SYSTEM TUNING & DESIGN
System Design
System design is of course, fundamental and can make all of the difference between a live show that runs smoothly and efficiently, and one that makes everyone working want to pull their hair out (and that typically costs more money in the end). In a studio setting, system design can cut your mix time down in the studio by optimizing your work flow and can aid in making your system sound better by design which helps the tuning process and, most importantly, helps your mixes translate better to other systems. I am typically a fan of simpler is better and usually in the world of sound physics, that also holds true, though there are always exceptions. In the picture above, my team and I streamlined a live system to where we could typically have the majority of it in the air before the rest of the touring kit was even halfway done. This results in money saved, headaches avoided, and extra time if and when the unexpected happens.
System Tuning
System tuning is absolutely crucial in my opinion for professional studios and sound systems. If you dont have a solid idea of whats actually coming out of your speakers, then you are essentially mixing blind and, in many cases, wasting your time. The mixes you do won't translate to other systems in a studio situation and, in a live situation, the perfect mix you are constructing at the mix position in the Staples Center might be a train wreck just 10 feet away. By using trained ears, calibrated reference microphones, and some state of the art computer programs, I am able to see the problems that exist in any given sound configuration and treat them in a variety of different ways. Everyone always thinks their system is on point until I put a mic on it and find out the ugly truth. BUT the first step to fixing your problem, is realizing you have a problem!
Dont get mad, Get Even.
LETS FIX IT
We have all been there: You spend hours blending that perfect mix, then make a bounce and take it to your car.... and you are horrified. This is no masterpiece. It sounds like someone took your mix and put in a cardboard box and set it on fire. Bummer. This is a common symptom of a system and room that are not tuned properly. Basically, we end up making adjustments in our mixes to compensate for the problems in our sound systems or rooms, and not to adjust for the best overall mix. The result is of course, when we take our mixes to another familiar system like a car, everything is a mess.
By using systems like Sim or Smaart, among others, we can compare a reference signal to the sound of your speakers in any environment (live or studio) and identify problem frequencies. With this information we can do a bit of detective work to find out what is creating the problems that may exist. Maybe there is a component blown. Maybe there are reflections coming from other surfaces in the room that are creating peaks or troughs at the mix position. Maybe the speakers just aren't placed quite properly. Maybe the reputable company you paid handsomely to design and build your system used a two dollar cable to plug in your mains and never realized that everything is in mono and out of phase (possibly a true story). The fact of the matter is that hearing is believing and there is nothing more gratifying than identifying the problems in a studio or live scenario that are holding you back from your mix being as on point as it should be. The first time you play your mix in the car fresh out of the studio and go "holy crap that sounds just like what I did!"... you'll never go back to mixing blind again.
