Front Of House.

FOH Roles

FOH stands for Front Of House. This means the mixing desk and where the sound and lighting is all controlled. This is who keeps the performance and concert/gig in action and smooth.

They are classed as an engineer. They control what the audience can hear during a live performance. They make sure that the sound quality stays the same throughout the whole gig and at a good standard quality. Blend together instruments and vocals to achieve a perfectly balanced sound.

Duties In a touring situation, the FOH engineer is ultimately in charge of all audio equipment and supervises a crew of technicians through load-in, sound check, performance, and load-out.

They are considered as considered the head audio tech.

When the audio designer is not around, the FOH engineer has the job to design the placement of the speakers, amps and microphones and to specify the brands and models of the equipment.

During the performance, the Front Of House engineer is known to be at the front of the stage, hence why they are called the front of house engineer. They are usually in the middle of the audience so he gets to hear what they audience would hear.

With the use of a mixing desk, the engineer will adjust the gain, timbre and the dynamics of incoming audio signals. each is manipulated independently through the desk, controlling the output of each vocalist and instrument being played on stage. this is an active process throughout the entire performance making sure everything goes to plan and smoothly.

What are the skills needed?

The Audio Engineering has as much art in it as it does the science behind it.

You must have an amazing ear for music as well as a firm grasp of the technology used to control and manipulate sound. To train your ear , you must study the music history, theory and appreciation.

A formal degree is not required to pursue this career path, but hands on education is needed. This includes education with the mixing desk and speakers and the amplifiers and everything equipment related with the technology side.

A familiarity eith musical instruments is helpful. training as an assistant under an engineer is a great way to understand the basic way of the way things work .

Education in the principles of electricity, the physics of sound, and mathematics are also beneficial to a career as an FOH engineer.