Let’s discuss the two most common ways to prevent audio feedback, squealing and screeching at your event. Audio feedback is never 100% preventable, but these popular methods will help you do an outstanding job.
Quick Answer: Correct speaker placement and EQ are the two most common ways to control and prevent audio feedback at an event.
Speaker Placement
The first method to master is correct speaker placement. Easy to say, but what does that look like?
- Always have the speakers ahead of the microphones
If the microphones are on the front of the stage, the speakers need to be closer to the audience than the mics.
Pointing a microphone into a speaker is a sure-fire way to create feedback and squealing that will make anyone feel uncomfortable.
EQ The Room
This method requires us to create the very feedback we hope to prevent. Let’s walk through it step by step.
- Position a sensitive microphone on the stage or in the middle of the room
We find a lav mic works well for this.
- Gradually turn it up until you hear the first signs of feedback
- Adjust the EQ to stop the feedback
Use a 31 band EQ and reduce one frequency at a time until the feedback stops.
The process is easier on digital mixers as you can sweep through the frequencies quickly and apply the knocked-out EQ to specific channels or the main output. This gets easier with time, and you’ll eventually be able to identify the feedback frequency by ear.
