VCE Vet Music Sound Production cheat sheet

Duty of care: employers must provide a safe workplace and employees must take reasonable care for their own and others' safety; both parties share legal responsibility under harmonised WHS legislation.

Noise exposure standard: exposure must not exceed 85 dB(A) averaged over 8 hours (LEX,8h); peak sound pressure must not exceed 140 dB(C); halve exposure time for each 3 dB increase above 85 dB(A).

Hearing protection: musicians and crew should use musician's earplugs with flat attenuation rather than foam plugs, which over-attenuate high frequencies and distort perceived mix balance.

Risk management sequence: identify hazards, assess risk (likelihood x consequence), control risk using the hierarchy of control, record, then review and monitor.

Hierarchy of control: eliminate, substitute, isolate, engineer, administrative controls, then PPE last; PPE alone is the least effective control.

Electrical safety: use RCDs (safety switches) on all stage power, keep liquids away from power, tag and test portable equipment, and never bypass earth connections on amplifiers.

Manual handling: use team lifts for subwoofers and amp racks, keep loads close to the body, bend knees, and use dollies or ramps for heavy cases.

Hazard reporting: near misses must be recorded in the incident register; notifiable incidents (serious injury, dangerous occurrence) must be reported to the regulator immediately.

Signal chain order: source (instrument/mic) -> preamp/gain stage -> processing (EQ, dynamics) -> fader -> mix bus -> output amplifier -> loudspeaker.

Decibel rules: +6 dB doubles voltage, +3 dB doubles power; doubling distance from a point source reduces level by about 6 dB (inverse square law).

Frequency ranges: sub-bass 20-60 Hz, bass 60-250 Hz, low-mid 250-500 Hz, mid 500 Hz-2 kHz, high-mid 2-4 kHz, presence 4-6 kHz, brilliance 6-20 kHz.

Balanced connections use three conductors (hot, cold, shield) and cancel common-mode noise; unbalanced connections use two conductors and are prone to hum over long runs.

Impedance bridging: a device's input impedance should be at least 10 times the source output impedance for maximum voltage transfer.

Line level is nominally +4 dBu (pro) or -10 dBV (consumer); mic level is roughly -60 to -40 dBu; instrument (DI) level sits between mic and line.

Nyquist theorem: sample rate must be at least twice the highest frequency to be captured; 44.1 kHz captures up to 22.05 kHz.

Phase: two identical signals 180 degrees out of phase cancel; a 1 ms delay causes the first cancellation notch near 500 Hz.

Gain structure: set the preamp gain so peaks sit around -18 to -12 dBFS on the meter, leaving headroom and avoiding clipping at the analog-to-digital converter.

Cable care: coil cables over-under to prevent kinks, avoid sharp bends, store in cases, and test with a cable tester before troubleshooting other gear.

Microphone placement: cardioid pattern rejects rear sound; place monitors behind the mic's null (rear) to reduce feedback; use the 3:1 rule when spacing multiple mics.

Phantom power: +48 V is required for condenser mics and active DI boxes; it does not damage dynamic mics but must be off for some vintage ribbon mics.

Equipment checks: verify power (voltage, polarity), signal path continuity, and monitor levels before doors open; label all cables and inputs.

Maintenance schedule: clean faders and connectors, check battery health in wireless systems, inspect for damaged shielding, and log faults in a maintenance register.

Feedback control: reduce gain, reposition mics relative to speakers, cut the offending frequency with a narrow EQ notch, and use the appropriate monitor wedge placement.

Shutdown sequence: mute or lower master first, then power down amplifiers before the mixer to avoid thumps and speaker damage.

Recording levels: aim for average levels around -18 dBFS with peaks below -6 dBFS; 24-bit capture allows plenty of headroom, so avoid recording hot.

Microphone techniques: close miking increases isolation and proximity effect; distant miking captures room sound; coincident pairs (XY) are phase-coherent but narrow.

Editing: crossfades prevent clicks at edit points; comping selects the best take sections; always keep the original takes as backups.

EQ decisions: cut before boosting, high-pass non-bass sources to reduce rumble, and use narrow cuts for resonances and wider boosts for tone shaping.

Dynamics: compressors reduce dynamic range above threshold by the ratio; attack controls how quickly gain reduction engages; release controls recovery; makeup gain restores level.

Mixing hierarchy: establish balance with faders, then pan, then EQ, then dynamics, then effects (reverb/delay), and finally automation.

Reference monitoring: check mixes on multiple systems (nearfields, headphones, small speakers) and at low volume to judge balance.

Export specs: deliver at the requested sample rate and bit depth; dither when reducing bit depth; provide stems and instrumentals when the brief requires them.

System layout: mains (FOH) cover the audience, monitors cover performers; keep speakers ahead of microphones to reduce feedback.

Gain before feedback: set each channel's gain and monitor mix before the room fills; the acoustic environment changes once the audience arrives.

Feedback frequency: the ringing pitch corresponds to a resonant peak; identify it and cut that frequency with a narrow parametric EQ.

Stage plot and input list: document instruments, mic types, DI needs, and monitor requirements for each position before load-in.

Cable management: tape or ramp cable runs across walkways, keep power and audio cables separated where possible, and label stage boxes.

Monitor mixes: wedges are mixed to each performer's preference; in-ear monitors provide isolation and consistent level but require a dedicated mix send.

Line check procedure: confirm every channel by tapping or speaking into each mic, then confirm monitor sends and FOH output before the performance.

Sound check schedule: allocate time for each performer, check the loudest passages first, and record settings for repeatability.

Copyright basics: copyright protects original musical works and sound recordings automatically on creation; registration is not required in Australia.

Two copyrights in a recording: the composition (music and lyrics, owned by the writer/publisher) and the sound recording (owned by the performer or label).

Exclusive rights: reproduction, publication, public performance, communication to the public, and adaptation; licensing is required to use someone else's work.

Moral rights: attribution, integrity, and against false attribution; these are separate from economic rights and generally cannot be assigned.

Royalties: mechanical royalties for reproduction, performance royalties collected by APRA AMCOS, and neighbouring rights for sound recordings.

Sample clearance: using a sample requires permission from both the composition owner and the recording owner.

Contracts: read terms on ownership, advances, recoupment, term, and territory; get independent legal advice before signing.

Professional practice: keep session logs, invoices, and release documentation; credit collaborators accurately and pay contributors promptly.

Communication loop: sender encodes, receiver decodes, feedback confirms understanding; use closed-loop confirmation for critical cues during shows.

Brief interpretation: confirm deliverable format, deadline, budget, and approval process in writing before starting work.

Team roles: clarify who owns the mix, who calls cues, and who handles stage changes; ambiguity causes missed cues.

Radio etiquette: use short, clear phrases, identify yourself, and avoid talking over others; keep the channel free for show-critical traffic.

Planning tools: run sheets, cue sheets, and checklists reduce errors; a run sheet lists times, cues, and responsible persons.

Conflict resolution: address issues privately, focus on the problem rather than the person, and escalate to the production manager when unresolved.

Time management: build in load-in, sound check, doors, show, and pack-down buffers; allow contingency for equipment failure.

Feedback and review: debrief after each event, record what worked and what failed, and update procedures for the next event.