Sound Design Live

Build Your Career As A Sound Engineer

This iPhone App Helps Musicians Mix Themselves from Stage

By

Subscribe on iTunes, SoundCloud, Google Play or Stitcher.

Support Sound Design Live on Patreon.

In this episode of Sound Design Live I talk with musician and cofounder of Upscale Technology, Francis Masse. We discuss how his app, Uptune, helps musicians mix themselves from the stage.

I ask:

  • Looking back on your career so far, what’s one of the best decisions you made to get more of the work that you really love?
  • Uptune’s tagline is “Soundcheck made easy” and “your virtual soundman”. Most of the people in my audience are professional sound engineers and don’t need this app, but I thought it would be an interesting way to talk about the work of being a live sound engineer. If I ask you to make a list of every action you take and every decision you make from the time you walk in the door to the time you leave, what would that look like? So Francis, tell us about the genesis of Uptune. Why did it get made and how did it get made?
  • Walk me through set up and soundcheck using Uptune
  • What are some of the biggest mistakes you see musicians making who are trying to mix themselves from stage?

The intention behind Uptune is not to replace sound engineers, but to help musicians who don’t have a sound engineer.

Francis Masse

Notes

  1. Books: Mastering Audio
  2. Podcasts: Startup, Startup journey

Sound system design for the largest public event in Philadelphia’s history: The Eagles Super Bowl Parade

By

Subscribe on iTunes, SoundCloud, Google Play or Stitcher.

Support Sound Design Live on Patreon.

In this episode of Sound Design Live I talk with Chris Leonard who is Director of Audio at IMS Technology Services. We discuss his sound system design and mix for the largest public event ever in Philadelphia covering 1 mile for the Eagles Super Bowl Parade, dealing with wide dynamic energy coming through a podium mic, and how to build relationships and get more work with Project Managers.

sound-design-live-mixing-monitors-tears-for-fears-chris-leonard-headshot

Yes this is a large scale event, but you’re taking the principles you already know and scaling them up.

Chris Leonard

Notes

  1. Hardware: VTX speakers, CL5, QL5, BSS BLU806, iTech amplifiers, SG300 switches, Rio rack
  2. Outreach
    1. Do
      1. Connect on LinkedIn.
      2. Show that you are actively working with your posts. Make them authentic about the level you’re working at, but focus on more of the work you want to be doing. How organized are you? What equipment are you using?
      3. Follow other freelancers and companies.
      4. Send your blackout dates (vs available) every 1-3 months.
      5. Make your emails personal and interesting.
    1. Don’t
      1. Expect a response to your availability updates.
      2. Email your availability updates more than once a month.
      3. Offer to travel if the request is for someone local.
  3. Quotes
    1. The city learned their lesson and got it right this time.
    2. With Dante over CAT5 you don’t want to go beyond 300ft, but with fiber I can go for miles.
    3. I heavily use LinkedIn.
    4. I need people who can be an A1 for a massive show and some that can be basic breakout AV tech.

Fighting Microphone Feedback WITHOUT a Graphic EQ While Mixing Monitors from FOH in a Reverberant Room

By

Subscribe on iTunes, SoundCloud, Google Play or Stitcher.

Support Sound Design Live on Patreon.

In this episode of Sound Design Live I talk with Michael Lawrence who is Document Jockey at Rational Acoustics, Technical Editor at Live Sound International, and a freelance audio engineer. We discuss lots of tips for fighting microphone feedback without a graphic EQ (and without Smaart!) while mixing stage monitors from FOH in a reverberant room.

I ask:

  • How did you get your first job in audio?
  • Looking back on your career so far, what’s one of the best decisions you made to get more of the work that you really love?
  • Running monitors from FOH? Here’s some tips.
    • Like me and many other people, you often work by yourself. You are the system designer, system tech, A1, etc. You’ve developed a lot of processes to efficiently get it all done. Can we go over some of your best tips for running stage monitors from FOH?
    • Why don’t you use Smaart with your stage monitors?
    • Walk me through your process for ring out the monitors.
  • And from Facebook
    • Manuel Elias Costa: What does he know about automix and machine learning algorithms research? It would be interesting to hear more about the developments in mixing and automation.
    • Andrey Andreev: What does he think of the way music industry is developing production-wise and is audio quality still a thing? How are decision been made for speccing a certain sound system? Why is point source so much neglected when it can be so many times better sounding than the usual line array type of systems? (Of course line array has its place but it’s hardly always the right solution)
    • Dave Gammon: Does he see sound being more immersive in the future. Less about right and left but more about a total experience and encapsulating the audience.
    • Garrick Quentin: With the new advancements in line source technology, where do old line arrays go to die? What’s the next game changer in line array technology that we don’t yet know about?
    • Lou Kohley: How do you stay relevant to opposite edges of your market? The novice just starting at a bar gig to working professional to industry veteran.

I hate graphic EQs. I don’t use them unless I don’t have a better choice. You’re talking about 1/3 of an octave. That’s like a C to an F on a piano.

Michael Lawrence

Notes

  1. All music in this podcast by Bionik.
  2. Running Monitors from FOH? Here are some tips.
    1. Verify all outputs with pink noise. If they are all the same model, they should all sound the same. Check settings (line/mic switch, gain).
    2. Practice identifying feedback frequencies. Sing it to yourself.
  3. Hardware: X32, Midas Pro1, LS9
  4. My Results from 30 Days of Ear Training, Download the Aiming Triangles Business Card
  5. Quotes
    1. I treat everything like I’m on tour even when I’m not on tour; doing the same things in the same order every time.
    2. Before you do any test, have an idea of what you expect it to look like.
    3. I always have a cue wedge at FOH. If you don’t have one, you’re guessing.
    4. I hate graphic EQs. I don’t use them unless I don’t have a better choice. You’re talking about 1/3 of an octave. That’s like a C to an F on a piano.
    5. We ignore the polar pattern of the mic. That’s super important. Buy yourself every dB you can get.
    6. I always double patch my money channel.

If Poor Speaker Choice and Placement Were a Crime, We’d All Go to Jail

By

Subscribe on iTunes, SoundCloud, Google Play or Stitcher.

Support Sound Design Live on Patreon.

In this episode of Sound Design Live I talk with principle teacher at Synergetic Audio Concepts and a co-author of Sound System Engineering, Pat Brown. We discuss the motivation of mistakes, finding clients through retail work, investing in high quality tools, practicing at home, and the biggest mistakes in sound system design and optimization.

I ask:

  • What was the first record you ever bought with your own money?
  • How did you get your first job in audio?
  • Looking back on your career so far, what’s one of the best decisions you made to get more of the work that you really love?
  • What are some of the biggest mistakes you see people making who are new to sound system design?
  • If you could wave a magic wand and make it so, what is one concept that you wish all sound system designers understood better?
  • Tell us about the biggest or maybe most painful mistake you’ve made on the job and how you recovered.
  • What software do you us in your seminars?
  • What’s in your work bag?
  • What is one book that has been immensely helpful to you?

If the FCC prosecuted sound system designers for poor array design, like you would for a for RF antenna design, they’d be putting us in jail for how we spew energy into rooms.

Pat Brown

Notes

  1. All music in this podcast by Nataly.
  2. Course 50: How Sound Systems Work
  3. Software: GratisVolver, CATT-Acoustic, ReflPhinder, SketchUp, FIR Capture
  4. Books: Handbook for Sound Engineers, Sound Systems: Design and Optimization
  5. Workbag: impedance meter, polarity tester
  6. Quotes
    1. I had just screwed up a system really bad. I wanted to know what I did wrong and was glad to find out I had done everything wrong.
    2. The key is to do it enough times to where you don’t have to think about the steps each time.
    3. Everyone should have to do retail for a while.
    4. The music store makes a great front end for a contracting business.
    5. I get that call all the time: OK Pat, I’m out in the room, I’m got my mic up, I’ve got my USB card hooked up. Now what? And I always say, “Pack it all back up. Go home. Lock yourself in your living room. Get a couple of little sound speakers and learn how to drive the thing.”
    6. If the FCC prosecuted sound system designers for poor array design, like you would for a for RF antenna design, they’d be putting us in jail for how we spew energy into rooms.
    7. You have to minimize the excitation of the room because you are creating your own interference if you are not thinking about that.
    8. I’ve never been impressed by market share. Just because something is the most popular thing out there for doing something; that’s never been a good enough reason for me to use it.
    9. The thing about acoustic modeling programs is that you can be way off. It’s always necessary, if possible, as a sanity check, to compare it to measured data in the room.

Real World troubleshooting tips for wireless microphone and In-ear-monitor dropouts and interference

By

Subscribe on iTunes, SoundCloud, Google Play or Stitcher.

Support Sound Design Live on Patreon.

In this episode of Sound Design Live I talk with touring monitor engineer and RF technician for the Eli Young Band, Stephen Pavlik. We discuss troubleshooting tips for wireless microphone and in-ear-monitor interference as well as RF best practices to avoid dropouts.

I ask:

  • What is one RF myth you would like to never hear again?
  • One of the most common wireless issues that everyone asked about during Wireless Workshop is how to avoid drop outs. At the beginning of your presentation you said, “There is no one solution. There is no magic box. We need to maximize efficiency and properly deploy every device and step in the chain! Only then can we blame the video guys.” If that’s the case, could you help me get started by giving me a prioritized checklist of things to look at to help me track down my wireless dropouts? What are some common pitfalls at each stage of the signal chain?
  • Tell us about the biggest or maybe most painful mistake you’ve made on the job and how you recovered.
  • What’s in your work bag?
  • What is one book that has been immensely helpful to you?
  • What podcasts do you listen to regularly?

Every point in the signal chain can affect gain. Too low and you have dropouts. Too high and you have overloads.

Stephen Pavlik

Notes

  1. All music in this podcast by Steve Knots.
  2. Part 74 license: Legally you can shut down other unlicensed operators causing interference. Operate at 250mW. Must use a minimum of 50 channels on a regular basis to qualify.
  3. White space devices: use unused TV channels.
  4. LPDA: Shark fin. Wideband directional antenna. 7-9dBi of gain compared to an omnidirectional antenna.
  5. Wireless Workshop: Wireless Crash Course for Monitor Engineers
  6. Tips to avoid dropouts:
    1. Have the right cable. Video cable (75ohm): big debate, but you will experience some loss. Make sure the center pin is not extruding past the connector. Use RG8X or RG8 and you’ll be fine.
    2. Make sure you are wired correctly. You cannot cascade active antenna combiners. You must use a passive combiner.
    3. Antenna location: Line of sight and away from metal and power.
    4. Insure that SMA antenna connector is secure. If you see both A and B antennas stop receiving at the same time then you have a problem with the transmitter.
  7. Dropout: low enough signal that the squelch engages.
  8. Workbag: spectrum analyzer, Wilkinson power divider, tunable filter, KC901s, TTI PSA 2702, Signal Hound SA44B, Senheisser A1031U, Professional Wireless LPDA, Lectrosonics SNA600, battery powered antenna distro PSC RF multi
  9. Books: Yamaha Sound Reinforcement Handbook, ARRL Antenna Handbook, Secrets of RF Circuit Design
  10. Podcasts: This Week in Radio Tech
  11. Quotes
    1. Don’t be afraid to leave a good thing in hopes of something better.
    2. You cannot take the output of an antenna combiner and cascade it into another one to get more channels.
    3. Every point in the signal chain can affect gain. Too low and you have dropouts. Too high and you have overloads. The most loss is in the wireless path.
    4. Make sure the antenna doesn’t touch skin because that will take out another 20dB.