Solving a Puzzling Monitor Problem with a Surprising Solution

March 11, 2013 Mixed by Chris
Discovering software issues with audio equipment. Photo provided by warrenski

Last week, a sound tech emailed asking for help with an audio problem; their monitor volume was dropping. From the musician's point of view, they would hear their monitor volume just fine and then all of a sudden, it would drop for no reason. The solution to this problem was definitely beyond the normal types of solutions. When I first read their email, I harkened back to a friend's tale of monitor problems. In that case, he was running audio for a major act and on occasion the monitor volume [keep reading]

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Track Down The Buzz In Your Sound System

November 28, 2012 Mixed by Chris
Track Down The Buzz In Your Sound System

Buzz in an audio system might be the most annoying sound you'll ever hear.  A close second is the first unexplainable rattle emanating from your new car.  Buzzy audio has been the source of many an email I've received and today you’ll learn the process for tracking down that audio buzz and stopping it. Audio system noise comes from a variety of sources.  These sources include; Bad gain structure: If you aren't providing a high signal-to-noise ratio then that noise could be typical [keep reading]

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5 Common Got-Ya Audio Problems and Solutions

December 14, 2010 Mixed by Chris

Listing common problems and solutions is one thing, but in this post, I'm also exploring the over-arching reason why most of these occur and what you can do to avoid them. The 5 Common Audio Problems / Solutions 1. Partial plugging.  I've even done this one back in my guitar days.  It's when the guitarist doesn't plug their cable completely into their guitar.  When I don't get a signal during a line check, this is the first thing I ask them to [keep reading]

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How To Fix 99% of All Acoustic Guitar Problems

August 6, 2010 Mixed by Chris

It's my responsibility to know how to fix acoustic guitar issues when they happen.  I'm not talking about a busted a string; I'm talking about audio issues.  Over the years, I've dealt with everything from loose internal pickups, to dead batteries in the onboard EQ, to a simple issue that made me want to strangle the guitarist...and I'll get to that soon enough.  This article tackles the five common acoustic guitar problems and how they can be [keep reading]

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Mixer Settings: Where It All Went Wrong

June 25, 2008 Mixed by Chris

A true story and how you can learn from my mistake...It's the middle of the service and I pressed play on the VCR player for a meditational video.  The main speakers broadcast a muddy distant sound.  The VCR was playing but the quality was horrible and almost non-existent.  "I've played this VHS tape before, this shouldn't be happening," I told myself.  The nightmare began... My initial reaction, outside of "duck and cover," was the output level of the VCR [keep reading]

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