How to Set Up a Sound Board

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Chose a location for your sound board.

   This is important because sound volume decreases as you get further away from the source of the sound and the way that sound reflects off surfaces in the room; you want to be in a place where you are far enough away from the speakers that you don't have sound blasting directly in your face all night, but close enough that you don't end up turning the mix up way too loud because you can't hear it at the back of the room.
   
   You will also need to consider the length of your mic cables and the location of the electrical outlets in the room.
2. 2

   Step 2: Set your speakers and power amps in place.

   , Connect cables from the 'Output' jacks on the power amp to the 'Input' jacks on your speakers.
   
   Note:
   If you have powered speakers (speakers that have a power amp built into them) you can treat all references to power amps as referring to the speakers themselves, as the amp and speaker are already connected. , Connect cables from the 'Main Out' jacks on the mixer to the 'Input' jacks for your power amp (or powered speakers). , If you have monitor speakers on stage for the musicians to hear themselves connect cables from the 'Auxiliary Output' jacks (nearly always labeled 'Aux Out') on the sound board to the input on the power amp for your monitors.
   
   Note:
   Most sound boards have more than one auxiliary output so make sure to keep track of which ones you use for which amp/speaker. , Set up your microphones and stands as needed, along with any DI (direct Input) boxes you need for instruments to plug directly into the PA system (such as an acoustic guitar, or a keyboard). , Write down a numbered list of each mic or DI box on the stage, from left to right when standing at the desk.
   
   For example:
   1.
   
   Guitar DI
   2.
   
   Keyboard DI
   3.
   
   Kim's Vocal Mic. , Take a strip of painter's tape and place it on the sound board just below the faders, use a marker to copy your input list on to the tape so that each fader has one item under it (you may have to use abbreviations in order to fit these labels in the space under each fader, write "Vox" instead of "Vocal Mic" for example). , Connect your mic cables to each mic and DI box using your Input List from step 7 as a guide, in our previous example you would connect a cable from 'Input 1' on the sound board to the DI box for the guitar 'Input 2' connects to the keyboard DI and so on.
   
   Note:
   Many small format sound boards allow you to connect a 1/4" instrument cable directly to the mixer without the need for a DI box.
   
   This jack would be labeled 'Line In' not to be confused with a jack labeled 'Inst' which would stand for 'Insert Point' not instrument. , Make sure all of your faders are down as well as your auxiliary sends and 'Gain' or 'Trim' controls on each channel, if the sound board has 'bus assignment' controls make sure that the 'Main Mix' button for each channel is pressed down and all other bus assignments are up. ,, Bring the 'Master Fader' up as well as the master controls for any auxiliary sends you are using.
   
   You don't want to bring these controls all the way up, if there is a '0' or 'unity' mark next to your master fader start with it just below that. , Have somebody speak into one of your microphones while you very slowly move that microphone's corresponding fader up.
   
   If the fader is up and the volume is too quiet, slowly raise the 'Gain' or 'Trim' control for that channel until you are satisfied with the volume.
   
   Do the same for each microphone and DI box until you have verified that everything is working. , While someone is speaking into a vocal mic slowly raise the Auxiliary Send control on that channel for the auxiliary send to which you've connected your monitors ('Aux 1' probably) and have them let you know when they can hear themselves through the monitor speakers.
   
   Generally the volume of the monitors should be determined by the musicians as they are the ones listening to them.
3. 3

   Step 3: Plug in your speakers.

4. 4

   Step 4: Plug in your Power Amps.

5. 5

   Step 5: Connect your monitors.

6. 6

   Step 6: Build your stage setup.

7. 7

   Step 7: Make an 'Input List'.

8. 8

   Step 8: Label the sound board.

9. 9

   Step 9: Cable your mics.

10. 10

    Step 10: Zero the board.

11. 11

    Step 11: Power on your sound board first and then your power amps.

12. 12

    Step 12: Turn on your outputs.

13. 13

    Step 13: Check your sound.

14. 14

    Step 14: Check your monitors.

Detailed Guide

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