FOH - Words of the Day

/

FOH

 Also known as “Front of House,” FOH refers to the part of a venue the general public occupies. Roadies use this term to refer specifically to the cordoned off area that sits somewhere among, or above, the audience. FOH usually houses the control systems needed to handle the technical elements of an event, including lighting, video, and sound. In sound world the FOH engineer is the person that creates the mix that gets fed to the people actually attending the event.

Why it matters:

  • Stage presence is essential to a live gig, but people go to concerts to enjoy music. Make sure they hear what they expect.

  • Ever been to a show and heard a mic squeal? Preventing feedback happens through a combined group effort, and FOH is very much part of that.

What to look out for:

  • Big names can hire legions of techs and engineers to individually tailor what the crowd hears, what musicians hear, what gets recorded, and what gets broadcasted on TV or online. In more modest setups some or all of these jobs can fall on FOH. Be ready to make compromises in this situation.

  • I've already mentioned it but keep it down. Guitar amps tend to sound their best when cranked, but if it’s skull crushingly loud from the back of the venue before getting mic’d up, the FOH is going to do nothing besides ask you to turn down the amp or turn you down on the mixer. I’ve flat out muted guitarists and drummers in my early days, which brings us to...

  • Do not record straight from the main output and expect good (or even usable) results. The FOH mix is made to touch up the natural sound made by performers, not stand alone. This is especially true in small venues where things like drums or electric guitars are easily heard without help from the main speakers.

Have your own idea for a word of the day? Let me hear it! Toss in any fun stories you’ve got on the subject while you’re at it.