Taylor September 12, 2017

Engineering Sound For Live Events

Sound Engineers put the finishing touch on a performance

The team of people sound engineers work with rely on us to run a good show. Sound engineers design and set up the sound system, the soundboard, build a music mix, mix monitors, position microphones, run line check and sound check and more.

Sound engineers have huge demands and responsibilities when working behind the mixer, so they come prepared with a firm understanding of the concepts behind the board buttons. Once the show is live it’s not uncommon for them to fine tune the mix to remove any uncertainty about volume levels, adjust low end, add warmth to vocal tones, shape instrument tones, ensure levels are correct and sound is mixed well. The room you’re playing will likely add its own characteristics to the natural reverb of the performance, so they make adjustments accordingly.

The music must sound good for the people in the crowd as well as for the performers on stage. To ensure the audience is fully engaged in the show, sound engineers treat the front of house mix differently than the stage mix.

It’s all about the mixing board

The mixing board is the heart of a sound reinforcement system, and is one of the most complex components of a sound system. To get the best performance out of an act and deliver the show effectively, a sound engineer must have a solid understanding of how it works.

The better they understand every part of a mixing board, the better the sound mix sounds. To ensure success, use a checklist designed to be used as a repeatable process every time you’re in charge of audio production.

Taylor August 12, 2017

Finding the Right Vocal Microphone

Capture the sound of your voice, especially the subtleties

Sound engineers, producers, editors, and enthusiasts are constantly striving to find new and better ways of doing things. In their relentless and never ending pursuit of a better tone, they start by finding the best type of microphone to use when running live sound or doing conference setups.

The key to a good live performance always starts with capturing the natural vocal tone of the singer or speaker, blending in the resonance and reverberation of the performance space, giving the listener an amazing listening experience.

This mastery is achieved with a seasoned understanding of where in the EQ spectrum the vocals fall, identifying frequencies to shape the sound you’re looking for, understanding what role the instruments play, and knowing where each should be placed in the mix.

If you can’t get the sound you’re looking for, hire a professional sound engineer of your own and pay them to coordinate the equipment, backline, sound check, and mixing during the performance. You’ll be glad you did so.

When selecting a microphone, trust your ears

While it’s true that sound is subjective, the best advice is that the ideal microphone should be versatile in it’s able to capture low frequencies while keeping mid-to-high clear and distinct.

So when testing out microphones, if you like the way it sounds, then it’s the right mic for you. And as a general rule, features built into more expensive vocal microphones are designed to reduce the pop, breath, and handling noises you’re likely to experience with less expensive mics.

Dynamic Microphones

Dynamic Microphones are the most common types of Vocal Microphones such as the Shure SM57 and the Shure SM58.
The legendary Shure SM57 is exceptional for vocals. With its bright, clean sound and contoured frequency response, the SM57 is ideal for live sound reinforcement and recording.
Tuned to accentuate the warmth and clarity of lead and back-up vocals, the SM58 is a legendary live vocal microphone known for its rugged reliability on tour.

Condenser Microphones

Condenser microphones have always been the preferred type for studio recordings. Powerful and rich in detail, condenser microphones are the ideal choice when the vocals really have to cut through.
The Sennheiser e945 lead vocal stage microphone is made for the working musician and the first choice for rental companies. It is specially designed to perform under pressure while exhibiting a naturally smooth response.

Getting your hands on the right equipment is priceless

Taylor Productions has a variety of top of the line new and used equipment, and personnel who have a great understanding of all the gear and are there to guide you through the basics and through troubleshooting.

If you are considering purchasing or renting vocal equipment, call Taylor Productions today.

Taylor July 21, 2017

Protecting your Sound Gear from Rain

Having a reliable audio system, staging and backline gear for waterside concerts, festivals, and parties comes with special concerns when the elements threaten to get involved. Outdoor festivals and events around Lower Manhattan and New Jersey may be subjected to unpredictable rain, hail, and high winds that could be disastrous to your equipment. Outdoors shows exposed to the weather are not a big deal if you are prepared. The threat of inclement weather paired with a unique venue may require you to put just as much energy into protecting your sound gear as you did in staging it.

Unexpected weather can happen at any venue. Exposure to water or salt can be disastrous to your equipment which could short out or fail altogether. If your gear is powered by sensitive electronics don’t count on it not being affected by moisture and condensation caused by wet conditions.

Salt and water damage can be irreversible. So either view the equipment you want to bring as expendable, or rent or buy a kit for the show. And don’t forget to use the proper type of water-rated electrical cabling. The best protection for your equipment is when it’s safe from the elements, is designed to travel, is well maintained and is in peak operating condition.

A little rain on the microphone is not a problem. Mics need to be dried off as soon as possible. If you put them away wet they may rust and have mold grow on them.

For weather resistance, cover speaker stacks and monitors with thin plastic bags (they let the sound through and keep the water out). Secure plastic covers and tarps in place when the wind intensity increases to help avoid rips or tears. If speakers are not properly protected, pooling water will damage speaker cones and cause mold to grow in drivers. Be sure to dry them out as soon as possible.

If you don’t have bags to protect monitors, turn them over when it starts to rain. Cover microphones, soundboards, amplifiers, and other electronic equipment with tarps or plastic. Plastic bread bags slip easily over a down turned microphone.

If your electrical system is wired properly, a wet mic is not a safety hazard. Remember – when people’s skin gets wet it conducts electricity better. Proper system grounding is essential. Make sure everything is grounded and make sure there are no shock hazards. Inspect all outlets that the sound system and stage gear are powered from for proper wiring.

SAFETY FIRST. If electricity is exposed to the elements, if lightening is present, cancel the gig. Equipment damage is secondary to injury. Systematically power down and disconnect everything. Wet surfaces also increase your chances of slip and falls so be careful.

After the event, you’ll need to completely wipe off and dry out the insides of your audio equipment as soon as possible. To be completely sure, it’s best to disassemble each piece of gear to give the interior and circuit boards a thorough cleaning and a chance to dry out. Salt will slowly erode the electrical connections inside, so don’t delay cleaning.

If you are lucky, rain will only be temporary, and the show will continue once things dry off.

Taylor May 11, 2017

Should You Rent or Buy Your Audio Equipment?

Questions to Consider Before You Buy Audio Equipment

You can spend the time searching and reading online reviews for the best models of equipment to fit your budget and needs, or you can trust Taylor Productions to help you determine whether you should rent or buy audio equipment designed to fit your New York and New Jersey events.

With technology changing daily, the decision to rent or buy an audio system is a big one. How do you determine if buying audio equipment is a worthwhile investment? How do you know if renting only the pieces of equipment you actually need rather than buying an entire sound system is a more practical solution? Or maybe you should buy the gear you know you’ll use often, and rent what you need to fill in the gaps?

If you’re a business, organization, agency, event or meeting planner, small theater, or a local congregation, answering the following questions will help you make this decision. By taking into account your current and future needs and capabilities, Taylor Productions is here to help you determine whether you should rent or buy audio equipment that fits your event. Drop us a line or call 631-569-5165 to speak to a real person.

Is it better to rent a sound system or buy one?

Every event is different. Determine your budget.

Is the equipment you need for one event also needed for other events?
How often will you be using the equipment? The answer to this determines if you will get your money’s worth out of each piece of equipment. And if you own a piece of equipment and use it often, eventually it will need repairing or replacing. How will you address that?
How many events do you produce each year?
What size is your event?
Is it a one time event or a long term weekly event?
Will you use this equipment on a regular basis?
How long is your event?
Do you need state of the art technology?
Are you replacing a piece of equipment or buying something new?
What’s your budget? Cheap gear is nice at first, but it doesn’t sound as good and tends to break down more frequently.
How often will you use the equipment?
Can you use the equipment for more than one type of event?
Is it a “permanent” installation, or will you need to set it up and tear it down for each event?
Who will operate the equipment?
Who will set it up / tear it down?
Is it be a complicated piece of equipment that no one will know how to use?
Will you need a dedicated technician to help out with setup and operation?
Do you know what kind of equipment you need?
Is the event indoors? Outdoors? Both?
What type of acoustical challenges need to be solved?
How large is the event area?
How available is electrical power and outlets?
What problem does the equipment solve?
What solution does the equipment provide?
Which approach is better: components or all-in-one systems?
What is your skill level?
Do you own any of your own gear?
Will the gear remain useful over the years?
Is the technology it uses one that will last?
Which version will you buy – the latest release? An older model? A used model?
How often does the technology change?
How often will it need to be upgraded?
How will the equipment be maintained?
Who will provide the required maintenance?
Who will provide the tech support?
Is the investment worth it?
Do you feel the need to keep up or catch up?
Can you afford this technology?
Can you buy some gear and rent the remaining gear on an as-needed basis?
Is your purchase based on a genuine need or a cultural pressure?
Is your model of choice one that will last?
Is there a less expensive alternative?
Are you buying only what you need?
What will be the additional expenses included in your purchase?
Will this purchase make your life easier?
Can you use it out of the box or does it require special training?
How much time is needed to learn how to properly use it?
Whom can you call for troubleshooting?
Have questions? Consult an expert Taylor Productions 631-569-5165

There are advantages to buying and renting audio equipment

Owning audio equipment means you can use the equipment you need whenever it’s required, and you don’t have to pay or worry about making rentals arrangements every time you need to make a presentation.

Renting offers you unlimited options. If you choose to rent your equipment from our equipment rental service, you can rent only what you need for each event, you will receive well-maintained equipment, and get tech support when you need it, to ensure your event is a success.

In many instances, you’ll be best served with a little bit of both: buy the gear you know you’ll use often, and rent what you need to fill in the gaps.

What audio equipment do you need?

Taylor Productions will help you select the right audio equipment that fits your event.

When the correct system is purchased, additional components naturally falls into place. Select the correct mixer, speakers, microphones, monitors, headphones, amplifiers, pre-amps, receivers, equalizers, stands, all required connectors, adapters, and cables, lights, consoles – you name it. We have the system available to match your needs and to ensure that the event is a success.

We are here to address your concerns and help you to choose the finest, most affordable components for your event. And if needed, we’ll even help you set it up and train you how to distribute the sound around the event space to create the illusion that you’re smack in the middle of the action. It can’t get much better than that! Call us 631-569-5165.

Do you buy or rent? Let us know in the comments.

Taylor May 26, 2016

Great sound is one of the most important parts of your live event

blog-great-sound-is-important-at-your-event
Whether you’re having a wedding, birthday celebration, live music on the Pier or even just hosting a conference with lots of guest speakers, great sound is the most important decision you can make for the whole event. Yes, the food is important, and so are the table settings, but the sound is what people will be listening to all day or night long. It will inspire their mood and set the tone, and can make a huge difference to the attention of your guests. So don’t let sound fall to the wayside, make the best and most informed decision. What can we offer you? At Taylor Productions, we will customize your experience and determine exactly what it is you’re looking for.

We work with you every step of the way to ensure you get that perfect sound.

No matter how big or small, we can provide a high quality, professional sound system for award nights, meetings, conferences, events and everything in between. These events can be held is just about anywhere: auditoriums, catering halls, houses of worship, professional buildings, restaurants, sports complexes, universities or schools and any kind of concert, event, theater or dance halls.

We have multiple packages, but we are your one stop shop to your event sound system, with packages including staging, light installations and all audio equipment.

Our experienced technicians and audio engineers are highly trained to not only provide quality services, but also ensure the entire sound system runs smoothly throughout the night; something that doesn’t always happen.

Ever wonder why a speaker’s voice sounds distorted, is hard to hear or muffled?

Have you ever been to a conference where the keynote speaker’s voice sounds distorted, hard to hear or just seems to be muffled and you’re pretty sure it’s not the way he’s talking? This can happen a lot, and each venue provides another set of challenges. However, at Taylor Productions, we know what these problems are and are skilled at overcoming them. You may have a few questions on what these problems may be and what the solutions are, so we’re here to answer those for you.

Ever wonder why so many meetings have poor sound?

You may wonder why so many meetings have poor sound, and the reason for that is because some buildings, once they reach a certain size, can only reach a certain volume threshold, and once you exceed that it’s very difficult to maintain the sound evenly throughout. To combat this, you have to determine what the measurements of the room are, such as height and width, and also what the items in the room are made out of. From this, we are able to determine what the necessary output is in order to create full and intelligible sound, rather than one that is muffled, distorted, or unpleasant to listen to.Another thing that can easily affect

Another thing that can easily affect sound are the number of the people in the room. Don’t panic though, because those few people who showed up without RSVP-ing won’t make a huge difference. However, the reason that the number of people can affect the sound is because each person absorbs a small amount of sound, and the more people there are the more reverberating it will be. In simple terms, sound can do three things: become absorbed, be reflected or diffused.

We eliminate problems ahead of time

With our expertise, we can eliminate two of those problems ahead of time by using the information you gave us and coming prepared.

The third problem, diffused sound, is caused by leakage from other rooms. In other words, a room that is not fully soundproof. This doesn’t mean we need to go all-out for a permanent solution to whatever event space you chose, as there are plenty of temporary solutions and we are familiar with all of them.

No matter what problem your space may throw up, we have the materials and the solutions to ensure you never face any of those complications.

As long as we know the dimensions of the room, what kind of room it is, the number of people and the materials the room is made out of, all of these issues will pose no problem to us. We can easily figure out what sound equipment you need to make your event a total success, with sound that is not only intelligible but also pleasing to the ears.

detail-live-sound-event-planning

We give you a customized experience that you require and imagine

When it comes to sound, we are committed to providing all of our clients with a customized experience, and one that gives them the event they require and imagine. Don’t worry about whether your event space is conducive to good sound and don’t worry about the number of people you will have. With Taylor Productions, you know you’re in good hands and our team will “WOW” your guests with the incredible clarity and fullness of sound, making an enjoyable evening for all. And when there’s one less thing to worry about, you yourself will have an even more relaxing and enjoyable night.

Call us today 631-569-5165.

Let’s see how we can work with you to supply and operate the most appropriate sound and lighting system for your event.