Bottom line: "How Sound Systems Work" is a solid introductory course that is well worth the $200 price tag. At first I thought "too expensive", but then I compared the cost to my first semester at the Sonic Arts Center, which is basically what's covered in this course. Let's see, $200 vs $4,000? Now it makes more sense. Here's the intro video: https://youtu.be/Qdcuw44VCJs Things I liked The human hearing system is quite easy to fool. -Pat Brown I'm a big fan of step-by-step courses, … [Read more...]
Honestly, Live Audio Is Not Based On Science
Did you hear my interview with Dave Swallow? You should. In our conversation it was obvious that he has a ton of valuable information to share, but that information is kind of hidden in his book. Let's dig around in the dirt and pull out the gems. Your job as an engineer is to get the best out of what you are given, even when you are given the worst. Bored. Swallow spends a lot of time covering information that you can find in the user manuals for mixing consoles and outboard gear. It … [Read more...]
The Five Most Popular Posts of 2013
2013 was a big year around these parts. Besides publishing the Sound Design Live eBook, I created a Google+ page, a YouTube channel, and even made the podcast available as a BitTorrent! I also expanded the site to include reviews of pro audio books and hardware, as well as sound engineering tutorials and articles. Wonder what topics people were most interested in this year? Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Sound Design Live's most popular podcast interviews and pro audio tutorials and articles … [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...]
Condenser Microphone Review: Edwina
You probably know that hearing is highly susceptible to outside influence. If not, watch this Audio Myths Workshop, it's amazing. (The good stuff starts at 5:27, with Poppy Crum playing Led Zeppelin.) https://youtu.be/BYTlN6wjcvQ?t=5m27s It's Sexy The Edwina microphone sounds good, and its sound quality is augmented by its sex appeal. I brought this large diaphragm cardioid condenser microphone from Ear Trumpet Labs to review during a festival of mostly acoustic bands at Freight & … [Read more...]