Sound Design
for the Theatre
The basics that every
theatre ar6st needs
to know

The Audio Engineer . . .

The Audio Engineer . . .

The Audio Engineer . . .
. . . creates an overall soundscape
that suits the performance space
and contributes to the unified
ar6s6c vision of the produc6on.

The Audio Engineer . . .
. . . understands and
works with the
acous6cs of the
performance space.

The Audio Engineer . . .
. . . selects and facilitates the
use of microphones.

The Audio Engineer . . .
. . . creates,
acquires, edits, and
facilitates the
appropriate use of
sound effects (SFX)
and music.

What is sound?

Sound is created with the emission
of vibra6ons or sound waves. The
ear senses and interprets these
sound waves; thus, we hear sound.

Frequency refers to the
length of a sound wave,
which our ears interpret
as pitch.

Timbre refers to the specific quality
of a sound from a given source.
This is how we can dis6nguish
between speakers without looking
at them.

Theatre Acous6cs

The acous6cs of a
theatre refer to how a
specific performance
space responds to
sound.

Reverbera6on is the prolonging
of sound by the reflec6on of
sound waves.

A space that creates too li.le
reverbera1on makes a room
sound “dead”—lacking in
richness and fullness.

A space with too much
reverbera1on causes
unintelligibility.

The reverbera6on of a
space depends on its
shape, its contents, and
the existence of sound
reflec6ve surfaces.

Unfortunately,
the ideal reverb
for the human
voice is different
from that of
musical
instruments.

The Basic
Theatre
Sound
System

Sound
Sources
equipment that generates
or picks up sound

Microphones

Microphones convert
sound waves into electrical
energy for transmission . . .

. . . to another loca6on.

Various
microphones
convert sound
waves in a
variety of ways.

Microphones
also have a
variety of
pickup
pa4erns.

Such as . . .

OMNIDIRECTIONAL

Speak in the
general
vicinity of the
mic, and you
will be
generally
picked up.

UNIDIRECTIONAL

Speak or sing into
the top of the
microphone with
your mouth a few
inches away.

Types of Microphones

Hand‐held

Boom

Floor Mic Body Mic
(Lavalier)

Microphone Care

Never blow into a
microphone to test it.

Never tap on a mic with your finger.

Don’t thump or bang
microphones on a
hard surface.

Be careful
not to step
or fall on a
floor mic.

Feedback is
caused by a
microphone
moving too
close to a
speaker.

Be careful not to
touch body mics
as part of your
character ac6on
—adjus6ng hair
or clothes.

Don’t speak
backstage while
wearing a body
mic in the event
that it is s6ll live!

Store
microphones
in a cool, dry
cabinet on a
padded shelf
or in their
cases.

The Actor’s
Instrument
Vs.
The Mic

“Straight” theatre does
not use body mics.

Even musicals will o]en refrain from
using body mics to pick up dialogue—
unless it is underscored.

When body mics are used for dialogue,
they tend to modify the voice, making
it sound “6nny.”

There is just no
way around it.

Despite the inven6on of the
microphone, it is absolutely
necessary for an actor to train
rigorously and master vocal
produc6on techniques.

The Mixer

The Mixer . . .

The Mixer . . .
. . . combines
several input
signals into
one output
channel.

The Mixer . . .
. . . combines
several input
signals into
one output
channel.
. . . sends signals to
and from processors.

The Mixer . . .
. . . combines
several input
signals into
one output
channel.
. . . balances levels for . . . sends signals to
each input source. and from processors.

Processors
alter the sound quality with
various effects (echo, reverb, etc.)

DOUBLE
ECHO
FLANGE
PAN‐POT
REVERB
WAH‐WAH

Amplifiers
augment the
sound signals to
a level for
transmission by
loudspeakers

Loudspeakers
convert the sound signals
into soundwaves

The Sound
Designer’s
Process

Read and analyze
the text. Iden6fy
all of its sound
needs.

Research the
world of the play
—the 6me
period, the
loca6on, etc.

Communicate
with the
director and the
rest of the
design team to
insure that your
ideas and design
are in synch.

Abend some
rehearsals to get
a sense of the
direc6on and
blocking

Plan your
preliminary design

PRE‐SHOW
MUSIC
music that is played
before the show begins

TRANSITION
MUSIC
music that is played between scenes
or acts a.k.a. entr’acte music

AMBIENT
MUSIC
music that
underscores a scene

CUE MUSIC
pre‐recorded music that is
required by the text of the play

POST‐SHOW
MUSIC
music that is played during the
curtain call and aPer the show

INFORMATION
SFX that give
the audience
informa4on
• time period
• location
• time of day
• time of year
• weather

CUES
SFX iden4fied
in script that
• telephones
reinforce stage
• doorbells
• chimes
ac4on

SFX referred to or
TEXTUAL reacted to by the
REFERENCE characters that are
not stated in stage
direc4ons

MOOD
CREATION
SFX that create
atmosphere; not
stated in stage
direc4ons

EMOTIONAL
STIMULUS
SFX not stated in
the stage direc4ons
that evoke an
emo4onal response

So where do
you get these
sound effects
(SFX)?

SFX CD Collec6ons

soundsnap.com
DOG BARKING CITYSCAPE
BEACH CRASHING GLASS
FLOOR CREAK PLAYGROUND

or

. . . record them yourself

Use so]ware to edit your music
and sound effects, if necessary.

Clipping
By increasing the amplitude of the sound
waves beyond the range of the equipment,
you will cause clipping—which distorts the
sound.

Set up the space
as needed.
Par6cipate in
paper tech, cue‐
to‐cue, and tech
rehearsals—
tweaking your
design and its
facilita6on.

Life Under Water
Gold Masque Produc6on
Season ‘07 – ‘08
Sound Cue Sheet
Cue # Pg. Descrip6on Cue Source Note
SFX‐A 3 SFX: Waves AMY: Guess CD Fade in
what? Track 01
SFX‐B 9 Song: “Every Breath Lights out. CD Fade out with
You Take” start of next
Track 02
scene.
SFX‐C 17 SFX: Telephone rings JINX: Where’s CD
Hank? Track 03
SFX‐Z 22 SFX: Wind KIP: It’s a big CD
house. Track 04
SFX‐AA 23 Song: “99 Red Lights out. CD Fade in; let song
Balloons” run 6ll end.
Track 05

Burn a Show CD

“Mic”‐ing Musicals

The audio engineer determines
how to balance the sound of the
the orchestra and singers .

O]en body mics
will need to be
shared among
the performers
with solos in the
show.

The audio
engineer will
need to create a
Body Mic Plot—a
lis6ng of which
performer uses
which body mic
for which song.

The stage manager
will assist the
audio engineer to
orchestrate how
this transfer of
body mics will
occur backstage.

With regards to
the booth, the
sound equipment
and the cabling,
restore the
theatre space to
its original
condi6on.

FIN