The Live9 Course Headquarters (HQ) is where all your classes come together as a commons area. Bookmark this page to be able to return here quickly. You'll be redirected to the log-in page first when you use a bookmark, but it will bring you here after you log in.
This is a course made up of nine classes. Each class page looks very similar to any other class besides the banners and the list of goals and sources materials. This is so the interface is simple and direct.
Goals are plainly stated, links to internet resources are listed, and reading assignments from the two textbooks, the Sound Reinforcement Handbook & the Theatrical Design and Production, are listed.
Below this text are links to News Forums & Topic Forums. There will be a news and topic forum on every class page. We will be using the forums a lot in these classes. If you are unfamiliar with forum-based websites, just ask me for some help, and I'll explain it further. There will be other links below, such as the weekly chats. The weekly chat links take you to the internal chat client, which is limited to text only. Instead, we will use Skype video chat for this purpose and have face-to-face lectures and questions and answer periods twice weekly. So the links to chats will always be there for the sake of the information they contain. We will not use the text-only chat client! SO be prepared to buy a web camera if you don't already have one.
Below that, you will find 9 banners and descriptions that depict that particular week's content. Click on the link, and it will take you to the class page, where you will find the materials and links for that class.
- Manager: Ricky W
How to use your ears and technology to tune the acoustic feedback out of amplified audio systems.
Eliminate feedback before it can happen. Learn how professional audio engineers eliminate feedback from the audio system before any artist walks in the door.
Identifying the room modes and free air resonance frequencies of a performance space and eliminating them before sound-check is the only way to assure that acoustic feedback cannot happen during a performance. There are straight forward methods that do not involve machinery or analysis by anything but your ears. There are also many useful devices for pinpointing troublesome frequencies, nodes and anti-nodes and other wave phenomena that can severely affect your mix. We will examine both approaches in this class.
An intense examination of the dangers of working around portable AC distribution systems. An examination of common equipment involved as well as best practices used for troubleshooting and repairing broken power distribution equipment.
Power distribution is paramount to the correct, noise free operation of your equipment as well as the safety of you and your artists and your guests. Alternating current is dangerous and learning the safe and acceptable methods to distribute power is fundamental to any production. 99% of all buzzing, humming, 60 cycle noise etc is caused by improper grounding and multiple ground paths. Electricity always seeks the path of least resistance.
Diagrams, drawings and documentation are an essential part of planning and communicating with other audio engineers and audio vendors.
Understanding and generating these documents is the first step in professionalism. After all, if you can't explain what's in your head with diagrams, lists and maps, how well thought out can it be?
Signal Path must always be planned ahead of time. Often signal path is established well before any show ever takes place. And there's a good reason for that. Cabling is always limited and smart planning is required to ensure that you can transport signals to where you need them for the performance.
Signal path is the term used to denote how you get certain types of audio signals from point A to point B and then back again. You might be required to account for literally hundreds of different wires that are all carrying signals of different type, strength and usability and could quite possibly be quite dangerous. Only by planning ahead can you ensure that you are prepared to get signal where you need it. Diagrams and documentation are the first and foremost part of planning but the creative visualization techniques discussed in Chapter 1 are good to employ when one is planning an event. Audio engineers are often called on to provide audio signal feeds from mixing consoles to support everything from TV programs to speeches. Understanding the characteristics of the cables and the connectors and the signal you are using is important for normal operation.
Analog and digital consoles examined!
Despite the fact that Analog and Digital consoles use the same audio toolbox, there are serious differences that must be considered when using either type of mixer.
Achieving the proper gain structure within either is a good contrast in methods.
An in depth look at signal processing such as noise gates and compressor limiters.
Audio dynamic processors are some of the hardest tools to use and implement correctly. Audio engineers must be able to control dynamic range, excessive signal levels and audio bleed-through. Dynamic processors are how you gain control over these audio problems. Failure to properly apply this type of processing can actually make your mix sound bad!
FX for beginners.
Learning to use effects for live audio mixing will take your sound to a whole new space! The psycho-acoustic phenomena associated with delays and echoes have been used for years by audio engineers to improve their mixes. Reverb, chorus and other types of effects can also play an important role in defining the emotional content of songs and performances as well.
An examination of Gain Structure in mixing consoles and PA systems.
Gain structure is the most misunderstood concept in the audio universe. Achieving high amounts of gain without over-saturation or clipping is the goal and it takes a "big picture" point of view to understand and adjust the gain structure of your console or PA system. You read that right. The console has a different gain structure than the PA and getting the two to work in perfect harmony is the goal.