(Student Blog) Your Band and Your Sound Operator by Brad Thompson

When it comes to your band, whether you're signed or simply are a high school band, you may have some of the basics; a guitarist, drummer, and vocals. But when you're considering doing live gigs, you may need to have another addition to your band; the Sound Operator. 

You may see a guy in the back of a performance standing over a mixer and sound rack when you go to concerts or outdoor performance. While they may seem insignificant at first, they are sometimes considered the most important person in your band. Without someone constantly checking your audio levels and changing your EQ settings if needed, the audience may have a hard time appreciating your band. A good audio level will give your band an edge when you go public and need to gather an audience pool.  

Sometimes you may be an exceptionally good band, but if people hear a lot of feedback and experience their ears ringing from the loudness of your band, your marketing could be at stake. The great thing about performing outside the studio is that you're able to see your natural talents. With numerous voice-changing effects like AutoTune being used by many artists, the lack of natural talent can be a turn-off to your fans. A good sound operator mixes the different instruments and voices in your band to create one smooth sound. This element is very difficult to accomplish if proper music technology hardware and knowledge aren't applied.