Why Music Festivals Sound Higher Than Ever: A Coachella Sound Engineer Demystifies Fashionable Sound Methods

Again in 1965, the Beatles performed Shea Stadium. And to compete with the noise generated by 55,000 screaming youth, they pumped their music by way of a collection of Electro-Voice LR4 column audio system. However to no avail. As Ringo put it, “From the count-in on the primary quantity, the amount of screams drowned all the things else.”

It didn’t take lengthy for rock bands to play catch up. By the Nineteen Seventies, the Grateful Lifeless had invented the “Wall of Sound,” then the most important live performance sound system ever constructed. Designed by Owsley “Bear” Stanley, the Lifeless’s sound system introduced collectively 604 audio system, producing 26,400 watts of energy in complete. Costly and unwieldy, the Wall of Sound was short-lived, quickly giving approach to extra logistically-feasible and cost-effective touring rigs.

From there, the hunt for the right sound system–particularly ones appropriate to maintain giant, out of doors live shows–continued. Bringing us to right this moment. Above, sound engineer Dave Rat breaks down precisely how trendy sound techniques work, “and why trendy music festivals sound so significantly better than they used to.” Mr. Rat has supplied audio for the Coachella music competition since 2001. Ergo he is aware of of what he speaks.

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