Ceremony Sound Utah - 101
Are you a DJ, wedding planner, or a musician who provides sound systems and microphones for events such as wedding ceremonies or corporate events? Do you struggle with understanding why your microphone experiences feedback or drops out all the time?
Mark of Swissmixaudio and myself (DJ Cam Reeve) have been told more than a time or two by event planners and clients “That sounded soo good” and “I wish more people did it like you! That went flawlessly.” So, after years of discussion, we finally pulled the trigger and created a class focused on sound reinforcement. Our hope is to help lift up our industry friends and raise the standard for Utah ceremony sound and audio at corporate events.
In our recent Kaysville class we dived into the details of sound engineering, specifically tailoring the content for DJs eager to level up their clients' experience at weddings and corporate events. The 2.5-hour class was an interactive session that walked through technical skills and equipment insights to help each person with their individual journey as a DJ.
Ceremony Sound Utah - Optimal Speaker Placement:
We kicked off the session with an in-depth look at speaker placement. We talked about venue complexities and participants had the chance to ask questions about specific situations they have been in. We talked about making adjustments to ensure crystal-clear audio delivery, regardless of the venue's challenges. We talked about managing client, planner, and photographer expectations while keeping it real and communicating what you need in order to give them the best sound possible at a Utah wedding ceremony. We also discussed the importance of knowing your speakers specs such as throw, volume, and spread.
Frequency Scans: We then discussed why knowing exactly what frequency you’re utilizing on your wireless microphone is a must. We highlighted the importance of frequency scans, teaching attendees how to perform them to avoid interference and dropouts to ensure a better overall experience for their clients. We talked about best practices for antennas, how to use them properly, and why it’s important to do these things. One of the highlights for me in this class happened at this moment when some of our attendees had some pretty big light bulb moments! They got excited about this portion of the session and we ended up spending more time than normal on this topic.
Ceremony Sound Utah - Feedback Fundamentals: Once we talked about frequencies we moved on to discussing feedback. Feedback is ever sound guy and DJ’s Nightmare it is a hurdle for ever person who deals with microphones. Our class provided strategies to recognize, reduce, and prevent feedback, making sure it doesn't disrupt the event's flow. We talked about appropriate times to just tell a client that what your asking for can be done but it is going to add risk.
Microphone Capture Patterns: A common frustration for DJs - where and how to hold a microphone for guests - was addressed. We discussed the various capture patterns and why it’s important to know the mic’s specific pickup. Many people don’t consider how these characteristics can affect Utah ceremony sound!
EQing a Mic With a Sound System. Next, we discussed the value that an EQ can bring to your system. We talked about the difference between a graphic and a parametric EQ. We also talked about reducing the chance of feedback with EQ. I always love this part of the class because, when people see what they can do to reduce feedback in their system, they are always giddy. This is especially true when they see it in a real life example during the class.
Ceremony Sound Utah - Equipment Selection: We concluded with a focus on selecting the right equipment for optimal ceremony sound at Utah weddings and corporate events. We emphasized understanding the different types of microphones, mixers, and the importance of quality equipment. We reiterated that you can have great gear, but if you don’t know how to troubleshoot or use said gear it’s pointless. The biggest takeaway? Don’t buy something thinking it will just fix your problems on its own! Mark and I talked about the number of years we have been practicing and troubleshooting and how we still learn or try something new at every event.
By the end of the session, attendees walked away with a toolbox filled with practical solutions to common audio issues with ceremony sound at Utah weddings and corporate events. The goal of these classes are to elevate each DJs’ confidence and capability. We don’t guarantee that this class will resolve all your problems when it comes to feedback and dropout, but it will make you better equipped to handle them. This class will give you the tools and the knowledge to understand why something is happening and, more importantly, will help you use the process of elimination to troubleshoot and identify where you can improve to make your clients’ experience better.
