Improving Your System part 1: Reducing on-stage noise

So you’ve spent potentially thousands of pounds for a fantastic main PA speaker system that sounds amazing BUT… the sound still comes across as muddy.  If this is you then the chances are that your stage noise is preventing you from using the full capacity of the sound system.  It’s a fairly common problem and something that can continuously be improved upon.

There are a number of ways in which we can reduce the on stage sound.  Be it moving to smaller monitors, moving to electric instruments or even moving to in ear monitors; a number of different areas can substantially reduce the amount of on-stage noise.

Improving the quality of the sound

What are the most common questions you get asked as sound engineer? I did a conference recently where all I got asked was about the songs the worship band were using and which CD’s they could buy that would have the songs on. How about the old classic of “does it have to be this loud?” It’s not one I come across that often (and I don’t answer it even if I do).
However, when I come across other sound engineers, the most common question I come across is ‘How can I improve the sound in our church?’

Probably without even thinking about it, they have managed to land at the million dollar question. The question that has plagued sound engineer’s from whence the first speaker cone came. How do you improve the quality of the sound you are producing?