Sound Design Live

Build Your Career As A Sound Engineer

Mixing the most difficult musical on Broadway: Rock of Ages

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In this episode of the Sound Design Live podcast, I talk with Daryl Bornstein about Rock of Ages, the most difficult play he has ever mixed. We discuss:

  • How he first got work on Broadway.
  • How he got the gig with Rock of Ages.
  • The complicated setup procedure before every show.
  • The sound system design and tuning.
  • How to visualize sound in a room.
  • What it takes to learn an intense Broadway musical.
  • The moment of panic on every show.

People want to work with somebody who is a team player, who is going to do what they need to do to make sure their work isn’t compromised, but understands the big picture and approaches problems as a challenge as opposed to an annoyance.

Show notes:

  1. All music in this episode from Rock Of Ages (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
  2. Hardware/software: Avid Profile, LCS, Galileo, Sennheiser 5212 and HSP2 and MKE1, Ultimate Ears
  3. Quotes
    1. Think of it as light. How is it going to reflect off of walls and other surfaces?
    2. Rock of Ages is the most difficult show I’ve ever had to mix.
    3. It’s unlike any other show I’ve ever done, because you cannot make a mistake.
    4. The single most important decision I ever made was to approach a producer and lobby to be the production sound engineer on a musical…
    5. The only criteria [for hiring crew] was, “Is this somebody that you want to sit across from at dinner and have a fun time?” You want to be around people that you enjoy being around. And that’s probably what makes for success, aside from skills.
    6. This particular [Digidesign Profile] has more plugins on it than any other Profile in the world.

sound-design-live-podcast-mixing-musical-broadway-rock-of-ages-daryl-bornstein-set

One Critical Skill You Need to Get Stage Theatre Jobs: How Surrey University Is Training Audio Engineers

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In this episode of Sound Design Live, I speak with Paul McConkey, the sound module coordinator at the University of Surrey, about the most important skill you need to get stage theatre jobs in the West End of London. We talk about his career path, from earning a record contract to building a recording studio, touring with rock bands, and finally teaching the professional production skills course at the University of Surrey. We also discuss training for the stamina to succeed and how work placements serve the performing arts.

sound-design-live-stage-theatre-jobs-surrey-university-paul-mcconkey-training-audio-engineersThere’s a lot to deal with in the entertainment business, and most of it requires people skills.

Details from the podcast:

  1. All music in this episode by iso999
  2. Guildford School of Acting
  3. Depping = Acting as a deputy.
  4. Quotes
    1. You work for free for us for a while, but eventually you get a reputation and that reputation is gold dust. (11:17)
    2. Getting a job is a lot of fitting in, half the time, because it’s a family. (11:51)
    3. There is a wealth of work within audio. There is a possibility to diversify.
    4. If you are good with your people skills, you can train yourself up to be good at [a particular] area. (14:24)

sound-design-live-stage-theatre-jobs-surrey-university-paul-mcconkey-training-audio-engineers-we-will-rock-you

Sound System Design And Optimization with Bob McCarthy

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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 on-axis points and relative splay angles between speakers, wireless microphones for measurement, hardware and software measurement systems, and how to get what you want without humiliating the client. Hold on to your hats and bring a snack, we have a lot of ground to cover.

sound-design-live-bob-mccarthy-headshotSystem optimization is dedicated to a very simple scientific concept: Not to make it sound good, but to make it sound the same. We are a waveform delivery service.

sound-design-live-sound-system-design-optimization-bob-mccarthy-melodieDetails from the podcast:

  1. All music in this episode by Gala Drop
  2. Bob’s website and his seminars at Meyer Sound
  3. Bob’s forward to my eBook, Sound Design Live
  4. Jazz At Lincoln Center, The Alan Room, Julliard
  5. Constellation Electroacoustic Architecture
  6. The musical Wicked, with sound design by Tony Meola assisted by Kai Harada
  7. AES 50th conference on education: There is currently no audio or video of the conference to share, but I did get some a nice photo and Bob’s presentation slides. See below.
    1. Why is sound so difficult?
      1. It’s invisible.
      2. It’s almost inaudible. [You can only experience it at the location you are right now, unlike light which can be seen at many different locations at once.]
      3. We experience it logarithmically, but talk about it linearly. You cannot ignore the science or the art.
  8. Sound system check list:
    1. Basic signal flow: Correct sound out of the correct speakers. Is the cabinet wired right? Are all drivers functioning?
    2. Speaker position: Aim, relative splay, relative spacing. Is it pointed at the right place? Is it splayed correctly compared to its neighbor? Is anything obstructing the sound?
  9. Measurement systems: SIM, Smaart, SATLive
  10. Sound & Video Contractor magazine
  11. Quotes:
    1. “The reason you can’t just go to your artistic place & start mixing is that your canvas might have a giant rip in it.”
    2. “If you want to get your artistic message delivered, you have to go through the science to get there.”
    3. “Never humiliate a client.”
sound-design-live-sound-system-design-optimization-bob-mccarthy-aes-education-conference

Photo by Kelly Ford and used with permission courtesy of the AES 50th International Conference.

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Show Networks and Control Systems

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In this episode of Sound Design Live I talk with author and professor John Huntington about his new book on show control systems, who is responsible for audio quality at live events, and practical weather guidelines. We also discuss setting up computers to be show reliable, whether or not you should go to college, and how to do an ABX blind test so you don’t over-spend on pricy hardware.

[quote picture=”https://sounddesignlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/sound-design-live-john-huntington-thumbnail.png” name=”John Huntington” align=”left”]The record industry collapse has been fantastic for the live sound business. You have to tour now to make money.[/quote]

“You don’t have to go to school, but you do need to educate yourself one way or another.”

sound-design-live-john-huntington-show-networks-control-systemsDetails from the podcast:

  1. All music in this podcast by Zé Dos Frangos except at 1:09:50 by Animal Collective
  2. John’s Book: Show Networks and Control Systems
  3. John’s Blog: Rethinking Entertainment Technology Education, Concert Goers Bill Of Rights,  Stuxnet Worm Targets Siemens Industrial Control Systems, The Weather Is Not Boring, Indiana State Fair, Weather Resources For Show Crews, ABX Test Star Quad Cable, Cisco CCNA Bootcamp
  4. Acronyms:
    1. ACN – Architecture for Control Networks
    2. LDI – Live Design International
    3. USITT – United States Institute for Theatre Technology
  5. Sound System Engineers: Jamie Anderson, Bob McCarthy
  6. Designers: Bran Ferren, Marcus Stern, Steve Terry, George Kindler, David Smith,
  7. Software/Hardware: Wireshark, Starquad cable, Dan Dugan and the Dugan Mixer
  8. School: Ithaca, Yale, City Tech
  9. Press: Live Design, Lighting & Sound America, Theatre Sound List, Show Control List
  10. The Amazing Meeting with James Randi
  11. National Weather Service
  12. Definitions:
    1. Thunderstorm Watch: Conditions are right for severe storm development.
    2. Thunderstorm Warning: Storm has been sighted.
    3. Outflow Boundary: A storm-scale boundary separating thunderstorm-cooled air (outflow) from the surrounding air.

john-huntington-himalaya

From Highschool Dropout To Head Of Audio

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In this episode of Sound Design Live I talk with sound designer and composer Steve Brown about the 2013 World Stage Design and how he went from high-school drop out to head of audio at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester. We discuss the best exhibitions to show your sound design work, new software for live performance, and why your show should rely less on automation and more on skilled operators.

sound-design-live-steve-brownI’ve made every mistake a sound engineer, a sound technician, a sound designer can ever make, but I think the important thing is that I only made them once.

A good operator is as much a part of a performance as a good actor.

sound-design-live-steve-brown-royal-exchange-theatre-inside

  1. All transitional audio elements in this podcast by Steve Brown
    1. Helsinki Barrel Organ
    2. The Comedy of Errors – Opening Cue and Underscore
    3. Lost at Sea – commissioned by Dody Nash – The Listening Shell at the V&A Museum, London
    4.  T1 T2 T3  – commissioned by Jen Hingley – Synaesthesia exhibit, Manchester
  2. Steve’s sites: Homepage, Twitter, Scoop, SoundCloud, Podbean, LinkedIn
  3. Steve follows: Martyn Ware, Scanner, Des Coulum
  4. Theatre:  Royal Exchange, The Boy Friend, Royal Shakespeare Company,
  5. Hardware: UPM-1, MSL-2, UPA-1, USW, Control-1, Akai S6000 Sampler, Korg Kaoss Pad,
  6. Software: AudioMulch, MaxMSP, Pure Data, Waves Pluginssound-design-live-steve-brown-royal-exchange-theatre-layout
  7. Groups: International Organization of Scenographers, Theatre Architects and Technicians, World Stage Design, United State Institute For Theatre Technology, Prague Quadrennial
  8. Designers: Dinesh Yadav, Daniel Belton, Bassam Yaqout, A K Azad, Vinnie Olivieri, Brad Berridge, Joe Young, Nick Hunt, Rachel Nicholson, David Budries, Olivera Gracanin, Adrian Curtin
  9. Sound Libraries: Sound Dogs, Sound Snap, Aporee