Wall of Sound (Grateful Dead)

This article refers to the sound system used by the rock band, Grateful Dead. For other meanings of the term, please see Wall of Sound (disambiguation)

The Wall of Sound was an enormous public address system designed specifically for the Grateful Dead's live performances by audio engineer and LSD chemist Owsley "Bear" Stanley. The Wall of Sound fulfilled the band's desire for a distortion-free sound system that could also serve as its own monitoring system.

History

The Wall of Sound fulfilled the band's desire for a distortion-free sound system that could also serve as its own monitoring system. After Stanley got out of prison in late 1972, he, Dan Healy and Mark Raizene of the Grateful Dead's sound crew, in collaboration with Ron Wickersham, Rick Turner, and John Curl of Alembic combined eleven separate sound systems in an effort to deliver high-quality sound to audiences. Vocals, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, and piano each had their own channel and set of speakers. Phil Lesh's bass sent signals from each of the four strings to a separate channel and set of speakers for each string. Another channel amplified the bass drum, and two more channels carried the snares, tom-toms, and cymbals. Because each speaker carried just one instrument or vocalist, the sound was exceptionally clear and free of intermodulation distortion.

Moreover, the Dead's Wall of Sound acted as its own monitor system, and it was therefore assembled behind the band so the members could hear exactly what their audience was hearing. Because of this, Stanley and Alembic designed a special microphone system to prevent feedback. This placed matched pairs of condenser microphones spaced 60 mm apart and run out-of-phase. The vocalist sang into the top microphone, and the lower microphone picked up whatever other sound was present in the stage environment. The signals were added together, the sound that was common to both microphones (the sound from the Wall) was cancelled, and only the vocals were amplified.

The Wall of Sound consisted of 89 300-watt solid-state and three 350-watt vacuum tube amplifiers generating a total of 26,400 watts RMS of audio power. This system projected high quality playback at six hundred feet with an acceptable sound projected for a quarter mile, at which point wind interference degraded it. The Wall of Sound was the perhaps the second-largest* portable sound system ever built (although "portable" is a relative term). The Wall of Sound comprised two stages. One would go ahead to the next city to begin setup as soon as possible while the other was being used; the other would then "leapfrog" to the next show. Four semi-trailers and 21 crew members were required to haul and set up the 75-ton Wall.

Though the initial framework and a rudimentary form of the system was unveiled in February 1973 (ominously, every speaker tweeter blew as the band began their first number), the Grateful Dead did not begin to tour with the full system until a year later in 1974. The Wall of Sound was very efficient for its day, but it suffered from other drawbacks besides its sheer size. Synthesist Ned Lagin, who toured with the group throughout much of 1974, never received his own dedicated input into the system, and was forced to use the vocal subsystem. Because this was often switched to the vocal microphones, many of Lagin's parts were lost in the mix. The Wall's quadraphonic format never translated well to soundboard tapes made during the period, as the sound was compressed into an unnatural stereo format and suffers from a pronounced tinniness.

The rising cost of fuel and personnel, as well as friction among many of the newer crew members (and associated hangers-on), contributed to the band's 1974 "retirement." The Wall of Sound was disassembled, and when the Dead began touring again in 1976, it was with a more logistically practical sound system.

• The most powerful concert sound system ever assembled combined the touring systems of Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Earth Wind and Fire and Black Oak Arkansas, all manufactured by Tycobrahe Sound Co. of Hermosa Beach, CA, plus additional speakers from Phoenix Sound and Flag Systems. Emerson, Lake and Palmer's entire sound system was set up 1/2 mile from the stage and operated with a tape-delay system to match their sound to that emanating from the stage. The total power of the combined systems was reported to be 54,000 watts RMS. The sound was heard over one mile from the stage. The event was called "California Jam," held east of Los Angeles in April 1974. http://www.gambleboards.com/jamtext.htm

Components and characteristics

Stanley, along with Dan Healy and Mark Raizene of the Grateful Dead's sound crew and Ron Wickersham, Rick Turner, and John Curl of Alembic, combined six independent sound systems using eleven separate channels in an effort to deliver high-quality sound to audiences. As Stanley described it,

"The Wall of Sound is the name some people gave to a super powerful, extremely accurate PA system that I designed and supervised the building of in 1973 for the Grateful Dead. It was a massive wall of speaker arrays set behind the musicians, which they themselves controlled without a front of house mixer. It did not need any delay towers to reach a distance of half a mile from the stage without degradation." ^[1]

The Wall of Sound consisted of eighty-nine 300-watt McIntosh model MC 2300 solid state and three 350-watt McIntosh model MC3500 vacuum tube amplifiers, driving the speakers with a total of 26,400 watts RMS. This system projected high quality playback at six hundred feet with acceptable sound projected for a quarter of a mile, at which point wind interference degraded it. The Wall of Sound was the largest concert sound system built at that time.

Vocals, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, and piano each had its own channel and set of speakers. Phil Lesh's bass guitar was piped through a quadraphonic encoder that sent a separate signal from each of the four strings to its own channel and set of speakers. Another channel amplified the bass drum, and two more channels carried the snares, tom-toms, and cymbals. Because each speaker carried just one instrument or vocalist, the sound was exceptionally clear and free of intermodulation distortion.

Technical challenges

The Wall of Sound acted as its own monitor system, and it was therefore assembled behind the band so the members could hear exactly what their audience was hearing. Because of this, Stanley and Alembic designed a special microphone system to prevent feedback. This placed matched pairs of condenser microphones spaced 60 mm apart and run out of phase. The vocalist sang into the top microphone, and the lower mic picked up whatever other sound was present in the stage environment. The signals were added together, the sound that was common to both mics (the sound from the Wall) was canceled, and only the vocals were amplified.

Due to the lengthy installation time required for each venue, the Grateful Dead had three stages for the Wall of Sound. One would be in the process of being torn down from the previous concert, one would be in use, and the last would be in the next city being built as the present shows were being played. The three stages would thus leapfrog each other throughout touring. Four semi-trailer trucks and twenty-one crew members were required to haul and set up the 75-ton Wall.

The Wall was very efficient for its day, but it suffered from other drawbacks besides its sheer size. Synthesist Ned Lagin, who toured with the group throughout much of 1974, never received his own dedicated input into the system, and was forced to use the vocal subsystem. Because this was often switched to the vocal mics, many of Lagin's parts were lost in the mix. Also, the Wall's quadraphonic format never translated well to soundboard tapes made during the period, as the sound was compressed into an unnatural stereo format and suffered from a pronounced tinniness.

Duration

Though the initial framework and a rudimentary form of the system was unveiled at Stanford University's Roscoe Maples Pavilion on February 9, 1973 (every tweeter blew as the band began their first number), the Grateful Dead did not begin to tour with the full system until a year later. The completed Wall of Sound made its touring debut on March 23, 1974, at the Cow Palace in Daly City, California. A recording of the performance was released in 2002 as Dick's Picks Volume 24.

The rising cost of fuel and personnel, as well as friction among many of the newer crew members and associated hangers-on, contributed to the band's October 1974 "retirement." The Wall of Sound was disassembled, and when the Dead began touring again in 1976, it was with a more logistically practical sound system.

See also

• Audio engineering

External links

• Photograph of the Wall of Sound's JBL Professional speakers
• Further information and schematic drawings
• Grateful Dead Listening Guide
• The Grateful Dead & The Wall of Sound video