A Sound Engineering Checklist to Work Through Before You Commit

A microphone plan is a list of every voice and instrument, which microphone covers it, and what happens if that microphone fails. Ask whoever is quoting to show you this list in writing. It should name the number of wired and wireless channels, the stands or clip positions, and any spares held in reserve.

Wireless needs particular care. Ask who checks the radio frequencies at the venue, how many channels will run at once, and whether other crews on site might be using the same band. Lapel microphones suit presenters but pick up clothing noise; handheld units suit panels where people pass a microphone along. None of this is exotic, but it should be decided before the day, not discussed at the stage door.

A larger desk is not automatically a better choice. The useful question is who will sit behind it and how long they have to learn it. A touring engineer is comfortable on almost anything; a venue team that mixes twice a month may do better with a smaller, simpler console and saved scenes they can recall.

Count the inputs you need today and add a sensible margin, rather than paying for forty channels when sixteen will do. Check how many separate outputs you require for monitors, a broadcast feed and any recording. Ask whether the desk can store settings between events, because a show that returns monthly should not be rebuilt from scratch each time.

Monitoring is the part of a sound plan that audiences never notice and performers never forget. If a singer cannot hear themselves, the show suffers however good the front-of-house sound is. Ask how many monitor mixes are planned, whether they are wedges on the floor or in-ear systems, and who controls them during the performance.

In a studio show the same question applies to the control room. Headphone feeds for presenters, talkback to the floor and a reliable way for the engineer to judge the broadcast mix all need a place in the plan. Callum Reid on our team often says that a monitoring plan drawn on one sheet of paper is a good sign: it means someone has thought it through.

Sound needs time that other departments do not always see. Ask when the venue opens for load-in, how long the line check will take, and whether a sound check with the actual performers is possible. A plan that assumes ten minutes of check for a six-piece band is a plan that will be tested live in front of the audience.

Also ask about cable routes, power supply and where the engineer will stand. A mixing position behind a pillar, or power shared with the catering, causes problems no desk can solve. In these autumn weeks, outdoor and part-covered venues bring damp and wind, so ask how cables, stage boxes and microphones will be protected.

Finish the checklist by asking what you will have once the event is over. Will the show be recorded, and in what form? Who owns and stores the files, and for how long? If a broadcast or stream is involved, who is responsible for the audio level and delay between sound and picture?

Ask for a short written note of the settings used, including the microphone list and any changes made on the day. It costs little and helps the next engineer, or the next event at the same venue. A good supplier will be happy to supply it, and the way they answer this question tells you a lot about how they work.