A Practical and Realistic Guide to Making the Most of Your Band's PA

     One of the most common assumptions in the world of live music is that a sound engineer can either make or break a good performance. Simply put, if your soundman sucks, your band sucks. Strangely enough however, the PA system and the knowledge to use it effectively is usually the first place where musicians are likely to cut corners. This is a terrible mistake. Even Steve Perry or Celine Dion would sound bad through a PA that was constantly feeding back or distorting, and a big ballsy 24 inch kick drum isn't worth much if the PA system makes it sound like you're beating on a tupperware bowl. The problem is that learning all the ins and outs of setting up and running a sound system can be nearly as complicated and time consuming as learning to play an instrument in the first place. This can be doubly difficult since there are very few simple to-the-point references out there that can help you learn how to get it all working without bogging you down with a lot of unnecessary details and technical jargon. This is especially true on the web, where sound reinforcement advice can be hard to find.
     Scott's PA System Tutorial has been created to help try to fill this void by explaining in layman's terms how to hook up and use a variety of different PA setups. On this web site, you will find diagrams and directions on hooking things up from the smallest one microphone one speaker system all the way up to a large stereo tri-amped system. Also included is advice on how to operate the system once it is all hooked up and running. In addition, there is an entire section dedicated to tips and tricks. These range from making do in a pinch to saving money on equipment to creative ways of hooking things up. Also, there is a glossary of terms you are likely to hear (and use) when working with your sound system. After all that, if you still haven't found the answers you were looking for, you can post a question on the Message Board, or you can check out some other PA System related sites by checking out the links at the bottom of this page.

Who am I?

I'm just your basic small time musician. I've been playing bass (or drums) and singing for years, and because I know how, I usually end up running sound from the stage. Hey, it's a dirty job, but someone's gotta do it. In my last band, a cover band called The Kee Creek Band, I was a drummer, but recently, I've moved on to another project. Now days I'm playing in an all originals band called Sunday@three. Don't ask me why (because I don't know), but in that band, my official nickname is MOt, so if you wanna find me, that's who to look for on the site. Like most originals bands, it's hard to explain what we sound like, but there will soon be some sound files on that website to check out.      Also,you can find out more about me (and my world) by clicking here. If you want to hear some of my own sounds you can click here to listen to some songs I've written, mixed, and recorded on my own.

Now that the intro stuff is over, let's get started. Just click on the section below that you want to visit, and we'll be on our way.

Other PA System Resources

PA Tutorials and References

www.thesoundman.net - - - Among other things, this site contains an excellent tutorial that gets right to the point with vivid illustrations and easy to read explanations.

PROFESSIONAL AUDIO for DUMMIES . - - - Similar to Scott's PA Tutorial in subject matter, this site is great for beginners.

Kai's Sound Hell . - - - This site contains a wealth of sound system information.

Live Sound: Audio University . - - - This site contains many informational articles in the audio field.

Sound Expressions: Church Sound Systems . - - - This site, from a church system point of view, deals with a more human side of running sound. I particularly enjoyed the "tongue-in-cheek" section.

Bulletin Boards

live_audio WWWBoard. - - - A lot professional soundmen hang out here. Sometimes the talk gets pretty technical, but it's a great place to learn about live sound.

TSC Audio Forum. - - - This is another place where the pros like to hang out. This site is open to almost all aspects of sound engineering and recording.

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