Course

Introduction to Live Sound

Faculty
Language, Literature and Performing Arts
Department
Music
Course code
MUSC 2282
Credits
3.00
Semester length
15 Weeks
Max class size
30
Method(s) of instruction
Lecture
Lab
Course designation
None
Industry designation
None
Typically offered
To be determined

Overview

Course description
This course introduces the skills needed to set up and operate live sound systems in a variety of small and medium-sized acoustic spaces. From specifying and setting up equipment, to signal flow, health and safety, technical troubleshooting, mixing, and communicating effectively, students will develop technical skills supported by relevant theory.
Course content

Equipment Set Up

  • FOH mixer, power amplifiers specification (e.g. power rating, impedance; matching with loudspeakers), speaker systems (including line arrays), monitor sends, wedges, balanced and unbalanced cables
  • Decibel and signal levels, voltage and current, signal levels and impedance, balanced and unbalanced connections, grounding, transformers, electrical safety, power requirements
  • Speaker alignment and placement, feedback elimination, monitor positioning, amplifier levels 

Microphones

  • Mic technique for different instruments, mic characteristics
  • Direct Input (D/I)

Acoustics

  • Room acoustics, standing waves, phase summation and cancellation, absorption, reverberation, critical distance, inverse square law
  • Room modes and tuning
  • The effect of audience on acoustics, seated and non-seated events, sound pressure levels and feedback

Space Assessment

  • Loudness requirements, feedback and potential system gain, acoustic/amplified hybrid situations, frequency response, time delay, speech intelligibility, critical distance, health and safety

Equipment Operation

  • Dedicated scene creation on a digital console
  • The difference between a FOH mix and a monitor mix and how to support each
  • Computer connection for recording and playback purposes
  • Live soundmixing

 

 

Learning activities

Lectures, demonstrations, and practical, hands-on group work. 

Means of assessment

Assessment will be based on course objectives and will be carried out in accordance with the Douglas College Evaluation Policy. An evaluation schedule is presented at the beginning of the course. This is a graded course.

Example Evaluation Scheme

Research Assignment (minimum of 2) (20%) 

Midterm Practical Exam (20%) 

Final Practical Exam (10%) 

Practical Mix Assignment (20%)

Attendance (10%)

Participation and Professionalism (20%)

Total 100%

Students' record of attendance and/or level of active participation in the course forms part of the student’s graded performance. Expectations and grade calculations regarding class attendance and participation will be clearly defined in the Instructor Course Outline.

Students may conduct research as part of their coursework in this class. Instructors for the course are responsible for ensuring that student research projects comply with College policies on ethical conduct for research involving humans, which can require obtaining Informed Consent from participants and getting the approval of the Douglas College Research Ethics Board prior to conducting the research.

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Identify and set up equipment appropriate to an amplified band rehearsal or small venue;
  • Specify a sound system appropriate to a range of small to large venue applications;
  • Understand the basic signal flow of a Front of House (FOH) system and stage monitors;
  • Follow professional health and safety protocols - Sound Pressure Level (SPL), lifting, electricity, and crowd safety;
  • Quickly identify and troubleshoot technical issues;
  • Operate digital and analog consoles to create viable sound reinforcement;
  • Run a sound check, communicating effectively with performers; 
  • Mix for FOH and stage monitors using common audio processing tools, as required;
  • Set up, tear down, and pack away in a timely manner.

 

Textbook materials

None 

Requisites

Course Guidelines

Course Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this course and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the course, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

(Current)

Course Transfers to Other Institutions

Below are current transfer agreements from Douglas College to other institutions for the current course guidelines only. For a full list of transfer details and archived courses, please see the BC Transfer Guide.

Institution Transfer details for MUSC 2282
There are no applicable transfer credits for this course.

Course Offerings

There are no course offerings this semester.