Live sound is what a performer needs. Live music. Performance to full plus

Many people love to listen to music live. And it doesn’t matter at all whether you go to concerts that attract thousands of people, or prefer a cozy jazz club. It's very simple to explain. After all, live music makes us happier. We propose to find out the reasons for this phenomenon.

Opportunity to meet new people

U modern man there are not many opportunities for dating. This is especially true for those of us who work not in the office, but at home. When you come to a live music concert, you immediately find yourself in a friendly environment where people have something in common. Here you can easily make friends. After all, love, for example, for rock and roll is the glue that can bind two strangers very tightly.

In addition, live concerts attract interesting people from the world of art. And meeting them will always be an amazing event in the life of any person.

An opportunity to clear your mind from the daily routine

Some people become antsy and irritable if they are unable to attend live music concerts regularly. It's easy to explain. After all, when you find yourself at a concert, you are completely immersed in the music. In these moments you are no longer bothered phone calls, notifications about incoming letters, SMS sounds, etc. Your mind clears from the daily routine and rests. At such moments, people, as a rule, feel infinitely happy.

That’s why it’s very frustrating when someone starts texting during a concert. After all, this does not allow you to enjoy what is happening and free your brain from things that are in this moment not important. By the way, some compare the sensations of have a good concert with the effect of meditation. After all, a person feels renewed, rested, relaxed and full of strength.

Opportunity to discover the world

As you know, various events are regularly held all over the world. music festivals and events. Moreover, they are visited not only by musicians and those who are directly related to this industry. Yes, on any major festival you will meet people from all over the world globe. After all, many people use musical events as a good reason to travel to a country they have never been to before. So why not plan a trip to some destination during your next holiday? interesting festival? This will allow you not only to enjoy excellent music performed live, but also to visit new countries, get acquainted with unique culture and local residents.

You can improve your mental health

There is no end to the list of books and scientific research on the topic of how music can influence a person’s mental health. People have long been composing melodies and constructing various musical instruments. After all, this is how they tried to convey their experiences, feelings and emotions. This is exactly what you need to fight depression and just bad mood. And if you also listen to your favorite songs performed live, then there will be no trace of melancholy, because your soul will be full positive emotions and a feeling of happiness.

You will get a unique life experience

If you spend time in clubs and concerts, you will gain invaluable experience. So, you will have the opportunity to become part of a new interesting community. In addition, you will get the chance to get to know the performers better. Maybe the guys from your favorite band will even tell you what it's like to be professional musician. In addition, you may find yourself a witness or even a participant in crazy events. After all, people often attend concerts creative personalities with extraordinary thinking. And if you are open to new experiences that you cannot get anywhere else, then feel free to go to a club with live music of your favorite genre.

You have the opportunity to grow as a person

To sum up all the points listed above, we can say that they all allow us to develop. But this is precisely what is ultimately the meaning of our life. After all, a person will feel happy only by seeing that he is growing as a person, learning something new, making new friends, etc. All these opportunities are provided by live music.

"appeared relatively recently and is often interpreted incorrectly. Let's find out what falls under the definition of "live music" and what doesn't.

Initially, any music is live

Until a certain point in the development of technical thought, any music was live - music performed by musicians. There was no other way to hear music except by inviting musicians to do so.

How music appeared without musicians

The first “non-living” alternatives that did not require the participation of musicians were music boxes and barrel organs. One of the pinnacles of mechanical music devices became a “mechanical piano”.

With the advent of sound recording devices, the need to resort to the services of musicians every time disappeared. A person has a choice - listen to a sound recording or live music. Today there are several options for live performance: live sound, fully live performance and partially live performance.

Live sound

Performing music with live sound (sometimes called “acoustic composition” or “playing acoustically”) is both the most difficult and the most natural way to play music. With this design, no electrical devices are used. The beauty of the sound of instruments, volume and balance, ensemble coherence and expressiveness - absolutely all aspects of performance are regulated exclusively by the musicians themselves and depend only on their skill. This is a sound close to the human voice.

Live performance is one of the options for live music

The advent of electronic instruments, electronic sound amplification and sound processing has greatly facilitated the process of performing music and expanded the capabilities of musicians. Today quality music performed depends less on the skill of the musicians. Electronic devices regulate the sound volume, timbre of instruments, and ensure the performance of various techniques and means of expression. This is no longer a living sound, close to nature. But this is also a living process of musicians performing music, requiring skill and talent. This is also live music.

Partially live performance - performance "minus"

It appeared quite recently. Part of the musical material (for example, rhythmic basis, bass line and harmony), and sometimes all musical material is pre-recorded in the studio on electronic media. During a concert performance, some of the music is performed by musicians, and some is reproduced from the media. Sometimes, out of the entire composition of musicians, only one vocal remains, and all instrumental parts are reproduced in the recording. This kind of performance can be called “partially live”. And yet, the presence of a musician, at least one, allows us to classify this version of the performance as “live music”. Its undeniable advantage is a significant saving in the concert program budget by reducing the number of musicians and technical riders. In the field of musical accompaniment of holidays such musical groups are the most popular.

Performing music to a soundtrack

Playing music is not just about producing sounds. An artistic performance has a powerful visual effect. Performance symphony orchestra, rock bands or popular singer- this is a colorful performance, a show that is pleasant to watch. With the development of technical means of sound reproduction, processing and amplification, the temptation arose to imitate live performance during a concert. Even professionals cannot always say with certainty whether musicians are performing to a soundtrack or working “live.” We will not touch upon the moral and ethical side of the issue of performing to a soundtrack. There are objective circumstances in which working “plus” (to a soundtrack) is the only possible option for artists to perform.

Musical accompaniment for the event - what to choose?

So, there are two main types of music we hear - live (performed by musicians) and non-living (played from a medium). Performing music live and playing a recording are two opposite poles. Between them there are intermediate options: live performance, partially live performance, performance with a soundtrack. What to choose as musical accompaniment for an event - a live musical group or the services of a DJ with a set of sound equipment and standard set audio recordings, it's up to you. We, Art Studio "Maestro", will qualitatively implement any of your ideas.

Music is magic born of nature itself, a simultaneous magical combination of silence and sounds organized in time and space. Live music can only be compared to the harmony of the universe, because it can also evoke in us the most contradictory feelings and emotions: tears, joy, tenderness, passion, delight, surprise, peace, and sometimes even indignation, irritation and anger. She is able to return us to the past, cherishes us in the present and draws the horizons of the future. Maybe that's why music is eternal?

Live music - what is it?

Live performance of music is reproduced ordered sounds, imbued with a certain energy of the person who produces them. The energy of the reproduced sounds is unique and inimitable, because it is felt only here and now at the moment of its sending, and most importantly, it conveys the inner, innermost experiences and feelings of the musician. Moreover, it doesn’t matter whether we hear the sounds of instruments or voices, the main thing is that they are given to us by a “living substance” - breathing, thinking and feeling. Giving us music at a specific time and only in the place where the action itself takes place. It follows from this that live performance of music is an enchanting eruption of the human soul.

For centuries, music has stirred the hearts of people and has been a kind of outlet for humanity. She inspired, guided, calmed and protected, lifted the spirit, dissolving the accumulated worldly negativity. And it’s no wonder that with the development of civilization and technology, people have a burning need to hear music always and everywhere, pampering their ears with their favorite tunes.

History of sound recording

Thus, the first to surprise and delight the world with his brilliant discovery was the French librarian and bookseller Edouard Leon Scott de Martinville in 1857. He managed to make a global breakthrough in the development of the musical field and create the first sound recording device, called a phonautograph. This device made it possible to visualize sound vibrations, but do not reproduce them. And only in 1877, the American inventor Thomas Edison was lucky enough to improve Martinville’s apparatus, which was called a phonograph. He could not only record sounds, but also play them back. At that time, the first recordings of excerpts from performances, performances of musicians, singers and speakers were made.

At the end of the 18th century, the beginning of the 19th, the first records appeared and a recording company was created. From year to year people have improved Musical direction and thanks to this, today we have the opportunity to enjoy the magical sounds of music without limiting ourselves, thanks to the acquired technical capabilities for its transformation and amplification. Electronic equipment, acoustic systems, microphones, mixers, consoles, converters, all kinds of gadgets and modern “smart” instruments - all this contributed to the development of the modern music industry, bringing it closer to perfection and the formation of various musical genres and trends.

These days, in addition to live music performances, there are many options for presenting music.

Plus phonogram

Plus or plus phonogram is the most convenient and widespread method for modern artists, which greatly simplifies work in this area, making it possible to present your talent to the masses with minimal effort and time.

The plus phonogram became a trendsetter in the 80s and 90s, when pop music was rapidly developing throughout the world. The artists toured cities and countries, giving 3-4 concerts a day, gathering huge stadiums of fans and amateurs. Then it turned out to be simply impossible to do without her.

At its core, a plus is a pre-recorded musical accompaniment with the voice of a singer or singer superimposed on it using special recording equipment.

Thanks to this, it is much easier for artists to perform and give concerts. They just need to adequately play their role on stage, opening their mouths to the soundtrack and creating a festive atmosphere in the hall.

Despite all the practicality of using a plus pad, it has a very big drawback. It does not allow the artist to open up one hundred percent, since thanks to recording, the energy flow emanating from the performer at the moment when he sings, producing sounds live, is lost. Of course, contact with the viewer becomes less emotional and natural. But the main task of a “star” is to establish an energetic connection with the listener and give him an unforgettable atmosphere. Therefore, today they are trying to revive live performance and more and more musicians are returning to live performance of music.

Backing track

A backing track is a recorded instrumental track, sometimes with recorded backing vocals. Just like the “plus”, it is recorded in the studio by arrangers. Professionals do a great job with musical material, recording each instrument separately (drums, violin, keyboard group, guitar, bass guitar, wind instruments), if we speak musical terms, then they accumulate presets. Then they are brought together (connected), while applying the necessary effects, if they are appropriate. And the performer then adds his vocals on top, that is, he sings live.

The backing track is also a common form among artists, since it makes it much easier to organize performances and cheaper, which is important. Performing to a pre-recorded backing track requires much less equipment and people involved in this event. Sometimes it is not possible to organize a concert without backing tracks; the technical capabilities of a particular venue hinder this. When singers work at minus, it is audible, and even a person who does not understand all the intricacies of musical problems can determine that the vocalist is singing live.

Performing music live

This is when musicians play electronic or classical instruments or sing in real time - here and now. But in any case, nowadays, all kinds of technical devices are used. This is necessary in order to reveal the image of a particular work, introduce new colors and shades, emphasize some nuance or hide it.

With the help of technology, you can brighten up shortcomings or professional mistakes and make a live music show more vibrant, spectacular, unusual and individual.

Legendary musicians prefer to perform only live. Because they understand the “secret of success” and it is extremely important for them to have that same energy exchange with the audience, giving themselves to the audience completely emotionally and physically dissolving in this process. Moreover, live performance of music is an undeniable sign of quality and professionalism. That is why this type of group, such as a cover band, only work live, unless, of course, they are real professionals.

Live concert from “A” to “Z”

Live sound initially presupposes specially designed platforms and halls, where architects, even when developing the building plan, take into account all the nuances to recreate the correct acoustics. This contributes to the beautiful extraction of live sound, its depth and volume. Of course, if the musicians know how to do their job, observing musical literacy. Conveying all the intonation and dynamic moments, virtuoso passages, theoretical touches and tempo, exactly as intended by the author of the piece being performed. An example is the playing of an orchestra. If during a performance all of the above is maintained, then we can enjoy the divine power of music with pleasure, temporarily falling into another - unearthly dimension.

In conclusion, I would like to note - in order to create and perform a living, breathing performance of songs or music, creative people In addition to professional skills and technical “bells and whistles,” it is necessary to have inspiration and possess Divine gift, in other words, talent. Only in this case musical history will be replenished with new masterpieces, the performances will be successful and unsurpassed, and the listeners will be grateful and devoted, giving the artists applause and stormy ovations.

1. The singer's voice sounds too flat

Any intense movement affects singing - which is why phrases in dance songs are inevitably shorter than in lyrical slow songs. If the character of the singing does not change in any way while the artist is jumping around the stage, and you cannot hear his breathing, this is a sign of the “plywood” being turned on.

One of the most famous fighters for live sound, the author of the Moscow City Duma bill “On the Phonogram,” which was never adopted in 2007, Andrei Kovalev told Trud about the most frequent counterargument of the defenders of “plywood” on the stage: “Once a controversy broke out between Madonna and Elton John. Sir Elton said: “Dear Madonna, I went to your concert, and what? You performed half the songs to a soundtrack.” Madonna replied: “Yes, dear Elton, because I jump and dance on stage.” Elton countered, “But I didn’t pay to watch you jump, I paid to hear you sing.”

What Madonna said is, of course, an excuse. Even with the highest intensity of movement, you can sing normally. See how Slipknot work. Or Iron Maiden - their leader Bruce Dickinson is over 60, and what vocals he produces while running around the stage! It's all about desire and physical fitness. A great way to train is singing combined with running on a treadmill. And we have active dancing people, singing exclusively live. For example, Anzhelika Varum and Leonid Agutin - they even require organizers of corporate events, not to mention advertised concerts, to have equipment for live sound.

2. Watch the sound engineer's hands

If you are sitting in the hall not far from the sound engineer's console, watch his work. Some artists - for example, Glucose - record instrumental accompaniment separately and own voice. This allows for the following manipulation: at some moments the singer can hand the microphone to the audience - they say, sing for yourself and make sure that the sound is alive. During these seconds, keep an eye on the sound engineer: if he sharply moved one of the knobs up, most likely he turned the soloist’s microphone to full power, and now the sound is truly alive. And before that there was “plywood”.

“All rock musicians work live,” says Andrey Kovalev. - Like all chansonniers. But pop singers are on average fifty-fifty. For example, I don’t understand Philip Kirkorov - he’s a great singer, he could always sing live, but he sings up to 30 percent of his songs to a soundtrack. Dima Bilan uses so-called doubles: he puts a live voice on the tracks he recorded, so that there is only 20-30 percent of the live sound. Boris Moiseev works only to a soundtrack. But Nikolai Baskov, Valery Meladze, Oleg Gazmanov or “Ranetki” always sing live.”

3. Speaks in one voice, sings in another

Today performers love all sorts of appeals to the public: “How wonderful you are!”, “Where are your hands?” and so on. Experts advise keeping an eye on this. If, with the same strength of the voice, its timbre in the spoken version is very different from what it sounded in the song, this is a sure sign of the use of a phonogram. This, for example, happens when filming most television programs, which are traditionally written to a ready-made soundtrack.

4. TV camera - a companion of “plywood”

If you saw cranes with television cameras in the hall, you can be 90 percent sure: “plywood” sounds here. And if the concert is a group concert, that is, it takes place with the participation of many artists, then it will be 100 percent. Because it is impossible to quickly configure the equipment for each artist. “From my experience working in the Pilgrim group, I know that it takes at least three hours to adjust the sound,” says Kovalev. — Of course, no one does this at national concerts. But in this case, viewers should think: is the spectacle worth the trouble? big money what did they pay for it? After all, in fact, they were made extras, that is, they should be paid for filming, not them.”

So, all “Songs of the Year” and similar events are complete “plywood”. Although in fact we have come a long way from those times when imperfect equipment did not allow us to record high-quality sound at a live show. Today there is such an opportunity. On some TV shows, the sound is already live and of very high quality. So it’s all about the desire or unwillingness of TV people to tinker with live acoustics.

5. Just like on disk

Live performance always has some individual characteristics and roughness. Here the rhythm quickened a little, there a melodic decoration was added: If you hear singing, before the smallest details coinciding with the phonogram known from discs and radio broadcasts, this means that it is exactly what is heard here.

However, this method does not always work. “Some masters resort to tricks,” Andrei Kovalev told Trud. — Those stars who have the means to write a special concert “plus one” with some rough edges in the performance. For example, in the 1970s, Sofia Rotaru recorded a soundtrack with a deliberate kick, as if her voice was breaking. She apologized sweetly at this point, and the audience got the impression of live singing.”

Poll: “Is phonogram evil?”

Joseph Kobzon, singer: “There are no specific penalties for phonograms”

— When I was chairman of the State Duma Committee on Culture, we talked a lot about this topic. There is a law on the protection of consumer rights, but there is no mechanism for its implementation and there are no penalties. It is necessary to create a staff of inspectors - not as part of Rospotrebnadzor, but a new body.

Joseph Prigozhin, producer: “Phonographers have gone to corporate events”

— Those who exist through public concerts work live. And the phonographists went to corporate events. At national concerts there may be a soundtrack. It is not customary for us to have one live orchestra accompany all the singers in the program.

Ilya Chert, r ok musician: “The phonogram is a lie”

— In rock music, unlike pop music, it is impossible to imagine a soundtrack. It's called lying. When on stage they open their mouths and wag their butts to someone’s recording - their own, and sometimes someone else’s. Talking about how live sound creates technical difficulties in some shows is an excuse.

Vyacheslav Butusov, rock musician: “We need to cultivate conscience in people”
- “Plywood” penetrated our concert business exactly as much as our concert business allows. Since our concept of “business” is greatly distorted and means only a primitive scheme: give less - take more, then all our concert activity looks like a robbery according to Ostap Bender. Why do rockers usually work live, and pop music often performs under “plywood”? Rockers are ascetics; they don’t have to eat sweetly and sleep softly. Thanks to this distribution of mental attention, they manage to devote more time to the useful aspects of this life.

The situation when a client, all other things being equal, prefers an establishment with a variety entertainment program is quite typical. And the presence of such a program at wedding and anniversary banquets, friendly or corporate parties often becomes absolutely a necessary condition.

A matter of technology

So, you've decided that your restaurant will have live music. Where to begin? Of course, from the stage equipment. Its height should be no lower than 40-50 cm, and the area should be such that you can arrange three microphone stands, speakers, amplifiers, and a mixing console (of course, not forgetting about the musicians themselves). It is desirable that the stage have some kind of, albeit conditional, fencing.

The performers should be illuminated by light, attracting the attention of guests. The market for modern lighting devices is huge - color and music equipment, light guns, smoke machines, etc., but I will say from my own experience: you will definitely need a spinning mirror ball, invented in time immemorial and creating a “magical” glare effect, and that’s all Choose the rest depending on your taste and budget.

As for the sound equipment of the restaurant, there are two options. The first is that the restaurant itself buys sound equipment for the ensemble’s work. Secondly, the team brings its own equipment. What is the difference? The equipment you purchased was designed by specialists specifically for your establishment, both in terms of power and sound quality. This, in my opinion, is the best option, because the equipment provided by the musicians themselves will not necessarily correspond acoustic properties your premises.

I recommend the following sound equipment for a 100 sq.m restaurant:

Amplifier + mixing console + voice processing + equalizer;
speakers with a total power of at least 1000 W;
active subwoofer for improved sound quality low frequencies;
compressor for voice equalization;
mini-disc player with auto-pause, CD player with anti-shock, laptop with a good sound card;
stands for keyboards and microphones;
microphones;
connecting cords.

Such a set of equipment from well-known manufacturers will cost approximately 90-120 thousand rubles. You can, of course, save money and buy equipment from “cheap” companies, but... As practice shows, it sounds unconvincing, often breaks down, annoys guests with unpleasant frequencies, does not “turn on” the dancers and interferes with the conversation of those sitting at the tables. By the way, distinguishing feature professional Hi-End class equipment - against the background of loud sound, the speech of the interlocutor is clearly audible.

We must not forget that many restaurants are located in residential buildings, so it is important that the sound does not disturb your housemates. This generally simple issue will have to be resolved either through soundproofing work or by selecting suitable equipment by acoustics specialists. They will “calculate” your room and determine the optimal sound and volume in the evening and night hours.

Personnel decides everything

In the ever-memorable " Soviet times“At Lenconcert there was a certification commission that gave musicians permission to work in restaurants in Leningrad. All artists had to undergo certification once a year and have at least a secondary professional musical education. There were few restaurants back then, and getting into, for example, Neva or Metropol was considered a great success. Now, in the era of karaoke, the image of musicians has been somewhat devalued, since a voice can be “made” on a computer and, in principle, it is not necessary to have a musical education to create a simple arrangement. Under these conditions, many pseudo-singers appeared who rushed into the restaurant music business. For the most part, they don’t know how to sing or play, but they confidently portray it to a soundtrack. When you hire musicians, be sure to inquire about their education, look at the documents confirming it, find out where they worked before.

The standard and sometimes optimal composition of a restaurant ensemble is three people: a keyboard player-vocalist, a guitarist-vocalist and a singer. The saxophone or any other live instrument (violin, accordion, etc.) is also very well received by the public. There is also the option of working as a one-man orchestra, when one musician sings and plays all evening. By the way, guests also love the performances of the pianist - this creates a salon atmosphere in the establishment.

On average in St. Petersburg, prices for one musician for 3 hours of work - from 20.00 to 23.00 - are approximately 3000-5000 rubles when working for 40 minutes with 20-minute breaks. Performances at banquets tend to cost more.

And don’t forget about the “crucian carp”

The ensemble’s high-quality and varied repertoire is the key to the establishment’s success among visitors. Good restaurant musicians should play and sing, if not everything, then almost everything that guests want to hear. And these are, in the vast majority of cases, the “golden” hits of the 80s, Beatles songs, blues, rock and roll, “old songs about the main thing” of the 1930s-1970s, Russian chanson, folk songs and romances, instrumental and jazz compositions.

Sometimes a guest may want to perform a song himself, and then the musicians must play along with the “freelance” singer and give the lyrics, preferably in large print.

Ordering a song among musicians is called “crucian carp” (when orders are coming, it means “carcian carp”). Earning crucian carp is the main incentive for restaurant artists. On average, “crucian carp” costs 200-500 rubles per song, depending on the class of musicians and restaurant. It happened (and restaurant musicians usually exchange legends at night on the phone after work) that some cool client paid $100.

Their morals

Musicians don’t really like it when the administration dictates to them which songs they should sing and which they shouldn’t. It may happen that you don’t like some songs, but your guests are delighted with them. Here you need to have a good idea of ​​the restaurant's musical policy and the audience of visitors you would like to see. It is necessary to stipulate in advance the repertoire of your ensemble, and it is desirable that it has a “zest”, a feature, that is, a certain distinctive feature.

The stability of the ensemble’s work is very important, since regular guests want to see “their” favorite singers, singers and musicians. But if the restaurant’s policy is to rotate a variety of teams, then try to select groups with the same professional level. You can’t do this without an art director who will help you make sure that your restaurant plays the best live music in the city.

Approximate prices for musicians, musical groups and artists of the original genre in St. Petersburg

Note

Many groups and performers can significantly reduce the prices for their work if the establishment accepts heavy tips. At the same time, these prices increase if the artist often appears on radio and television and is considered popular.