Tip: you can listen while you read along, or close your screen and treat it as a podcast on the drive home.
Why this is Module 2. Lighting taught you the pattern: learn the language, then read the quote against it. Sound is where that pattern earns its keep, because sound hides its single most expensive decision in plain sight — the difference between a system engineer and a sound op.
Why it matters commercially. A sound contractor's quote line says "System engineer × 8 days @ A$185/hr". Another line says "Sound op × 8 days @ A$95/hr". You probably don't need both at once for a school musical — but most schools don't know the difference, so most quotes assume both. The fix is one sentence at the planning meeting: "Could we have the system engineer for setup + tuning, then a sound op only for the show run?" Saving on a single production: A$2,000-A$4,000.
What you'll learn. 20 vocabulary terms with what an engineer says, what they mean, what to do. The hire-quote BS-detector for sound. Six phrases that signal you've had this conversation before.
The 20 words that get you 80% of the way
Sound has its own vocabulary, and like lighting, most of it you can safely leave to the professionals. The twenty terms below are the ones that decide money or signal competence in a planning meeting. The same card structure applies: what the engineer says, what it means, and what to do. As you read, keep one distinction in the back of your mind — it's the spine of the whole module: which of these is a setup-and-tuning job (the engineer) and which is a run-the-show job (the op).
The one distinction that pays for the module
Setting up and tuning a PA system is a different job, with a different skill set and a higher billing rate, than mixing the show once it's tuned. Almost every term below sits on one side of that line or the other. Spot which, and you'll spot where a quote is paying engineer rates for op-level work.
FOH (Front of House)
"The FOH desk is in the middle of row K."
What it is: The audience-facing sound mix position — usually a desk in the middle of the audience block, 50-70% back from the stage. The FOH engineer mixes what the audience hears. What to do: Reserve 4-6 seats for the FOH desk; this affects your seat count when costing tickets.
Gain structure
"Gain structure is off — we're getting noise on the wireless lines."
What it is: How the signal level is set at each stage from mic → preamp → channel → bus → output. Bad gain structure = noise or distortion. What to do: Not your problem to fix. But knowing the term means you understand it's a system-level setup task, not "just turn it up". 30-45 min to set correctly across the whole desk.
Monitor mix / wedge / IEM
"Need more vocal in monitor 3."
What it is: Separate audio mix sent to performers so they can hear themselves. Wedges = floor speakers; IEMs = in-ear monitors. Each performer/section can have a different mix. What to do: For a school musical, typically 2-4 wedges (band, conductor, downstage centre). IEMs are tour-grade and rarely needed for school shows. If the quote includes IEMs for whole cast, query.
Wireless / RF coordination
"We need an RF scan before final mic check."
What it is: Radio-frequency planning for wireless mics so they don't interfere with each other or local TV/radio. ACMA-licensed frequencies in AU. What to do: For 8+ wireless mics, RF coordination is real work (1-2 hours). For 4 mics or fewer in a small venue, a quick scan suffices.
Stage box / snake / multicore
"Run the snake from stage left to FOH."
What it is: The multi-channel cable from the stage to the FOH desk carrying all mic + line signals. Modern shows often use a digital stage box + a single CAT cable. What to do: Standard kit. If the quote lists "multicore" + "stage box" + "FOH desk" as separate line items, that's fair if they're separate units. If they're all in one ($$$), one line item is enough.
Console / desk
"We're running a Yamaha QL5 with two stage racks."
What it is: The digital mixing console. For school musicals, Yamaha QL/CL series, Allen & Heath dLive/SQ, Behringer X32/Wing, DiGiCo S-series are typical. What to do: The model matters for cost (X32 is A$300/day; dLive is A$1,500/day). Ask "what console is appropriate for this show?" The honest answer is usually a tier below what's first quoted.
System engineer (vs. sound op)
"System engineer for setup, sound op for the show run."
What it is: The system engineer designs + sets up the PA system and tunes it. The sound op runs the desk during the show. Different skill sets, different billing rates (engineer A$140-185/hr; op A$80-120/hr). What to do: Ask explicitly for the split. Engineer needed for setup + soundcheck (4-6 hrs). The op's show call is about 5 hours, not just the running time — pre-show setup and line-check, the show itself, then post-show pack-down (this matches the call length you scheduled in Tier 1A; don't let a quote pretend a show is a 3-hour call). DON'T let them quote engineer rates for both phases.
PA (FOH PA, fills, subs)
"FOH PA is two L-Acoustics tops + a sub array."
What it is: The speaker system. FOH PA = main left+right speakers for the audience. Fills = additional speakers for hard-to-reach seats. Subs = subwoofers for low frequencies. What to do: For a 280-seat school theatre, 2 tops + 2 subs is plenty. Larger arrays are over-spec'd unless your venue is unusual.
Soundcheck / line check
"Soundcheck starts at 14:30, line check at 17:00 before each show."
What it is: Soundcheck = full system test with the band playing + the mix being set. Line check = a 5-10 min check before each subsequent show that all channels are working. What to do: 90 min of soundcheck for a 14-piece band is normal. 4+ hours is over-spec'd unless it's the first time running this band on this system.
Ring out / feedback / EQ
"We're getting feedback at 1.2k — need to ring out the wedges."
What it is: Feedback = the ear-splitting screech when a mic picks up its own speaker. Ring out = identifying the offending frequency and cutting it on the EQ. What to do: 5-10 min of work per wedge. Routine during soundcheck. If they're "ringing out" during the show, something is wrong with the gain structure (see above).
Radio mic / body pack / lavalier / headset
"Eight body packs + four spares + four spare headsets."
What it is: Radio mic = the wireless system. Body pack = transmitter worn on the performer. Lavalier = clip-on mic. Headset = head-worn mic. What to do: Spares are important — typically 50% spare body packs (so 8 packs in use = 4 spares minimum). Headsets cost A$150-300/show to hire each because they're consumable (sweat damage).
DI box (Direct Input)
"Need a DI for the keys."
What it is: A device that converts an instrument-level signal (guitar, keys) to mic-level for the mixing desk. What to do: Standard kit. Should be in the quote per instrument. Active vs. passive: active DI is needed for some instruments (some keyboards); passive is fine for most. Not a teacher's call.
SPL (sound pressure level)
"We're peaking at 95 dB SPL at FOH."
What it is: Volume measured in decibels at a specific position. For school theatre, 85-95 dB SPL average is typical for musicals. What to do: If SPL exceeds 95 dB sustained, audience starts feeling it as "loud". 100 dB+ is venue-policy territory and you may need ear protection signage. School-musical shouldn't exceed 95 dB sustained.
Mix bus / aux / matrix
"Routing the band to the matrix for archive recording."
What it is: Different output paths on the console. Mix bus = the main FOH mix. Aux = sends to monitors or external. Matrix = a combined mix for recording, broadcast, etc. What to do: Not your problem. But knowing the term means when they ask "do you want a matrix feed for the archive recording?", you know what they're offering.
Compressor / gate / EQ (processing)
"Vocals are compressed and gated on every channel."
What it is: Dynamics + tonal processing per channel. Compressor evens out volume; gate cuts noise below a threshold; EQ shapes frequency response. All done on the digital desk. What to do: Standard. If the quote includes "outboard processing rack" for outboard hardware compressors, that's usually over-spec'd — the desk's onboard processing is sufficient for school work.
World clock / sync / wordclock
"All the digital boxes need to be clocked to the same source."
What it is: Synchronisation between digital audio devices to prevent timing drift. Routine setup. What to do: Not your problem. But knowing the term means you understand "we're having clock issues" = real digital-sync problem, give them time.
Patch / patch list / input list
"Patch list has 36 inputs — 24 band, 8 wireless, 4 spare."
What it is: The mapping from physical mics/instruments → console channels. 36 inputs on a school musical is at the high end; 24-32 is more typical for a 14-piece band + 8 vocals. What to do: Ask for the patch list with the quote. If you see 50+ inputs for a school musical, query.
Loud / quiet / drop / cue point
"Drop the vocal in cue 47."
What it is: "drop" = lower or mute. Sound has its own cue language similar to lighting. What to do: SM-and-op talk. You don't engage.
Recording / archive / broadcast
"Archive recording on the matrix feed."
What it is: Recording the show for archive (no licence needed if not distributed), broadcast (needs streaming licence per Module 4), commercial release (full grand-rights). What to do: Confirm the licence position before recording. Module 4 covers this.
Pre-show / warm-up / chair tones
"Chair tones for the orchestra before band call."
What it is: The orchestra's pre-band-call routine — chairs in, stands, music, tuning, warm-up. Pure orchestra-side, no sound-op involvement beyond making sure mics are placed. What to do: Nothing — but knowing the term means you understand what your MD is doing with the band.
The sound-hire-quote BS detector
Sound quotes tend to be larger than lighting quotes and easier to inflate, because two of the biggest lines — the console and the PA — are pure judgement calls about room size, and the labour lines hide the engineer-versus-op split you just learned. Read the quote the same way every time: console class against the venue, speaker class against the venue, and labour hours against what each phase actually requires.
Here's a typical school-musical sound quote worked through end to end, with the over-spec on each line called out.
Worked example: a sound hire quote, line by line
A typical sound hire quote for a school musical:
"Yamaha CL5 console + stage rack = A$680/day × 8 days = A$5,440" — over-spec. CL5 is a flagship-class desk. For a school musical, a Yamaha QL1, Allen & Heath SQ-6, or Behringer X32 is plenty (A$250-350/day). Saving A$2,500-A$3,500 over 8 days.
"L-Acoustics K2 line array × 6 boxes + 2 KS28 subs = A$2,200/day × 4 days" — massively over-spec. L-Acoustics K2 is a touring-rig line array for 2,000+ seat venues. A 280-seat school theatre needs at most 2 tops + 2 subs (L-Acoustics Kara, ARCS, or QSC K12.2 are appropriate, A$350-500/day for the whole rig). Saving: A$6,000+.
"System engineer × 8 days @ A$185/hr × 8 hrs = A$11,840" — over-billed. Engineer needed for setup (1 day, ~8 hours) + tech rehearsal (2 hours per day, 3 days = 6 hours) + show-day soundcheck (2 hours). Total ~16 hours. Saving: A$4,400+.
"Sound op × 8 days @ A$95/hr × 8 hrs = A$6,080" — over-billed. Op needed for tech (3 hrs × 3 days = 9 hrs) + show calls (5 hrs × 5 shows = 25 hrs — pre-show, show, pack-down). Total ~34 hours ≈ A$3,230. Saving: A$2,850.
"Wireless mic kit (8 channels + 4 spares + 4 headsets) = A$1,400" — fair for 8 working channels.
"Compliance documentation = A$1,400" — see Module 4. Should drop to A$200-400.
Original quote total: ~A$32,610.Defensible after console / PA / labour rationalisation + compliance itemisation: A$14,000 - A$17,000. Saving: A$15,000+ on a single production.
The negotiation script: "We love the proposal but we're a 280-seat school theatre — the L-Acoustics K2 is overspec'd for our room. Can you re-quote with a QSC K12 or L-Acoustics ARCS-class PA, the QL1 or X32 console, and split the system engineer vs sound op hours by actual phase? We're targeting A$15-18k total. What can you do?" Contractors will reshape because they want the job; they over-quoted on the first pass because most schools don't push back.
Radio mics — the line that quietly blows the budget
After the PA and the console, radio mics are your single biggest sound expense — and the one most likely to blow out. The standard school costing to budget against is about A$100 per unit, per week. Sounds modest, until you count the channels: a cast of eight principals on body packs, plus spares, plus headsets, and you're at a dozen-plus units before you've hired a single speaker. The blow-out happens when nobody questions the channel count or the headset line (headsets are charged near-consumable because sweat kills them).
The venue-first move that can wipe this line out
If you're hiring a venue, ask what's already in the building before you let a contractor bring anything in. Most hired venues have a radio-mic stock of their own, plus a house console, house mics and a house PA — and usually two house technicians included in the hire. Use what's there first.
So the real question to the venue is: "What radio mics, console and PA do you have in-house, and how many techs come with the room?" Two viable models fall out of the answer: (1) use the venue's gear and the venue's two techs — you may not need to bring in anything; or (2) bring in your own engineer for the design/mix, but still run it on the house console, house mics and house PA. Either way you've deleted a four-figure hire line by not duplicating kit the venue already owns.
The 6 phrases that signal competence
As with lighting, you need a handful of phrases, not a lecture. Each of these maps to a specific line a sound contractor over-quotes — labour split, console class, PA class, input count, the licence question, and the volume sanity-check. Said plainly at the planning meeting, they reset the contractor's assumption about who they're dealing with.
"Could we have the system engineer for setup and tuning, then a sound op only for the show run? Different rates."
"What's the appropriate console class for a 280-seat venue? I don't think we need a CL5."
"Can we use a 2 tops + 2 subs PA instead of a line array for the room size?"
"What's the patch list? I want to confirm input count + spares before we lock the console size."
"Are we recording the show or streaming? Affects the licence and the matrix feed."
"What's the typical SPL at FOH for this show — under 95 dB sustained?"
The one move to carry into your next sound meeting
Make the contractor split the labour by phase out loud: engineer for setup and tuning, op for the show run. That single request, asked before the quote is finalised, is usually the largest saving in the whole document — and it tells the contractor you know the difference.
The EasyStagecraft Suite tie-in
The engineer-versus-op split is only worth anything if you can hold the contractor to it — which is where the tools come in. EasyScheduler tracks the system-engineer vs. sound-op hours separately so you can see, week by week, whether the actuals match the quote. EasyRisk's hazard library includes sound-related hazards (cable trips, hearing protection thresholds, electrical via mixing desks).
Open the annotated sample sound quote in the resource pack. Apply the accept-question-challenge framework to each line item. Save your annotated quote to your portfolio.
Exercise 1B-2.2 — Engineer-vs-op timing audit
Take your schedule from Tier 1A Module 2 (or the Capstone schedule). Map out the actual hours required from a system engineer vs. a sound op for your hypothetical production. Compare to the typical quote which charges engineer rates for both. Write a one-paragraph email to the contractor proposing the split.
Knowledge check
These are for your own reflection — not graded. Your answers save automatically to this browser.
1. A quote lists "System engineer × 8 days × 8 hrs/day". What's your first question?
2. For a 280-seat school theatre, is an L-Acoustics K2 line array appropriate? What would you propose instead?
3. What is the difference between a wedge and an IEM, and which is more typical for a school musical?
4. The sound op says "we're getting feedback at 1.2 kHz — need to ring out the wedge". What's happening and what do you do?
5. A quote includes 14 wireless mic channels for a cast of 8. What's the typical spare ratio, and is 14 channels appropriate?
6. List the 6 phrases from this module that signal you know the language.
Resources
The reference sheets and decoders for this module. Open each in a new tab, print or save as PDF.