Matlock - The art of the soundcheck

Published by M. Erik Matlock at Smashwords

Copyright 2013 M. Erik Matlock

Artofthesoundcheck.com

erikmatlock.com

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoymentonly. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people.If you would like to share this book with another person, pleasepurchase an additional copy for each recipient. If youre readingthis book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for youruse only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchaseyour own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of thisauthor.

This book has been on my mind for years. Eventried to write it a few times, never got very far. My recentpartnership with Pro Sound Web has forced my hand. Apparently,there is a legitimate need for it.

The hardest part about writing this is thefact that I am technically retired now. All this information willbe assembled from notes and memory. I am notoriously weak in thememory department. Hopefully I have good notes.

What you have here is a basic handbook ofstuff I wish I had learned in my early years.

I had the honor of mentoring several youngguys into the business over the years. Some of them have gone on tobecome very successful in this world. After reconnecting with one,I realized that there were a lot of things I never explained tohim. The blog was born from that meeting.

This book is a collection of some of the blogarticles, but expanded to cover much more details. It also includesplenty of stories and applications that I have not yet covered inmy blog.

This isn't a technical manual. It's just realworld applications for the up and coming tech.

There are a few people we need to thank forhelping this book come to life.

My wife, Geri. Who has continuously helped mebecome a better man.

Our kids. Nicole, Paizley, Naomi andGarrison. They all missed out on a lot while I learned all thisstuff.

My dad and step mother, Glenn and ReneMatlock. Who enabled us to survive the hardest years.

Larry Howard, who opened more doors for methan anyone in the business.

Pastors Steve Sawyer and Tim Fountain, whorefused to accept excuses.

Buddy Lovell, who taught me how to actuallymake a living at this.

Keith Clark, from prosoundweb.com , who gaveme the audience to present this.

So. Without further ado.... The Art of theSoundcheck.

I will publicly declare the soundcheck to bethe most important part of any gig. Why? Because if everything hereis done right, the show will always go on.

What is involved in the perfectsoundcheck?

Essentially, the soundcheck is preparationfor the perfect show.

It doesn't matter if you are front of housefor the largest tour in the world or babysitting a four channelmixer in a twenty seat church, it has to happen.

As I trained other techs over the years, Ihad a simple, but obnoxious, statement they all heard.

If you aren't willing to put in the effort toprepare for your audience, don't act surprised when things gowrong.

I will do my best to cover the most importantstuff. Obviously can't hit it all. But, I learned a lot the hardway and should be able to make life substantially easier foryou.

This book will present a mix of technicaltraining with real world experience. If you want pure tech, Isuggest you find another book. There are plenty.

I recommend Yamaha's Handbook of SoundReinforcement, available on my website.

If you want war stories and hard earnedwisdom from a knucklehead who fumbled his way through almost twentyyears in various types of tech, this is the one you want.

My background? Sure. Glad you asked.

I started this as a training guide for soundguys ( audio techs for the politically correct out there ) severalyears ago. It came from maybe a hundred training sessions withchurch sound guys.

I designed and installed a lot of soundsystems. Installed my first PA system in 1992, my last in 2010.Spent almost 12 years of that time on the road as a hired gun.Mixing and working for different people every day.

Learned a lot during those years.

Also graduated from the Conservatory ofRecording Arts and Sciences in January of 1998. The same month weformerly opened Soundmind," my production company. We operated ituntil the end of 2010. It became one of the necessary sacrifices tosave the family. Part of my journey to becoming a better man.

That's a whole different story. ( see www.erikmatlock.com to read itall )

My resume is ridiculous.

Literally born into the world of music. Mydad was in a hard rock band from Atlanta when I was born. Theypracticed in our house. My baby crib was in the room next to therehearsal room, so my lullabies were distorted guitars and livedrums. The music that put me to sleep at night was regularly around115db.

Our family nights out involved late nightgigs where I would occasionally wander off. I was once foundwandering downtown Atlanta around midnight when I was two.Really.

The parenting skills improved dramaticallyafter that. My dad even gave up a solid band and promising careerbecause of me. Even opening for Atlanta Rhythm Section in the earlyseventies. He didn't want me getting caught up in that world. So,he gave up the band and did his best to be a family man.

I think I can define irony with this.

Thirty or so years later, I am hired to mixthe main stage at a motorcycle rally. Guess who was the headliner.ARS. I am actually snickering while I set the stage for them. Whenthey finally asked what was wrong with me, I told them. One of theoriginal members knew my dad and remembered him. Irony.

Over the years, I played in a few bad garagebands. Wired up a lot of bad home and car stereo systems. Made alot of noise. Didn't get to work on a real PA system until I wastwenty two. Then I made things REALLY loud. I liked it.

A few years later I am a volunteer forHarvest Cathedral, a fairly large church in Georgia. I figured thatI would be a lot more valuable with some professional training, soI went to school. After that, I was all in. Ended up as the MediaDirector for four years. Even got a regular check. ( harvestcathedral.com )

Managed a crew of volunteers as a staffmember, and continued as volunteer, for over ten years. Performedall system maintenance and upgrades. Coordinated dozens of largeconcerts and events in their sanctuary. Again, plenty of stuff frommy time here in this book.

Worked closely with Larry Howard ( larryhoward.com ) forabout fifteen years. We setup several recording studios. Recordedalbums inside Angola and Broad River Correctional facilities. I gotmy first road time with Larry. He has been a traveling musician hiswhole life. He taught me most of the foundational stuff.

Travelled with the Starting Line program fromChuck Colson's Prison Fellowship from 1998 through 2003.( Prisonfellowship.org )We estimate I setup sound systems for shows in 350 differentprisons over that five year stretch. I also worked fundraisers andrecording sessions for them.

Wrote and produced one large stage productionin 2002. A full Christmas show for an audience of around 1500people. I wrote all the scripts for a variety show format. Alsowrote, shot and edited almost a dozen videos for set changetransitions. In the end it was a very successful show that taughtme some important lessons.

The main lesson. Never attempt to write, mix,act, edit and direct the same production.

The show ran like clockwork until the finale;which I screwed up. Too much for one person. Even an adrenalinejunkie, control freak like me.

Produced an independent film with SouthernGirl Productions, titled Georgiana. It's still available onyoutube, last time I looked. Originally brought in to assist withsound for the lowest budget film ever. Literally, less than athousand dollars to complete. Ended up as cameraman and the filmeditor. Not perfection, but a good film. Ended up learningvideography and film editing during that time. Don't judge that onetoo harshly, if you see it. Like I said. It was my first shot atfull film production.