JUST THIS SIDE OF LEGAL
Jun 1, 2005 12:00 PM, BY ROBERT OLEYSYCK
The 1990s were without a doubt the definitive years for modern electronic music and the culture surrounding it. The phenomenon reached global proportions toward the latter part of the decade, with generations embracing it with a wide-eyed innocence and zeal for new forms of music, fashion and experimentation. It was often viewed as a way of life and, in many ways, a socio-political movement in itself. At the heart of this movement was the rave, an event centered around underground music that was often organized and executed without regard to law or regulations. And even though oversized pants and glow sticks may no longer be all the rage, the renegade spirit behind these kind of events — be it dance rock, hip-hop, electro, you name it — is still alive and well.
If you're brave enough to try and plan an event of your own, legal or otherwise, myriad details need to be addressed. Beyond issues such as location or venue, security and vending, if you want to go the legal route, you need to obtain permits and licenses and select the proper sound system or sound reinforcement (SR). So how do you spec out SR or a P.A. for a clandestine event? The obvious answer that first comes to mind is to get as much sound as you can afford or get your hands on, right? For the most part, that holds true, but peel back the layers and do some investigating into areas that aren't so obvious.
ASK THE EXPERTS
To gain some seasoned insight, Remix contacted two people who have made a career out of promoting and supporting the Las Vegas rave scene: Chad Craig of AWOL (A Way of Life) Productions is the most prominent underground-dance-event promoter in town and has been organizing mostly legal raves since the mid-'90s. Scott Fisher owns the Wave Sound Company and was the man to go to for SR and DJ-equipment rentals even before the rave culture hit town. To start, they both have similar things to say concerning how to spec out SR for an event — budget usually drives the decision on what and how much to get.
“I question the promoter about where the event is being held, the size of the venue and how many people you are realistically expecting to attend,” Fisher says. “Based upon the answers they give, I will come up with an initial sound system and price. If the promoter has a larger budget and wants more gear, I am certainly not opposed to that. My main concerns are having enough stuff to minimally be able to do the job without having to overdrive the system. It's safer for the equipment and also protects my reputation. I will walk away from a job where the budget does not allow for doing things properly.”
That said, the first logical step in the process is to contact a reputable sound company for a consultation. However, because many smaller parties have a DIY mentality, some organizers may choose to use their own sound system or assemble a rag-tag configuration of borrowed equipment. Craig is quick to point out that a major consideration is also finding out how much electrical power is supplied at the venue, and if it's an outdoor event, gas-powered generators come into play. Appropriating a generator big enough to handle your needs factors in at this point, but Craig says that it's better to be safe than sorry and get a generator that's more than enough. Sometimes, a certain venue won't have enough electricity coming into the building, and a generator has to be used to supplement the existing power. In fact, Craig has run events with three fairly sizable, separate sound systems and lighting rigs with a 70-kilowatt generator.
If you're really cautious, you may even want to consider renting a backup generator. In one instance, Craig remembers someone sitting on the hitch of the generator, and because one of the legs wasn't properly mounted, the whole unit tipped over and stopped working. Thankfully, another generator was on site, and he was back up and running in 15 minutes. Because he's thrown so many events, Craig has taught himself basic electrical knowledge so that instead of using outlets from the wall, he ties in directly to the power coming into the building, and Fisher concurs with this, especially when using larger sound systems that demand more juice. Just make sure you know what you're doing.
ON THE DL
Keeping a low profile is paramount when throwing an event that you don't want the cops or nosy neighbors to know about. Using plain old common sense and street smarts will minimize the chances of getting unwanted attention from John Q. Law. You should pick a location away from residential areas, and keep the size of the party reasonable. Ironically, the very thing that can help make a great event can also be its biggest detractor by drawing unwanted attention: sound. Technically speaking, sound travels at approximately 770 miles per hour at 70 degrees Fahrenheit and is slower at higher altitudes or colder temperatures. Bass frequencies are nondirectional, coming from the source and going in all directions, and they carry farther due to the amount of power needed to create them. High frequencies, on the other hand, only tend to travel in the direction that the speaker is facing.
Lately, Craig has been able to minimize the sound emanating from a venue or location by using his own brand of surround sound. Instead of the traditional wall of sound that faces out from the stage in one direction, he's been using four stacks of speakers arranged in the four corners of a square room. This provides better coverage on the dancefloor and permits the use of lower volumes, thus minimizing the amount of sound that escapes and reducing the risk of noise complaints from surrounding areas.
HOW MUCH OF WHAT?
One of the most obvious determining factors when spec'ing a P.A. is what ratio of subs to full-range cabinets is optimal and how much in the way of amps will be needed to drive them. The standard ratio is 2-to-1, and both guys agree that having the bass cabinets outnumber the high cabinets is usually best, but this depends on the type of cabinets and drivers used. Fisher's current flagship TurboSound system uses a ratio of 1-to-1 because the bottoms are capable of 3 dB more output than the tops, and by using a digital system controller, the output of the cabinets can be adjusted to get the desired sound.
“In terms of the amplifiers used, they are matched to the capability of the speakers,” Fisher says. “Generally, speakers have three power ratings on them: continuous RMS, program power and peak power. Peak power is not all that important, and you will find that 99 percent of the time, program power is double whatever the continuous RMS rating is. Program power is the important number. You should always use an amplifier that supplies program power at or above what the speaker is rated at. The No. 1 cause of blown speakers is underpowering the speaker and clipping the amp.” Sound confusing? It can be. Again, that's why it's best to consult a pro.
COVER YOUR ASS
After you've selected the SR for an event, what needs to be done to protect all that expensive equipment from the attendees, DJs and performers? Common sense dictates constant supervision and that you locate the amps as far away from the crowd as possible; in the case of outdoor events, some people have even placed them inside a truck or van to minimize the amount of dust that they're exposed to. As for speakers, both Craig and Fisher concur that other than setting up barricades, there's not much more that you can do. They've had an occasional speaker grille come up missing and have found graffiti tags on some of the cabinets, so they just mark it up to an operational expense. Fisher notes that having theft insurance is so expensive that it's cost-prohibitive to his operation, but he does carry liability insurance, and once a system is delivered to a site, either he or one of his associates stays with the system all night.
As for monitoring how DJs and performers are treating the sound system, again, constant supervision is necessary. Even at the finest nightspots in the world, someone needs to keep an eye on the talent to make sure that they don't overdrive and distort the sound before the signal even gets to the amps. Having a live performance adds another dimension to consider. Adding microphones, monitors, mixing consoles and a front-of-house engineer can add to the costs and setup times considerably.
When dealing with large P.A. systems in which a turntable setup is involved, feedback usually factors into the equation. Although a lot of solutions are available to minimize or eliminate feedback — such as sand bags or tennis balls under the feet of the decks — the only guaranteed solution that I've found is the common cinder block. By using two blocks for each layer and then staggering the orientation of each successive layer, a sturdy column of cinder blocks under each turntable is by far the best solution. Sometimes, doing a low-cut on the system's master EQ can offer some relief in extreme situations.
So are you inspired yet to throw your own underground event? Feeling risky? The best advice is to keep things small if you don't want to get busted, and keep in mind some of the precautions and preparations that you'll have to take. But if you're going to go large (ahem, massive), make sure to hire a professional sound company to handle your sound reinforcement; you will have enough to deal with. Realistically speaking, underground parties were much easier to pull off back in the day because the authorities weren't as aware as they are now. All the negative press and publicity as well as a slew of new laws have made it an extremely precarious venture, both legally and financially. That's why there has been such a huge migration toward club-based events at venues that already have the proper conditions, licensing and permits. However, the bottom line is that if the authorities want to shut down an event, they will usually find a reason, no matter how many hoops you've jumped through to prepare. Good luck.
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