For the last 34 years, I’ve been fortunate to enjoy a successful career in the music industry. Inspired by attending Woodstock, the festival to end all festivals, I got into the business a year later as a recording studio manager in New York City. Within a few years, I relocated to Boston and became an independent Recording Engineer. At that time, I was the only female in the area to take on such a task. I was trained in a professional studio (where Aerosmith’s “Dream On” album was recorded) and over time advanced my career to become a Producer and Live Sound Engineer.



Being a woman in a male-dominated industry hasn’t always been easy but it’s never really been an obstacle. In fact, in the late 70s and early 80s, I was hired to do dozens of recording and live sound gigs by a group of Boston folkie/Leftie/hippie artists who wanted to do the “politically correct” thing by hiring a woman. Thanks to them, I was able to spend the next 12 years fine-tuning my craft.

I have engineered and/or produced over 200 albums and mixed sound for hundreds of live shows at music festivals and local live gigs. Today, I still work as a full time Producer/Engineer and I teach Audio Engineering. So when Shure asked me to contribute an article on live sound for this issue, I chose one that’s the menace of artists, engineers and audiences everywhere – feedback.

We all know that sound - it’s the annoying ring that comes in many flavors — highs, mids and low frequencies. We’ve all experienced feedback and know how distracting it is to the audience and performers.



Recently, a local band asked me for some help with their sound system. Their live shows were often fraught with feedback and the monitors were never loud enough. At sound check, I noticed in the EQ section of the mixer that the high frequency knob on almost ALL of the channels was significantly boosted. Right away, I knew this was one of the contributing factors to the feedback issue. Things improved instantly once I flattened all the EQ on the mixer.


I understand the desire for brighter sounds in a live sound situation, but boosting high frequencies is not the best way to go. I only boost high-end frequencies in special circumstances. Try this: cut other frequencies to make things brighter. Last month, while running sound for “Fiddler On the Roof”, I had the challenge of mixing 14 wireless mics. I cut high, mid or low frequencies on all 14 channels, no boosting anywhere and … you guessed it, NO feedback.



When beginning a live sound gig, I start by ‘normalizing’ the mixer, which includes flattening all the channel EQ. I ‘ring-out’ the monitors, using Graphic EQ to reduce feedback from the floor monitors. If you have four monitor mixes, you should have four Graphic EQs. A 31-band Graphic EQ is best for this.

Feedback can happen in the house speakers, but it’s almost always related to the monitors. This often happens because the musician or singer wants more level in their monitor. If the monitors are not rung out, a high volume will produce feedback. The ringing-out process gives you much more gain so you can turn up the volume.

Today, you can buy feedback suppressor units that automatically find and reduce feedback. Nice. But if you don’t have a suppressor unit, here’s how to ring out the monitors:

1. Have someone go up to the stage and talk or sing into a mic.
2. Turn the volume up in the monitor mix until you start to hear some feedback. Find the frequency that’s feeding back on the Graphic EQ and reduce it incrementally until the feedback is gone. (Learning which frequencies are feeding takes practice!).
3. After the feedback is gone, turn the volume up in the monitor again until a different frequency feeds back.
4. Find that frequency and reduce it.
5. Turn up the volume a third time and find the next frequency feedback point.

Doing this will give you much more volume in the monitors.



Most live shows use dynamic microphones. However, condenser mics are used for overhead drums, hi-hat and sometimes vocals. These condenser mics usually have small to medium-size diaphragms. There’s a reason for that: large diaphragm microphones (the ones often used in studios) can be more susceptible to feedback, especially when used on vocals. If you want to use a condenser microphone for a vocal in a live setting, there are many models that are made for the stage with small to medium diaphragms.



My advice to you? Learn to recognize how the different frequencies sound. That will help you to quickly respond during a live show. If you can’t find the frequency that’s feeding back, decrease the volume a bit in the monitors and/or house.

Stay calm, have a chilled attitude and happy mixing.

About Karen Kane
With over three decades of experience as a recording and live sound engineer, Karen has worked with everyone from Melissa Etheridge and Janis Ian to Big Daddy G and the Berkshire Mountain Boys.

She teaches Audio Engineering classes at her studio in Wilmington, North Carolina and has published dozens of articles in CM:Canadian Musician.

You can learn more about Karen, her classes and her recording studio at www.mixmama.com