|
Choosing an audio contractor
When selecting an audio
contractor your special event, consider the following:
Does the contractor have significant
special event experience? Specifically, has the contractor
provided audio reinforcement for events similar in size and
scope? That is the best indicator of whether they will
be able to provide you with the service you need and the equipment
that is appropriate to the project. Specific questions that
apply to your event might include:
Have the specific production personnel
you will use for my event worked at this kind of event before?
Is your contact at the audio company (a
salesperson or project manager) comfortable that the rest
of their audio crew will be able to interact professionally
with your clients? (After all, it will be the technicians
who will help the event participants with sound checks, wireless
microphones, and the like.)
What experience does your company have
working with the electronic media at events? (Note: If they
do not know what a "mult box" is, find a new company!)
What sort of back-up systems and redundancies
are normally included in a proposal? (Does the audio company
record the entire program on a DAT? Does they use multiple
microphones or cable runs? How advanced are the wireless systems
they use?)
Once you are satisfied that the contractor
is the right one for the project, they will want to do a walk-through
of the venue with you. If a walk-through is not immediately
feasible, you'll want to provide the following pieces of information:
The program:
Will it be speaking, music, or a combination?
| |
Spoken word |
Music |
| Kind of system |
Audible communication |
Entertainment |
| Frequencies emphasized |
Mid to high range (human
voice) |
Low (music) |
| Speaker set-up |
Distributed around venue
(allowing constant volume over entire audience) |
Stacked or flown system close
to the stage |
Will there be a band or orchestra? (Providing
audio reinforcement for musical groups requires more equipment
and set-up than a simple microphone.)
Will it require wireless microphones?
If so, your audio contractor will want to test the wireless
system extensively at the venue, requiring additional set-up
and rehearsal time.
Will there be other audio sources, such
as from pre-produced videos or CDs, that need to be amplified?
Patching a CD player or video playback deck into your audio
system is relatively simple as long as the contractor is
expecting it.
How long will the program be?
The venue:
Size and shape of room, including ceiling
height.
Facility to either ground support or
fly the sound sytem. (A "ground supported" system
is just that; it is set on the ground, or on a stand. A
system is "flown" if it is hung from pre-set points
in the venue ceiling, or a truss that the sound and lighting
company (or companies) raises above ground level. A flown
system takes up less space on the ground, and while raising
the speakers often provides better sound quality it can
sometimes be more expensive to install.)
Acoustics of room: Is there an echo?
What kind of wall coverings are there? (Do the walls absorb
sound?)
Number of people expected at the event?
How far in advance will the venue be
available for load-in and set-up?
How much time will they have to strike
their equipment when the show is over
How far is it from where their trucks can
park to the event room? Is there a loading dock? A freight
elevator? (In short, how difficult will it be to get large
pieces of equipment into the room?)
A few other tips:
Once you have accepted
the audio company's proposal, it's important to keep them
"in the loop." Small changes to the event can sometimes
mean big changes to the audio plan.
If there is limited electrical power available
in the venue, meet with all of the contractors who will be
using power at the same time to discuss power use and distribution.
Have them put their power requirements in writing, and make
sure it does not add up to an amount higher than the "safe"
range of the house power or generator you will be using. If
you are working with companies that often work together, this
will be much easier to handle.
Anticipate last-minute changes from your client,
and be certain your audio company does, too. A good company
will have some extra equipment available at every event in
case you need an extra microphone or two, or you change between
wired and wireless units.
|
