Got a couple techie questions of your own? Send an email to Shawn.

Question: The PA system stopped working. What should I do?

Answer: The trouble most people run into when trying to fix a problem is going too in-depth with troublshooting skills. Look at the simple things first. Is there a mic cable out? Did the power breaker trip or are the amps turned down? 99% of the time the problem is simple. Trust me, this is from experience.

Question: Is there a simple way to EQ a room?

Answer: Everyone sets up a PA differently. Some people try not to use their EQ at all and work mainly from the board. This is a good practice but always practical, especially when working in the wooden abyss of the Lion's Clubs. To get a good sound out of your PA you should set up the EQ to your vocal, then set up the reverb to your vocal. The end product should be a smooth vocal sound and everything else will fall into place.

Qusetion: What is a compressor?

Answer: A compressor does just what it says. It compresses something. Usually inserted on a vocal, the compressor will keep the vocal even in the mix, especially when you're dealing with a singer with bad mic control. The compressor can be set at different ratio levels. The ratio level is the amount of compression you wish to use. The threshold is the master level of the compression ratio you have selected. For a vocal, use a compression ratio of about 2-1, then adjust the threshold level so that the compressor lights up 2 or 3 red lights. This is the norm for a vocal. For bass, use a little more compression depending on the type of player. eg. slap bass, use more compression then you would on a finger player. The compressor will smooth out the whole mix making it easier to control your PA.