6 Ways to Keep the Sound Team Happy

Photo: Skyline College

by Carla Delgado, Guest Editorial

Theatre is a collaborative effort, which means you must be aware of the tasks of those you work with. The sound team is just one of the many departments involved in staging a show. They do more than play the sound cues, adjust the system’s mixing in the soundboard, and make your lavalier (or lapel) mics as inconspicuous as possible.

Here are 6 ways to help them do their jobs.

1. Listen to the briefing by the Sound Department

During the orientation, we explain the importance of each piece of sound equipment. We give a briefing on how the mics should be worn and returned, so listen carefully. We also detail the components of the mic and its accessories, such as the mic cap, hair or mic clip, and more. The parts of the bodypack transmitter are important too, like the batteries and the antenna. You’ll also know where our station is situated so you can approach us for any problem.

2. Remember your lines and blocking

We need you to stick to your lines and blocking. You have to do the show exactly how it was intended to be because we take line and visual cues from you for sound effects and the orchestra. If you paraphrase your lines or forget to say them, the stage manager and the sound team might make a mistake. The way you say the cue lines or do the visual cue must be relatively the same every performance. Jumping lines is also a big no-no because jumping through cues on the soundboard is difficult.

It’s programmed according to the scene’s lines and characters, so please be wary of that.

3. Use the rehearsals to be more consistent with your performance

For musicals, constant marking is not advisable as you might not have enough time to practice fully singing your part. You have your rehearsals to build your stamina and practice your singing. During tech, this may also mean that we would not be mixing the right levels on the mixing console because you were sparing your voice after all. If you mark all throughout the rehearsal and tech process to sound “better” during the performance itself, you would throw everyone off.

We just want to help you sound your best during the show, so use the rehearsals and tech week to be fairly consistent with your performance. You may have had weeks of rehearsals, but we only have the tech week to get it right and tie everything together for an audience. You’d be helping yourself, too.

4. Take care of the sound equipment and accessories

The mics and their wireless transmitters are very delicate pieces of equipment. In the same way that you are careful with your props and costumes, give the same amount of respect to the sound equipment.

Please do not tamper with the bodypack transmitters as you may accidentally press something. Plenty of things can happen – you might accidentally turn it off, mute it, or change the radio frequency. To avoid any of these, you should leave it alone. When it comes to the small accessories, be careful not to lose them. We understand that accidents happen, but some unlucky instances can be avoided.

5. Inform us of any concerns

We’d absolutely love it if you tell us any concerns before anything unfortunate happens. If your belt pack is too tight, your wig (or hat) is covering your mic head, or your costume is too tight that the antenna is being bent, speak up. These kinds of issues are being ironed out during the tech week, and we can fix them.

When it comes to mic placements, don’t adjust it without telling us because the mixing will turn out differently.

6. Trust us – we know what we’re doing

We welcome any concerns of the cast, so don’t be afraid to approach the sound crew. Please cooperate with us as we do our jobs, too. Be quiet during mic and sound checks onstage, and always be on time for miking up. Sometimes, we adjust because we think doing something differently would be better. When we keep reminding you of important notes, be patient with us and understand that we’re just after the highest level of sound quality for the show.

We understand that actors also have plenty of things to think about. It all boils down to this – listen, be careful, and remain kind. In the end, all of us (including every department) are just doing our best to make the show as amazing as possible.