do not have the moderate money to own a distro, the experience to use a dedicated portable power distribution unit (PPDU) or the venue does not easily accommodate the attachment of a PPDU. But have no fear, there are ways to maximize the existing available sub-circuits without calling in the electricians.
Read More »Yes, it is time to get back up on the soapbox and address the critics — in this case, the critics of FOH magazine and, especially, yours truly. From time-to-time we receive comments that FOH is not technical enough and doesn’t expose the readers to rigorous acoustical theories. Now I am all for rigorous acoustical theory, but I am in the upper five percentile of readers who actually understand what is being said and the incremental benefits of the theory being proffered. So I think I will leave those kinds of physics papers for the Audio Engineering Society (AES) transcripts and those other magazines that need to publish high-brow treatises to show editorial gravitas. BTW, our last reader survey found that just 10% of readers found FOH “not technical enough,” and nearly half that number said it was “too technical,” The majority (86%) placed us in the “just right” range.
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Yes, I am an old fart. Even though I am 46 years young, my old fartiness shows when I lust to visit stores like Radio Shack or Fry’s Electronics. But once inside the store, I gravitate to the electronic components and tools instead of the consumer electronics that everyone else heads for.
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New union regs and electrical shock make strange bedfellows.
If you have been in this industry for a while, you know that credentials for doing safe power distribution tie-ins have been given the wink-wink, nudge-nudge by most production staff. While you should be holding an electrician’s license or better, a free pass has been implicitly given to those individuals who look like they know what they are doing. But I bet if you surveyed a large sample of local and regional sound companies, hardly anyone on staff is a licensed electrician; however, about half the crew has done unlicensed power distro tie-ins.
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