Sound engineers and production staff often confuse sound system tuning and sound system toning. Tuning a sound system involves objective goals and measurements. Toning a sound system is a subjective, artistic endeavor. Audio can be scary because it's invisible. Therefore, many people believe all audio engineers have identical wizard-like abilities: they are expected to walk into any room, anywhere, and create magic sound with their golden ears. In reality, system technician and mix … [Read more...]
Sound System Design And Optimization with Bob McCarthy
Subscribe on iTunes or SoundCloud. In this episode of Sound Design Live I speak with Bob McCarthy, author of Sound System Design & Optimization and Director of System Optimization at Meyer Sound. We talk about variable acoustic architecture, why we must optimize before we mix, and how to prioritize our system check list. We also discuss why graphic EQs are useless, common misconceptions about stereo, the pitfalls of L/R stacked subs, why sound is so difficult to teach, tips for finding … [Read more...]
The Sound Design Live eBook Is Live!
Ciao! Hope you enjoyed last week's series of posts on condenser microphones. I had a lot of fun making it. Those Ear Trumpet Labs mics are beautiful. The Sound Design Live eBook is live, and I can't wait for you to check it out. Those of you who preordered will receive a download link shortly. I wish everyone lots of fulfilling work and projects in the future. Enjoy your Sunday! Best, Nathan Still Here? Maybe you'd like to read Bob McCarthy's foreword to the book? Audio … [Read more...]
There’s No Such Thing As A Bad Microphone
There's no such thing as a bad microphone. Even a broken microphone has its uses...like making drummers happy who want mics on every element of their kit. Bad Mic = User Error The most common microphones in the industry, the Shure SM57 and SM58, are considered by some to be bad mics because they basically require close miking. (For further discussion, see my podcast with Philip Graham on Condenser vs. Dynamic Microphones For Live Sound.) These mics have a crazy built-in EQ curve, can handle … [Read more...]