Sound Design Live

Build Your Career As A Sound Engineer

Out Of Ideas? Just Add Reverb!

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In this episode of the Sound Design Live Podcast I talk with busy bay area sound designer Cliff Caruthers. I almost titled this one, “How To Make A Living as a Theatrical Sound Designer,” but I’ll go ahead and spoil Cliff’s answer, which is, work like crazy. We talk about some of his cool design techniques, the SF Tape Festival, and why LCS is a waste of money.

Details from the podcast:cliff caruthers

  1. People: Jake Rodriguez, Matt Ingalls, Paul Dresher Ensemble, Charlie Richmond
  2. Theatres: Ashby Stage, Theatreworks, Berkeley Rep, SF Playhouse, OSF, The Guthrie
  3. Shows: SF Sound Tape Music Festival
  4. Software/Hardware: Audio Box, Qlab, LCS
  5. The University of Missouri-Kansas City

Create Your Own Speaker Processing App + Sound Design Meets Computer Programming

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***UPDATE: GW Rodriguez just started his own audio blog. Check it out!***

For this seventh episode of Sound Design Live we have a guest post by sound designer, computer programmer, and didgeridoo player GW Rodriguez. He gives us a short intro on the intersection of theatrical sound design and computer programming along with his own speaker processing app.

Details from the podcast:

  1. Abe Jacobs, Cirque Du Soleil
  2. Software: Max/MSP, Qlab, SFX, TouchOSC, SoundFlower, Adobe Audition, SuperCollider, cSound
  3. Hardware: Yamaha 02R, LCS
  4. GW’s speaker processing app for Mac
GW Rodriguez at work

Sound Design for the Pulitzer Prize Winning Play “Ruined”

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In this sixth episode of Sound Design Live I talk with Aaron Meicht and Daniel Baker, the sound design and music production collective known as Broken Chord. We talk about their sound design for Lynn Nottage’s Pulitzer Prize winning play “Ruined.” Topics include researching Congolese music, cooperative design, and experimental theatre. At 52 minutes, this is the longest podcast to date, but they had a lot of good things to say plus Daniel’s accent is entertainment in itself.

Details from the podcast:Aaron Meicht and Daniel Baker

  1. Theatre: Ruined, Berkeley Rep, La Joia, Huntington, Bertolt Brecht, meta theatrical
  2. Music: Congolese Soukous, Justin Beiber -800%, Konono No.1, OZET
  3. Software: Logic Studio and Flex Time, Finale, Spectrafoo
  4. Hardware: M-Audio Axiom 25, AT3035, MOTU Traveler, Yamaha DM2K, UPA-1P, 650-P

Ruined at Berkeley Rep

How To Mic An 800 Seat Theatre With Floor Mics

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In this fourth episode of Sound Design Live I talk to Pierre Dupree, the audio supervisor at The Alley Theatre in Houston, TX, about where to go to graduate school, the dying art of theatrical acting, and how they successfully mic their 800 seat theatre with floor mics. Sorry about the sound quality, this is my first interview using Skype!

Details from the podcast:pierre dupree with mixing board

  1. Schools: University Of Dallas, Cal Art
  2. Theatre: The Pasadena Playhouse
  3. Mics: PCC, Choir, Super cardioid lavalier
  4. Speakers: CQ1, CQ2, JF80
  5. Software: Vectorworks, Qlab
  6. Terminology: “exploded center” = uncoupled point source array
  7. Forums: Theatre Sound, Qlab, TapeOp Magazine

Use Subtitles To Reinforce Localization In Your Surround Sound Installation

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Nathan Lively takes us behind the scenes of his behind the scenes multi-channel sound installation at ZUGHAUS Gallery. As Portuguese actors are heard moving around the audience their position is reinforced through synchronized subtitles on screen.

Details from the podcast:

  1. When I Was Portuguese opens at ZUGHAUS Gallery on April 29, 2011
  2. Annotation Edit subtitle software
  3. Download a multi-channel clip from the installation
  4. See the subtitles in action below

When I Was Portuguese Sound Installation Clip from Nathan Lively on Vimeo.