LIVE SOUND ENGINEERING

Transforming Your Sound from Good to Great, Every Show.

As your FOH engineer for your band or event, my work doesn’t start on show day. Just like in the studio, I build a plan and prep the sound with you in advance — or, if that’s not possible, I’ll create a showfile that gets us most of the way there. So when the gig rolls around, we’re not scrambling — just fine-tuning. No last-minute chaos. Just calm heads… and maybe a cheers with the local drink.

SOUND SORTED

I’ll handle and think of every bit of the audio side so you don’t have to: tech checks, comms, stage needs, showfile prep, changeovers — so you walk in knowing it’s already taken care of.

BALANCED MUSIC

Every instrument will sound consistent throughout your performance. You’ll have every solo perfectly audible, the right reverb for each song, and every delay precisely timed.

LIVE ALBUM

Need more content for your socials? Let’s record your show and release a live album. With my studio grade mic pres and equipment I can record up to 24 tracks. Details here.

Challenges of Live Sound

Close-Miking

To achieve higher volume levels for a large audience, we close-mic instruments to reduce stage noise. However, when a microphone is placed very close to an instrument, it’s similar to listening with your ear pressed right up to it—something we’re not used to in everyday life. This proximity changes the natural balance of the instrument’s sound, and the dynamic range is well enhanced.

  • Balance: Selecting the right mic and mic placement is key. For example, a singer with a sharp voice may benefit from a mic that emphasises lower tones.
  • Dynamic Range Control: At close range, quiet signals may be too soft while loud signals can become overpowering. In distant miking, reflections help soften transients, but close-miking lacks this effect. To manage dynamics effectively, I use techniques like compression and saturation.

Tuning the PA System

Similar to how our voice sounds different in a small shop versus a cathedral, loudspeakers change character depending on the venue. This is due to a room’s natural resonance, dimensions, or materials, which can amplify or diminish certain frequencies. My goal is to create a consistent sound across all environments by tuning the system to achieve a flat response.

Flat Response: This means that all frequencies reach the listener’s ear at equal loudness, allowing the band to sound the same regardless of the venue. Example if a room is boomy at 300 Hz instead of cutting 300Hz from every channel I cut it once on the system EQ.

Once a flat response is achieved, I add character to the system based on your preferences and the overall tone you envision for the show.

What Gear I Use at FOH

  • Top-Down Approach: In live audio, I use a top-down approach, focusing primarily on the master bus where all channels ultimately converge. I utilize a DBX Graphic EQ and an SSL Parametric EQ to ensure the overall sound is balanced and clear.
  • Dynamic Control: To manage the heightened dynamics that come with close-miking on individual channels—especially on transient-heavy sources like drums—I use the following gear:
    • SSL Six Channel Compressor: Applied on individual tracks to control transient-heavy sources.
    • SSL Bus Compressor: Used on the master bus for added balance across the mix.
    • PureDrive Preamps: Adds subtle saturation at the input stage to further tame transients.
    • VHD+ Preamps: Applied on the mix bus to provide warmth and character, while rounding out the signal for maximum loudness—helping to prevent running out of headroom on smaller local PA systems.
  • I use SMAART for my PA measurements to make sure I get the overall sound balance right every time.

CONSOLES:

  • Midas M32
  • Allen & Heath SQ
  • Allen & Heath ZED 434

ENQUIRY

Got a gig coming up? Drop me a line about your project, and I’ll follow up with booking options and a custom quote.

    What type of work do you need?


    Terms and Conditions

    🎚️ PRICE ESTIMATE

    All estimates are based on a maximum of 24-channel setup. I always bring my rack of processors for enhanced sound. Prices may vary depending on complexity, travel, gear required, or rehearsal time.

    Audience Size FOH for Bands Events
    Up to 50 €70–100 €100–150
    50–100 €100–120 €150–200
    100–250 €120–150 €180–250
    250–500 €150–200 €220–300
    500+ €200–300 €300–450

    • Events with more than 10 acts or longer than 3 hours: Additional €50–100 depending on the setup and schedule.

    • Full PA or additional backline requirements can be arranged separately and priced accordingly.