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Live Sound – Do Not Be Afraid

How to prevent and prepare for the worst

A few months ago, I was having lunch with a friend who works in post-production and she mentioned that she did not have the nerves for live sound, that it in fact scared the hell out of her.  I remarked it scared the hell out of us too, and that is why we are always prepared for the worst case scenarios. She then asked what types of things, we did not have enough time to get into it at lunch, but I thought it would be helpful to interview a few engineers to get their advice and tips. Karrie

Kim Watson:  Freelance Audio Engineer. Monitor Engieer for The Subways

The lost art of fault-finding.

I have been noticing a shift within the industry as far as audio education is concerned. Engineers are entering our world from university courses and have the knowledge and experience to be able to mix shows; however, they lack one important part of our job that is gained from experience. The art of fault-finding seems to have been lost. A few years back you would have learned this skill working alongside other engineers, or with working with equipment that was all individually wired together rather than being nice multi-pinned systems that most companies use today.  These young engineers can walk straight on to mixing gigs and can find themselves flustered when something isn’t quite right. I’ve been thinking about ways of teaching fault finding.

I had an idea to teach the process by looking at the thought processes we go through and creating a little flow chart they could refer too to get them through situations like this.

Microphone not working.

Monitor not working (totally off)

Is the signal reaching the crossover/amp?

Does the Speaker work if plugged into another amp channel?

Monitor Missing Hf or low but something is working.

Is the Active/passive switch in the right mode? (Passive one amp channel / Active 2 amp channels + Crossover)

This usually means either a cable is broken OR you have lost blown a driver.

Swap the speaker onto another Speaker cable you know is working on another speaker. Does the speaker now work?

Yes It’s the cable
No, it’s a blown driver or the speakon in the box. (If the speaker has a link…. Try it in the link. It may be the speakon connection in the box)

We don’t have problems, We just have other things we need to sort out! 

When things go wrong it’s all down to your mindset. Seeing it as a problem can induce panic. Staying calm is the number one way of dealing with things when they arise. If you panic you freeze and your brain stops working. Take a deep breath and think. Have a strategy in place for dealing with each type of issue when it arises is important. Be it having a Spare lead vocal on the floor between the wedges ready to go, or a spare processor/amp channel in the rack ready to patch in. Prepare for the worst but expect the best.

Becky Pell: Freelance Monitor Engineer

Don’t be lazy about your ‘active’ spares such as IEM packs. They’re no use sitting in a drawer with a flat battery having last been checked three weeks ago – get them out every day, test them and have them ready to go

Be tidy with cabling and label EVERYTHING – it saves valuable time when there’s an issue.

Learn to stay calm. The more you want to panic and run round like a headless chicken, the more you need to slow down and be methodical. Sounds counterintuitive but freaking out NEVER helps!

Brad Madix: FOH for Rush, Florence and the Machine and more

There has to be redundant (or complimentary) inputs from every input you think of as critical to the mix. For example, two mics on the snare top & bottom is a great idea. Kick mics in and out, so you can combine the sounds for a more complete kick sound AND you at least have one if the other fails. Finally, EVERY input list should have backup handheld wireless on a stand (assuming you’re using wireless) AND a spare handheld ON A WIRED because wireless systems also fail.

I would highly suggest creating a macro or event on the console that routes your spare mics into the main mic channel at the touch of a button. This way you’re not readjusting a different channel (which might be on a different layer) to get back to the sound you had on the original channel.

Also a good idea: spin up a rudimentary FOH mix on the monitor console even if I’m mono. If the FOH console were ever to go down and you just can’t get it back, you will have a source in a pinch to get you through the show.

Ditto spinning up a rudimentary monitor mix or three in the FOH console in case the monitor desk goes kablooey. FYI, I have had to do both of the above things in my career. Also, this is not a digital vs. analog thing. I have watched analog consoles spew smoke before a show on several occasions, and I’ve seen digital desks decide not to cooperate as well.

On the subject of failure on a more personal level: it takes a bit of a thick skin to be a live engineer. I have mixed numerous pop tours where I went the entire run without a complaint. I can probably count on my fingers the number of shows I mixed for Rush over a twenty-year span where someone in the audience didn’t think they could do it better and was happy to tell me so. Remember: you are never going to make everyone happy all of the time. Do your best, apply and improve yourself every day, pack up your gear quickly and neatly at the end of the night and move on, regardless of how the show went.

Michelle Sabolchick Pettinato: FOH Mr. Big, Styx, and more

The important thing is to not panic.  Remain calm so you can think clearly. Focus on what is working and keep that going while you work on the problem.

Knowing signal flow is crucial in troubleshooting. This is a huge peeve of mine.  Many people do not understand the path of the audio signal from the source and through the entire system. If you don’t understand this, you have no idea where to start when a problem arises. If you understand signal flow, you can systematically work things out to find the source of the problem quickly.

Basic troubleshooting skills are a must. Know how to work through an input that’s gone bad to find the problem.  You need to start from one end and work through to the other in a logical order, not just randomly replacing pieces throughout the signal path.

Keeping things neat and labeled helps troubleshooting be efficient.

Doing another line check just prior to show time to make sure all inputs are still working.  You never know what the support act stepped on, kicked over, unplugged, etc. Even if there is no support act, it’s always a great idea to confirm things before the band hits the stage.

Having communication between the stage and FOH either via Clear-Com, Talkback, a tech who can move between the two. If you have a problem, you need a way of communicating to get it sorted out.

Christina Moon: Monitor Engineer LCD Sound System, Death Cab for Cutie, and more

First and foremost, pretend youʼre calm, however, youʼre not. Seconds feel like hours to both you and the artist. Iʼm fairly superstitious onstage, so I make sure the setup is the same every day. If something burns me once, it will never be back on the stage.

If youʼre ready for a problem, I believe, the likelihood of something happening goes way down.

Always have a spare main vocal, this can buy you some precious time. I label each end of every cable, sub snake, amp rack, etc. This will make chasing something down much easier in the middle of a show when itʼs dark and loud. I have backups of everything at the ready. IEM packs, wedges, cables, etc.

I keep a 100ʼ xlr cable next to me, so if a channel goes down, the first thing I do is home run that channel to the split. I find the path of least resistance for a fix in the middle of a show. Thereʼs no time for detailed troubleshooting.

Backline techs can be of big help figuring problems out in monitor world. Often theyʼre listening to the artistʼs mix and can help decipher if itʼs a gear issue, input, or mix problem. When something goes wrong Iʼll take all the help I can get.

Good luck out there!

Karrie Keyes: Monitor Engineer for Pearl Jam and Eddie Vedder

Agree with all of the above and also Don’t Panic.  I am a monitor engineer and nothing instills panic in musicians more than you looking back at them with a “Deer in the Headlights” Look.  Even if you are dying inside, you must look calm.

I always have a plan for when something goes wrong.  Spare Mixes, Spare Mics, Spare IEMS, Spare IEM Beltpacks

IEM Beltpacks:  We tour with production and the band use to own an IEM System, we now rent, but we own beltpacks for each of the musicians using ears.  They each have two. Main and Spare. These packs are marked and are always Mike Main or Mike Spare, etc. This way I have a history of the packs and can sort issues, quickly. The techs get the spares, in case they need to change out the pack during the show.

Always check the battery compartment each day, these tend to get loose, and if they are loose, they will shut off if they get bumped hard, etc.

You should be coordinating your RF daily.

Band Ears:  Always make sure you have spares, spare cables and that you check and clean ears daily.

Vocal Mics: You should have a spare vocal mic, wired, and ready to go.  You should have a spare mic stand ready to go as well.

Spare Microphone: Similar to what Brad recommended but I am in control of it, we have Main, Spare, and RF on a three-way switch.  Think of a 3-way Y on a switch. I can switch to the spare mic instantly if it goes down, FOH never knows, any changes we have made to the channel are still there.  Also, when my singer goes to the RF Mic, I see this instantly and can switch it to RF, again FOH does not have to be alerted. It doesn’t matter if you have a spare mic it is useless if you do not have it ready to go or the channel changes copied to your spare channel. Although our switches are custom made you can purchase similar ones here

Switching the Vocal Mic:  During the show – singers tend to get super sweaty, and the vocal mic tends to get wet, and this will start to affect the sound quality. On Pearl Jam we switch vocal mics, twice during the main set, and for both encores. You may want to consider this, heads off all sorts of problems. Of course, check with your singer to see if this acceptable.

Please Note: that microphones tend to drift in frequency response due to use and abuse. If you are going to switch your vocal mics, or use a spare mic, make sure these sound as close to the same as possible.

Vocal Mic Maintenance:  We carry and own several vocal microphones – We also send them back at the end of each leg to have new capsules put in. While this may be a luxury, I would suggest that you send your mics in for a tune-up at the end of each tour. Your artist should own their own vocal mics.

Larger Spare Items: Consoles

We run two DiGiCo SD5s at monitor world.  The primary SD5 is for the band and the second SD5 runs the tech mixes, opening band (if we have one), and acts as spare for either FOH or Monitors. At monitors, the boards are set up as a hybrid Primary/Secondary. Meaning the inputs/gain/eq are controlled from the primary console, after that the secondary console operates independently and Tom (tech engineer) can send as needed to the tech mixes. The Band Monitor File and next tour FOH File (FOH switched consoles in the middle of the last tour) are loaded on this secondary console and ready to go. We, in theory, had a plan of what we would do if the primary console went down during a show, but had not tested it fully, until the last tour (when the FOH console did go down during a show).  Needless to say, we ran through our theory, timed it, and wrote down step by step what we needed to do in case of failure. It took less than four minutes to have the secondary console running as the primary console. Please note – the band file needs to be updated on the secondary console daily (after soundcheck)..

And Always be prepared for the elements – Weather…..

 

 

 

Zines are a Riot

Originating from the word magazine, and the concept of a fanzine (fan magazine), zines are the do-it-yourself version of their mass-produced counterpart.  Most zines have a small editorial team (sometimes only consisting of one person) and rely on office photocopiers (if they are lucky). Hand-penned sketches and counter-culture commentary fill their few pages.  Advertising and distribution depend heavily on word-of-mouth, a downside on the one hand, but a powerful marketing tool for a generation that thrives on discovering the next viral hit. This small-scale approach gives zines the power to cover any topic, no matter how personal or controversial, and are therefore closely tied to alternative and fringe cultural movements.

The modern origins of zines stem from the Science Fiction fanzines of the 1930s and ’40s. A few decades later zines would branch out as creators found other shared interests in comics, horror, and rock music.  As rock zines like Crawdaddy! (created by Paul Williams in 1966) matured and became professional, the underground punk scene took to zines aided by the increasing access to photocopiers.  Punk zines and subculture then became the breeding grounds for LGBTQ and Riot Grrrl zines. Zines are still kicking today, finding their way to readers via local bookstores, Etsy, and on blogs and websites.

My exploration of zines is only just beginning, but I found a text that helped introduce me to the overall history and philosophy of zines with an emphasis on women/non-binary folk and music.  DIY: The Rise of Lo-fi Culture by Amy Spencer provides an anthology as well as a timeline of the various zine movements.  With each zine mentioned there is a description of how the progression of technology-aided manufacturing and distribution, and why the creator needed to publish.  In addition to focusing on the creators, Spencer highlights the communities that because of their hunger for representation nurtured zines. Blogs, pirate radio stations, and DIY labels are all tied into the thesis by way of shared ethos.  While I would not use it as my sole manual, this book acts as a guide to start your zine.

One zine that caught my fancy is Filter Sweep.  This one-off publication follows Jade Payne on tour as Front of House engineer.  Through the zine, she gives you a diary of her triumphs and headaches, complete with pictures and diagrams.   The way she pours her heart out and shares her wisdom makes it a perfect companion to a young engineer. Filter Sweep is zines at their most raw: photographs are replaced by hand-drawn sketches, and each entry is written in frantic scrawl reflecting the bustle of tour life.  And while you have to contact Jade directly to acquire a copy, I cannot emphasize enough how much one can learn from reading it.

A more polished zine is Women in Sound by Madeline Campbell.  I feel Women in Sound is essentially a written companion of SoundGirls.  The majority of its pages are filled with interviews with amazing women and non-binary folk who work in audio and music, but there are sections devoted to past greats and helpful guides.  The interviews focus on the careers of each person and how they got there, as well as their personal philosophies. They feel inclusive and insightful. Each issue is its own powerful seminar.  Maggie Negrete tailored the design, and the work found within is clean and bold. Even with the staple-bound 8 ½” by 5 ½” packaging (a standard sheet of paper folded in half), the stories inside are more fulfilling than most music glossies.

In finding ways to support your siblings in arms do not forget the humble zine.  From birth to now, it has been the voice of those without power. It can be a low-cost and personal way to share your and others’ stories.  Within the convergence of writing, art, and music, zines can be a way to say “I see you,” and “I hear you.” Like the mixtape, all you need to start is a sharpie and an idea.

 

Let’s Talk About Mental Health

Recently the music industry has started talking about mental health. After many tragedies losing incredibly talented people in the music industry due to mental health issues, artists and the music industry people are finally talking about very stigmatized issues. I feel like you can never talk too much about mental health, and very often those of us who work hard behind the scenes are often forgotten, and I believe that we also need to start talking about our general and mental health.

Health in general:

In an ideal world, we would always sleep eight hours per night, eat nourishing food five times a day and exercise four times a week, but unfortunately, the world is not always ideal.

Sleep, food, and exercise are three critical factors when it comes to our mental health. It is easy to neglect all of these three things when working long hours when you have a tight schedule or if you need to meet a deadline.

Some periods in life will be busier the other, but you will be handling stress a lot better if you prioritise at least one of the three things.

Setting new habits can take some time, but if you start with one thing at least, the rest will follow eventually.

Unsocial working hours:

‘I’m sorry, but I can’t make it, I’m working’ – You hear yourself saying this often?

Having unsocial work hours can take an extreme toll on your mental health. Although a lot of our work can be incredibly social and we meet loads of fantastic people, nothing beats spending time with your absolute best friends and family.

The guilt you might feel when you are unable to attend family gatherings, birthdays, baby showers or drinks at the local pub can weigh you down. Often we have to choose work before friends and family because we all need to pay rent and feed ourselves. But hopefully, we also love what we do!

But don’t neglect your loved ones either. Set aside a day or two a month to catch up with your people. Make a phone call or send a message, reach out! Especially if your mental health is not tip-top or theirs for that matter — support one another.

Stress:

Someone described me as ‘Olive is 24/7’ and when I first heard it, I felt pride. I thought that makes me dependable and that I can sort out any situation at any time of the day at anywhere in the world.

But I quickly realised that no one should have to be available 24 hours, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Not even Olive.

Setting boundaries are essential; if you’re not supposed to work, then don’t. Of course, there might be an emergency, and we have to step in, but how many times has an actual crisis occurred? I can count mine on one hand. Trust me; most things can wait.

Having some time off is crucial. Otherwise, it will lead you to be burned out. If you do not give yourself space, you won’t be able to evaluate what is going on in your life, and frankly, we all need to deal with what is going on, no matter how uncomfortable we are with it.

Alcohol:

Alcohol is a big part of the live entertainment industry.

As a musician or a sound engineer, it is not uncommon to receive free drinks, in a lot of cases sometimes that is the only payment that you get.

Sometimes after you worked a 15-hour shift, you feel like you deserve a drink, especially as it might have been a challenging day and all of your patience has just run out. Or you’ve had a fantastic show or completed a full tour, and you’d like to celebrate with a couple of drinks, of course, you deserve that!

However, when consumed several days a week we need to step back and look at our consumption.

If you did not already know, alcohol is a depressant. So if consumed too often it will affect your mental and physical health.

These are only a few aspects of one’s life that can affect your mental and physical health, but more importantly, most of the above are things we can control ourselves. Change starts within yourself.

Care about yourself as much as you care about your work.

If you are not doing well, then take a step back and take a day off if you can. There are also plenty of help to get, both online and through counselling.

10 Mindfulness Practices from Powerful Women

Mental Health America

Top 25 Best Mental Health Apps: An Effective Alternative for When You Can’t Afford Therapy

Tips for Staying Healthy on the Road

 

Missed this Week’s Top Stories? Read our Quick Round-up!

It’s easy to miss the SoundGirls news and blogs, so we have put together a round-up of the blogs, articles, and news from the past week. You can keep up to date and read more at SoundGirls.org

April Feature Profile

https://soundgirls.org/town-planning-to-florence-and-the-machine/

The Blogs

Lav Me Alone

Tips for Staying Healthy on the Road

FOLEY 101: A Crash Course

What’s In Your Go Bag?

Kickstart Your Mentorship

Excellence in Assistance

Sounding Out – The Cultural Politics of Sound and Listening

Internet Round-Up

My Mama said.so – Mothers making an impact in the music industry, with shesaid.so Mamas

 

Pioneering Yankees broadcaster Suzyn Waldman has had to deal with sexism and abuse throughout her career

Mastering for Vinyl: Tips for Digital Mastering Engineers – Jett Galindo

Mastering for Vinyl: Conversations with the Pros

 

 

SoundGirls Events

 

https://soundgirls.org/event/detroit-soundgirls-spring-meet-greet/?instance_id=1477

https://soundgirls.org/event/glasgow-aes-soundgirls-theatre-sound-assembly/?instance_id=1472

https://soundgirls.org/event/los-angeles-soundgirls-april-social/?instance_id=1523

https://soundgirls.org/event/bay-area-chapter-1st-mondays-meetings/?instance_id=1496

JBL VTX A8 Workshop – May 9 @ Harman Northridge

https://soundgirls.org/event/mastering-w-piper-payne-oakland-2/?instance_id=1522

https://soundgirls.org/event/vancouver-meyer/?instance_id=1524

https://soundgirls.org/event/vancouver-soundgirls-social-3/?instance_id=1526

VUE System Training – April 19th

SoundGirls News

Scholarships Available for Smaart Training

 

Travel Grant Awarded to Kaitie Sly

SoundGirls and SoundGym

Shadowing/Mentoring/Internship Opportunities

Shadowing Opportunity w/ ME Aaron Foye

Shadow Gil Eva Craig – NZ & Australia

Monitor System Prep Internship

Viva La Muxer – SoundGirls Volunteers

SoundGirls Resources

Spotify and SoundGirls Team Up – EQL Directory

SoundGirls – Gaston-Bird Travel Fund

Letter for Trades and Manufacturers

Women-Owned Businesses

SoundGirls Scholarships 2021 Now Open

Events

Sexual Harassment

https://soundgirls.org/about-us/soundgirls-chapters/

Jobs and Internships

Women in the Professional Audio

Member Benefits

Lav Me Alone

Consent

I have been using RF microphones for 15 years. For half of my life, I have been putting mics on other people for theatre, tv, and film. When I worked at a children’s theatre, I was the go-to for micing up dozens of kids. I got really, really good at the under-shirt swoop because kids are wiggly and I can’t ask them to hold still for long. I’ve had other women tell me that they were relieved to see a female working backstage, so they didn’t have to worry about someone behaving inappropriately. The likelihood of me sexually harassing someone is apparently far less than many of my male counterparts (sorry guys?) It’s an issue that celebrities are even coming forward about in recent times.

For years I have run workshops and taught labs detailing proper RF usage and lav placement. More importantly, I discuss etiquette and “how to not be creepy.” I look each person in their eyes and say “Do not be creepy. Ask before doing. Check for understanding before reaching down someone’s shirt.” Perhaps you should begin with introducing yourself and asking their experience level, would they feel more comfortable putting it on themselves, or having help? In my experience, people are a lot more comfortable with you being in their personal space when they know your intent. The key here is to be cordial and talk it through.

DIY

As an actor or artist, your body is the focus of the show. Empower yourself and reclaim some personal space by learning some basic skills. For a lapel style mic, make a small loop and wrap it around the clip, this helps keep your mic in place even if the wire gets pulled. Run the cable under whichever layer you won’t take off. The transmitter/belt pack can go inside a safe pocket or mic belt.

If you’re wearing the other style, you may need to employ some extra tricks. I use a variety of supplies that are easily found in a grocery store or pharmacy. Moleskin is excellent when you need to secure a mic to skin or fabric. It is sticky on one side and flannel soft on the other. Make a moleskin sandwich for your lav, place it wherever is out of sight. I also like to use medical tape to secure lavs; it’s hypoallergenic and readily available. You can also use straight pins to secure, but I avoid making holes in costumes. I’ve run moleskin through the wash, and it held up without even leaving a residue once removed.

Enlist

If you are a female artist who needs to wear a body mic and feel uncomfortable with a guy reaching down your costume, have a female dresser, or someone else places it for you. Asking gives you more control, and it isn’t rude. Everyone has a right to feel safe in their workspace. If you’re an A1 and your talent wants to do it themselves, relinquish the need to invade their space. Check their work, but leave their bodies to themselves.

 

Tips for Staying Healthy on the Road

Round up of tips from our members for staying healthy while working the crazy hours we do in live production.

Rachelle: For me, I schedule my workouts weeks in advance so that if I work in the evening one day I’ll work out in the morning, or just on my days off and I’ll only workout 2-3 days per week. Sometimes if its absolutely necessary I’ll try to go for a jog or a quick workout during my breaks, it’s hard to stay motivated when we don’t have a set schedule for working but there’s always little gaps of time that are available, and take advantage of hotel gyms.

Cynthia:  When you have a day off, make good food, get a dozen Tupperware you can freeze them in. Instant healthy food. Also, have easy to grab fruits and vegetables.
I find walking and lifting on the job is sometimes quite enough for me as far as physical exertion goes. I need to watch my intake and make sure I have enough water and sleep.
I’m trying to think of food as fuel, and giving myself reasonable fuel for my day. It means I have a lot of hummus, nuts, apples, and other fruit, “good” bread, PB & J, and other odd ingredients that I can grab when I need something quick.

Pamela: Yoga! It energizes not tires out. Also REALLY good for sanity on the road & yoga you can do it just about anywhere.

Allie: If you like yoga, try the YouTube channel “yoga with Adrienne.” She has a video for every body part, mood, tone schedule, etc.  I am a huge fan. Even if the hotel doesn’t have a gym, you can make space in the room.

Judy: A lotta water. Keep hydrated.

Kelli: I just changed my diet. I stay full longer, so I have more energy.. I eat protein, usually chicken or fish, and veggies. I snack on fruits and veggies.. granola bars are helpful. I drink water and tea mixed half sweet. I still eat whatever I want when I can.. but the last few weeks I have slimmed down feel good too.

Holley:  Make it a point to rest/relax on your days off and drink plenty of water and foods to keep you hydrated. Eat foods with healthy and good amounts of protein and iron. Wear a hat and sunscreen when outdoors for long periods of time. I tend to do emergen-C every morning as well as Apple Cider Vinegar mixed with water, a teaspoon of honey, half a lemon, a couple shakes of powdered ginger, cinnamon, clove, cayenne pepper, and turmeric. Go in for a massage at least once a month if possible or a few times a year.

Cailey: Supplements, superfood intake, and smoothies! Lots of water too. If you want recipes/ideas look into my Instagram, usually helps others get some yummy and fun ideas. @caileenwa

Marina:  Hello, I believe that when you exercise frequently, it adds energy. Think of it like it is a bank account the more you work out, the more money you are putting in for when you need to spend it. In this case, you will spend that energy at work. You are adding resistance. You will become powerful. Buy training items that you can do at work. Also, get up every hour or so and walk around. It pays.

Kip:  As tempting as it is, the donut table is a do not table.

Elaine: When I get breaks, I find a place and do some exercises. I try to make it a habit rather than sitting around and eating or doing something else… gotta integrate the movement into the crazy hours. Otherwise, there’s no way to live a healthy functioning life.

Becca: This isn’t exactly a workout, but I routinely remind myself to step outside and walk if I get a chance. Wakes me up, gets my legs moving, and does wonders for my mental well-being. Even a lap of a block or two can really help!

Melissa:  Yoga is great keeps you balanced, and flexible reduces back pain, and can be done anywhere You can do a quick 2-minute stretch or a 45 min session

Jen: My friend Andrea just started a blog/Instagram called Fit On Tour – worth checking out! http://www.fitontour.com

Terry: Take some 5lb dumbbells with you or a 10lb kettlebell. You can do the exercises .. during downtime..on the bus..etc. It’s light enough weight not to strain you, and the multiple reps will tone you. You can work all of your upper body this way

Robin: Yoga, water, breathing deeply, all the above… I love yoga because you can do it anywhere. I love mindfulness breathing counting my breaths and letting thoughts come and go gently while I was returning to my breath. You can do this (almost) anywhere too.

MH: I second the yoga! Make sure you are doing the right type of yoga. There is yoga that is more active, and there’s yoga that is more about meditation. I found a lot of relief in finding yoga routines that were stretching-oriented, but you know your body the best, and you should know what routine is best for you! But if Yoga turns you off, basic stretching and light ab workouts will really help your core and your posture which is the most important!

Alexandria: Hikes in days off so you can get cardio without having to fill on also run def yoga. Yoga=life

Randya:  I also second the “do not” table reference. Diet is essential when you don’t have the time/energy to exercise properly! Esp for weight maintenance!

More Resources:

Health and wellness on the road. Why you owe it to yourself.

The Tour Life is Hard — Homeopathy Can Help

Rock ‘n’ Roll Yogi

A Red and Sensitive Topic

Fit on Tour

Let’s Talk About Mental Health

Dealing with Burnout as a Musician

 

FOLEY 101: A Crash Course

In my journey to learn more about different jobs in audio, I have decided to share what I learn within these blog posts. My first topic is one that I am most familiar with: foley. As a foley mixer and editor, I am often asked: what exactly is foley?

If you’ve watched a film lately, you’ve heard Foley. Foley is the reproduction of sound for any visual medium. Foley is in film, television, video games, VR and digital media. The art of foley is named after Jack Foley, an early sound effects artist. Jack was a pioneering developer of performing sound effects live and in synchronization with pictures. We need to re-record these sound effects because often what is recorded on set is unusable. Microphones on set are focused on capturing the actors’ dialog as cleanly as possible; therefore all other sounds become neglected.  Everything you hear in a film – from footsteps to handshakes, kisses to puking – is created specifically for and in sync with a picture.

Foley, as we know it today, consists of a team of usually 2-3 people in a studio performing, recording and editing everything you hear on screen. Okay, maybe not everything… we leave the explosions to the sound effects editors. Each member of the team plays a different role in creating and capturing the sounds for a project. And those members are:

The Foley Artist

These are the people who begin to bring characters to life, sonically. They are tasked with recreating the sounds for anything the actors interact with and anything on screen that would make sound. The foley artist manipulates props to create these sounds as well as performing footsteps for the characters on screen.

The Foley Mixer

While the whole team has a role to play in the sonic quality, the mixer works with the microphones, preamps, and other gear that may be used to capture the foley. We generally use two microphones (a ‘close’ mic and a ‘far’ or ‘room’ mic) for interior locations on screen and one close mic for exterior locations. The mixer is in control of the balance of these microphones and uses the two in combination to create perspectives or distance in the sounds.

The Foley Editor

This is a fairly fluid role and is often varied depending on the foley studio. The editor may be part of the team before or after the recording stage. Sometimes the editor and mixer roles are combined. In general, though, the job of the foley editor is to ensure that all of the recorded sounds are in sync and without any artifacts or distortion. The foley editor uses software such as Pro Tools to perform these edits. The editor may also play a part in the creativity of the sounds; manipulating what was recorded into something different. For instance, they may pitch down a set of footsteps to give a character more weight.

The Process


An assortment of foley artist’s shoes
Photo by Jeremy Benning

First, we begin with the footsteps. The artist chooses a pair of shoes to suit the character and we go through scene-by-scene capturing footsteps. On our second pass-through, we cover all of the props. These are items that the actors interact with that would make sound. This includes simple things like putting down a glass or shaking someone’s hand to more complex sounds like swords unsheathing or a person skateboarding. The final pass is the cloth pass. This is where the artist manipulates different types of material to capture the sounds of characters’ clothing movements. The cloth pass adds another layer of subtle depth to the soundtrack; giving the characters even more life.

Once all passes have been completed, and everything has been edited and synced, we prepare the session for delivery to the final mix stage. There, our tracks will be combined with the sound effects, dialog, and music to create the complete, finished soundtrack.

When Foley is done well, you generally don’t hear it. That’s because it fits in so seamlessly with what you are visually seeing that you shouldn’t notice it. If something stands out, it can take the viewer out of the experience. That is what we aim for every day – our work to not be heard. It sounds bleak, but it is actually very rewarding. We often are so absorbed in what we are creating that it becomes almost a challenge to get a reaction out of each other. When the artist performs a perfectly in sync, great-sounding footstep pass, we all cheer. When we build a really gross sound, the usual indicator of where we’ve reached peak grossness is based on those reactions too. If the artist looks back and sees my face contorted in disgust, we know we’ve just made magic.  Ultimately, the natural human elements that foley can bring to a soundtrack are irreplaceable.

 

What’s In Your Go Bag?

A guide to building your audio tool stock

Picture this:  You’ve just gotten a call for a contract you can’t turn down, but the gig is tomorrow morning in a city three hours away at a company that is new to you.  What do you bring? What will they already have? Is it worth it to load your car with all of your worldly possessions? To ease the stress of staying prepared while still trying to not turn into that cute little junkyard monster from the Labyrinth (where my 80s babies at), I’ve prepared a list of my favorite tools of the trade.

This is my go-bag.  There are many like it, but this one is mine

Alright, so my go bag isn’t a bag at all, it’s a case.  My case of choice is the Pelican 1510 Case, and I purchased mine for half price on nalpak.com.  Because I am obsessed with Konmari Method organization, I also use a divider that is specifically made for this case.  I also have the mesh zipper lid storage attachment. What can I say? I love boxes, bags, and compartments. I prefer the Pelican to a soft tool bag because I can throw it around, leave it outside, dunk it in a pool, and my things will all stay safe inside this watertight, crushproof, dustproof, lockable case.  It’s also the FAA maximum carry on size and features a retractable extension handle. Plus, you can put rad stickers on it. That’s the mark of a real pro.

If you can’t duck it, you might as well…pony up and buy a real roll of tape.   

That tape is gaff tape, the tape we all know and love.  I regularly work with a few companies that always have a steady supply of gaff tape in all colors and sizes, so it threw me off the first time I took on a job at a company that had no gaff tape to offer!  In a pinch, I have been able to find gaff tape in local camera shops at a ridiculous marked-up price, but generally speaking, the best place to find gaff tape is on the interwebz. I order all of my tape from shop.bmisupply.com, and I’m able to curate my tape box with different colors, widths, and even different kinds of tape.  My standard gaff tape of choice is 2” black. I also always make sure I have a few colors of electrical tape and a roll of white console tape.  All of this can be purchased through the aforementioned vendor.

Testers, testers, one, two, one two…

When starting a new gig, you never know what kind of system you’re going to walk into. You would also be surprised at how often the house crew answers your questions with a shrug of the shoulders, so it’s probably going to be on you to test all that ails you.  I never leave home without my dbx CT3 Cable Tester. This is, hands down, the best cable tester I have ever had. It supports testing of DMX, Speaker Twist, XLR, DIN, RJ45, RJ11, TRS, 1/8”, Phono, and BNC.  I still haven’t told you the best part. This thing splits in half so that you can check connections that are on opposites sides of the building! If that’s not magic, I don’t know what is. I also carry my whirlwind Qbox everywhere I go.  This will satisfy all of your TS/XLR testing needs, but also features a wee little speaker so you can send signal through your line and hear it out of the QBox. This comes in really handy for running monitor lines ahead of receiving speakers or setting up a line out for a video live feed.  I got both of these little lifesavers from fullcompass.com.

Microphones, adapters, and cables, oh my!

Ok, it’s not up to you to provide all of the gear for a space unless that’s what you’ve been hired to do, but, again, you never know what little odds and ends they might be missing.  I learned the hard way that it’s a good idea to keep a little stash of adapters with me; XLR M-M and F-F, TRS, NL4, BNC, and RCA barrels, and BNC-RCA. I also keep and spare XLR and TRS cable, a DI Box, and a SM58….just in case.  Trust me on this; I have been the hero many times for having one of these available.

I hate labels, except when I need them.

The only things I love more than compartments are printed labels.  I love how uniform they look, and I love how easy it is to read them in low light situations.  I’ve been carrying around the Brother P-Touch I picked up from Office Depot 8 years ago, and it’s never led me astray.  #Protip on applying printed labels to anything: Always use a piece of electrical tape under the label. When you’re ready to change out that label, you’ll need a lot of time and patience to peel that thing off tiny piece by tiny piece unless there’s a hearty strip of electrical tape underneath holding it all together.  You know what else you can label? Your pelican.

Tools!  

This is where I sometimes go overboard.  I have packed and repacked my go bag so many times because I guess I think I’m solely responsible for building a mansion when I get called for a load-in.  Surprisingly enough, I’ve never been asked to do so! When I’m able to think logically about packing tools, I pack a cordless drill/driver (mine is a Milwaukee M12), a pack of various bits, a precision screwdriver set, an Allen set, a crescent wrench, a headlamp, and a soldering iron with all necessary accessories.  Also, never leave home without your multitool. Mine is the Leatherman Wave, and I love it with all my heart. I don’t know where it came from; I got mine from Santa several years ago.

Safety First

Again, I tend to go overboard because what if I end up on the Titanic and I’m the only one that has any medical experience from all of my viewed episodes of Grey’s Anatomy, and I don’t have a suture kit or a defibrillator with me?!!!  Y’all are learning so much about me today. So obviously none of those things are going to happen at your gig, so really, just make sure you have what you need to stay safe. A small first aid kit, your earplugs, sunblock, and some work gloves should do it.  Maybe a mobile CT Scanner. But that’s it.

All of the other things

Don’t forget the things that make your job go smoothly.  Do you need in-ears on this gig? What about headphones? Flash drives are always useful.  A snack? An emergency twenty-dollar bill? I like to be a problem solver, so if I have something I think will be useful to another department in a pinch, I might pack that too.  My go bag has a few shackles rolling around in there, a safety cable, a small mixed box of screws, various apple adapters, and an IEC.

At the end of the day, your go-bag inventory is entirely up to you, but this is what works well for me.  I got to the point where I had some things in my car, some things in my closet, some things I would leave at various sites I would frequently work, and that just was not doing it for me.  Having everything in one super stickered-up, the rad little case is definitely my aesthetic. Give it a try; you won’t regret it.

 

VUE System Training – April 19th

VUE Audiotechnik has teamed up with SoundGirls Productions and will be offering training on the new system we will be adding to our inventory.

SoundGirls that wish to work and intern for SoundGirls Productions are encouraged to attend.

Please RSVP Here

VUE Audiotechnik Product Introduction & Training Agenda

Mission: Our mission is to deliver you a demo system and provide basic training while
introducing the advanced technologies that VUE Audiotechnik provides.

Timeline
1:15 Arrival
1:30 PM – 1:45 PM: PowerPoint presentation of technology and system
1:45 PM – 2:45 PM: Hands on system setup, operation, and Q&A

Demo System
2 x h-12 Single 12-inch, Two-Way Powered System, 60° x 40°
8 x al-4 Dual 4-inch, Two Way Acoustic Line Array Element
2 x hs-25 Dual 15-inch, ACMTM Powered Subwoofer System
1 x V4 Systems Engine – (2 in/4 out) DSP/amplifier with Display
2 x SP-24 Speaker pole (adjustable) for mounting on subwoofers

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