Subscribe on iTunes, SoundCloud, Google Play or Stitcher.
Support Sound Design Live on Patreon.
In this episode of Sound Design Live I talk with the touring FOH sound engineer for Godsmack, Erik Rogers. We discuss how he dealt with various SPL limits while on tour, console setup, and why safety is never a compromise.
I ask:
- What’s one of the biggest things you’ve learned while working with Godsmack?
- Tell us about the biggest or maybe most painful mistake you’ve made on the job and how you recovered.
- From FB
- Sam: Ask him what kind of issues does he face on the road besides the difference in venues.
- Andreas: His Routing in his Desk (Input- Groups – Matrix etc)
- Chris: Always interested in rock vocal chains, and mixing them with an up front guitar sound. It can be difficult to separate them at times. Tips or tricks?
- Alfons: Does he use gates on all vocals & drums? Does he use peak or RMS compression?
- Rob: What beard cream is best?
- David: Compression: heavy or light? Pre or post EQ? What console are you on, what are you doing with bus compression?
- Mark: Can I train under him ?
- Jonathan: What tricks does he use to get that epic kick sound?

Safety is never a compromise.
Erik Rogers
Notes
- All music in this episode by Godsmack.
- Hardware: isemcon 7150, calibrator, never portico 2, shure 91, audix d6, kelly shoe,
- workbag: iSEMcon emx7150, calibrator, focusrite scarlet preamp, flashlight, incense, headphones
- Books: The Art of Happiness by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
- Podcasts: How I built this, Joe Rogan, Serial Killers
- Quotes
- I don’t have the same direction I did when I was 20.
- Sometimes you need to get hit in the face with a brick in order to focus.
- I guess that’s the difference between me and a monitor guy; my customer service has a barricade in between us.
- You’re an American and you look at 100dB and you’re like, that’s fuck’n crazy.
- I calibrate one microphone every day for SPL measurement and then my roaming microphone for system tuning is not calibrated.
- Safety is never a compromise.
- Anybody who’s motivated to succeed can as long as you don’t give up, and can take a shit load of criticism.

Leave a Reply