Technical Articles
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We came across this in a book by Floyd Paulsen titled
The Sunday Soundman - Vol. 1, Basic Training
. It's from a chapter containing a collection of real life stories from "the
trenches".
The Sunday Soundman is a technical training guide geared mainly toward church sound techs. However, the contents offer valuable information for anyone interested in learning more about sound systems and how to operate them properly. For more information or to order a copy, contact Floyd at: Roadman Tech Services PO Box 451 Frankton IN 46044 roadman@netdirect.net
THE KOREAN SNAKE ORDEAL
Chapter Ten Real Life Stories Question: So you think you have got it bad? This chapter is a collection of selected stories that the author has experienced. All sound people have bad days mixing sound. Many times these trials have no fault, but instead are just part of the territory. The author supports you on these days, because we all have been there. Please know that whatever the circumstances or headaches are, many sound people have the same things happening to them, too. So just when you think you have got it bad, remember these stories. THE KOREAN SNAKE ORDEAL One of the fun parts of my audio/touring career is the traveling. I once did an overseas concert tour in which we stopped in South Korea for three concerts. The first two were in Korean churches with a 30-minute set-up/sound check time. Nobody spoke English except the interpreter and she knew very little about sound. Needless to say, I was looking forward to the third concert. This concert was to be performed in the DMZ between North and South Korea for our U.S. soldiers. We were scheduled to perform in the afternoon and the chaplain who invited us gave us a magnificent tour of the border. While we toured, a group of soldiers were setting up the sound system. Our tour took us over explosive rigged bridges, up to lonely sandbagged check points, next to mine fields, and it even allowed us to stand in North Korea at the joint compound. I hope this is the only time in my life to be in sniper sights. While touring I checked with the chaplain to see how the setup of sound equipment was coming along. He told me everything was on schedule. Finally we arrived at the concert site. It was a tent compound composed of our soldiers who patrolled the border. One third of them were off duty and sleeping . I did a quick sound check at low levels in respect to those sleeping. Everything was patched correctly. Monitors were working fine. We started the concert and as soon as I reached concert levels immediately the system started distorting. Quickly I listened in the headphones to the house console. It was clean and clear. Next I ran to stage and visually checked the amplifiers for clipping. No red lights anywhere. I quickly ran to the person who set the system up and said I don't know what's wrong. His reply was "Maybe it had something to do with that tank that ran over the snake." 
Right question, bad answer! A microphone snake (bundle of microphone lines) is no match for a tank. We ran a new microphone line from the console to the amplifiers and the distortion cleared up. Amazingly the tank had cut only a few strands of wire in only one microphone line, the house send line. During sound check I had not run the level hot enough to make the signal arc across the broken strands. The increased level at concert time caused the signal to arc across and create the distortion. I'm the only soundman I know who has tangled with a tank and almost won. I'm not recommending any products in this book, but my hat is off to the company who made that snake, Whirlwind. Copyright ©1995 by Floyd Paulsen - all rights reserved. Used by permission. |