What are the most important steps for setting up a sound system for a live event?

Choosing the system is a very complex process. You must first decide the proper equipment capable of providing adequate 'throw' for your projected space while keeping clarity and articulation throughout. Having a trusted vendor as your production partner is always recommended of course. Anyone in a position of overseeing such vendors should have strong fundamental knowledge of sound and the gear used within the field as well so that you might be clearer in the early stages as to the size of the production and realistic needs for the event. Having all the information available for the space (size, surfaces, ordinances, atmospheric) so that you can hone in on the correct system quickly will save a lot of time and possible aggravation.

Testing the system in advance of any event is a must, do an end-to-end test run, to ensure sound quality is good for both the in-person audience as well as any remote persons. Have a backup plan or gear ready in case of equipment or live link failures during the event.

The formula is different with corporate events with talking heads and video content then it is about a live concert.. I believe there are more considerations for corporate, placement and the right box for the job In live events it’s a preference of boxes based on rider and other factors including how many people are attending and coverage , not all boxes are created equal , in both instances choosing a company that can deploy and maintain is huge . All the parts and other items should be known . I think one of the biggest is staff knowing how to get what the client wants .

What sounds good for the in-person audience could sound terrible for the online audience. Gone are the days when sending the main mix from the sound board to the online audience is good enough. For hybrid events or live streams, your main audio operator should be aware of what signals are going where... and that they sound good for each audience. Even better if each audience has their own operator. Be aware of what your streaming platform may do to your audio too. Without "Original Sound" turned on, most platforms like Zoom will make any music sound like an AM radio playing underwater.

Testing the sound quality before the start of live event is must important thing. Too loud, too small, and unclear & non-uniform sounds all distracts the audience instead of engaging. Hiring the professionals for testing such system is also crucial.

Step 1 and Step 2 could be reversed when it comes to speakers since a selected speaker has to be physically suitable for the intended location. Suitable speaker options at these locations can then be considered based on the remaining factors.

Never assume anything "just works." Test everything. Have a plan A, a plan B, and a plan C. With wireless systems, scan the airwaves before your event. Make sure that you stay away from any noisy trouble frequencies. Have plenty of batteries on hand too... and make sure to change them each day.

You cannot fix speaker or venue induced comb filtering, venue coverage or system scale with EQ. Nor can these concerns be fixed with mic selection and placement. Speaker selection and placement is square one. Make sure square is right before proceeding.