Soundcheck

Soundcheck is a preparatory procedure used in live performance, broadcasting, and recording to test and balance audio equipment and to ensure clear sound for performers and audience. During a soundcheck, technicians verify signal paths from microphones and instruments through the mixing console to the PA system and recording devices. They establish appropriate gain levels, equalization, dynamics, effects, and monitor mixes, and confirm communication links such as talkback systems. The goal is to minimize feedback, prevent distortion, and ensure that each performer can hear themselves and others at a suitable level in the venue or studio.

Typical soundcheck steps include line checks, to verify signal flow from every input; gain staging, to set levels without clipping; EQ and dynamics adjustments to achieve a balanced overall sound; and setting the monitor mix for performers, whether on-stage wedges or in-ear monitors. Engineers may also test playback tracks, cueing, wireless microphones, and intercom systems, and assess the room’s acoustics to anticipate issues such as feedback or latency. In live settings, a house sound engineer and a monitor engineer often coordinate with artists to achieve the desired balance.

Context varies by environment. In concerts, a concise, efficient soundcheck is common to minimize delay before showtime, with adjustments made as needed during the performance. In recording studios, soundchecks focus more on microphone placement, consistency across takes, and ensuring predictable signal paths for tracking and overdubs. Overall, soundchecks aim to ensure reliable, high-quality sound across the production.