Zimpapers Logo

Mthabisi Tshuma, Showbiz Correspondent
IN a matter of months, our world has been turned upside down through the global coronavirus pandemic.

The arts sector has not been spared as a lot has changed with online platforms now the new venues for shows.

The future of physical concerts looks bleak due to the ban on public gatherings and resultantly, artistes are missing paycheques, tours and the deafening screams from their fans during performances.

Many artistes have fallen on hard times as they cannot make ends meet, but fortunately, there’s the Internet that has given birth to online shows.

While most artistes and music promoters alike are still looking for ways to monetise on the virtual shows, the shows have come as a relief for artistes as they are able to stay in touch with fans. Some fortunate artistes are being paid handsomely by the organisers of the virtual shows while others are doing it to remain visible on the arts scene.

Since staging shows online is still fairly new to many, most shows however, have been met with technical glitches, something which has affected many show producers as they have been discouraged after being bashed online and losing out on a lot of viewers in the process. Data is quite pricey in Zimbabwe so in order to captivate audiences, one must strive to deliver a flawless act.

Most of the glitches really have been beyond the control of event organisers who are still new to this way of conducting shows.

Shows that have experienced technical glitches include Switch On Zimbabwe — United Against Covid-19, Bulawayo Arts Festival (Baf), Nash Friday Live and Willis Wataffi’s live among many others.

With productions well presented and picture quality spot-on, in most instances, the main glitch has been sound, an area which most producers seem to have been taking for granted.
Zimbabwe Television Network (ZTN) which is leading the way in terms of hosting virtual concerts, through their sound engineer Ngoni Shumba, said sound engineers should not be overlooked as they are critical for virtual shows as they play different roles in the production set.

“Sound engineers are the heartbeat of any musical show. In mixing and setting equalisers and applying effects, engineers are constantly creating an atmosphere for the artiste. This is the most important thing for the artiste in order for them to have a perfect vibe, seeing as there is no physical crowd or cheers they can hear.

“The sound engineers are also responsible for providing the required equipment for the artiste. Each artiste comes with what is termed a Technical Rider (Tech Rider for short) that specifies the demands of each artist. This entails details that range from the type of microphone, type of guitars down to the smallest of details such as channel setup if they will be bringing their personal sound engineers,” said Shumba.

He said in order for an online show to run smoothly in terms of sound, it requires dedication from the sound engineer, something which can be achieved when they work in a friendly environment.

“The sound engineer is responsible for the quality of the final mix. If the quality of equipment is inadequate then it compromises the quality of the stream as well.

“If the engineer is not familiar with the broadcast sound, it compromises the quality as well. Some of the problems are also finance related, if the equipment has to be hired then it can be problematic if finances are not in check,” he said.

Shumba said the sound engineering field is not a walk in the park as sometimes there are bad days and sometimes there are good days.

“In the media, it’s said sound constitutes 70 percent of any programme or show. Poor visuals can be forgiven, but poor sound is unpardonable. The world of sound in broadcast is a very different world as from when we are in a concert listening with loudspeakers.

“Sound engineers play a vital bridging role between the studio performance and the viewers, ensuring all parties are well taken care off. Sometimes there are bad days, sometimes good days,” he said.

David Mwale, the sound engineer for Nash TV’s online show said sound engineers should not be taken for granted when working on such productions.

“A sound engineer be it online shows, live show or studio shows, is like a chef in a restaurant. He’s responsible for the outcome of the artistes’ product.

“He either breaks or makes the music/show. No matter how good an artiste is, sound engineers play an important role (role of last resort) in perfecting or complementing artistes’ work,” Mwale said.

Fusion Media Group (FMG) founder Tatenda “MK” Mnkandla who is also the sound engineer for the FMG Live shows said sound engineers are the ones holding the key to artistes success in this online world of shows.

“Sound engineers play a major role in live sessions because there’s no room to mess up. Some sound engineers are sceptical about doing live shows because they still use analogue mixers which don’t have plug-ins, thus they should shift to digital mixers as they come with a lot of advantages. Due to Covid-19 I’ve found a new hobby which is very challenging and interesting at the same time,” MK said. — @mthabisi_mthire.