Festival Sound System Commissioning Checklist

Pre-Show Commissioning Timeline

Allocate 2-4 hours for commissioning after the PA is rigged and powered. Work through these steps in order — each builds on the previous.

Phase 1: Safety and Compliance (30 min)

1. SPL at property boundary. Open SonaVyx SPL Meter and measure LAeq at the nearest noise-sensitive receptor (residential boundary). Regulatory limits vary: UK typically 65-75 dBA at 1m from facade, US varies by jurisdiction. Set your system limiter to stay 3 dB below the limit.
2. SPL at FOH and front row. Verify levels are within safe limits for audience exposure. OSHA allows 90 dBA for 8 hours, but festivals should target below 100 dBA at front of house to avoid hearing damage claims.
3. System polarity check. Run the Problem Detector on each speaker zone. Reversed polarity causes bass cancellation and wastes amplifier power.

Phase 2: Coverage Verification (45 min)

1. Walk-test SPL coverage. Play pink noise at operating level. Walk from front to back and side to side, measuring SPL at intervals. Target ±3 dB variation across the primary coverage area. Flag any hot spots or dead zones.
2. Delay tower alignment. Use Transfer Function mode to time-align each delay tower. Measure propagation time with the delay finder. Set delay compensation plus 5-10 ms Haas offset. Verify with combined measurement showing no comb filtering.
3. Subwoofer alignment. Measure transfer function at FOH with subs only, then mains only, then combined. Adjust sub delay and polarity for maximum summation in the crossover region (80-120 Hz).

Phase 3: Quality Optimization (45 min)

1. System EQ. Capture baseline transfer function at FOH. Apply system EQ targeting your house curve. Remeasure to verify. Store the before/after traces for the production report.
2. Monitor world check. Measure each monitor wedge at the performer's ear position. Verify frequency response and check for feedback-prone frequencies using the Feedback Elimination workflow.
3. Full system health check. Run the AI Diagnostic to get a health score and identify any remaining issues.

Documentation

Generate a commissioning report with the Report Generator. Include: SPL measurements at boundary and audience positions, delay times, frequency response before/after EQ, and health score. This protects the production company in case of noise complaints or insurance claims.

Common Mistakes

• Skipping boundary SPL measurement. Noise complaints can shut down a festival. Measure before the audience arrives and have documented proof of compliance.
• Aligning delays by distance only. Wind, temperature, and obstacles change effective sound speed. Always verify with measurement.
• Not accounting for temperature change. Day-to-night temperature drops shift delay alignment. Recheck after sunset.

Tool Bridge

Start with SPL Meter for compliance, then Transfer Function for alignment and EQ, then AI Diagnostic for the final health check.