Intro to Live Sound

Sam is a member of the audio systems engineering team at Sonos which is responsible for the conceptualization, architecting, detailed engineering, and final sound tuning of the audio systems in all Sonos products. Most recently, Sam was the lead audio systems engineer for Sub Mini and Move Gen 2 before moving to an exploration role focused on developing new technologies.

Prior to joining Sonos in 2020, Sam worked for Community Professional Loudspeakers in Philadelphia where he designed professional audio equipment intended for large venue sound reinforcement.

Sam has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering Technology from the Rochester Institute of Technology where he helped start the on-campus makerspace. In his free time, Sam enjoys collecting tools, skills, and unfinished projects.

Hannah is the Product and Applications Manager at Rational Acoustics where she helps to build SMAART, the industry standard audio measurement tool for live productions.

Hannah co-founded the Audio Nerd Book Club, a virtual book club / 501c3 non profit which focuses on audio education through reading and discussion.

Hannah is a graduate of Nescom where she studied live sound production.

Presented by the Audio Nerd Book Club, Intro to Live Sound teaches the fundamentals needed to set up and operate a live sound PA system.

Whether you want to put on events with your band, your church, or your organization, chances are that you'll need some way of making things louder.

This course will teach you all of the basics you need to succeed in setting up and running live sound for events.

You will learn about microphones, mixing consoles, speakers, and everything in between. While this course will not turn you into an expert mix engineer ready to hit the road on tour, it will lay the foundation for you to start running sound as a hobby or possibly even be the start of your career in audio engineering.

This class will be taught over one weekend with approximately 12 hours of instruction across Saturday and Sunday (~6 hours each day)

There is no materials fee for this class.

Students should leave the class having learned about all of the key elements of a live sound system. They should be able to set up, run, and put away a small to medium sized sound system.

Topics that will be taught include but are not limited to:

- Microphones, the different types and where to use them.

- Mixing Consoles, what they are, and how to use them.

- Speakers, the different types and how to deploy them.

We will also cover many of the less glamorous but still critically important aspects of live sound including but not limited to:

- Signal flow in a live audio system

- How to properly coil audio cables

- How to troubleshoot when things aren’t working properly

- How to avoid and fix feedback

All of the audio equipment needed for examples and hands on learning will be provided by the instructors.

Students should bring a notebook an inquisitive mind and a desire to learn.

Students must be 14 years old or older. All students under 18 must be accompanied by and under the direct supervision of a responsible adult.

Learn more about our class and ticket cancelation policies Here.

Please email [email protected] with any questions.

*Sales end 12 hours before the start of the class to allow the instructor and staff time to prep.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Artisan's Asylum, 96 Holton Street, Boston, United States