Sound check like a boss

deefstes

OK, so I've been curious about this for a while but was never sure how to ask so I'll just get it out and make a fool of myself. ?

It seems you can tell immediately if a guy testing a microphone knows what he's doing because he just repeats "one two, one two" over and over. The rest of us wannabes are usually like "Is this thing on? Can you hear me? Testing, testing, one, two, three. One, two, three. One two three four five six seven. Is it working?" Then blows into the mic, then spits a few times on the mic and perhaps even tap it with the finger a couple of times.

So I have to ask; Is there a particular reason that the guys who know their stuff just use those two words, "one" and "two"? Is it that these two words are sufficient to test the entire acoustic range and phoneme combinations that a sound engineer is interested in hearing when setting up the balance? What is so terrible about the word "three" that it is never used?

I know, it's a silly question but I won't lie, I find it almost difficult to start counting from one and then arrest the counting before I get to three. Everything in me wants to continue at least to three. Am I alone in fighting this inner struggle? ???

FruitarGeek

It's actually a good question.

One, Two are good for testing because "one" is an open vowel sound, whereas "two" is sharp/harsh. The engineer based on this One, Two testing can get a picture of the more sing style flow of a persons voice, as well as the sibilance that presents itself in the 'two'.

Riaan-Combrink

I usually add "nine, ten" after the obligatory "one, two"s simply to break the akward silence that settles in a pub when you sound check the mic. Just to show them that musicians can count to double figures. So no audio science involved there! ? Interesting question, though...

Sean

deefstes wrote: Am I alone in fighting this inner struggle? ???

From my side, yes you are ?

aja

I have seen them use other test sounds like:

bah! tsu. bah! tsu.

where the bah is said loud with a very airy voice and the tsu is said with a slight lisp or sometimes with an emphasis on the 's' almost making it sound like a 'z'

another one I have heard is 'tshep'
it is not pronounced 'chep' but rather emphasizing the 't' and the 's' sounds in that made up word...

Warren

"Three shall be the number though shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be...3. 4 Shalt thou not count, neither count thou 2, excepting that thou then proceed'st to 3. 5 is right out!"

Bob-Dubery

On the odd occasion when I sound check I usually put on a goon show voice and start with useful things like "you rotten swine" or "I'm da famous Eccles" or "you have deaded me!" Perhaps, on occasion, something a little more long winded such as "stop that sinful singing, Min".

This does nothing more than prove that the mic is plugged in and not muted at the desk.

aja

X-rated Bob wrote: On the odd occasion when I sound check I usually put on a goon show voice and start with useful things like "you rotten swine" or "I'm da famous Eccles" or "you have deaded me!" Perhaps, on occasion, something a little more long winded such as "stop that sinful singing, Min".

This does nothing more than prove that the mic is plugged in and not muted at the desk.

Haha I am sure it also makes sure that the audience members are awake!

congrats on the 10k ?

AlanRatcliffe

Adrian Rogowski wrote: One, Two are good for testing because "one" is an open vowel sound, whereas "two" is sharp/harsh. The engineer based on this One, Two testing can get a picture of the more sing style flow of a persons voice, as well as the sibilance that presents itself in the 'two'.

+1. That's it exactly.

"One" gives you the basic tonality and "Two" tests the sibilants (and usually feedback - if a system is on the verge of feedback, the "T" sound will often push it over the edge into ringing). I usually like throwing in a few Plosives (Peter Piper...), The two is also good to give you the best idea of what the reverb is doing.
?

deefstes

Alan Ratcliffe wrote:
Adrian Rogowski wrote: One, Two are good for testing because "one" is an open vowel sound, whereas "two" is sharp/harsh. The engineer based on this One, Two testing can get a picture of the more sing style flow of a persons voice, as well as the sibilance that presents itself in the 'two'.
+1. That's it exactly.

"One" gives you the basic tonality and "Two" tests the sibilants (and usually feedback - if a system is on the verge of feedback, the "T" sound will often push it over the edge into ringing). I usually like throwing in a few Plosives (Peter Piper...), The two is also good to give you the best idea of what the reverb is doing.
?

Wow! Thanks guys, that's a far more logical answer than I had expected. From now onwards I will sound like a boss when I'm doing mic checks. I'll even throw in a few "Peters" and "Pipers" to amaze everyone else around. ?

I still think there's a bit of unnecessary discrimination against "three" but I'll do my best to avoid using it.

Bob-Dubery

aja wrote:
X-rated Bob wrote: On the odd occasion when I sound check I usually put on a goon show voice and start with useful things like "you rotten swine" or "I'm da famous Eccles" or "you have deaded me!" Perhaps, on occasion, something a little more long winded such as "stop that sinful singing, Min".

This does nothing more than prove that the mic is plugged in and not muted at the desk.
Haha I am sure it also makes sure that the audience members are awake!

It generally leaves them wondering what drugs I'm on. Goon Show fans are thin on the ground these days.

congrats on the 10k ?

Huh?

AlanRatcliffe

X-rated Bob wrote: It generally leaves them wondering what drugs I'm on. Goon Show fans are thin on the ground these days.

You'd be surprised (you silly twisted boy, you). ? Come to think of it "Ying tong iddle I po" would probably be a good mic test.

When Bill Knight and I get together it often gets silly - there are usually two minute long choruses of "Morning" </bannister>, mistakes in the studio are greeted with "Sapristi!", new pieces of equipment are exclaimed upon suchly: "Awww" </the_famous_eccles>, etc., etc., etc..

BluJu

I generally use my "one, one, two, test, test, testicles, one, two" and repeat if necessary.

singemonkey

From behind the mic, a sharp click (like a "q" sound in Xhosa or Zulu) can give you a sense of how much reverb is on the vocal.

aja

X-rated Bob wrote:
congrats on the 10k ?
Huh?

10'000 posts! ? ?

Bob-Dubery

aja wrote:
X-rated Bob wrote:
congrats on the 10k ?
Huh?
10'000 posts! ? ?

Oh.....

Psean

ShreddySmurf wrote: "Three shall be the number though shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be...3. 4 Shalt thou not count, neither count thou 2, excepting that thou then proceed'st to 3. 5 is right out!"

Psean

deefstes wrote:
Alan Ratcliffe wrote:
Adrian Rogowski wrote: One, Two are good for testing because "one" is an open vowel sound, whereas "two" is sharp/harsh. The engineer based on this One, Two testing can get a picture of the more sing style flow of a persons voice, as well as the sibilance that presents itself in the 'two'.
+1. That's it exactly.

"One" gives you the basic tonality and "Two" tests the sibilants (and usually feedback - if a system is on the verge of feedback, the "T" sound will often push it over the edge into ringing). I usually like throwing in a few Plosives (Peter Piper...), The two is also good to give you the best idea of what the reverb is doing.
?
Wow! Thanks guys, that's a far more logical answer than I had expected. From now onwards I will sound like a boss when I'm doing mic checks. I'll even throw in a few "Peters" and "Pipers" to amaze everyone else around. ?

I still think there's a bit of unnecessary discrimination against "three" but I'll do my best to avoid using it.

Yeah, thanks. That is interesting.

Warren

X-rated Bob wrote:
Oh.....

10,000 posts!

Now with 18.7% more Richard Thompson! ?

TomCat

Something I also do to test reverb is to click my fingers in front of the mic. The nice thing about that is that I'm hearing the click and the reverb without the colouration of hearing my own voice in my head.

I do this from the perspective as an engineer at FOH, not as the musician on stage. The finger click test easily allows me to set up reverberation times and HF damping on the reverb processor/s