Questions for a live party band : Will it be too loud?
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekIWefsnf_c
Sound Management
Here is the second blog post in our series of impartial articles citing some of the many questions a live party band is often asked. Having performed at thousands of events over the years we are some of the best-placed guys to give honest and informative answers to many concerns that a client may have before booking. As always, if you have any questions - Just shout! Speaking of shouting…“Will it be toooooooo loud?”Normally you would expect this question to come directly from the aging grandparent at a family wedding…. But this isn’t always the case. With the onslaught of the day and age of health and safety and environmental health the volume which band plays can often be something that needs to be very closely monitored.
Quality Equipment
• Dealing with the obvious question…. Any professional band takes the issue of how it sounds very seriously. Two key factors come into play; the first is quality of sound equipment or PA and the second is the operation. Good quality PA equipment will sound pleasing to the ear and can be run at much louder volumes than poor quality equipment. Substandard gear will make any party band sound harsh and unpleasant. The second is having the right person to operate it. Sometimes a member of the band will do this but with the bigger bands they will always have a dedicated sound engineer. This is a full time member of crew whose sole job is to the function band sound fantastic. A sound engineer will be able to choose the correct volume - the can be quite a marked difference between say a corporate event and a Jewish Bar Mitzvah. In the case of Metropolis we use one of the finest PA manufactures around – HK Audio and all our sound engineers are supplied by one of the UK’s leading PA companies – Entertec.
Noise Limiters
• Normally the optimum area for any function band to fill with live music is the dance floor. After that music should die away to a reasonable volume so guests can talk at the tables / bar. So if it sounds great in the room, most venues don’t want it to sound great outside of the room! Often this is where noise regulations come in to force. Having a band that is under control is essential for not upsetting the neighbors. Some venues will have stringent regulations on volume levels and will even have noise limiters installed or ban bands over a certain size. In the case of Metropolis we not only carry a dedicated sound engineer but also offer options of electronic drums, acoustic screens and in-ear monitoring meaning that band can play at virtually any volume.Please read our first blog post of the series - questions for a live party band - and feel free to drop us a line on the party band hire form if you have any questions.