Rockin’ Your Stage Sound:
A Musician’s Guide to
Professional Live Audio
By Rob Gainey
Hal Leonard
If the sound engineer and every person
in the band all want the band to sound
as good as possible, why is it so hard to
actually make
that happen? In
most cases, not
everyone is on
the same page
in terms of
training, methodology,
and
personal preferences.
Good
luck aligning
those planets. It is possible, however, for
everyone to have a better understanding of
the variables involved—the various capabilities
of the equipment being used, the
best practices for signal routing, proven
approaches for mixing different kinds of
setups in different situations, etc.—and
that’s what this book is about.
Author Rob Gainey has 30 years of experience on both sides of the mixing console, much of it with notable acts in those famous clubs on the Sunset Strip. He is a master at bridging the gap between musicians who are focused on their individual sound and the needs of the audience. Rather than bitch and preach about what people don’t but should know, Gainey uses real-world examples to illustrate common situations, dissect problems, and explain possible solutions. Almost every one of the book’s 240 pages has some kind of stage chart, technical diagram, black-and-white photo, or sidebar on it. The sidebars feature experiential anecdotes and tips from dozens of professional musicians.
The book is thorough. Starting with individual instrument tone and then going through the nuances of stage setup, monitoring, and house sound, Gainey weaves easy-to-read tutorials into a larger lesson that is eye-opening for beginners and helpful to veterans looking for specific solutions to specific problems.
He doesn’t stop there, though. He also unpacks the organizational elements of pro sound, the Zen of getting everything to work right, and the technical aspects of audio gear that any serious musician or sound engineer should want to understand. Either as a front-to-back read or a handy guide explaining what to do when tricky situations arise, Rockin’ Your Stage Sound is an important book that gigging musicians and engineers should check out.
By Rob Gainey
Hal Leonard
If the sound engineer and every person
in the band all want the band to sound
as good as possible, why is it so hard to
actually make
that happen? In
most cases, not
everyone is on
the same page
in terms of
training, methodology,
and
personal preferences.
Good
luck aligning
those planets. It is possible, however, for
everyone to have a better understanding of
the variables involved—the various capabilities
of the equipment being used, the
best practices for signal routing, proven
approaches for mixing different kinds of
setups in different situations, etc.—and
that’s what this book is about.Author Rob Gainey has 30 years of experience on both sides of the mixing console, much of it with notable acts in those famous clubs on the Sunset Strip. He is a master at bridging the gap between musicians who are focused on their individual sound and the needs of the audience. Rather than bitch and preach about what people don’t but should know, Gainey uses real-world examples to illustrate common situations, dissect problems, and explain possible solutions. Almost every one of the book’s 240 pages has some kind of stage chart, technical diagram, black-and-white photo, or sidebar on it. The sidebars feature experiential anecdotes and tips from dozens of professional musicians.
The book is thorough. Starting with individual instrument tone and then going through the nuances of stage setup, monitoring, and house sound, Gainey weaves easy-to-read tutorials into a larger lesson that is eye-opening for beginners and helpful to veterans looking for specific solutions to specific problems.
He doesn’t stop there, though. He also unpacks the organizational elements of pro sound, the Zen of getting everything to work right, and the technical aspects of audio gear that any serious musician or sound engineer should want to understand. Either as a front-to-back read or a handy guide explaining what to do when tricky situations arise, Rockin’ Your Stage Sound is an important book that gigging musicians and engineers should check out.
