The SC-Announcements, Cars and DAW?

The Sound Couple heads off out of town to support the band at a local country fair. For all of the things you wish was common at all gigs like a big stage with plenty of power, private band room and bathroom, plenty of food and drinks, this gig did its best to counter all of it. The location of the stage placed the band next to the race track and opposite of the beer garden! With the cars louder than the band at times, we did our best to entertain the few that were there and were successful in luring a few over from the beer garden to enjoy a great band!
Lots covered in this video from hotel logistics, subwoofer time alignment, to recording the band and mixing in DAW mode with Studio One and a PreSonus 64s....oh yeah, and we just love really loud announcements!
Sit back and enjoy another power packed video from the Sound Couple!
The Sound Couple primarily use PreSonus gear featuring:
PreSonus UC Surface
PreSonus CDL12
PreSonus CDL18s
PreSonus 32R
PreSonus SW5E
PreSonus NSB Stageboxes
PreSonus AVB-D16
Please see our "About" for a more comprehensive list of gear we use.

[@rictraynor5259]

Awww you guys are great 😊 thanks for taking the time to record the details. Much appreciated.

[@thesoundcouple]

You are very welcome! We hope you are able to check out some of our videos that feature live to the studio type recordings. We are extremely bummed that KZbin's algorithms are now demonetizing cover performances. Sadly, this makes it very difficult for us to create these types of videos moving forward. This leaves a huge creative gap in our channel, so we will need to figure out what's next!

[@dellasx]

This is actually crazy!!!! I have no knowledge on these types of things, but this one video (which I just found on my recommendations) thought me so much stuff about how live mixing works!

[@thesoundcouple]

Glad it was helpful! That is part of the goal of our channel- exposing the masses to real life scenarios!

[@mrrajashekar7856]

Wow, thats amazing The Sound Couple, what a energy, the Audio was so clear and crystal , Keep up Couple.

[@thesoundcouple]

Thank you!

[@gregmcveigh9966]

As usual, another great video. One thing that I've meant to mention in previous videos is the great relationship that you all seem to have with this band. That's really nice.

[@thesoundcouple]

Thanks Greg! I first worked with the band years ago when I was a house tech. I can't remember how we reconnected, but we started providing more production for them about 4 years ago and has grown to more over time. Thankfully, we are in the position to be selective and these guys are good people and that's the type we want to work with! Now that I think about it, I am pretty proud that we are able to demonstrate that through out almost all of our videos...not only good musicians but good people as well. I know those two don't always go together!

[@liamhuxley1389]

Loving the experimentation from you guys, especially sub configurations & placements is a really interesting topic Also the wide angle cam side of stage is super cool

[@thesoundcouple]

Thanks Liam! We understand there is a lot of math and practical theory behind a lot of this, but we are hopefully able to demonstrate that you need to take the environment into consideration and also experiment. We use our old GoPro more than ever now with our channel. It's nice to know that it's able to get the job done! We are trying to get things done with the tools we have.

[@liamhuxley1389]

@@thesoundcouple I've been struggling the wrap my head around it myself! It's all a bit of trial and error in the end really, seeing what works when you're actually on site is a different can of worms like ya'll said

[@hezekiahcharles6754]

BIG job today..... great work guys..... that polarity flip on the subs made a big difference...

[@thesoundcouple]

It did and with all of the comments we are getting....we look forward to digging into this more!

[@RHOMAXMULTIMEDIA]

i always love watching your videos and am learning a lot. wish to meet you one day

[@thesoundcouple]

Come out to a show if you are ever in the Twin Cities area!

[@MichaelNatrin]

Great video & gig! I miss warm weather already.

[@thesoundcouple]

Can’t argue with that! Last week we were dealing with -35 windchills… brr!🥶

[@safarizantudin1223]

Peminat Dari Malaysia Hadir... 🤗 Hasil Kerja Yang Kemas.... The Sound Couple TERBAIK... 👍👍 Terima Kasih Atas Perkongsian Ilmu...

[@thesoundcouple]

Terima kasih! Selamat tahun Baru!

[@alberto038]

Good morning everyone, I really like your videos and the work you do with the installation of sound equipment at events, I think it is tiring work but very rewarding, working with what we like is very good. A blessed end of the year and may you continue with a lot of work in 2023. Carlos - Sao Paulo - Brazil

[@thesoundcouple]

Thanks Carlos! Agreed- if you love what you do and can have fun at the same time, one can hardly call it work. Looking forward to more gigs in the new year!

[@dr.joaopaulodepaulasouza7310]

Um belíssimo trabalho realmente. Continuem nos presenteando com esses belíssimos vídeos. ... Que em 2023 venham outros inúmeros eventos e vídeos 🤠🤭

[@thesoundcouple]

@@dr.joaopaulodepaulasouza7310 Obrigado! Somos gratos pelo que somos capazes de fazer. Melhor para você em 2023!

[@networkingiskey]

Thanks for sharing! I appreciate it

[@thesoundcouple]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@santana261]

Great show... I really like othat call "idot check"... very funny.. great gear tha you have.

[@thesoundcouple]

That's a term we have used for years...not sure how widely it's known, but it's true! Thanks for watching!

[@goldenknighthawk]

I totally enjoyed this.Felt like I was right there.

[@thesoundcouple]

Thanks for the feedback...that is one of our goals!

[@FSP.Entertainment]

The height of that stage! 😮 My back hurt watching you guys set up.

[@thesoundcouple]

Can’t imagine getting any higher than that! Stacy might have to take some magic growing beans!😂

[@chrisclose7793]

I did a event like this back in the summer and the last time I did it bass was bleeding over into the neighbouring performance area and on to the stage so this year I decided to do cardioid sub setup and it worked a dream. It would be something that I would recommend you guys try for gigs like this. Great video as always

[@thesoundcouple]

Hi Chris...yes, we are receiving a lot of comments with this idea, so we are looking into it more. Thanks!

[@RobMLyon]

Awesome as always

[@thesoundcouple]

Thank you so much 😀

[@JimLGTv]

wow i like your audio equipmnts.. more setup The sound couple & stay safe for travels & Godbless...

[@thesoundcouple]

Thank you! Hopefully you get a chance to check out our videos as we cover different aspects of production throughout them all!

[@PaulMorini]

Great videos!

[@thesoundcouple]

Thanks Paul....so glad you are enjoying them, we're trying!

[@halidharis]

Love your content👌👌

[@thesoundcouple]

Thanks!

[@morebital]

Nice to see you!

[@thesoundcouple]

Thanks!

[@user-tb5xo5fy7u]

I really appreciate you guys

[@thesoundcouple]

Thank you for your comment! We try!

[@dariuszpienio1413]

Good job. Bravo.

[@thesoundcouple]

Thank you and thanks for taking the time to watch!

[@jessecoonen7881]

Something to try would be making the middle cabinet of the 3 center subs facing the opposite direction, and flipping the polarity on just that middle box. Play with the timing offset on it and you should be able to create a cardioid array to create cancellation behind and summation in the front!

[@anthonyanzalone]

Dave Rat is actually making videos on better sub placement, timing and such.

[@jessecoonen7881]

@@anthonyanzalone yes, I’m very familiar with them. Michael Curtis is also another great voice on the matter.

[@thesoundcouple]

Thanks guys....in a related comment, I admit that more research is needed. I have watched their videos, but a review would be beneficial.

[@mashzmash]

Check out Michael Lawrence's new book, Between the Lines. It's an easy read and gives a great overview of directional sub configurations and the concepts behind them. Highly recommend the book for anyone deploying sound systems before diving into complex system designs with the Bob McCarthy book.

[@user-sw2vh3nt6t]

​@@jessecoonen7881 MUSLIM JKRECORDS ADMIN SEULAWAH CO🙏 MEULABOH ACEH

[@Ricks_Pro]

getting in love with this like me and sound are bff's i really love it thanks for the video hoping to get where you are even grow bigger than you someday 😇

[@thesoundcouple]

Good luck! Something I often thought about in the past, but never pursued....no regrets though as we enjoy what we do!

[@Ricks_Pro]

@@thesoundcouple more Grace 🙏🙏

[@captainkirk3000]

you can also do the post show mixing with the X32 and M32, both have the option use the X-LIVE card which makes it really easy to handle multi-channel playback and recording

[@thesoundcouple]

Yep! We have the X-Live card in our X32 Compact...not quite as seamless as PreSonus, but powerful as well!

[@PapaBaush]

Besides all the great gear, gear packing, setting up and overall sound, man of the match for me are: -Stacey’s calves 💪🏽💪🏽 (with respect) -Battery and storage of all your filming devices

[@thesoundcouple]

Thanks!

[@thesoundcouple]

Stacy says that what happens when hauling gear!

[@alanphillips4734]

Always enjoy watching your adventures from Australia, we do regional touring in South Australia (mostly remote locations), Stacey is a gun Bart, you are lucky to have a partner so dedicated to your adventures and to keep you level! Moving wash fixtures look great on truss verticals, stage looks great 👌👌🇦🇺

[@alanphillips4734]

Also love the loud mouth animation over the horn PA announcements, PMSL everytime it pops up 🤣🤣🤣

[@thesoundcouple]

Thanks Allan! We compliment each other well! Appreciate noticing the lighting as well!

[@ben81]

Good job 👍🏻❤❤

[@thesoundcouple]

Thank you.

[@astapiu7883]

this video is the best of both worlds

[@thesoundcouple]

We occasionally show the bridging of live and studio. This used to be so much more difficult to do and to do well....I am still fascinated with the power we have to do some pretty amazing things wherever we want to!

[@johnmcquay82]

Always nice to get to an event and find you have plenty of power. Even though power specs are always shared well in advance, I nearly always have to fudge my way through some way or another. A local venue I work has power pillars with 16A Ceeform outlets, but the breakers are rated at 10A...Suffice it to say, you have to fudge around a lot with what draws power from where to make sure you don't keep blowing breakers. I'm finding the events a local guy and I work together are getting bigger as days go on, and the power needs are going up along with it. We both use 32A distro's at this point, though 63A and three-phase distro's are looking likely in the near future.

[@thesoundcouple]

Thanks for sharing! In an upcoming video, we will provide an overview of our distro which is pretty straightforward in comparison.

[@imark7777777]

I love that GIF haha

[@thesoundcouple]

If you could have only been there....it was non-stop and loud!

[@jessecoonen7881]

It might help your PA processing if you setup a matrix to feed your center subs. That way you can flip polarity, apply special EQ, to the group as a whole with one output rather than opening up each cabinet on the network controller. You could probably also assign delay easier As well. In your situation where it looks that the center subs and outer subs are in a line, it makes sense that they’d be already in time and not need much timing offset.

[@thesoundcouple]

Thank you for sharing this information.....will definitely consider trying this approach!

[@OneDynamic2023]

O.n.e. thanks apaw ❤️🇵🇭🙏🏻

[@seanwalsh999]

I was thinking of what you said about the band providing you with a guest mix from their in-ear system, great idea. Might even be helpful if their system gave you a USB drive copy of the shows.

[@thesoundcouple]

The band uses the old RM32 PreSonus mixer...nothing wrong with it, but PreSonus does not support these types of use cases well at all. With this mixer, it's even worse. It really dumbfounds me how they have not addressed this.....so close to being a fantastic solution!

[@seanwalsh999]

@@thesoundcouple I know the X-18 has a usb slot for recording, but I hear you have to add a Wi-Fi router as the X-air's Wi-Fi, are apparently pretty weak. Thank you for your reply. I really enjoy your after-gig studio mixing sessions, gives me a real feel for the event.

[@cocojumbo1560]

ur guys are awesome just 2 of u #salute!

[@thesoundcouple]

Lots of work but rewarding!

[@jundytouch]

Yeah. Amazing couple, indeed. Just the 2 of them for the sounds/lights operation, setup, transportation. And they used very good gears. It was here that I came to admire Presonus CDL speakers.

[@mashzmash]

Even when bands bring their own wireless gear, I do a full RF scan/coordination for them with my RF Explorer and Wireless Workbench to make sure their frequencies are compatible. Whenever possible, I try to use my own RF gear with combiners and remote antennas too. In the end, they look at you when there are RF issues.. Based on their descriptions and the fact that you're playing inside a box with a lot of reflective metal, I'm guessing they are experiencing quite a bit of multipath interference on their IEMs. Directional antennas and lowering the tx power in addition could help here.

[@thesoundcouple]

"In the end, they look at you when there are RF issues"....good point and one that I struggle with, especially when the gear is on the lower end.

[@jonhaney8139]

Oh the dreaded stage next to the demo derby/ tractor pull arena. Been there, done that.

[@thesoundcouple]

Bring the earplugs- that’s for sure!

[@miamichi5]

Darn shame all that work. Great set up & rain storm coming. Great systems 👍!

[@thesoundcouple]

Yeah, it's not always easy, but just do what you do, have fun and move on to the next.

[@michaelclover9186]

Looks like an older, but in great shape Wenger Showmobile stage trailer. Where was Stacy when I was doing live sound and lights??!!! She’s a worker!!!!

[@thesoundcouple]

Ahhh, that would make a lot of sense since I believe they are made real close to where we were at....it wasn't pretty but very well made and functional. Trust me, we knew each other much longer before she got into this and we were doing this many gigs, so this wasn't a criteria I was considering when we met!

[@ferrera2023]

Saludos desde Mendoza Argentina

[@thesoundcouple]

¡Saludos!

[@yannyloyer7177]

cool video as usual guys !

[@thesoundcouple]

Appreciate...we do our best with each one!

[@tuneroneff]

East coast!!!! Roads are clean!!! No snow!!!

[@thesoundcouple]

Yeah, we’re a few months behind- but always a nice reminder of what’s around the corner!

[@jessecoonen7881]

It’s actually quite a bit of isolation you’re getting in each of the sources. Including the vocal mics. I was surprised how little bleed there was even for an outdoor environment

[@thesoundcouple]

Agreed....however, I do believe that the pros need to be greater than the cons for each vocal mic...as each mic added is a detriment to the mix. I get irritated with someone that needs that vocal mic and don't use it...or at least use it with an actual purpose.

[@samyrecord697]

Excelente muy cómodo es genial👍

[@thesoundcouple]

¡Gracias! ¡Gracias por tomarse el tiempo de ver nuestro video!

[@williamthesoundguybalestri1745]

We usually identify for example the Bass DI input with a knot like you do. However, we also use only colored XLRs for all outputs and all BLACK XLRs for inputs. That way later if we have to identify a problem we know that we are looking for either a certain color XLR etc..

[@thesoundcouple]

Interesting...that's not a bad idea! We kind of do the same, but would refer to them as "signal" cables which are identified with orange tape.

[@williamthesoundguybalestri1745]

@@thesoundcouple Yup. That'll work.

[@djrickysmith]

I love recording live shows with the daw. Presonus did a awesome job making it very easy to do.

[@thesoundcouple]

and it doesn't get any easier than Capture....it even labels your channels for you? C'mon!

[@XIIMonkeysMusicGroup]

@@thesoundcouple I haven't tried Capture yet. Still need to download it to my new computer!

[@Hamster-uq1ym]

love it,.,.

[@thesoundcouple]

Thanks!

[@raararjen]

Was thinking if you would move the tops to the outer subs you could put a pole for lights in the inner one...

[@thesoundcouple]

That's not a bad idea! We do have some speaker poles that extend, the question is would they go high enough.

[@djbolamix8997]

Rf today is a very worrying part of the audio because the frequency spectrum is very polluted and you have to pay special attention if not given it brings a lot of interference! Have you ever thought about making a SUB CARDIODE arrangement? oh in the specific case of this event ... Congratulations on the event, the show was top! gave a charm to the part the mix in the presonus was Show ,,,, happy new year and who next year come more lives!

[@thesoundcouple]

I have thought about it and will likely experiment more as the opportunities come our way. Best to you in the New Year!

[@jundytouch]

Excellent sounds couple. I love your Presunos gears. Wow, indeed. What is the length of the stage? 40 feet? Your many gears carried in that "small" van is like "magic." You remind me of a short film long time ago of a very small car and around 20 clowns came out of it. Thumbs up to you both. I just subscribed to your channel which I just came across while ago today. I want to follow and learn more from you both. You both are a great team.

[@thesoundcouple]

Thank you! You guys are helping us out as well and we appreciate that!

[@buddylove9484]

Right away, wave cancellation warnings go off in my head over putting the subs on that tall stage… I ’ve stopped doing that and stand-mount my mid-high speakers. It cleans up line of sight for the players on stage (me and my bandmates) as well.

[@jessecoonen7881]

Your comment is an over simplification. You dont automatically create complete cancellation by having some subs on the stage and some on the ground.

[@buddylove9484]

@@jessecoonen7881 Never said that…and you’ve assumed I was referring to the mix of the two (center ground & stage). Most tall stages are at that 1/2 frequency wave length for subs, hence canceled/wasted db. btw…my whole life is an over simplification. 🤓

[@jessecoonen7881]

@@buddylove9484 ah! I see, I miss interpreted Your comment. You’re referring to the interaction with the ground due to the distance and factor of low frequency wavelengths. Yes, I could see that as an issue as well!

[@buddylove9484]

@@jessecoonen7881 Yes… and with the ability to change polarity with these new subs I’m not sure how that factors in as much but I only have three subs and not seven, so I have to be careful. I don’t want to make them sound thin by placement. I really like this KZbin channel…it’s fun !

[@thesoundcouple]

Thanks everyone for your feedback! We are glad that we can all discuss and learn...so thank you!

[@DaanGroenProductions]

Thanks for the fun gig log! It was a lot dealing with all that noise. Your gifs displayed the frustration nice and silently. Had me giggle. How is that lighting controller working out for you? Have you considered looking into something like Obsidian Onyx for your control? I feel it could create a much more cohesive and visually pleasing show. There were a lot of fun colors, but I felt it looked a lot like my old gigs (rainbow pukey), where there was just a lot going on, but not sure exactly where I was going. Maybe it'll help you. Keep the good work up.

[@thesoundcouple]

Thanks for the suggestion Daan… something to look into. The world of lighting has always been secondary and while we’ve come a long way, there is still much to learn. Does your suggested controller have a wireless function? That is one of the functions we like about using Luminaire.

[@DaanGroenProductions]

@@thesoundcouple It depends a little what you mean exactly with the wireless function. In terms of built-in wireless DMX, no, but that is easy enough to add on from regular DMX512 outputs. In terms of wireless remote control, yes, as do most major lighting platforms. I am sure that similar to Obsidian Onyx, platforms like Avolites, Chamsys, Hog and MA will support ways to do remote control. How I do this is basically have a master pc which is directly connected to the DMX outputs either on the hw controller and optionally through (artnet/sACN) nodes. This master pc would be connected (wired if possible) to a router with Access Point, where I would then wirelessly connected the second pc (like a surface tablet) as slave to the same show. This allows for full remote control. The reason I went for Obsidian Onyx specifically is their pricing / licencing strategy. You get a lot for very little, especially if you only need 1-4 universes (1 DMX is fully available for free). I really like their selection of hw as well, where you can already start around $599 (Sweetwater) with a NX Touch controller and one physical DMX output. Want to shoot for the moon? I love their new NX1 console, with additional NXP and NXK modules with motorized faders etc. I am not affiliated, just an enthusiastic user ;). I am currently rocking the previous gen NX Wing and an NX Touch.

[@Ahla-et]

If I were to do sound at a place like this I would put all the subs on the ground and 1 pairs of highs on the ground on a pole and then another pair on tripods on the stage pointing away from the front more like to the side

[@thesoundcouple]

That sounds like it would work out well!

[@shankarmenon9627]

Thank you for informative content. The "school of hard knocks" visual experience and expertise is invaluable. One novice question though... why didn't you leave the sub on the ground as the stage is quite high and all...... thanks and keep it up.

[@thesoundcouple]

Partly for visual and partly to position the mains the way we want them. Appreciate you watching...this is a gig we won't soon forget!

[@DeanKWilson]

In this most excellent video, among many lessons, we also get to watch Bart in his role of “Under-Stage Wanderer.” At least this time it was on grass and not gravel. The Sound Couple shares with us some important and very helpful information regarding the proper use of subs and the advantage of using PreSonus SL Room Control to test making adjustments to various parameters-even if a return to “normal” seems the best. And, we get to see a very well-designed mobile stage with plenty of power, good work lights, and lots of room. Though it does require a very high lift from ground level. Be sure to notice how much gear that Stacy and Bart have loaded into their van. Wow! Locating the main speakers on this very high stage does make it a bit easier than normal to place the speakers without having so much of an upward stretch. Once again, Bart shows us the value of using quality cables. This time, it’s Cat5 cables with Neutrik connectors. And, he emphasizes the value of the Neutrik adapters, as well. Thoughtful production crews always emphasize safety. Bart illustrates this as he runs cables underneath the stairs. Bart has to dive in to help the band solve a wireless interference problem. Could it be the proximity of a cell phone? Perhaps. As the band begins the performance, they have to complete with races literally next door. But, The Sound Couple has the system tuned just right. We also get to see the use of a PreSonus 64S as a DAW to mix a recording of the band. The results are very impressive. And, Bart shares some on-screen captions to give us insights into the way he is mixing the raw recording into a more finished product. No autotune here! Finally, as darkness falls the racing ends and the fair-goers begin to rock out with the band. Sweet. Thanks to Bart and Stacy for letting us watch and learn from this gig. This is definitely a video that merits several viewings.

[@thesoundcouple]

Once again Dean, you peel back and reveal even more layers to the story. Stacy and I were talking earlier on all efforts consist of parallel story lines in which each contain different perspectives. We appreciate your perspective and your genuine commitment to our channel and we can't thank you enough for that. Happy New Year!

[@thesoundcouple]

One more quick note.....even though our channel is still small, it was truly small from several months with just a few subscribers and low watch hours. I would joke with Stacy that "Nobody cares about the Sound Couple"....when I say that jokingly now, Stacy will reply with "Dean does"!

[@InsTack555]

I like it’s brothers From sound man in Bangkok(Thailand)

[@thesoundcouple]

Glad we found each other! Welcome!

[@OrbofShingeki]

that daw recording sounded really good. if you do that more in the future. grab a pair of rode m5's or something similar and the mic the crowd. that'd be fun to sprinkle in the mix. 🤙

[@thesoundcouple]

That's a good suggestion...you mean you want to us to start planning what we are doing!!

[@OrbofShingeki]

@@thesoundcouple also I'm not sure how often you encounter the high stages, maybe try a portable ramp?

[@thesoundcouple]

@@OrbofShingeki That would be something to consider if we brought our trailer to more of these gigs. Otherwise, we just deal with the trade-offs.

[@jthunderbass1]

OMG. I Don’t know where that is, but I’ve done a show or two there.

[@thesoundcouple]

Hi David - this was the Renville County Fair in Bird Island, MN.

[@homerotamez4573]

Hey if you and i were ever to run sound somewhere we'd be the Simpsons! Bart and Homer! HAAA!!

[@thesoundcouple]

Guaranteed that they won't forget our names!

[@djbolamix8997]

The life of audio on the road is very good, but when you have to face these types of obstacles, go up stairs, lift material above your shoulder, my God, it is tiring and very ,,, sometimes even discouraged, but obstacles are made to be overcome and generate experience and besides, after everything is assembled, the pleasure of seeing the work done pays off!

[@thesoundcouple]

Well said! We like to think that these videos will be our source of entertainment in 20 years and reminiscing about how much work it all was!

[@djbolamix8997]

@@thesoundcouple exactly a story to tell grandchildren and remember good times lived,,,

[@makingmusiconline2309]

Another fabulous production! Mark King of Level 42 did a pretty good job of being the lead singer and playing bass, and Sting wasn't that shabby either. The harnonica sounded like it was distorting/clipping, was that just overloading the microphone or was the channel gain too high?

[@thesoundcouple]

Thank you! That's the signal being sent to us. He was using some Behringer DI pre-amp box, but now has switched over to a Sans Amp....probably something we should work more on, but overall, it gets the job done.

[@BrianSimmons]

5:05 - Please let me that you took a break and participated in the cereal eating contest!!! ;)

[@thesoundcouple]

You should have been there! A bucket list item indeed!

[@soundboyinc_]

9:55 with the height advantage of the stage, I wouldn't have used the pole(s) I would have stacked the tops onto the sub! With the 20+ yrs. experience that I have in production, I would never use a speaker pole for the lights at the edge of the stage without sand bag(s), that's a liability! 25:00 Use SmaartLive and a measuring microphone to set your delay points. Definitely need to invest in some cable ramps (yellow Jackets) and gaffer tape.

[@thesoundcouple]

Thank you for your comments and suggestions!

[@matejmelichna5144]

If you care about the phase of the subs and tops. I would consider purchasing some basic audio measurement rig. A good starting point is the Behringer ECM8000 measurement microphone and some basic at least 2CH audio interface capable of providing phantom power for the mic. Then you can use 2CH FFT analyzer software like Smaart (paid), OpenSoundMeter (opensource), or REW (basic version free) to phase align speakers. Of course, ears are important, but seeing the magnitude response and phase response of the system can help understand better what's going on. It is a helper in optimizing the system. And when it comes to subwoofer placement, there are calculators which can help with it. One of them is SAD (Subwoofer Array Designer) created by Merlin van Veen. I use it pretty often to optimize the low-end coverage. It has quite good documentation with the basic theory needed for that. Keep up the good work, I really like your videos.

[@thesoundcouple]

Appreciate the feedback. Will research your suggestions!

[@michalmarianek8530]

How do you get that super clear crystal sound from the mic. This is amazing. Keep doing this job you are awsome.

[@thesoundcouple]

Not sure what mic you are talking about. If you are talking about the video recordings, we do most of them off our iPhones which we believe do an incredibly good job of recording the audio.

[@musicproduction2877]

Preamps built into the mixer

[@OneDynamic2023]

God bless 🙏🏻

[@thesoundcouple]

Thanks!

[@ultrasounddjs_laultradiscoteka]

Tetris van wow…..💪👍

[@thesoundcouple]

😂 love the new name for the van!

[@buddylove9484]

I love porta-stages! I see you put some space between center/ground bass bins, where as I couple subs so they’re almost touching each other…now I’m wondering if it really matters?

[@sound4uaudiovideorecording927]

I would like to see this separated setup on map3d. I don’t think it’s doing what was intended.

[@buddylove9484]

@@sound4uaudiovideorecording927 In the video when Bart was under the mobile stage hooking up his 3 ground subs, I just noticed the cabinets were spaced about 1-2 ft apart and was reminiscing being at Hartley Peavey’s sound school in the early 90's…recalling some of the rules for sub woofer behavior regarding placement.

[@thesoundcouple]

I will say that more research is needed for all of this on my part. I have done both and for the amount of times I am actually able to do it, it seems like the "results" are more or less the same. I am not trying to ignore science behind all of the smart people out there, but there just seems to be more variables than the spreadsheets account for. We do a lot of gigs, and each one is different.

[@sound4uaudiovideorecording927]

@@thesoundcouple Bart, I think the point of getting your “research” is to get the system to sound the same in most places. Consistent, IOW. Also, knowing how the subs, or tops for that matter, will react in a given space is not only instructional, but satisfying to get them to behave as you want them to. Not just having subs for low end, but having them gel with the rest of the system. I may not be expressing myself efficiently to get the point across.

[@thesoundcouple]

@@sound4uaudiovideorecording927 Makes sense!

[@probilmusic3396]

Hello am using PreSonus studio live 32s and connected it to my iMac 27 inch of 2017 but i get usb connection Errors, it looses connections every 5 to 10 minutes. please tell me whats with my studio live mixer or its the computer not matching up with the mixer?

[@thesoundcouple]

If you haven't yet, I would definitely install the latest firmware/software that was released recently as it addressed some USB stability issues.

[@emolatur]

why do I have a sudden craving for fresh cinnamon donuts?

[@thesoundcouple]

🤣

[@EnmanuelTorres24]

hey guys! just got a question. don't you losses a lot of low end by setting the subs on top of the stage???

[@thesoundcouple]

Yes, the subs won't be as efficient on the stage, but there are other factors to consider as well that determine where we place the subs. In this situation, we also had the 3 underneath the stage as well.

[@reggiep32]

Any tips on the presonus studiolive 16.0.2 usb digital mixer

[@thesoundcouple]

Sorry...no, we don't have that console.

[@jundytouch]

Do you do stereo or panning in this setup?

[@thesoundcouple]

Yes we will use slight panning...not so much with this band since it's a 4 piece, but will still slightly pan each drum, for example.

[@queso5566]

Question: What mics are you using for overheads? Because I notice there is only a little bleed for toms and snare which is very great. Or what is your setup for overheads? Thanks!

[@thesoundcouple]

The band provides their mics to us. For overhead, he is using Rode condenser....sorry, not sure of the model

[@nickloss2377]

If you're going to use wireless for anything in a live sound reinforcement setting, trust me: 2.4 gHz is the way to go.. it's a much stronger signal than 5gHz, so there is less chance of drop outs or interference. it might be a crowded space, but 5 GHz is just as crowded nowadays and a much weaker signal. But personally, I will always choose wired over wireless for speakers and subs. I'm okay with wireless DMX for lighting rigs tho. Never had a problem with those! constructive criticism: those front fill subs need to be coupled. ie: side-by-side without any gaps in between. Should give at least a 3-6db boost in bass. And get them out from under the stage! Front and center! Also, I would look into adding a 4th sub.. that way, you can use a cardioid arrangement if the subs support that configuration.. it might seem counterintuitive to have the subs opposing one another (2 subs facing outward and the other 2 directly behind and facing inwards--ie 180° out of phase with their coupled partner).. a cardioid configuration will further extend your bass while providing bass rejection in the direction of the stage..BUT and important consideration is to first check that the subs support a cardioid config. .. I didn't really see that option in the configuration app you were using; but it might be upsetting buried in another page. the configuration you have now means that your base is emanating in a fairly uniform omnidirectional pattern so lots of energy is being sent (aka lost) towards the band and sides.. a cardioid array would redirect the bass energy out towards the crowd, while reducing the bass in the rear ... But at the bare minimum, I would couple those 3 subs that you already have (so they behave as 1), and bring them out in front of the stage--being covered by the stage is negatively affecting their efficiency.. reflections, absorption, cancellation..ya know, the audio engineer's arch enemy! Basically you'll lose a lot of acoustic energy in the floor of that stage...energy that could be better directed towards the audience. I applaud your digital mixing approach. I'm guessing you've got the band all connected through the typical analog cables on stage, but using CAT 5/6 cables to transport the signal to your mixing console? Dante..? As a note, I was called to run a gig during the Toronto International Film Festival on very short notice this last summer, and had the opportunity to chat with a keyboard player in a 2 person band that was using Cubase to augment the vocalist with some basic processing and autotune. personally, auto-tune is something I have concerns over (as with most engineers) but in the end, it is a decision for the band to make.. its not something I would offer up, but also something I wouldn't refuse to use. if it helps the band perform better--by giving them that little jolt of confidence just knowing they is that safety net, I'm all for it. And frankly, live autotune will only be able to correct so much before ultimately destroying the dynamics of a vocal mix. The technology for low latency DAW's and plugin integration in live sound is here to stay, and as engineers, we have to adapt...autotune, drum augmentation, effects processing is all becoming an integral part of the job.. in the age of Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish--imagine a live performance from one of them without heavy processing would be a disaster! I draw the line at a lip syncing track tho. If a performer wants that piped out to the main mix, they're on their own.. (hasn't happened to me yet, but I've heard stories from colleagues).. But goddamn, you guys have a fun life. I do lighting and sound at a nightclub in Toronto ... and even though it's a club, and people are meeting new potential life partners all over the place, being the lead sound and lighting tech definitely leads to a lonely life.... geez, I never even considered that I could find a partner that shared my love of the craft or at the very least, put up with the ridiculous hours and schedule this industry demands... #lifegoals lol New subscriber, right here.

[@thesoundcouple]

Wow Nick - thanks for sharing your comments and stories! I hope you are able to hang out with us and feel free to comment on any of our videos - Our channel is approaching two years so we are accumulating a lot of material! We are taking in a lot of comments on sub configurations and will be trying some out for sure in future gigs!

[@johnsausage]

Do you use some kind of auto-gain function when doing soundcheck? Was pretty fast despite having to fiddle around with a pen and clicking through submenus :D

[@thesoundcouple]

No - We use previous scenes to use for the next show and I know by memory where the gains should generally be for the various instruments.

[@jackcarter5889]

The angles of the tops are a bit insane top box is basically pointing at the sky descent point source boxes might be better if your not normally flying your pa

[@thesoundcouple]

Definitely something to think about. We nare ormally are not on a stage this high.

[@mastersonidj68]

hi from venezuela

[@thesoundcouple]

Hello! Thank you for taking the time to watch our video!

[@MrKricher]

Hi Bart, There is no wrong answer to this question. I noticed you put the stage box under the stage to feed the subs. You could have just run a single XLR instead. Is there a reason you chose to run the stage box to that location?

[@thesoundcouple]

You are correct and I have done that as well by running an XLR cable out of one of the main cabinets. Just a preference when we are at the gig as we only carry one 50ft XLR cable and sometimes that will get used for something else.

[@progi99]

it is sometimes interesting to see how they work in other countries. I work in a state organization and we usually serve all visiting artists. it's a lot of trouble. it's much easier when artists travel with their staff. And yes, I'm from Russia. because of the sanctions, we have to wait a little longer for our musical equipment.

[@thesoundcouple]

Thanks for sharing your experience. We hope that it's interesting to see how we are all doing the same work, but it can be accomplished differently!

[@reggiep32]

Do you guys have any videos and tips on the Presonus Studiolive 16.0.2 ?

[@thesoundcouple]

Sorry...no, we don't have that console.

[@dsandoval1100]

👏

[@thesoundcouple]

Thank you!

[@AllenPendleton]

RF is a pain sometimes. Always good to try and coordinate gear ahead of time. When bands show up and there are RF issues it is always a challenge and almost always it's with their gear. Most of the time it's because the bans just have a bunch of wireless gear stacked together with no Antenna distro. If your gonna use a bunch of wireless gear you should always use an antenna distro and coordinate your frequencies.

[@thesoundcouple]

It's a bit hit and miss with the band, but usually it works well. I am guessing the tin roof and walls were messing with the mic. If we would have diagnosed the issue correctly, I am confident we could have cleared it.

[@ilan212]

loved this! pretty cool! what's your opinion on EV? ( Electro-Voice )

[@matejmelichna5144]

I work with EV here in the Czech Republic quite often, so if you are interested in some practical experience, you can read through my comment. For me, these are decent speakers for smaller to medium size gigs. I love their ETX serie, where I had the opportunity to work with the 12" 2 way model (ETX-12P) and the biggest 3-way (ETX-35P) both sound really decent, the 12P sound is a little harsh though (given by the 2-way construction) These speakers have also built in basic DSP which adds about 5ms of latency. The DSP allows to do some EQ, crossover, and delay. So when phase/time aligning this has to be considered. For me, these are quite workhorses and I have done quite a lot of gigs with them. I worked also with ELX series, EKX 18" subwoofers, and the small ZX series. All these speakers have great price-to-performance ratio and that's the reason I like them.

[@thesoundcouple]

EV's headquartered is right here in the Twin Cities, so they are everywhere here in bars, restaurants, etc. I like the fact that they appear to be very dedicated to advancing technology in their products, so we all benefit from that. I am never concerned about using EV products. We used to use a lot of their mics for vocals, but for some reason, we circle back to Shure.

[@SamuelHaywood17]

Are you mixing out of S1 for the performance? If so, what block and buffer sizes? (And average round trip latency?)

[@thesoundcouple]

We are using our MacPro as an audio device for recording and live FX plugins...I am sorry, I don't recall what we have set for our block/buffer size.

[@SamuelHaywood17]

@@thesoundcouple fx plugins, like only reverbs, etc? Or things like dynamic EQ and multiband compression? (stuff you can’t do in a studio live mixer)

[@thesoundcouple]

@@SamuelHaywood17 Just for fx plugins. Have not looked past that, but haven't found the need to. I could only imagine that the possibilities are endless!

[@hendrikgeordinherbst4304]

Wouldnt you rather color code cabling at leaving knots in them will damage the cables?

[@thesoundcouple]

Cables can handle a soft knot. We do color code cables, but sometimes you need to go beyond the lengths you have available.

[@Hyakman5408]

Do bands use their own in-ear monitoring systems, or do you supply them?

[@thesoundcouple]

Most bands, including this one, carry their own and for any band that wants this solution, they should. In some cases we will provide, but this is definitely worked out beforehand.

[@shervinsardari]

I'm sorry if you already explained this somewhere else, but could you tell us what headphone setup you use and if there's any special workflow you use it while mixing?

[@thesoundcouple]

Great question! When we were using a console more often, I used to use headphones a lot to facilitate mixing. Not so much with tablet mixing and you stumbled on a very good observation in that I really think a console would have been a better choice that day. Anyway, we have a Sennheiser RS175 headphones that works ok, but not practical for this event as it would be too much of a distraction to be close to the mixer. Traditionally, I would use the headphones to solo channels though out to identify and potential issues....a strategy again I used to use a lot behind the console.

[@shervinsardari]

@@thesoundcouple Thanks! I recently jumped to the SL 32SC as well. Before that I used a Rackmixer on stage and laid a TRS extension for headphones, but it was never a practical solution. Right now I’m really happy to have direct headphone monitoring (& everything else) directly at the console!

[@TalentLe8159]

You should try to use a matrix processor so you can have it for you middle subs, fills, mains, etc and is useful and the 31st it looks like rain coming for me and I gotta prepare for it oh and lifting those cdl subs up that stage looks hard and maybe you should put all subs in middle and have cdl on poles like the tough crank stands and soon I’m upgrading my subs to 15” and newer 12” tops and the xlrs you use I think you should grab newer cables from Pro snake on Thomann if your xlrs has issues and the processor on thomann too that is the dsp 408 and the announcement drives me crazy a little lol oh and that bass I could feel it with the subwoofers 😅

[@thesoundcouple]

Wow...lots going on! We got the tip on the matrix and will definitely look into it. We are looking into some options for our CDL's....will see what happens. Good luck with your gigs!

[@TalentLe8159]

5 meters is 16 foot and 10 meters is 32 feet and you can get the 3 meter cables for linking the subs or the fills and 15 meter is 49 feet

[@TalentLe8159]

And is on thomann so you have to google that and there is xlr cables which I like is pro snake micro cable and the system processor is dsp206 or if you need something bigger then dsp408

[@JosueFlores-tm4sx]

Hello friends. How do you deal with latency while in Daw mode?

[@thesoundcouple]

In DAW mode, the mixer is a controller so it is not processing sound...latency is not a factor.

[@spewmister]

Just wondering, why did you decide to put the subs on the stage with a stage that high?

[@thesoundcouple]

Primarily for the mains to set on. We used center subs as well that fills it all in.

[@MaerooBand]

Haii.. see you next year 2023 hehehe

[@thesoundcouple]

Thanks! We have plenty more on the way!

[@MarcEverettProductions]

I've had those gigs when hardly anyone paid attention, or was even there. Those tended to be some of my free-est performances.

[@thesoundcouple]

Agreed - some cool things happen when those moments are embraced and remember that we should be having fun regardless.

[@py2low2]

god job

[@thesoundcouple]

Thank you!

[@hendrikusdetuinman8360]

Dang, who played the keyboards.......nice hammond organ on the background.

[@thesoundcouple]

That would be the mythical "Harold".

[@WorshipShed]

Did you sign up for the cereal eating contest at 4pm. Seeing is that you are getting paid, there is no excure to not pay the $15 😅

[@thesoundcouple]

We’ll have to partake in that the next time!🤣

[@dustinthiessen]

man, if you wanna dig deep into sub placements, Dave Rat is working on a series of videos on different sub arrays that is very much worth the watch! listening to that overhead, it sounds like it's high passed to like 1k... is that just how that mic naturally sounds, or have you done that on purpose?

[@thesoundcouple]

Thanks Dustin...yes, will definitely look into the Dave's videos. That is a filter as it was picking up a lot of snare drum, so I was just trying to tame it down a bit.

[@dustinthiessen]

@@thesoundcouple ah gotcha. Personally I love some snare and toms in my overheads. I'd usually just throw some 1176 style compression on the overs to tame the snare a little bit. if you wanna get real into it, sidechain the overhead compressor from the snare top mic to get super precise

[@thesoundcouple]

@@dustinthiessen I need to look into sidechaining more...I am sure this would all help with live and studio mixing. Experimentation is another great benefit of the multi-track recordings...just not enough hours in a day!

[@dustinthiessen]

@@thesoundcouple absolutely! Virtual soundcheck is invaluable. When you were mixing in post with the presonus, is your desk literally just controlling the DAW at that point, or is audio actually being processed in the desk?

[@thesoundcouple]

@@dustinthiessen I have done it both ways. For the video, it was just in DAW mode.

[@Rangsa21]

How many subs did you use and is that 18"?

[@thesoundcouple]

For this gig, I believe we used a total of 7 18" subs (3 under the stage)

[@XIIMonkeysMusicGroup]

I run 500 Mhz band for my wireless mics, and 900 Mhz band for IEM

[@mj65791]

I realize this is 11 months past but your subs Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi extender if they are 2.4 ghz and if the band’s wireless mic and in ears are 2.4ghz too then your stuff was probably over powering their stuff. I have a cheap in ear that uses 2.4ghz it is so robust that it will knock out other 2.4 wifi systems.

[@thesoundcouple]

We have experienced this with 2.4...that wasn't the case here. But you got me thinking...musicians buy this stuff...typically because it's cheap, but then it's either your fault or responsibility to fix it when there are issues. We try to stay out of it and another reason why we like to provide the gear...then we are responsible to make sure it all works together.