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Valuable skills for soundystem?

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healingsa3 View Drop Down
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    Posted: 14 December 2025 at 11:06pm
Hello all, for the first time this summer I volunteered with a local soundsystem and learned a lot. I hauled a lot of boxes, but did not get too much hands on experience using the equipment. I am not looking to start my own system (yet), but I want to continue to work with this local Soundsystem since they do great work and are so willing to show me around. Recently ive hit a wall on what I can help them with, as the tuning, power distributing and troubleshooting is usually handled by them. I want to be able to be a valuable asset and bring something to the team, more than just a guy who carries boxes (box carriers are still MVP). What is a valuable skillset I can bring to any soundsystem that will be needed? installing drivers/wiring? Knowing equipment and the math to making them sound good on particular speakers? Training my ears so I can tune and set crossovers? Being able to set up a dj desk and cdjs? I have learned a lot of tricks and information from interning but the most I can bring to the table is "plug everything in" (not including powering on). I do have a connection in car stereo where the soundystem guys say, "I can learn a lot from that". I'm not exactly sure what skillsets transfer over between car audio and diy Soundsystem but that is something I would consider. 
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Steve20131 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Steve20131 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 December 2025 at 4:23am
A sound engineering handbook would help you learn about acoustics and other books will help you know how technology has evolved, transistors, passive and active systems,  that's important for your own development,  wether this will forward you career with these fellows is not certain,  they may just want a stuff carrier 

n.b if you lift more than 25kg there you won't learn alot from these guys


Edited by Steve20131 - 15 December 2025 at 4:29am
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote monkeypuzzle Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 December 2025 at 7:26am
Patience, a passion, humility and an appreciation that you're in it for the long game will get you the trust you must start with. Everything else will come. If you go to hard to fast the sound man might think you're "taking over" their long learnt skill set. Being able to string up though is really valuable as long as you first leave it to them to fault find (or get it right in the first place) fault finding someone else's system is best to keep out of until you have their complete trust and really know the kit inside out otherwise you just become another person telling everyone else how best to light the fire...
blah blah blah blah blah......
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote adamb00m Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 December 2025 at 11:09am
I just got on with it and taught myself... none of this stuff is hard... but then, I guess you do need your own kit to play with to do that.

Edited by adamb00m - 15 December 2025 at 11:09am
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cravings Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 December 2025 at 12:03pm
Reliability trumps so much. Show up every time on time and ready to work and people will teach you what they need you to do. The day will come when someone else doesn't show up and you'll be there.
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healingsa3 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote healingsa3 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 December 2025 at 5:23am
Thank you for the good responses, I will continue to read up!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Earplug Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 December 2025 at 8:39am
Learn how to correctly fold away the cables! So many of the kids I've had helping out have left me with a load of knots & total mess!!   Dead



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Bams View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bams Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 December 2025 at 9:36am
without any hint of disrespect.. i get the feeling you are on a learning curve for sound in general where soundsystems and the crew around it are more an instrument by itself. might be an idea to stick in the soundsystem scene for the softer and emotional skills but "regular" sound will bring you other skills which help to form your own unique sound. 

Edited by Bams - 16 December 2025 at 9:37am
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote opus jody Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 December 2025 at 4:11pm
Lorry / van mechanics.
In fact, forget trying to be a pro- soundy, and become a pro mechanic, and have a sound system as a hobby Big smile

If you're determined, then get a pro mechanic as your No. 1 crew.
Improvised Hardware Music http://vimeo.com/user9389813/videos
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote daavneeq Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 December 2025 at 9:19pm
Put together a well stocked tool box/ peli case, with a good selection of decent tools for speaker maintenance etc, a bunch of audio adapters/ problem solvers, cable tester, torches, tie wraps, gaffa tape, spare cables, fuses, pens/ pencils, basic first aid kit, field recorder, spare memory sticks, usb cables. Basically anything you can think of that might come in handy. There’s a YouTube channel that did a series called “what’s in your peli?” (Or similar) for what techies carry to gigs. You want to the be the guy who has the small ‘thing’ that someone forgot or the small thing that keeps the show on the road. Being that guy helps your reputation in the real world at gigs, especially festivals (in my experience) think dj in a panic without headphone adapter, or you need an adapter for a phone to play test tracks or background music etc etc. If you drive, carry a jump starter/ power bank, more tools, gloves, hiviz, spare hiviz, waterproof jacket, tyre seal. I got obsessed with my Peli while building my sound and then working out in the field and doing maintenance at venues etc. Other skills are knowing how to coil cables, how to make cables, soldering, knowing the basics (or deeper) about power & power safety, learn about multicore audio cables, signal path, matching amps to speakers. Other skills, van driving, van loading, building stages, lighting/ dmx, being tidy with gear/ cables/ tape/ not leaving any mess (snipped cable ties and used tape lying around drives people nuts) one of the greatest skills in sound is being organised. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote fat_brstd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 December 2025 at 11:22pm
The number 1 thing is wrapping cables properly using the "over/under" technique.

Buy yourself a 30m XLR cable and practise until you can wrap it with your eyes closed.

The next thing is learning what all the cables and connectors are so when someone says grab some nl4 you know that is speaker cable. Things like XLR, TS, TRS, RCA, BNC, NL2/4/8, Cat-5/6 etc etc and knowing the difference between balanced and unbalanced cables.

Other than that the thing that makes me keep on working with someone is having genuine enthusiasm but that comes naturally, its not something that can be taught/learnt.

If you want some "light" reading then I learned a lot from the "EV PA Bible". It might be old but the laws of physics haven't changed.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Earplug Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 December 2025 at 9:14am
"If you want some "light" reading then I learned a lot from the "EV PA Bible". It might be old but the laws of physics haven't changed"

+1

A great read. And I'm pretty sure that you can still find that on the EV website.



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