Âé¶¹´«Ã½

Technology

Software kills squealing gig feedback

By Laura Margottini

2 April 2008

Âé¶¹´«Ã½. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Jimi Hendrix harnessed it to great effect, but squealing feedback is not something you normally want at a gig. The trouble is, getting rid of it can affect the quality of the music. Now there’s a way to free sound engineers to focus on aesthetics, and allow bands who can’t afford sound engineers to give feedback-free performances.

During a performance, the sounds from instruments and microphones are routed to a mixer, where an engineer blends them, adjusting the relative volumes to achieve just the right balance. The signal is then sent to the amplifiers and speakers. Feedback occurs when a…

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with Âé¶¹´«Ã½ events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, today with our introductory offers

or

Existing subscribers

Sign in to your account
Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop