PA SETUP VIBES

Ineveitably there will come a time when you’ll end up running your own sound for a gig. Maybe it’s a house party. Maybe it’s a backyard Fam hang. Maybe the sound guy forgot he had a gig. Whatever. Point is, this is your cheat sheet to get you through relatively unscathed.

Disclaimer: if you didn’t listen to all the times we said “don’t skip leg day” then you done goofed and you should probably give up now. Because you really need to be able to safely and responsibly handle a 30-40lbs PA speaker, and that’s not something you just wake up one day and decide to do. Stay fit, learn proper lifting mechanics, and don’t skip your deadlifts!

BASIC PA SETUP

For solo / duo acoustic

CHECKLIST

HARDWARE

Vocal mic x2

Mic stand x2

Mixer 

PA Speaker x2

Speaker Stand x2


CABLES

XLR Cable x 4

¼-inch Instrument cable x 2

IEC Power cable x 2

Mixer power supply

Power Strips x 2 


SETUP

Open up the PA speaker stand tripods. (If they are hydraulic, avoid pointing the main shaft at your face.) Ensure that the base is wide enough to create stability; if the legs are too narrowly placed, the speaker can tip over. Ideally you’ll want to place them as wide as you reasonably can given the space you’re working with. If the top of the pole has an attachment or adapter to fit the speaker base, make sure you use the piece that fits correctly.

Carefully, properly, safely and smartly lift up the PA speaker. Straighten your back, brace your core, hinge at the hips, lift with your legs. All the things. Lift the speaker up and place it on top of the speaker stand. Have a friend help guide it into place if possible. The speaker should fit snugly and securely into the stand. If there are screws at the base of the speaker, definitely make sure they’re loose to allow the speaker to sit down firmly into the stand. Tighten to lock it in place afterward, if applicable.

Once the speakers are set up, run power. Identify your primary source and run a line to either the base of the nearest speaker, or wherever you’ll be placing the mixer. Then drop another line over to the base of the second speaker. Ensure that you have a third line going to either a monitor, or pedalboard, or anything you may need in your staging area.

Set up your mic stands (should have clips already attached) and place your vocal mics in the mic clip.

After ensuring both PA speakers are turned OFF, run IEC cables from each speaker down into its respective power strip. You should use 6-10ft IECs whenever possible. Wrap all cables around the base / frame of the stand loose enough to avoid any tugging at the connection points, but tight enough to avoid trip threats.

ROUTING - solo acoustic

INPUTS:

  1. Vocal Mic » XLR » Mixer Channel 1

  2. Instrument (gtr / keys) » 1/4-inch instrument cable » Mixer Channel 2

OUTPUTS:

  1. MAIN OUT L » XLR » Speaker L

  2. MAIN OUT R » XLR » Speaker R

ROUTING - duo acoustic

INPUTS:

  1. Vocal Mic 1 » XLR » Mixer Channel 1

  2. Vocal Mix 2 » XLR » Mixer Channel 2

  3. Instrument 1 (gtr / keys) » 1/4-inch instrument cable » Mixer Channel 3

  4. Instrument 2 (gtr / keys) » 1/4-inch instrument cable » Mixer Channel 4

OUTPUTS:

  1. MAIN OUT L » XLR » Speaker L

  2. MAIN OUT R » XLR » Speaker R

  3. (optional: PHONES OUT » XLR » Monitor)

*note: always use “stage left” and “stage right” (artist perspective, NOT audience perspective)

GAIN STAGING

***BEFORE POWERING ON***
Triple check that the MASTER FADER is set to 0!

Here are your stages of gain:

Channel gain » Channel volume » Master Fader » Speaker Gain » Speaker Volume

The goal is to ensure that no stage of gain is ever “clipping” or excessively high relative to any other. For example, using arbitrary numbers on a scale of 1-10:

Channel Gain (5) » Channel volume (5) » Master Fader (5) » Speaker Gain (5) » Speaker Volume (5) = a sound level of 25, and all stages of gain are balanced. There should be no distortion or clipping in this signal.

Now compare this to:

Channel Gain (10) » Channel Volume (1) » Master Fader (5) » Speaker Gain (10) » Speaker Volume (1) = a sound level of “27”, but there will absolutely be distortion on this signal due to the unnevenness of gain.

Actual placement will vary substantially based on the specific equipment and the unique environment you’re performing in, but a decent general rule is to start with speaker gain at “unity” or 12 o’clock and adjust from there. It’s also likely that channel gain will live comfortably around this level as well, but always use your ears.

SOUND CHECK

With speakers set to unity, make sure all CHANNEL VOLUME is set to 0, then bring the MASTER FADER up to unity.

Set channel 1 gain to unity, then speak / sing into the microphone while gradually increasing the CHANNEL 1 volume until it’s at a reasonable level. Repeat this for all vocal mics, if applicable.

Repeat this process with your instrument. For acoustic guitars, a general principle is to turn the volume to 75% if not 100%, depending on the instrument. Keyboards are generally pushing signal at “line level” and may be significantly louder than acoustic guitars or vocal mics; you may have to turn the gain down to avoid clipping.

If using a monitor, repeat this process with the PHONES / AUX output to send signal to the monitor.

Once a reasonable balance has been achieved, with vocals sitting comfortably on top of instruments and overall level not too loud or too quiet, sound check is complete. Remember the position of the Master Fader, and then turn it to 0 while you wait until youre performance begins. Do not adjust the gain or volume of the channels once you’ve got them balanced.

PERFORMANCE

Always be cognizant of the fact that you are both peformer and audio engineer. You alone are responsible for your stage volume. If you have a friend or Fam or fan you can ask for reassurance on levels, that’s ideal. Or ask a stranger, or someone at the venue. It’s always best to double check after the first song and see where things are sitting. Always respect any and all commands from venue management. Consider a decibel reader app if necessary. And obviously have fun doing what you love. <3

BREAKDOWN

Basically, follow the exact reverse order of setup:

Set Master Fader to 0

Turn PA speaker volume to 0, then power off

Turn monitor speaker volume to 0, then power off (if applicable)

Turn mixer off

Unplug and wrap audio cables

Unplug and wrap IEC power cables

Unplug and wrap power strips

Remove microphones from stands and place in their cases

Remove speakers from stands, and replace speaker covers

Collapse speaker stands and mic stands