FOH Engineer Soundchecks A Touring Band For A Show (FULL PROCESS)

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  • Опубліковано 27 лис 2024

КОМЕНТАРІ • 217

  • @JMRSplatt
    @JMRSplatt Рік тому +256

    Audio Engineer: Can you give me a little bit of everything?
    Drummer: I have never been so ready.

  • @shaneweldon
    @shaneweldon Рік тому +115

    Aside from the great sound you’re getting, the speed you move around that console is really impressive! 👌

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому +8

      Thanks!

    • @Number1Bassman
      @Number1Bassman Рік тому

      Have to agree!! 👍🏼

    • @theAristocrap
      @theAristocrap Рік тому +5

      Man knows his interface.

    • @Benji2N
      @Benji2N Рік тому +1

      Absolutely. I want to start offering my services as a sound guy but I just have no idea where to start learning these boards.

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому +6

      There are tutorials online to help you. If you’re in the area and want to shadow a show, I’ll gladly show you the x32. If you learn the X/M 32 you can work most clubs and shows.

  • @lukesichau972
    @lukesichau972 Рік тому +39

    Excellent house engineer. You really know your room and have an intelligent process of workflow. Much respect brother, always love seeing what how other techs run their venues.

  • @raymondbartolic3116
    @raymondbartolic3116 Рік тому +6

    This has been my dream job. I am a music loving nurse that ended up serving people in a different way. God bless live music sound engineers.

  • @lessylessy
    @lessylessy Рік тому +9

    One of my favourite moment of any sound check is when the sound guy adds noise gates to the tom and kick, something about that just makes the sound so much better, it is night and day. I also feel like I am playing tighter with the drumer when the sound guy does that.

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому +2

      Most of the time I don’t add any noise gates. Call if the drummers head the drums lighter than the noise gate threshold I don’t hear it. I miss a lot of those lighter notes and ghost notes.
      Also, the microphones I use are pretty decent with signal to noise ratio. Hardly any bleeding.

  • @taylormaid6721
    @taylormaid6721 Рік тому +5

    Love it when people give you performance level at sound check as they should. People who try that "saving my voice" excuse work my nerves. Great Job

  • @williammurray3125
    @williammurray3125 Рік тому +9

    I started running sound for my own band when i was around 14 years old. It was all about trial and error back then. As i gained more equipment for my own band, other bands would always ask to borrow my PA equipment. Well, i didnt want to have my stuff damaged so i started charging bands for me to run their sound. I eventually started my own sound company and slowly learned more and more about being an FOH sound engineer. Gear was becoming more and more advanced. I will never forget when Peavey came out eith the Autograph. It was a great product but it was very rare for any club to allow me to go in early in the day to run the white noise to get the room properly EQ'd. So i ended up reverting back to old fashioned EQ by ear. Which was probably the best thing to happen. I learned to know the different frequencies by ear ( at least close to the right frequency). So when i had any feedback, i can find it quickly. I love these new guitar modules like Kemper and Headrush. You have done a great thing by making this video. So many kids can benefit from it. The inly thing i would suggest would be to explain more if what gear you are using. Type of board, EQ's, compressors, etc. Other than that, excellent job!!!!

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому +3

      I have a gear breakdown video linked in the description of every video I post to answer that very question.
      EQ'ing by ear is the only tried and true way to go about it. Play a song you know by heart and how it should sound, tweak the PA to that, and mic up a band. Can't get any simpler than that.

  • @annekedebruyn7797
    @annekedebruyn7797 Рік тому +28

    Seems like a well prepared band. Great job on the speed/quality ratio too! That was speed.

  • @osnad
    @osnad Рік тому +13

    As someone who just got into live mixing after only doing it on my own in my DAW (which is way different), this video is pure gold. Thank you so much!

  • @RadityoPramAdi
    @RadityoPramAdi Рік тому +7

    Such a cool band !! Thanks for posting !!

  • @cardbored_
    @cardbored_ Рік тому +10

    Awesome video man! You're a talented man! Band has a real SOAD sound to me.

  • @TpFw77
    @TpFw77 Рік тому +2

    Thank you for this. I know some people turn their noses up at the X32 but you proved that a skilled engineer can make anything sound awesome.

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому +1

      You don't need a DigiCo to have quality results. If the X32 is good enough for a lot of production companies and traveling bands, it's good enough for me.

    • @TpFw77
      @TpFw77 Рік тому

      @@chrishammillaudio Just curious, what are your thoughts on Mixing Station?

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому +1

      Only used it once. While it worked fine and I didn’t have issues, I prefer real consoles.

  • @GyanAddict
    @GyanAddict Рік тому +1

    Thank you for making this video. You scratched the curious itch I had since childhood of "what does this guy do with all those cool looking knobs".
    I'm a guitar player. But never got to see it from the sound engineer's side.

  • @mikewood9514
    @mikewood9514 Рік тому +39

    Those polkadot guys sounded great. They also come across as some cool guys with a pro attitude.

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому +15

      Hence why I posted this soundcheck. This is how it’s supposed to go and I wish every band could be like this as far as taking direction, putting egos aside and working towards a great sound for the audience.
      Thankfully, most bands are.

    • @mikewood9514
      @mikewood9514 Рік тому +3

      @@chrishammillaudio thats cool. I have seen some really shitty attitudes from bands and soundguys. Been watching a few of your vids and you really are very good.

    • @rmp5s
      @rmp5s Рік тому +3

      ​@@chrishammillaudioAnd if they're not, "alright...if you wanna sound like shit, that's on you." lol

  • @zackjasper4230
    @zackjasper4230 6 місяців тому

    One thing that helps with your speed in mixing is having a band that is focused on you and aware. Stopping them to move on to your next instrument can take time you don’t have sometimes. I’ve done many shows where you don’t have maybe 4-5 min of sound check cuz the roster is so big. So the more they pay attention to your process then things fly. But your skills behind the board are wild. I wish a lot more engineers had your speed 🤣🤣 great job!

  • @TheSoulMessiah
    @TheSoulMessiah Рік тому +5

    This is a killer process, appreciate the comments, thanks for sharing!

  • @mattjames1138
    @mattjames1138 Рік тому +8

    Your attention to detail and pursuit of the best sound possible is why you have 10K followers already with more to come. Fantastic band for a video like this too, they were awesome!

  • @MonserratFoster
    @MonserratFoster Рік тому

    I had never seen how a soundcheck is made and how everything is adjusted so this is pretty cool

  • @itsmesandman
    @itsmesandman Рік тому +4

    Damn that mix was super fast, really enjoyed your video and gave me some insight into live mixing process.

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому +1

      Glad you enjoyed. When you learn a room you know what works and doesn’t. Half the battle is working with the room acoustics.

  • @Wars98
    @Wars98 Рік тому +2

    great sound man!

  • @djrickysmith
    @djrickysmith Рік тому +1

    It's nice having that rta view also. It makes it easier to see that feedback

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому

      That screen stays on at all times with the RTA view. Very handy.

  • @thesoundman11
    @thesoundman11 3 місяці тому

    i didnt think i would ever see a pair of thes jbl dual 12 speakers in the wild. i ran sound for a local church for 10+ years and the had 6 of those in the main sancuary, 3 per side and a set of matching dual 18s. all powered with crown macro tech amps, 3 3600vz's for the mains and a 5000vz for the subs. also had monitors from the same line all sr-x series speakers from jbl, installed with the building in 2003. when i started there they also had a yamaha m300a 56 channle analog board what a beast!

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  3 місяці тому +1

      We just got rid of this system and replaced it with a brand new Bass Boss system.

  • @corknakovastein
    @corknakovastein Рік тому +2

    Brooooo i love how they started playing Clutch

  • @JScottAudio
    @JScottAudio Рік тому +3

    Thanks for a great video Chris....I'm always interested in how different Engineers do their sound checks.

  • @Vintage_375
    @Vintage_375 Рік тому +1

    Great breakdown of a soundcheck; thanks for the upload!

  • @Salantsoundstudios
    @Salantsoundstudios Рік тому

    Ive played dingbatz before, always really nice guys rockin the sound!

  • @tacoboutdrumming
    @tacoboutdrumming Рік тому

    i love that started jamming Clutch

  • @dcjr71
    @dcjr71 Рік тому

    This was incredible to watch! Thank you 🤘

  • @funkeety
    @funkeety Рік тому

    GOSH THE BANDS ARE GREAT!!!

  • @seamishmusic
    @seamishmusic Рік тому

    This is awesome to watch. Been interested in this stuff myself! Thanks for the video!

  • @nistanvongphrachanh8961
    @nistanvongphrachanh8961 День тому

    Sounds awesome!!

  • @sihopkinson
    @sihopkinson Рік тому

    Love this man, great perspective.
    Just dropped a gig log myself for a different angle 👌

  • @waychunky
    @waychunky Рік тому

    I used to use that same board brought back good memories seeing it again.

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому

      It's a beast of a console.

    • @waychunky
      @waychunky Рік тому

      I used it at a tv station where we had a live talk show that had a band everyday. I ran the mics for the talent, band monitors and full mix. It was great. @@chrishammillaudio

  • @mikeburnsmusic
    @mikeburnsmusic Рік тому

    Very cool video man, really enjoyed it!

  • @gerardplank3780
    @gerardplank3780 Рік тому

    Thanks Chris great idea for camera to see in real time what your doing and how it effects the band, just subscribed looking forward to more from you . I have the same board which is a plus for me.

  • @Adam_Kobyshev
    @Adam_Kobyshev Рік тому +1

    You’re getting views because nobody does this kind of working process on camera, please keep it up! Going to see what else on your channel

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому

      Appreciate it!

    • @Adam_Kobyshev
      @Adam_Kobyshev Рік тому

      @@chrishammillaudio I have 6 person band, learning how to properly sound check, if you ever get a chance to comment what you do during getting bands ready, I would highly appreciate it, understood half of what you did but something is difficult, not used to x32 console

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому +1

      You basically saw everything I do. If a band can’t get their instruments in tune and know how to get themselves ready for soundcheck, that’s half the battle.
      I set my input gain, then I listen on the faders. I know what my PA needs gain wise in order to work properly and the acoustics of the room, so I know what volumes I need from bands and how loud I need their amps on stage. This is why I always say guitar players who refuse to lower their amps are the bane of my existence.
      After gain structure and volume, I set EQ then compression, which I use only for drums, bass and a tiny bit on vocals. After all of this is done I set monitor levels for that source.
      After that I ask the band to play something and adjust my FOH mix from there. It’s a very simple process.

  • @randytauren
    @randytauren Рік тому +1

    absolutely fascinating, thanks for sharing

  • @RicardoT213
    @RicardoT213 4 місяці тому

    this was so much helpful, thanks a lot

  • @zeinteur
    @zeinteur Рік тому +4

    dream job

  • @classix2132
    @classix2132 7 місяців тому

    Love watching youre videos im a sound tech on a lokal bar in our place i just use an mackie 1608 on our bar

  • @davidkerwood5181
    @davidkerwood5181 Рік тому

    As a band that's just starting to tour, I have a lot of questions: 1) how should a band present the idea of using a splitter snake, especially in the context of a multi-band show? 2) What do you like to see with backing tracks that makes the tracks "good"? 3) How do you feel about bands that bring their own ground lighting package for the stage? Do you let them tie into the venue's lighting?

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому +3

      1) If the splitter snake is for your in ears, let the sound guy know as you load in exactly what setup you use and be sure to have your ends that go to FOH labeled correctly and clearly so the sound guy has zero issues putting your snake ends into the stage box. Most bands that use IEMs have them for vocals, bass and guitars while using the house drum kits and mics the way they are for the show, so 5-7 inputs is all you'd need. It's a pretty easy setup and as long as your gear and system work properly there shouldn't be an issue. If the sound guy gives you shit, don't play at that venue.
      2) I love to see the backing tracks mixed properly. Too many bands use elementary level backing tracks mixed horribly and it shows. You can easily tell when backing tracks were mixed on headphones or piss poor studio environments. They need to be full, balanced and clear.
      3) It depends on the venue you play. Some venues have very basic lighting systems and your stage lights will improve the overall lighting. If you control your own lights, that's great. I don't like it when bands plug their stuff into my console because 9 times out of 10 they never hook it up correctly, don't have an LD with them to program it themselves or there is usually a DMX connection issue. If you're playing on a 4 or 5 band bill, unless you're headlining no venue is gonna let you have extra time to get your lights hooked up. If you have a lighting system that is in sync with backing tracks and MIDI, you better have your shit locked in and working properly. I personally am a stickler for time and if you go above the 10-15 minute window in changeover, I will tell you either cut your set time down or don't use lights to play your full set. My venue has a full lighting system so unless you have an entire pro grade lighting system with you chances are you won't have as good quality as my venue's house lights. Always check with the venue you're playing at before you arrive to see what their lighting system is like and always ask if you can hook up your lights. I can tell you personally from experience that if you just show up and start messing with the house lights and changing things, that venue will not like you and it will be an unpleasant experience all around. Always check beforehand what is cool and what isn't. Always better for you to control your own lights with your own gear than either change house lights or rely on house LD.

  • @RobMLyon
    @RobMLyon Рік тому

    You are an awesome audio engineer bro!!

  • @kronic4486
    @kronic4486 6 місяців тому

    How is this guy not at 100k yet?!??

  • @SousaphoneMusic
    @SousaphoneMusic Рік тому +1

    Hey, awesome video. didn't expect the action cam audio to be this good but it's really easy to hear what's going on in the room.
    Do you ever have problems with having too much cymbal bleed in the vocal mic(s), especially with quiet or dynamic singers? I'm guessing compressing as little as possible helps

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому

      That’s what happens with every singer. Cymbal bleed is the #1 cause of feedback for me on that stage. Very annoying to deal with.

  • @kaispinjitsu8560
    @kaispinjitsu8560 Рік тому

    Great stuff as always!! Congrats on 10k!

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому +1

      You were one of the first people that mentioned 10K and I thought you were out of your mind. Happy to be wrong 🤘

    • @kaispinjitsu8560
      @kaispinjitsu8560 Рік тому +1

      @@chrishammillaudio Haha, it's all about the vision man! Here's to the next 10k 🥂 🤣😂. Good luck with the Mustang btw, definitely want updates on it/the situation

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому +1

      Thanks. When I get the police report and get an estimate on repairs I’ll make a whole video about it. So far I’m still waiting on the police report while the car sits under a canopy with the weather resistant cover on.

  • @Zelda_9585
    @Zelda_9585 Рік тому

    The fact that i see that there is Rammstein on the Laptop makes me happy

  • @joelgurung8858
    @joelgurung8858 Рік тому

    these are the stuffs that i pay my internet bills for 🤟

  • @Z1GN1G420
    @Z1GN1G420 Рік тому

    Love the og clutch track for soundcheck 😂

  • @fallenlettersband
    @fallenlettersband 5 місяців тому

    Awesome man! This is really great, you're a master at this. We're going to be playing live soon, hopefully our sound is good. Any tips? Especially for someone like the vocalist who is a quieter singer in terms of the style

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  5 місяців тому +1

      Listen to the sound guy, show up on time, don’t rehearse on stage and don’t turn up/down your amps after the sound guy checks your levels

    • @fallenlettersband
      @fallenlettersband 5 місяців тому +1

      @@chrishammillaudio Cheers Chris, thanks a lot for your input!

  • @night613
    @night613 Рік тому

    nice job!!

  • @cancatak1343
    @cancatak1343 Рік тому

    I wish u have CL5 or QL series. I learned x32 basics from you Thx alot.

  • @Bluem00n7
    @Bluem00n7 Рік тому

    Great vids man new to channel. As a drummer am sorry for this one messing around. During soundcheck your the man they need to listen to not themselves lol

  • @voca-chan7953
    @voca-chan7953 Рік тому

    I would love to see a video doing a tour on all the controls of the console. It's hard to really see what's happening, although I can at least understand the EQ part.

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому

      I’m filming that video next time I’m working.

    • @voca-chan7953
      @voca-chan7953 Рік тому

      @@chrishammillaudio Aw man, I'm getting really excited now! Can't wait!

  • @yasha1928
    @yasha1928 6 місяців тому

    I don't know why but I really want one of these X32 Compact mixers after binging through 5 videos lol

  • @ChrisM541
    @ChrisM541 Рік тому

    Very, very nice! Fantastic demonstration and superb sound.
    I'm really impressed at how incredibly powerful and super functional these desks, in general, have become over the years. It was a lot different not that many years ago. I'm guessing a single cat cable, well protected, is all that's needed for the main run ending suitable in/out boxes at either end?
    As for feedback issues, is there anything today that can do a great and reliable job of automating the frequency hunt and filter out process? - is, for example, the Behringer FBQ1000 fully automatic, and good here?

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому

      Yep. One Cat 5 cable does the trick.
      There are apps that hunt feedback, but I always prefer my ear over anything else.

  •  Рік тому

    Great job, man!

  • @Melpheos1er
    @Melpheos1er Рік тому

    What this guy really does : setting levels for every frequencies for each instruments, preventing larsen, interferences, making the band sounds like they want to be heard
    What I see : guy turning knobs randomly

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому

      You forgot: begging guitar players to not blast their amps.

  • @W8239-m9s
    @W8239-m9s Рік тому

    Love your videos. For bands that bring an IEM rig like this, do you prefer when they bring all their own mics and cables too or do you prefer they plug the house mics into their rig? Also curious what you think of bands bringing IEM rigs in general. Thanks!

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому +3

      If a band has their own mics that’s fine with me. Just make sure you can get your stuff on/off the stage on time and don’t disrespect the other bands by going over your set time.
      Any band that allows me to not use the monitor wedges makes me happy.

  • @khall187
    @khall187 Рік тому

    Great stuff! My band just got into using IEM and we have a Line 6 StageScape for our IEM, and a mic splitter that goes to FOH. My question for you: Does every FOH have some type of box that bands can tap into for kick/snare so we can hear those in our in ears? At home we practice with an e-kit, so it's always tough to know how to account for the drums when we play live. It seems most clubs have ability to tap into your mix so we can hear the kick/snare in our in ears, but is this common?

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому

      All you’d have to do is put the kick and snare line going into you rack and two extra cables to go from your rack to FOH. That’s an easy setup.

  • @zsebestien7050
    @zsebestien7050 5 місяців тому

    How would you recommend adding monitor checking in this process? I work at a casino in Mississippi and often have trouble balancing my time for fixing monitor wedges (we have 4 front mons) and having enough time to properly soundcheck the mains. Most of the time, I check monitors first and then mains. With limited time before doors open, I usually have to mix on the fly for the mains. Thank you for all the high quality vids! This industry isn't very beginner friendly so it really helps.

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  5 місяців тому

      You literally see my entire process including monitors in this video.

    • @zsebestien7050
      @zsebestien7050 5 місяців тому

      @@chrishammillaudio aight thanks

  • @stereothrilla8374
    @stereothrilla8374 Рік тому

    Musician: Can you make it fuller and pull all the bass out and more in your face but like a soft in your face.
    FOH: Can you please shoot me in the face.
    This was a real dialogue I had with a musician. No joke!
    All jokes aside though. You’re great! This is how it’s supposed to be done.

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому +1

      I had that same exact conversation with a black metal “artist” who took his sweet time getting on stage, refused to have me hear anything before he went on, then proceeded to have the absolute worst sound I ever heard in my life. To make it worse, he gave me EQ instructions like that and was nearly 10 minutes late getting his “I do my own sound” rig together. I couldn’t even adjust anything because I was a glorified volume control! Icing on the cake for a 8 band black metal festival.

    • @stereothrilla8374
      @stereothrilla8374 Рік тому

      @@chrishammillaudio dude! That’s the worst.

  • @ZoranRadovanovDrums
    @ZoranRadovanovDrums Рік тому +1

    the band is inda interesting, primusy

  • @patatinafritta84
    @patatinafritta84 10 місяців тому

    Question: about the vocals- guitars competing on the stage , would you suggest sidechaining them to solve the problem? Would that be a good idea? And if so, could you please do a tutorial on the x32? Thanks in advance

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  10 місяців тому

      All that would do is lower guitars and I don't want that. Plus it doesn't solve the issue.

  • @stijnxd
    @stijnxd Рік тому

    The band definitely has good music taste, Escape from the Prison Planet by Clutch :)

  • @g_men2121
    @g_men2121 11 місяців тому

    I always wondered why any band i have seen has had the speakers by their mics during a show. Thought they were there for show. Lol

  • @hoda1100
    @hoda1100 Рік тому

    It looks like you selected the wrong channel at 8:25 😅
    Great video, greetings from Germany!

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому

      I did in fact select the wrong channel and didn’t notice it until I was editing the video.

  • @RaffaeleTani
    @RaffaeleTani Рік тому +1

    Nice insight, but it seems you missed the channel select button for the 2nd rack tom, so its adjustments were made on rack tom 1 channel?

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому

      You are 100% correct. I thought I hit the select button and I just didn’t notice until you just pointed it out now. Drums sounded great, so it wasn’t noticed.

    • @dancollen8999
      @dancollen8999 Рік тому

      Easily done on a digital desk (This is why I like to have the 'select follows fader movement' or whatever it's called on the X32 turned on.. for me it makes this less likely to happen - and in your Tom 2 example above there were half a dozen fader moves where that that setting would have got you back on the right track - .... but it's still all too easily done.) Also funny - fascinating really - how our brains can tell us the sound is changing according to our tweaks , where in fact the tweaks are being made to a drum that is not even being hit! @@chrishammillaudio

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому

      Totally. Classic case of "hearing with your eyes"

  • @pedrosilvaproductions
    @pedrosilvaproductions Рік тому

    Actually learned a lot in this video. You explained this in a way that is so nice and neat. For example, in guitars you said they fight for clarity and that guitars always have the same problem: low mids, 1-1.5k, upper 3-5k and higher registers and for me is great because I always felt I was shit at dialing guitar tones in my mixes because I always had to scoop 1k and 3.5k to give space so this totally validates what I always felt.
    Is there a way to reduce that much ringing on the toms? Like, even after you scooped around 2-3k on the rack toms I felt the rest had tons of ringing still, but it was interesting to see that the ringing was not present with the full band
    PS: the band sounds awesome too

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому +1

      Glad you got something out of the video!
      You're hearing the over compressed signal on my camera, so everything sounds louder than it really is. You hear a more accurate representation of the room in the show clip.
      Moon gel is your best friend to eliminate those ringing frequencies or tuning the drums differently. If you know how to tune, tune the bottom heads a little tighter to adjust the decay.
      Vocals and guitar always compete for the same space. You have to determine what you want to hear more of. For me 90% of the time in the studio and 100% of the time live I always want to hear vocals.

    • @pedrosilvaproductions
      @pedrosilvaproductions Рік тому

      @@chrishammillaudio Thanks for the great insights! Appreciated the tips too!
      Cheers

  • @ExploringWithCam2018
    @ExploringWithCam2018 6 місяців тому

    Is there a way you can do this BUT with a very old mixer? Something more like a folio sx mixer??? Just thinking it might be a good challenge for you to do this without modern mixers. I bet you can do it!

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  6 місяців тому

      Present me a situation where I’m mixing on one and I’ll gladly do it.

  • @JamesClarke.yt.
    @JamesClarke.yt. Рік тому +1

    Hey, another engineer here. What order do you do your latch list in? Seems to be very different than the standard 🤔

  • @ZuGuitar
    @ZuGuitar Рік тому +1

    I wonder what the reasoning is for starting with vocals instead of drums like most other soundchecks

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому

      I explain why in the video.

    • @ZuGuitar
      @ZuGuitar Рік тому

      @@chrishammillaudio My bad, I must have spaced out at that mention ♥ Thank you :)

  • @titoneri7739
    @titoneri7739 Рік тому

    QQ: When you started hearing the feedback in the vocal mic with the kick drum. Why not reduce the feedback on the monitor vs the Vocal channel as you did?

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому

      Two reasons:
      First, I would rather EQ the source than the monitor and have the monitor be as less “messed with” as possible.
      Second, the vocal mic was coming in a little harsh anyway in the top end and I didn’t like the tone it was giving me. Eliminating the feedback was two birds one stone.

    • @titoneri7739
      @titoneri7739 Рік тому

      @@chrishammillaudio Gotcha, that is what I was thinking. I'll switch between the options. If a single moving vocal across stage then I'll notch the Vocal channel. But if multiple people are (2-3 vocals, some wireless say accordions or brass). Then i'll notch the monitor.
      Thanks for feedback!

  • @poxcr
    @poxcr Рік тому

    Were there any mics for the cymbals, or is it just the room sound plus whatever bleeds into the other mics?

  • @justagirlrabbit1930
    @justagirlrabbit1930 7 місяців тому

    1:52 Did you mix for the wedge or only the channel for PA.?

  • @AAngel411
    @AAngel411 Рік тому

    Great as always!!!
    Hope someone can help me: how can I rid off the annoying sustain of tom and floor tom?

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому

      Tune the Toms, use moon gel or EQ out the sustain.

    • @AAngel411
      @AAngel411 Рік тому

      @@chrishammillaudioI’m still learning, since we don’t have a sound engineer in my band. So sorry if I ask stupid questions. Anyway, apart from the tuning etc can I also use the gate for that?

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому

      No such thing as stupid questions.
      Noise gate only affects the volume. You’ll still hear overtones. The best bet is to tune the drums differently or use gels. It also depends on the type of drum you have and heads on the shell.

  • @lafleurshow
    @lafleurshow 8 місяців тому

    Are you implying that its better to start with vocals first so you set the volume around the loudest the vocals can/would be? This is the first time I've seen it done in this order and just want to learn why

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  8 місяців тому

      I build my mix around vocals. It opens a line of communication to the stage and if there is anything that causes feedback I’ll know immediately what it is.

  • @jester92345
    @jester92345 Рік тому

    Now bring in a full house and sound dampening people!

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому

      Now watch the full video to hear what a full house sounds like both board and room!

  • @jorgec112
    @jorgec112 Рік тому

    Would you recomend I start with faders for my main & then my matrix for subs and mid/highs also at unity?
    I see your master is at unity

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому

      It depends how you want to set up your outputs. For this venue we have a very simple set up. Subs are directly connected with main left and right. I don’t have a separate matrix for subs. I also don’t know what kind of set up you’re doing. For smaller clubs and venues like this, you really don’t need anything more complicated than a basic left and right output.

  • @dennismorgan2230
    @dennismorgan2230 Рік тому

    My dumb question is,are you running sound for Dainties in Portland? Because I swear this is Danties!

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому

      I mean, the venue name is on the banner on the stage, so… 🤷‍♂️

  • @jables3377
    @jables3377 Рік тому

    How do you compensate for 100+ people in the room? That's obviously gonna change the sound at FOH as compared to the empty room soundcheck. What do you find you need to to tweak for the addition of people to the room?

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому

      90% of the time it’s adjusted the low end. Specifically raising the volume of the bass guitar.

    • @FOH3663
      @FOH3663 Рік тому

      100+ people, ... 100+ bass traps, ie., fluid filled skin bags!

  • @JohnMSD
    @JohnMSD Рік тому

    peep the Rammstein Zeit 👀

  • @michaelpetrou2014
    @michaelpetrou2014 Рік тому

    Great insight, but that’s a weird workflow, I normally have drums bass gtr instruments Vox then busses left to right I guess I’m old school

    • @michaelpetrou2014
      @michaelpetrou2014 Рік тому

      Also did u tune the FOH before line check? Then fine tune when they started just wondering?

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому +1

      I have my tracks in order of importance during soundcheck L to R. Drums are first on the stage box.
      I check the PA before every soundcheck but I mostly don’t change my EQ on the PA. I play a few songs I know how they should sound and adjust, rarely, if necessary.

  • @CB-rv9kb
    @CB-rv9kb Рік тому

    But then what happens to the sound when the room fills with people, is there a predictable preset adjustment, or nothing?

  • @user234con
    @user234con 11 місяців тому

    are those JBL SR4732X/F speakers as mains?

  • @dylanhoward718
    @dylanhoward718 Рік тому

    So how do you balance getting the eq right but also letting rhe guitarist/bassist getting to have the tone he wants?

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому

      I never asked him to adjust his EQ, just lower the volume. The EQ adjustments are for FOH not monitors. When it comes to FOH I only care about how the mix sounds to the audience.

    • @dylanhoward718
      @dylanhoward718 Рік тому

      ​@@chrishammillaudioyea I understood that part but does eqing guitars change the overall tone?

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому

      Yes, but as long as it sounds good in FOH I don’t care. The guitar player gets unchanged signal to the monitor, so everybody wins.

    • @dylanhoward718
      @dylanhoward718 Рік тому

      ​@@chrishammillaudiohuh. So do they ever listen back and get all mad like hey that's not how I wanted that to sound. Just asking questions cuz I'm about to run sound for a small fest in putting together.

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому +1

      The only time I ever got lip from a guitar player is when I asked him to adjust his volume and EQ because it sounded like a cheap, shitty dimebag wannabe tone. He got an attitude and said “my sound”. I then made it know to him and the band that I cannot hear any instrument other than the guitar but “I’ll do what I can”. Rest of the band look pissed at the guitar player.
      The bane of my existence are guitar players who refuse to take any direction from the sound guy. My job is to help the audience hear them clearly.

  • @davidmcaninch4714
    @davidmcaninch4714 4 місяці тому

    Ladies and gentlemen, the unsung heroes of live shows, the Sound Engineers!!!!!!!!!!!!! *GIVE IT UP FOR THEM, HUH?!?!?!?!?!?!?!*

  • @lbrennvall
    @lbrennvall Рік тому

    Very true that bad drums ruin any mix. Saw Korn last year, and the toms sounded like complete ass near the stage.

  • @bumblbesss
    @bumblbesss Рік тому

    Great job man !!!!! What a small Club. One Question does any Guitarist use an Amp anymore or is it all Effects units run directly?

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому +1

      Depends on genre. A lot of metal bands still use real amps.

  • @Eric_In_SF
    @Eric_In_SF Рік тому

    Strange, I played hundreds and hundreds of shows and never had a sound guy not two drums first. Also way too much compression. Obviously they’re just a Smashy kind of band but this wouldn’t work for a bandit actually plays with some dynamics. Way too much processing going on. And especially changing their whole sound is killing everything. Pretty crazy

    • @albinapa
      @albinapa Рік тому

      Ok I have to step in here having mixed hundreds of shows. In a small venue like this all compression on drums is parallell compression since it's just added to the sound coming directly from the stage. Your job as a soundtech isn't really to create a full mix out of the board, but to add what is needed to make it sound great in the actual room. On smaller stages I tend to compress a whole lot more than on stages where most of the sound will come from the PA. Also he has a pretty long attack time, which affect the transients less. Doing vocal mics first is actually a good practice on this stage size since it will work as overhead mics for the drums.
      Things other than procesing in the console which are also "changing the whole sound" of the band and that will be part of the mix:
      - The actual room with its dimensions and materials
      - Amplifier placement
      - The PA
      - Selection of mics
      - Placement of the mics
      - How crowded the room is

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому

      I do vocals first because they’re the most important channel in a mix. Also it opens a window of communication between me and the band on stage. Once I do vocals and adjust monitors I rarely need anything else in the wedges. Plus, with vocal mics on and as I add more instruments it gives me a chance to handle any feedback. The stage is small, so the vocal mic gets feedback from the other instruments blasting through the wedges as the mic picks it up. I don’t get why people are so hell bent on doing drums first, but this is how I work and it works perfectly fine.
      I adjusted the EQ of the drums because that preset is for my house kit, which we use most of the time. Since the drums were tuned differently and were made of different materials the EQ settings I had was overkill, so I adjusted. If this were a more low key band that played with a lot of dynamics as you said, I’d adjust the compression as well. Had plenty of bands come through here that didn’t play “smashy” and I had zero compression on the drums. My attack doesn’t squash the transient. I mix drums live how I’d mix them in a studio. Let the transient breath, fatten up the decay.
      The whole point of a preset is to get you 80% of the way there and adjust to get your mix.
      You’re also hearing the soundcheck through my camera mic. It over compresses the signal. Watch the samples at the end for a more accurate representation. It doesn’t sound “over processed” at all.
      The bottom line, I do whatever I need to do in order for the sound coming out of the PA to be good for the audience.

    • @FOH3663
      @FOH3663 Рік тому

      As an old dude, I get pretty set in my ways too, but there's no rules.

    • @PolkaStepp
      @PolkaStepp Рік тому

      I don’t think anyone has ever described polkadot as “just a smashy band”. I might be insulted if you were anything more than a self important, UA-cam know-it-all.

  • @Sidchipp
    @Sidchipp Рік тому

    The fewer members I find can more challenging to get a full mix, and you've got a great one here. Curious, what sort of verb setup where you using? It almost sounded like a gated verb, or was that byproduct of empty room and gopro mic? Interesting band - metal psychobilly? Metalbilly? I dig it either way good job!

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому

      That’s the camera mic. My reverb’s are pretty standard. I have a very simple plate reverb for the drums, a stereo delay for the vocals, and a very basic room reverb for everything else.

  • @djrickysmith
    @djrickysmith Рік тому

    👍👍👍👍👍👍🍺🍺🍺

  • @SaludInformada
    @SaludInformada Рік тому

    The mixer is running way too hot... -16 dBFS should be ok...

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому

      Well, it isn’t for this system.
      Digital clipping happens at zero. I am hovering around -8 to -6. Far from clipping, as you can clearly hear in the board audio at the end of the video and the room audio.

  • @FLEXNIVORE
    @FLEXNIVORE 3 місяці тому

    The sound quality was phenomenal… the bands questionable 🤣🤣

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  3 місяці тому

      This doesn’t even sound good by my mixes today. I should make a follow up video to this.

  • @druidaestudio1916
    @druidaestudio1916 Рік тому

    ESCAPE FROM THE PRISON PLANET!

  • @godsinbox
    @godsinbox Рік тому

    everyone does it differently, depending on the outboard you have available. this video just seems like a flex, no educational purpose here

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому +1

      This is what a soundcheck looks like in a small venue in the real world. I’m not fake and have a studio with an already pre-planned segment that is scripted so the soundcheck and sound of the band is absolutely perfect. Nowhere in this video did I ever say that this is for educational purpose.

  • @montyrayza7220
    @montyrayza7220 Рік тому

    Kemper direct works great except it sounds like ass.

  • @dominik4614
    @dominik4614 Рік тому

    Turn down Guitar, turn down: no Guitar..

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому +1

      Do you not understand the difference between stage volume and front of house volume?

    • @dominik4614
      @dominik4614 Рік тому

      Would you ask Tom Morrello if he could turn down his amp, which he hasn't changed in 40 years?

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому +1

      If he was playing the small stage at my venue and he was considerably louder than everyone else on stage and I couldn't hear anything BUT him, then I absolutely would. In the 7-8 years I've been doing live sound, I can count on one hand the number of guitar players who gave me lip for asking them to turn down and they flat out refused, and I've worked with local and national touring acts. @@dominik4614

  • @patrickk.6295
    @patrickk.6295 Рік тому

    Hey Chris,
    Once again another great in depth and first eye look into what goes into sound and a rock show! I first seen your video a week or so ago about the Metallica show and have been absolutely enthralled by not just your content, but the subject matter as well. I've probably have gone to 1,000's of rock shows and always wanted to know what was going on with the 1-2 or even 3 sometimes individuals behind the soundboard. So I wanted to ask you a kinda in depth question, I mean you can make it simple and give me your Top 3 all time artists throughout history who you would love to work on a show with, but also if you could pick a Top 3 venues as well where you would love to work at for those gigs for one show a piece. I know if I had just one choice (or if I could even do sound or lightning to begin with) I think I would want to do U2's ZooTV tour at either Madison Square Garden or the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. I understand if you don't have time to answer this, if you do I would love to see your answers. In the meantime, I await your next upload. Stay safe out there, have fun and above all KEEP ROCK N ROLL ALIVE!!!! \m/ \m/

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому +1

      As much as I'd love to do a huge stadium tour for a huge band, give me Green Day playing medium size venues and I'd be thrilled.
      Best concert I've ever seen - Paul McCartney
      Best show I've ever seen (yes, there's a difference) - Rammstein
      As far as venues, I'm really happy where I'm at now. A realistic goal to achieve if I were to ever get another gig is QXTs in Newark, followed by the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ. Ultimate goal would be the Stone Pony in Asbury Park.

    • @patrickk.6295
      @patrickk.6295 Рік тому

      @@chrishammillaudio I took my 12 year old brother in 1994 to see Green Day at the Aragon Ballroom which was later shown on MTV in full. Oh man to be 17 again without a care in the world. It was me, my brother who was 12 and our mutual friend who was 15 jumped in my 1992 lumina on a cold snowy November night telling our parents we were sleeping at the others house so they didn't know haha. I think back to that now that was kinda risky driving 72 miles to the show in that weather and only with 8 months of driving experience. But, we were all diehard Green Day fanatics and still are all these decades later. We just reunited to see them play the Harley Davidson anniversary weekend this past August :). And man going from seeing them play the Aragon with 2000 sweaty kids packed in to right on the shores of Lake Michigan in front of 50+ thousand was a sight to behold. You are so right when it comes to show you ever seen and best concert you ever seen. Big time.

  • @jamesmccabe1702
    @jamesmccabe1702 Рік тому

    why have you got so much compression on every input ? You're squashing the life out of the band

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому +3

      What on Earth are you talking about?
      - Zero compression on backing tracks
      - Only compressing vocals to contain loud projection, almost zero compression on quieter vocal
      - Bass is compressed -2 to -6 with a 4:1 ratio to make it consistent the same volume no matter how hard or light he's playing. Pretty standard for mixing hard rock/metal bass in a studio
      - Zero compression on guitars, only there to act as level control if the guitar player has low end chunks.
      - Drums are compressed to fatten up decay, not transient, hence the 25-30ms attack.
      Hardly "squashing the life out of the band".

    • @jamesmccabe1702
      @jamesmccabe1702 Рік тому

      @@chrishammillaudio again, way too much compression on every input...your ears must be painted on

    • @chrishammillaudio
      @chrishammillaudio  Рік тому +2

      Are you a brain dead parrot? Read my comment again. Slowly. Then proceed to look up industry standards of compression with hard rock/metal. Stop repeating yourself. It's embarrassing. @@jamesmccabe1702