Sound Advice

As we wind down and do the wash-up from the Whare Flat Folk Festival, thinking about ways we can improve aspects of how we run the event, I often wonder how many performers and artists think about how they can improve their game.

My main role is as sound engineer, one of three or four that do the entire festival. It can be quite tiring because, unlike other gigs, you're doing everything on the fly. Especially in the evening concerts, you never know who is going to step up and with what ("Two mics on the drones please and the hurdy-gurdy pick-up needs a pre-amp,") or with whom ("and joining me onstage is the festival choir..."). First priority is just to get everything going so the performance can get underway - no luxury of soundchecks, so it's particularly helpful if the performer produces a bit of signal from their instrument, confirm that it's going then leave it alone while we do the next one. When musicians are alert to this it's amazing how quickly we can get the perfomance underway and start tending to the niceties of tone and timbre.

Good performers make this process easy and painless. I say 'good' performers recognising that there are fantastic musicians who can be completely unhelpful, albeit unwittingly. Here are some things that we soundmen and stage managers really like:

• Say to the audience, "How's it sounding out there?" This is extraordinarily helpful to the engineer because we can take a vote to see if we're doing a good job and maybe get some advice from the audience as to what we're doing wrong.
• Ask the audience, "Have we got time for a couple more?" No one's more aware of festival time constraints than the audience and after all they're enjoying you more than they could possibly enjoy the next act. Or you could wear a watch.
• Just bring your instrument. Rest assured we'll have a full range of leads, guitar straps, pre-amps, spare strings and a tuner backstage. Anything else we can help you with?
• Insist on the very best condenser mic for your thumb-piano, we want it to sound good. You'll know there's enough of it in the monitor when your ears are bleeding from the feedback.
• Just because the soundman is mixing from in front of the speakers doesn't mean that your suspicion that your vocals are too loud is incorrect. In this case just stand back from the mic. About a meter and a half is good.
• In the rare event that you get a sound check, use it to your full advantage, be as entertaining as possible and take the opportunity to rehearse a few numbers you're unsure of.
• Always mention how hot it is under "all these lights" and that that's the reason your instrument is always out of tune. Say, "It was in tune when I bought it!" We love that one.
• When thanking the organisers of the festival for having you, don't forget to say, "Shame about the weather." This is a useful reminder to us to not be so slack about it next year.

Fortunately none of our guests are anything but cooperative and generous and this is the case New Zealand wide in my experience. It hasn't always been the case. I learned very early in my music career 1) it isn't all about me, 2) the festival organisers are working hard to keep it all running smoothly and aren't out to frustrate me, and 3) the soundman is my friend.