I Use This Target Trace On Every Gig (And You Can Have It, Too)

I think we can all agree that our goal is to make sure our mix sounds great in every seat. The nosebleeds should sound as every bit as good as FOH.

Where we might differ is what tonality should be represented in every seat.

Is the PA flat? A low end bump? How much hotter are the subs vs the mains? High end rolloff?

Today I share with you my tried and true target trace (something I borrowed from my good friend and colleague Michael Lawrence, who borrowed it from Dennie Miller, another phenomenal SE).

We cover:

- How target traces serve as your tonal guide
- How to EQ a speaker to your desired target trace
- What does success look like for your system’s tonality

#systemdesign #systemtuning #livesound #liveaudio #sounddesign #audioengineering #soundoptimization #liveaudio #concertsound #audiomath #systemtuning #proaudio #soundengineering #soundtech #sounddesigner

[raygibernard]

Ahhah that’s crazy. 😂😂 I was thinking on how to start with it. And that video just popped up on my phone. Thanks Michael

[googleantispy]

As mainly a studio guy who mixes the occasional live show (but has also built mix rooms and dealt with smaller room energy-time-frequency issues), I'm still trying to wrap my head around that +15 on the bottom end of the target curve. Really!? +2 to a +4 maybe, but +15! Whew. What am I missing here? Maybe you can point me to an earlier video that explains the rationale for this huge LF bump...

[KianWirries]

Thanks Michael. That was so Important Information. This was what I was missing, to tune System. Such an Important Video! THANKS A LOT MY MAN!

[christianskovengaard]

Hi Michael.
Are the target traces for floor wedges aswell? Thanks

[anthonygalli]

Thanks so much for sharing the traces! I was looking for that Michael Lawrence one for a while and glad he shared it

[LeeFordDiYs]

Great vid. But Where is the target trace ? Already subscribed . Where can I download it? Thank you

[keeskoppen]

Hi Michael, thanks for this clear explanation of the target trace. Something I've always wondered about is the slow decline from about 1K and upward. Since it is set in empty venue, what happens to your frequency response in a small venue when the room fills up with treble-absorbing people? Do you re-measure? Can you please elaborate on that?

[haartammik]

Thank you for great content! I did seem to notice that the target trace done by Michael Lawrence that was discussed in the video doesn't seem to be in your audio toolkit.

[bendowd]

Thanks Michael, love your content even though I’m a small venue engineer and DJ. Just got my first measurement mic, and I found this target trace to be pretty destructive for recorded music, like when I DJ weddings. Would you recommend this target trace more for live band situations?

[phutran]

Hi Michael, where would you place the mic when using this trace target? I put the measurement mic in the audience area and I find it too much bass. Thanks

[marcusnielsen]

Really good as usual Michael! I'm learning so much from your channel. I've been a sound engineer for 30+ years but never really dug deep into system design on a more theoretical level. You inspire me and I go back to your videos over and over again while trying new things. What are your thoughts on the DSP 408? Does it have any flaws sound-wise that would make you hesitate using it in a installation? I have seen you like to use A&H for that.

[davormaric]

Hey Michael, thanks for your videos. Side note though, how do you like DSP408? I need it mostly for sub & fills processing. I'm using RDNet for array processing, so no need to go fancy IMO. Cheers

[reddog]

Hi Michael, love your videos. I got your tool kit and there are no traces in your Google drive link. Could you help ?

[donnyp_]

Hey Michael! Great video as always!

EDIT: Sike about the issue below - I had opened on an older version of the toolkit and didn't realize :P


There might be an issue with the Drive Link for the target traces. Whenever I click on it, it opens to an empty folder for a second and then opens the trash folder in my drive which never loads for some reason :(

[djbassick]

Is there a way to offset traces or level them for comparison purposes inside of open sound meter?

[jeffreystipe]

Do you approach outdoor events in the same way? I have a repeat event next month and plan to add a second sub versus last year. I didn’t know open sound meter last year so will use that in setup. Thanks for all of your insight…

[WDesertForce]

Whether you are doing a music event, or just presenters with playback - wouldn't this kind of curve on a system level just result in having to manually cut low mids on every channel which isn't BD, floor, bass gtr, DJ? It seems like fewer operations generally to put a boosted low shelf on the channels which need it, rather than cut it from everything which doesn't.

[FreeKeenan]

How can I get the ML target trace for smaart?
Big problem here Michael! I was finally getting a tad comfortable on OSM. And I donated too! OSM crashed a few times but managed to get her up and running again. But last night she's done.
So I contacted Rational Acoustics to verify my windows 11 pro laptop will hold up.
They confirmed yes but recommended I download Smarrt 9 Suite demo. It responds like a champ. The BIG problem is I'M COMPLETELY LOST IN SPACE ON IT. I somewhat got her going but couldn't figure out how to save my work and configuration?? 😢

[uzkezbalakh]

Hi Michael.. This might be a newbie question. Is TARGET TRACES itself is a standard slope for any venue?

[avia]

Is smaart sued with eq apo and measuring mic better than dirac for home use on an avr 5.1 audio?