Practical live sound guides for working musicians. Covers gain staging, feedback control, monitor mixing, in-ear monitor setup, and everything else that goes into getting a great mix on stage.
A practical guide to running a soundcheck as a self-producing band — the right order, what to check on every channel, and the habits that separate a confident soundcheck from a chaotic one.
The complete guide to wireless antenna distribution for live sound — why antenna farms cause dropouts, how receive and transmit sides work differently, and the exact gear to fix it at every budget.
A practical guide to the best PA systems for bands — five complete speaker and subwoofer setups across budget to professional tiers, with honest guidance on what each delivers in real venues.
A practical guide to the best PA subwoofers for live sound — five picks across budget to professional tiers, with honest guidance on when you need one and how to set it up correctly.
A practical guide to the best PA speakers for small venues — six picks across budget to professional tiers, with honest guidance on what actually matters for self-producing bands.
A firsthand guide to mic’ing a bass amp live — covering five microphone options from the SM57 to the MD 421-II, placement technique, EQ, and how bass amp mic’ing differs from guitar.
A step-by-step guide to building a monitor mix on the Behringer XR18 — covering aux send routing, per-member mix setup, IEM integration, and the practical workflow I use with my own band every show.
A practical guide to mic’ing vocals live — covering mic selection, placement, technique, EQ, feedback control, and the differences between dynamic and condenser options for real stages.
A firsthand Shure PSM300 review from a gigging musician who runs one every show — covering sound quality, RF performance, setup, MixMode, battery options, and who should actually buy it.
A practical guide to the best wireless IEM systems for bands — covering four systems from budget to professional, plus a thorough breakdown of UHF frequency bands so you can choose the right one for your market.
A firsthand review of the Bose S1 Pro+ — the all-in-one portable PA that solo performers, acoustic duos, and buskers reach for when they need professional sound without a full rig.
A firsthand review of the full Bose F1 system — the F1 812 flexible array speaker and matching subwoofer — from a gigging musician who has used it on real stages for years.
A practical guide to mic’ing a guitar amp for live sound — covering mic placement, speaker cone positioning, EQ, and four mic options from the SM57 to the Sennheiser MD 421-II.
A complete guide to mic’ing a live drum kit — covering placement for every piece, EQ by source, noise gate setup, compression, and how to dial in great-sounding drums in any room.
An honest, practical guide to Mixing Station — the third-party app that replaces official mixer apps like X Air Edit with a faster, more customizable interface.