SOUND REINFORCEMENT

SOUND SYSTEM COMPONENTS

Getting deeper into system components, I can assume you now have an idea of what it consists. We start with input components mostly the microphones, guitars, keyboards drums e.t.c. Starting with the most common being the microphone, I call it MIC. They are classified depending on their pickup patterns. In reinforcement we mostly used dynamic or condenser mics. Mics in sound reinforcement or usually positioned depending on how we intend to use them. By this I mean, a mic user can decided to move along the podium and thus requires a headset mount or tie clip mounted mic. Magnetic pickups are mics used for guitars, piano, record players or any string instrument.  After the sound energy is received by a mic and turned to electrical energy, it is then put into a mixer for mixing sound from different sources.

THE MIXER

In sound reinforcement a mixer is the most important equipment. Sound engineers, we call it a console. Having sound sources from vocals, drums, guitars and other instruments. The consoles combine them into mix. The sound engineer adds or removes effects, equalizes the sound to sound the way he feel appropriate. In a single reinforcement system, one can have more than one consoles depending on the use. You can have front of the house (we call it FOH) console, monitor console or even stage fill-in console. An engineer places the console where they can hear the required sound better. For example FOH will be placed in the centre of the audience so that he can hear what the crowd hears. After the mixing is done, the sound is processed for greater precision. This is where the signal processors come in.

THE PROCESSORS

Processors are very important equipments in today’s P.A REQUIREMENTS. Starting with the very basic of them, I will explain what they do the total output signal.

Equalizers: They come in to major forms that are graphic or parametric. Some are included in the console and some come as stand along units. In this article we refer to stand along units because the others are less professional for use with sound reinforcements. Parametric units have round knots to vary the frequencies and graphic uses faders and are the most preferred in live sound reinforcement.

Compressors: This is a component used to monitor signal gains. If the gains is increased above set limits, the compressor reduces the signal gain by approximately the same amount of gain and these is main for preventing some sound components like speakers from being damaged. Some compressors also include limiters, when it have compression ratio of infinity:1, it also works as a limiter. Compressors are also used to enhance instruments sound like the drums to sound punchy or hard like the rock drums.

GATES. In some cases where some sound is not necessary, its gated or muted from the output signal. For example in a drum set with several mics or a podium mic where the speaker is scrolling pages of papers, that paper sound is not needed by the audience and is gated not to go the amplifiers. In the drum set the kick drum requires that punchy sound but it is surrounded by other mics snare, toms, and clash. The gate will only open the gate for the signal that is above certain level say 3db and gate or closed the sound that is above 3 db. Any level below 3 db is noise. That is why this unit is called noise gate.

Effects or FX. They include reverbs, delay, flanger, chorus and many others. FXs creates some wetness or live in the audio produced. Amount of effects used depends on the engineer and the way the sound is being presented.

SOUND REINFORCEMENT

Sound reinforcement system

Talking of sound reinforcement, we are talking of a large sound system with the ability to throw sound energy long distance with the highest decibel limit possible.

To produce sound you need a combination of equipments which includes but not limited to the following:

1. Microphones
2. Signal processors
3. Amplifiers
4. Loudspeakers
5. And other accessories like connectors and cables.

These equipments makes live or any sound source louder and stronger to reach larger and audience far from the source. They are also used to clarify and enhance the sound from different sources. The better the reinforcement system, the better the sound production. The sound reinforcement system can vary from a single speaker  and an amplifier or a complex system with loads of amplifiers, signal processors, and speakers, but all serve the same purpose of reinforcing sound to reach a wider  audience. But to call it a public address system(Pas) or sound reinforcement system depends on the perception of the sound engineers. Some will disagree and others will call any sound system a reinforcement system. To some, any system used inside a medium hall is a PA System and that is used in arenas and stadiums is a sound reinforcement system (SRS)and in almost all cases for live events.

Sound flows in the flowing path in a good reinforcement system. 1. Input instruments such as microphones for converting sound energy into electric energy to flow in the electronics in the equipments. 2. The signal processors like equalizers and mixers which mixes different sound source and modify them sound pleasant and decent. 3. Amplifiers which amplifies or adds power the electric energy without altering its quality. 4. Loudspeakers which return the electric energy back to sound energy.

Basically the sound from the source that’s the microphone is routed through a signal cable to a mixer. Inside the mixer it can be equalized, compressed or panned. After this it can be grouped into several groups such a microphone group or drums group for easier management before it is routed to the mixer output bus. Grouping allows a particular group of signals to be reduced or increased by adjusting just a single fader( fader: just call it a vol controller). This kind of mixer with all this features and big enough to handle several tens of inputs is called a console. After all these signals are processed in the consoles, they can be sent to other areas like effects processors also called FX.

And routed to the stereo master output of the

console for further processing or amplification.

Depending on the system size, signal from the master output of the consoles can then be patched or routed to the Eqs ( EQs are basically of two types, parametric found in mixing consoles and graphic used for the output signal to the main or monitor speakers) or directly to the amplifiers. In a small PA it is directed to an Eq, to the amplifier and to the loudspeakers. In big system signal is directed to EQ, crossover which separates different frequencies that are amplified by several amplifiers each amplifying a unique frequency. Crossover output is low, mid and high frequencies which are sent to low mid and high amplifiers and speakers. Sub woofer handles low freq, mid, high and some low freq handled by fullrange speakers.

These days we have digital processors which are used as standalone units.  For example the sound management system which has almost every processor used in the sound in build. Next time lets talk about each equipment in details.

Give comments and suggest and i will appreciate your effort.

DJ EQUIPMENTS

In Africa music is part of our celebrations, unfortunately getting the right equipments, market and profit in the industry is a tough job. Equipments are very expensive and also very hard to get a genuine equipment. Here in Kenya i feel i have the right experience and knowledge to assist upcoming and well known DJs purchase and budget the right equipments for the African market. I have been a DJ and sound adviser for quite a long time enough to know what is crucial and what is not.

To start with, you start thinking what kind of DJ you want to be. Club DJ, mobile DJ or sound reinforcement service provider.

English: Professional Dj Player Pioneer CDJ 2000 Italiano: Lettore cd per Dj professionale della Pioneer, modello CDJ 2000 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Starting with

1. club DJ, you need a good and professional mixer or a good DJ controller. What is a good mixer? It is a mixer or a controller that is easily compatible to the club sound reinforcement system, have all the necessary inputs and outputs like mike in, record out, master out and other auxiliary inputs to engage the clubs pa with the audio video equipments and TV signals in the club. Also consider prize, durability and mobility from one club to the other. I have a wide knowledge of DJ equipments and i can at least anything about DJ equipments in East Africa. After making sure that your mixer or controller is good to go, think of having a good headphone and a microphone set. In a club you need a strong wireless mike and a professional over the ear headphone.
   

   yes! My phattest gig to date! (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2. Mobile DJ in Africa.Here you need dig your pocket deeper. You will need to have every thing from controllers to speakers. An African i.e. Kenyan mobile DJ should have all the equipments need to produce good sound from the stunning pioneer decks to the trebling bass bins. This depends on your budget because sound in African festivals is the enough. We believe in the deepest bass of the traditional drums. This means the deeper the bass the better the system. For a small budget you need to have a good DJ controller as explain earlier, a two way crossover, two amplifiers about four thousand watts in total ( i.e. 1000-2000 watts each) and four speakers (2 full range speakers and 2 low frequencies speakers) Also don’t forget the necessary cables and connectors. For a good budget we can have as much bass as you can handle and this means more amplifiers and signal processors.
   

   English: Meyer Milo line array with EAW subs and an EAW side fill array Mayer Milo line array EAW side fill array EAW subs (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

3. sound reinforcement services. This is a very good business but also requires a lot of investment. For good marketable system, you need to spend over 500,00 US Dollars and in return you can earn about 5,000 USD a month. What does this kind of system comprise of?  1.Professional DJ controllers and decks such as CDJ 2000, NS7 and others. 2.Professional signal processors like dbx drive-rack and other speaker management system. 3. Strong and stable power amplifiers or powered speakers. you need a minimum of 16 power amplifiers amounting to around 20,000 watts RMS. Another aspect to consider are the speakers and i always prefer line arrays for  good sound and mobility. lastly but not least, the rigs, racks and truss for mounting the system.
4. Next time lets explain each part and equipment in details now that you have an idea of what a good sound system should consist of……………

Related articles

• Wait, Who really is a mobile DJ? (allaboutdjing.wordpress.com)
• Becoming a mobile DJ (allaboutdjing.wordpress.com)

AN AFRICAN MAN

It all starts on day 1. That is when you are born. In Kikuyu community found in central Kenya, it was a great celebration when a boy was born. He is a future king and who will carry the clans genes to the next level. A boy was as important as life itself. Women will cook all the delicacies sing and dance. For a baby boy the wait of the matter was five times heavier than a girl. He was treated with a lot of care and tenderness. Once born, the next step was cleansing the mother and the newborn. A he goat was slaughtered on the eighth day of the newborns life. His father eat the best piece and his mother would take  roasted left front arm of the goat and take away the hooves and the head for boiling. When boiled, she get the soup which is very important for milk production and her bones which the boy expanded while delivering. The boy will grow with his mother and with a lot of attention from his father and his grandfather. If the boys father was the first born in his family and the boy is the first born in this family, He was very important mainly because he will bare the family full names thus the real man of the family. Nobody would dare him especially when his father”s mother is around. Simply because he is named after his husband, (the father”s father). He would grow with his grandmother”s special attention and care, everybody respecting him and he would gain extra favour from all family members. As he grows he undergoes all necessary rituals until he is about 14 years. Initiation was to follow.

Lets start from initiation tomorrow.

Let me know what you would like to know about African culture……

The first president of kenya

His son is the president now