Here are some interesting videos related to PA and sound reinforcement systems. Wikipedia defines that a public address system (PA system) is an electronic system comprising microphones, amplifiers, loudspeakers, and related equipment. It increases the apparent volume (loudness) of a human voice, musical instrument, or other acoustic sound source or recorded sound or music. The term, sound reinforcement system generally means a PA system specifically for live music or performance. A sound reinforcement system for a rock concert or other large event in a stadium may be very complex.
A brief history of live sound reinforcement
Stage Left Audio – Event Video 11
Dave Rat about his sound engineering for the Red Hot Chili Peppers live tour 2016
LIVE SOUND SUBS SUBWOOFER PLACEMENT & CONFIGURATION: LR, Center, Cardioid, End Fire (Pt1)
Look inside D&B, L’Acoustics and MicroWedge Monitors
DJ Sub and Speaker Placement For Dummies
Cardioid Subwoofers and Nexo Technology Part 1
Time Lapse of a Large PA Audio Sound System Setup for Rock & Roll
#38 – Arena line array system walk-through
How to Set Up a Simple PA System
Sound System Tuning Step-by-Step using TRACT and Smaart
Audio 101- How to do a pro sound check.
979 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
For all the techs wining about DJs who play all the way in the reds..
Pioneer just released this mixer with the stagehand app. Take control of the DJ.
https://youtu.be/05AgTCmWDt8
Tomi Engdahl says:
Bassnectar 360 Subwoofer Sound Design
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKjaGkZ8hSQ
Lets take a look at optimizing a 360 Degree Arena Cardioid Subwoofer Coverage with a focus on extreme cancellation venue center.
00:00 Intro and description
02:15 Soundvision prediction 5 subs forward facing
04:22 40 sub ring
06:05 5 subs with 3 rear subs with no delay
06:54 5 subs with 3 rear subs end-fire
08:45 5 subs with 3 rear subs cardioid
10:08 Adding in full ring in cardioid
13:03 Magnitude of cancellation and real world
13:57 Temperature make a difference
15:59 Dealing with real time adjustment of cancellation
17:50 Photos of show
20:49 Outro
Tomi Engdahl says:
Design End-fire or Cardioid Sub Array in 5 Easy Steps!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GidcrZyJT0
Here is a quick video on how to tune and place subs for an end-fire or cardioid array
This includes all the math you need to create an effective directional sub array with as few as two subs
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.pro-tools-expert.com/production-expert-1/why-i-use-two-daws-in-my-audio-production
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.musicradar.com/news/ariana-grande-pro-tools-vocal-comping
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.soundi.fi/uutiset/perinpohjainen-katsaus-petri-wallin-kitarasoundin-saloihin-tama-klinikka-on-pakollista-nahtavaa-kingston-wallin-ystaville/#Echobox=1677229234
Tomi Engdahl says:
You Are Ruining Your Audio! – How to EQ voice properly
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwxWRkFGE_k
The V-curve is a popular way of EQing voice. But in many cases this curve simply does not work as each microphone, voice and recording situation is different. In this video I will show you some tips and tricks on how to properly EQ voice.
00:00 The V-curve problem
02:53 How to EQ voices
08:41 Verdict
Tomi Engdahl says:
5 System Tuning Mistakes Worth Avoiding
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu-_0rc0WRE
We’ll cover:
- The biggest step everyone skips
- How to not screw up your mains to sub crossover from the start
- Where I place my microphones for line array tuning
00:00 – Intro
00:39 – Skipping Verification
04:24 – Mindless Mic Placement
09:31 – Parametric Pulverization
13:02 – Doubling Up Crossover Processing
15:37 – Toolset Unfamiliarity
18:52 – Recap
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.dpamicrophones.com/mic-university/the-audio-consequences-of-using-wind-rain-and-virus-protection-on-microphones
Tomi Engdahl says:
I2S MEMS Microphone for Raspberry Pi (INMP441)
https://makersportal.com/shop/i2s-mems-microphone-for-raspberry-pi-inmp441
Tomi Engdahl says:
Kick Snare Bass Subgroup Compression & EFX Demo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_r7DERMyjk
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sound System Signal Flow Evolution
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRi-6fg85Go
Lets look at the evolution of basic signal flow in sound systems and the advantages of bi-amplification and separate sub sends
00:00 Introduction
00:13 Passive Crossover
00:52 Active Crossover
02:02 Adding Subwoofer
03:40 Mixing Instruments
05:19 Separate Subwoofer Send
07:31 Outro and Up Next
Tomi Engdahl says:
Aux Fed Subs Are Better – Because of How Mics Work
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpFK1XOZuUg&t=1s
I explain and demo the issues with subwoofers connected to the left right outputs and show why controlling what inputs are sent to the subs is preferable, due to microphone limitations.
00:00 Introduction
01:12 Mics are flawed
03:20 Diaphragm mass
06:25 Mics add unrealistic low end
07:56 Demo of subs aux vs subs to L/R
11:31 Dont send inputs to subs that dont need subs
13:18 Outro
Tomi Engdahl says:
No One Cares About Your Audio Gear – Diminishing Returns on Microphones
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7-tnf0j0vs
Today I share my thoughts on diminishing returns and microphones, where the threshold his for dynamic mics and condenser mics, and what you might be getting for the higher price point.
00:00 – Intro
00:35 – Category 1: Dynamic Microphones
04:33 – Diminishing Returns on Dynamic Microphones
07:03 – Category B: Condenser Microphones
10:14 – Diminishing Returns on Condenser Microphoens
12:19 – Summary
15:04 – Conclusion
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mixing Live vs Audiophile Home Hi-Fi vs Dinner
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lnh9eo—4o
The video “Mixing Food and Audio” presents an analogy between sound and cooking, demonstrating how the mixing of food and audio can be similar. The creator uses kitchen ingredients to represent musical instruments, blending different sounds to create a complete rhythm section. The video also explains the process of mixing music with bass and guitar to get a stereo mix and how in a live mix, things can be readjusted easily, but when producing a final recording, the mix can not be altered in the same ways. The speaker suggests that it would be better to send different instruments separately to the listener rather than mixed together, creating a more realistic and immersive experience.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Metering & Clipping – Behringer X32 vs Allen & Heath QU16 (Public)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NctemYCNO9g
Lets look at the differences in the way input and output signal levels and clipping is displayed on a Behringer X32 vs an Allen and Heath QU16
00:00 Intro
00:40 Differing ways of presenting information
03:24 Setup description
04:35 X32 input meter vs audible clip
06:32 X32 M32 clip vs sound
07:11 QU16 input meter vs audible clip
09:18 QU15 output meter vs audible clip
10:04 X32 output meter vs audible clip
10:16 Summary of X32 vs QU16 metering vs audible clip
13:34 Visual representations and the impact on mixing
14:41 Outro
Tomi Engdahl says:
Digital Console Noise & Clip Behringer X32 vs Allen & Heath QU16 (Public)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32NpliojUbg
Tomi Engdahl says:
Midas M32 Vs Behringer X32 Sonic Differences (Public)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKfhsPhZPmM
Null and noise tests on the Behringer X32 vs Midas M32 with pink noise and music.
Which Sounds Better Midas M32 vs Behringer X32 vs Copper Wire
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYsWJhUtwlk
No matter how great digital audio is, a short copper wire blows it away for pure transmission of wide frequency response, low noise, reduced latency and pretty much every spec we can measure. The question is whether those differences are relevant.
Lets do some tests and take a look.
00:00 Intro
00:35 Digital vs analog
01:37 The setup
02:05 Inexpensive digital vs analog
02:36 Sine wave direct vs Xenyx
03:45 Sine wave X32 and latency
04:29 M32 sine wave and latency
04:45 100hz square wave direct
05:18 100hz square wave xenyx
05:50 X32 and M32 100hz square wave
06:16 Compare the 4 square waves
07:43 M32 vs X32 latency
08:52 Nyquist freq M32 vs X32
10:00 Upper freq limits of X32, M32, and Xenyx
11:20 20K square wave all three consoles
12:25 Digital is not a piece of wire
14:12 Relevance, swimming and perception
16:30 Outro
Tomi Engdahl says:
Behringer X32 VS Yamaha TF-5: Overview, Layouts, Tests
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWQFbmPlpN0
Let’s talk about Behringer X32 VS Yamaha TF-5 digital mixers. What are the differences between the consoles? Should you buy one over the other?
This video will help you make the ultimate decision.
0:00 – What we are dealing with
0:50 – Introduction to Behringer X32
1:30 – Introduction to Yamaha TF-5
2:30 – Which console to buy
3:09 – Layout of Behringer X32
3:48 – Recalling Mumford & Sons preset
5:43 – Setting up a custom preset on Behringer X32
9:08 – Impressions of Behringer X32
11:23 – Layout of Yamaha TF-5
11:52 – Setting up a custom preset on Yamaha TF-5
14:21 – Features of Yamaha TF-5
15:02 – Key takeaways
Tomi Engdahl says:
Behringer X32 – Soundboard Training – Greenridge Baptist Church
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qii6khMr9TU
0:00 Introduction
0:40 Channels and Pages
2:07 Faders and Mains
3:21 Select, Solo, and Mute
4:55 Gain
8:45 DCAs
13:06 Adjusting Monitors
18:28 EQs
21:41 Routing and P16
25:56 Scribble Strip
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to use a Behringer X32 Mixe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Reutqh5siLQ
Tomi Engdahl says:
Digital Console Noise & Clip Behringer X32 vs Allen & Heath QU16 (Public)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32NpliojUbg
Noise floor and preamp differentials between A&H QU16 and Behringer X32
00:00 Intro – Know your gear
03:18 Pre amp gains and differences
04:07 Comparing output noise with gains at minimum – muted
05:23 Muted vs unmuted outputs
05:45 Muted vs unmuted inputs
06:23 Adding gain noise
07:12 Noise at +10 gain
07:27 Noise at +40 gain
08:08 Measurement vs actual sound differences
09:35 Noise at +60
10:19 Non audible noise vs scope vs buzz
11:32 Input clipping but no clip light
14:30 Impacting paralleled inputs
15:22 Summary outro
Tomi Engdahl says:
Don’t do this on the X32 | One Production-Killing FLAW
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJKKSNaudXs
I recently stopped my production in the middle of a live event due to this ONE FLAW on the X32. I am a huge proponent of recording multitracks from rehearsals or live events to have for later review and practice. As you watch this video, keep in mind that even professionals make mistakes. Learn from my errors and get better along the way.
Tomi Engdahl says:
X32 / M32 Overview | The Basics of This Sound Console
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ua8RaR6ZwIY
I want to slow down and take a step back from all of the crazy, in-depth streaming videos and cover the basics of this console. Many of you will find this information “entry level”, but a lot of people are just stepping into this console platform and understanding the basics is where I always begin… after helping people create a mix, but that’s for another video.
This obviously applies to both the Behringer X32 and the Midas M32 consoles since they are built on the same foundation. Walk along with me as we dive into this overview video.
Tomi Engdahl says:
X32/M32 how to: Matrix (send bus to matrix , route matrix to output, eq filters on matrix…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54UhtUEgw70
X32/M32: how to use Buses & Sub Groups (pre fader, post fader, pre eq, post eq…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrpglxk9IZE
X32/M32: Subs on AUX (Mono/Center Bus)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWSFbOk22YY
“Aux-Fed Subwoofer” Technique on X32
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHNzXSGrE7Y
Using Pink Noise and the Built-In RTA to Ring Out Your Room
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kez1LIHbevY
05 ringing out a microphone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWpMeCTUSew
06 voice compression
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKDSiyMmYuY
Tomi Engdahl says:
07 laptop audio thru a DI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BnOaEVnsk8
Tomi Engdahl says:
Parallell Buss Processing M32/X32
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxbTZmOcN_A
Parallel Compression for Vocals? Beware of the Science! | MxU NOW
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08FOmjIoanE
FX I Like to Use on M32/X32
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLzZ41D9kiI
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.gearnews.com/yamaha-dm3-digital-mixer-the-dante-equipped-x32-killer/
Tomi Engdahl says:
SPACES: Inside the Tiny Bedroom Where FINNEAS and Billie Eilish Are Redefining Pop Music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBJ914ha6LQ
The second episode of SPACES follows FINNEAS through the humble family abode where he and his sister Billie Eilish have written and produced all of their music so far.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Vocal production for Billie Eilish by Finneas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y6aFCS8evg
A sneak peek from Finneas’ ‘Inside The Track” series in which he shares some of the vocal production secrets behind Billie Eilish’s single “Therefore I Am”
We’re thrilled to release our first video series with the multiple Grammy-winning artist, songwriter and producer, Finneas O’Connell! This instalment focuses on the creation of ‘Therefore I Am’ – the 2020 single by his superstar sister, Billie Eilish. Finneas uncovers how he co-wrote the song, recorded Billie’s vocals, produced the record and prepared the stems for mixing by Rob Kinelski. With the multi-track production session open in Logic Pro, he revisits the process of programming drum grooves, layering percussion, forming bass lines and creatively mangling samples. He explains his workflow in detail, such as his philosophy of mixing as he produces, capturing impulsive vocal harmonies and creating a rough master for reference. Furthermore, O’Connell reveals his revered vocal chains and elaborates on the duo’s unique chemistry and workflow!
Tomi Engdahl says:
Paul Epworth opens up the session for Adele’s “Rolling In The Deep”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WMVIlxNd18
A sneak peek from Paul Epworth’s “Inside The Track” series in which he shows us his session of Adele’s song “Rolling In The Deep”
Join us at Church Studios for a series with the highly influential producer and songwriter Paul Epworth! This series uncovers the creative process behind Adele’s 2010 hit single ‘Rolling in the Deep’. Epworth describes how a vocal “riff” by Adele led to the pair’s collaborative songwriting journey. He walks through the demo session in Logic Pro, which contains the original lead vocal, acoustic guitar, bass, drums and percussion tracks. He then opens the final tracking session in Pro Tools at Eastcote Studios and elaborates further on the recording and production techniques employed.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wow … great speaker cabinet design ! – Professional dual speaker box
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8o17VheEETU
Tomi Engdahl says:
Yamaha s4115 PA Speaker Restoration
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w09iKP6zPY8
Checking out some huge 70′s speakers that had had been used as workout equipment and showing the process of getting the system going for my friends kickboxing gym
00:00 Intro
01:33 Overview
02:36 What equipment they had on hand
03:28 Open first cabinet
04:53 Sound test each cabinet
06:33 Open second cabinet
07:38 Sound test with Altech driver
10:11 Disassembly of horns
12:06 New compression drivers
13:26 System setup
13:50 Sound test / Results
17:30 Final thoughts
Tomi Engdahl says:
Start a For Hire Recording Studio in 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byxF0Aupm5k
So are you considering the idea of opening a For-Hire Recording Studio in your local area? Maybe you are just curious about some of the history and things to consider before making such a big commitment both financially and with your time? Regardless of your interest, I try to discuss the things I think people should consider when pursuing this avenue.
This video is about 25 minutes and for anyone to get something from it, you really have to watch all the way through to understand the complete perspective.
Tomi Engdahl says:
OPENING A RECORDING STUDIO: HOW TO PRICE YOURSELF AND GET YOUR CLIENT TO PAY!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtSwb8Q1THg
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mic Preamps – Do They Make a Difference
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhH95VuEiLc
Tomi Engdahl says:
FOH Engineer Getting A Music Venue Ready For Soundcheck (POV)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYWbfZC-Q4M
I walk you through my setup procedure for a show at a music venue from arrival to final checks before bands set up on stage.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to Set Up the Behringer X32 or Midas M32 Mixing Console and Stagebox for Worship | Online Course
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=em9Mc3ZWbOY
Tomi Engdahl says:
Crucial Advice for Amazing Soundchecks in Small Clubs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUPIJbBnzk8
Episode #3. After ten years mixing at one of America’s most beloved and well respected live music venues I’m sharing my time-tested, no nonsense methods for fast, efficient, awesome sound-checks. When you’re mixing in small venues where you’ll be mixing both monitors and front-of-house this is good stuff to know to keep things moving quickly while maximizing results and making the performers very happy.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Faders at Zero vs. Mixing With Faders Explained | Input Gain Settings for Different Mix Techniques
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNhfAd7u-uI
There are two major approaches to mixing live sound: one is mixing by setting all channel input gains to unity level and adjusting levels with faders, the other is setting faders at zero and adjusting levels with input gains. In the video I mix drums with both approaches, showing you the workflow and discussing pros and cons of each technique.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Worship Band Workshop – Soundcheck | Paul Baloche
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCqglqUrHWI
How do you conduct an effective and efficient soundcheck? What instrument to start with and what is the right order? How should the band communicate with the sound technician? What is most important for you to hear in your monitors as leaders, musicians and singers. Watch the band demonstrate HOW to conduct a strong soundcheck, and hear them comment on each instruments. How strong sound checks affect the spiritual aspects of leading.
Worship Band Workshop – Bass, Electric Guitar and Vocals | Paul Baloche
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob3yBb_F9R8
What is essential for the bass player? Paul’s Producer and bass player Michael Rossback shares his thoughts on how to support the song and how you can ‘serve the moment’ well. Ben Gowell, Paul’s electric guitar player, will also give you his perspective and what to add to serve and support the song. Listen to what the electric guitar adds and learn how to think in sections. Shannon Wexelberg and Paul will also share some thoughts but from vocalists’ perspective and how to build the song dynamic as singers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
ULTIMATE $100,000 Home Studio Tour 2023!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEL-W8ROV28
KARRA’s $100,000 Home Studio Tour 2023! KARRA walks you through her music and video production home studio set up. Learn about KARRA’s vocal chain, acoustic treatments, studio furniture, content creation, and workflow tips!
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to Easily Build a Pro Home Studio Setup for Recording
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhUYF_0qyXE
Using a Video Switcher for Remote Recording in Riverside
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VaGdfQP-u0
Tomi Engdahl says:
Best Podcasting Setups (1,2,3,4+ People)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1np3pFW8mU4
8 Bad Podcast Mistakes to Avoid & What to Do Instead
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tf747H4JVng
Tomi Engdahl says:
EPIC HOME STUDIO Setup 2022 | Butch Walker (studio tour)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NalbHiZyVzc
Tomi Engdahl says:
Why Music Festivals Sound Better Than Ever | WIRED
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8c-gD4mwI8A&feature=youtu.be
Did you know that a simple speaker completely transformed modern music festivals? A vertical line array is a loudspeaker system that stacks speakers on top of each other so that sound is more evenly distributed on a horizontal plane. To learn more about line array, WIRED spoke with sound engineer Dave Rat. Dave, who has provided audio for Coachella since 2001, breaks down exactly how these speakers work, and why modern music festivals sound so much better than they used to.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Design of the new L-acoustics L2 System with Christophe
https://www.epanorama.net/newepa/2023/04/01/cyber-security-news-april-2023/
Chatting with Christophe who heads up the design of the L-Acoustics L-2 system.
Tomi Engdahl says:
L-ACOUSTICS KEYNOTE 2023 | Hollywood Bowl
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PtT1EeuH60
Watch our 2023 Keynote from the world-famous Hollywood Bowl below and discover a new era for live sound ushered in by L Series and L-ISA 3.0.
INTRO – 00:00
Welcome – 02:03
L Series- 05:16
L Series: The Line – 07:28
L Series: The Shape – 11:25
L Series: The Processing – 14:07
L Series: The Control – 16:34
L Series: The Deployment – 20:02
L Series: The Power – 22:13
L Series: The Specs – 24:01
L Series: The Efficiency – 27:26
L Series: The Future – 30:07
L-ISA 3.0 – 36:10
L-ISA 3.0: The Format (Stereo Mapper) – 36:28
L-ISA 3.0: The Workflow (Snapshot Engine) – 40:31
L-ISA 3.0: The Expansion (MixHalo) – 44:09
L-ISA 3.0: FX Engine – 51:18
Tomi Engdahl says:
Manufacturing of a Jean Maurer loudspeaker
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FH3mmRLjKxU
Discover the different steps in the manufacturing of an exceptional loudspeaker. In this video, we present the realization of the boxes, the assembly of the loudspeakers, the manufacture of our passive filters and obviously, the final assembly of our products. All this know-how is the combination of passion and time: Since 1971 we have been striving to produce, in our workshops, the best that can be done in the field of music reproduction…
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cat5e vs Audio Snake, Hear Signal Loss of 100 meter cables
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZqoA12Qjr8
I came up with a really cool test to easily and clearly hear the actual loss in signal cables using simple and relatively inexpensive gear.
the test setup allows you to hear the actual loss in the cables. So louder is more loss and brighter is more HF loss which means the cable is dulling the sound
00:00 Intro
01:10 Setup description
05:15 Pink noise hear loss in audio snake vs Cat5e
06:17 Results and cable info
07:30 Pink noise hear loss in audio snake vs Cat7
08:48 Summary and future tests
Analogue Audio over Cat5!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjN_zmG9-6Y
In these days of digital sound and digital stage boxes using analogue audio stage boxes might seem a thing of the past. In this video I will show you what an analogue stage box looks like in a digital world. These audio cat snakes are really interesting products and well worth a look.
0:00 – Intro
0:45 – Analogue audio over Cat5
1:36 – Can you send audio over data cables?
3:33 – Share your thoughts on the Cat Snakes
4:50 – Where to use a Cat Snake in church tech situations
8:08 – How do analogue audio cat snakes work?
8:55 – How many analogue audio signals can you send over cat5?
10:25 – How do you connect the audio cat snakes?
14:18 – Do analogue cat snakes work on a network?
15:03 – Thomann The SSSnake cat snake stage box