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L’ARTE DEI RUMORI

 

Don’t let the title fool you! Rumori is not rumors, but noises, and that is what this blog is about.  All will be revealed as you read on…

Over the last few days, being in isolation as I recover from a bout of Covid, not serious but neither do I want to pass it around, I decided that I needed to re-master my piece that I had hurriedly loaded onto Bandcamp.  I decided to make a few changes: extracts of dialogue that seemed ‘out of place or unnecessary, move a few sounds around the stereo image, add a clip that I had forgotten to include, and found a group of three clips that had been coordinated into the second movement but were ‘empty’ by which I mean I had to find and link the .wav files.  Also, I had to decide what to do with the bits of dialogue that are central to the piece.

On the 1st of April 2019, I had an operation on my throat which affected my vocal chords.  For six weeks after that, I could do no more than squeak and rely on writing messages to communicate.  When my voice finally returned, it was raucous and very low in volume; and of course, I could no longer sing. Though I can go into a higher soprano register, the range is limited to just about seven tones from high to low; as a result, it breaks if it tries to go into the lower register so, I don’t sing.  My speaking voice is rather like my hair; I never know what it will be like from one day to the next. And since I am no longer with someone, I can go days without speaking, which makes it worse – catch me at about six, early evening, and it’s comfortable.  I’d only been in Italy a year at the time of the operation and all the friends I have made since, recognize me with this voice; it’s me, Frà.

The reason I wanted to make this clear is that I overcame my ‘shame’ about my voice and learned to love it.  This is important since I use it in several of my pieces.  And here is the point of this preamble: Felicia Atkinson, French composer, and sound artist uses her spoken voice but in a rather special way: her dialogues are almost always softly spoken and often submerged into the ambience of the sound so sometimes not heard clearly, while at other times they come through quite clearly.  For example, in ‘Pieces of Sylvia’ from her latest album, ‘Image Langage’, the voices are barely discernible, which creates a mood around the piece and maybe encourages one to listen much more closely than might normally be the case.  The voices become a dialogue panned hard left and right and gradually become clearer towards the end.   You can listen to this track (once) via this Bandcamp link:

https://feliciaatkinson.bandcamp.com/track/pieces-of-sylvia

‘Shirley to Shirley’ on her 2019 album, ‘The Flower and the Vessel’ use a heavily processed dialogue that creates a sense of intimacy between the speaker and the listener but can more easily be heard. Other pieces on this album vary in how the voice is presented but it is always an integral part of the music and always spoken.  You can listen to this track (once) via this Bandcamp link:

https://feliciaatkinson.bandcamp.com/track/shirley-to-shirley

So, one of the reasons for the remastering was my unhappiness with the dialogue.  I had originally thought to have it ‘submerged’ in the texture of the drones and other accompaniments.  However, this piece is quite dense in places, so the voice struggles to come through.  I took a decision, therefore, to bring the voice forward and in so doing created a new problem for myself, noise.  A problem which I shall clarify and explain how I dealt with it in a while, but first a few considerations.

In last month’s blog, I spoke about being a sound artist due to an absence of typical musical features.  In effect, my music (sic.) is noise.  As early as 1913, Luigi Russolo, wrote a ‘Futurist’ manifesto L’arte dei Rumori. (The art of Noises).  In his manifesto, he posited that the human ear was becoming accustomed to the speed, energy, and noise of industrialization and of urban living.  He and his fellow ‘futurists’ even created a ‘noise orchestra’ in their Milan studio and categorized sounds into six families of noise:

  1. Roars, Thunderings, Explosions, Hissing roars, Bangs, Booms
  2. Whistling, Hissing, Puffing
  3. Whispers, Murmurs, Mumbling, Muttering, Gurgling
  4. Screeching, Creaking, Rustling, Buzzing,[7] Crackling, Scraping [7]
  5. Noises obtained by beating on metals, wood, skins, stones, pottery, etc.
  6. Voices of animals and people, Shouts, Screams, Shrieks, Wails, Hoots, Howls, Death rattles, Sobs

Indeed, much of this is also my potential musical palette. The point is that since ‘noise’ is the main material of my Sound art, although I have used traditional musical elements as well, there are no real criteria for any elements of my work,  I work at the sounds and how I put them together as would a painter and, on any particular morning, as I review my piece at stages of completion, like the painter, I decide that it is finished as I want it and it conforms to my vision of the work based on my interior narrative.

So, there are three main passages of spoken dialogue.  The first is angst-ridden in a context of confusion as much as noise, mainly granular sounds, drones, and harsh metallic sounds. In this context, the sound quality of the vocal clips is less important than the emotional impact of the rawness of some of the dialogue.  There are two distinct lines here but abstracted and deliberately misplaced.  The suicide extracts from Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar were recorded at home so fairly clean apart from a slight bloom in the upper partials of the reverb which sits well in the aggressively noisy ambience of the second movement.  My field recorded vocals were mono from my iPhone while walking and remain in mono through the mix but panned left and right by automation in the clips. The only treatment I gave them was the DeNoise – Adobe Audition has a lot of Noise reduction/restoration tools, some of them process based requiring you to capture the sound you want to treat/eliminate before processing, at which point there are many controls allowing one to fine-tune the treatment.

In this particular case, figure 1, I’m looking at the selected mono clip which has some background noise (medium frequency hiss). Now, this is noticeable when the clip finishes and the play head runs onto the empty track; I can hear this clearly as I solo the track.  In the context of the second movement, it would not be noticeable but as good practice, I try to work with the best quality clip I can get.  Incidentally, although both the SP monologue and the iPhone recording were complete recordings, I cut them up for the reasons I mentioned earlier, and this gives me more flexibility in the composition process.

As you can see from fig 1 below, I am using the DeNoise effect on the clip.  I am using the ‘all frequency’ processing focus and, at the top of the gain fader, the tick box allows you to listen to just the noise that is being taken out.  This is useful since I can hear if anything is being taken out of the voice itself and I can adjust this with the ‘amount’ fader. If I want to test, check and alter, I can make a time selection and adjust the fader until I get what I want, I can also on /off the effect with the green button at bottom left.  If I make an adjustment that might be applicable in other circumstances, I can save it as a pre-set.

Fig 1

 

Fig 2

In figure 2, you can see that for this noisy passage I also ‘cut out’ quiet windows to allow the text to be heard more easily (there are more above off-screen) which, to my mind, also creates an interesting effect of being transported elsewhere for the narrative line.

You can listen to this section via this Bandcamp link:

https://frcaston.bandcamp.com/track/the-haunting

The third mood gradually calms down and the texture becomes thinner and quieter and so, it was not necessary to create quiet windows in the texture.  However, this is the central movement and is a conversation about the genesis of the piece, both unscripted and personal.  That being so, I was not expecting to put it in the foreground so much.  However, on repeated listening, I felt it needed to have a bit more presence.  So, for each clip, I applied parametric EQ using a pre-set ‘vocal enhancer’ and just tweaking some of the points to reflect the natural spread of frequencies.  In figure 3 I have applied the EQ to the clip.  I also raised the volume of the clip a couple of dB

And later applied the DeNoise since the EQ introduced some noise.  In other words, the aim was to disguise the transition from clip to empty track.  This was a problem with working with tape; leader tape is silent and everything else contains noise and the more you do and rerecord, the noise becomes accumulative, which is why we often used Dolby ‘A’ units, even if, for electroacoustic music, they robbed the sound of some of its edge – so there were always decisions to be made.

Getting back to this third mood, the voice is now more forward, and I managed this also by the use of the automation lines in each clip where I could raise or reduce the volume of individual words to improve the feel of the conversation, yet it does not overly draw attention to itself; the purpose was to make this ‘meta-commentary’ sound and feel natural, conversational rather than uniformly even in volume.

You can listen to this via this Bandcamp link:

https://frcaston.bandcamp.com/track/la-conversaci-n

Fig 3

The parametric equaliser is one of my favourite compositional tools since I can really excite upper partials with it; for this, I created my own pre-set ‘snap crackle and pop’ (thank you Kellogs) and was used to make the Swiss alpine cow bells sound like heavy chains in the second mood, at the words, ‘…and she was gassed!’  It also created a spectacular effect from a recording of rain falling on an umbrella which I used in the first mood.

The fourth mood is the quietest and yet it was difficult to balance the reading of the poem with the chamber organ melody beating against the lower drones.  Again, I had the problem of noise on the clips which was noticeable as the clip ended and a portion of empty track came under the play head.  Again, each clip had parametric EQ applied to give presence to the voice and then DeNoise as with the other clips.  Fig 4 shows the treatment of the last voice clip which gives the piece its title: ‘her blacks crackle and drag’.   I’m quite happy with my reading of this last line but my voice was too uneven for the close of the poem, so I raised the volume of, ‘her blacks…’ and cut, ‘crackle and drag…’ a little.  The clip is panned hard left with a fade at the end.

Fig 4

Finally, I’d like to share this link to some tutorials on the Noise reduction/restoration tools in Audition:

https://helpx.adobe.com/audition/using/noise-reduction-restoration-effects.html

If you look at the tutorials and at the individual tools, they claim that noises of various types are removed without affecting the signal; I have found, even with my limited experience of these tools, that the more you use them, the more you understand which routines of which tools serve your purpose.

Most of this work is done in the ‘Waveform editor’ and although I’ve only scratched the surface of these tools (I probably don’t need too many, but their availability gives me another approach to processing my field recordings) and I can already see the potential for processing my clips before taking them into the multitrack editor when I put the composition together; in fact, many of the process treatments can only be done in the ‘waveform editor.

I think I have said this before about Audition, and why I like it so much is that it is a compositional tool as well as improving clips.  The spectral frequency display plays a major part in my composition since I use it to select frequency bands to create novel sounds. For example, if I take a full frequency sound with loop potential to become a drone, I can hollow it out by selecting the lowest frequencies, saving that, and then selecting the highest frequencies, sometimes barely audible, and bounce them together to form a drone with no middle frequencies.  So then I can play with this and perhaps blend in some movement in middle frequencies from a different source to create a drone that has ‘life’.   On the repair side,  should you have clicks in the quiet sections, for example, you can quickly use the ‘spot healing brush to paint the clicks out on the spectral frequency display (if you have ever used Photoshop, you’ll find this tool familiar).

Thinking back to Russolo’s classification of noises, I actually work with this material; my approach to the DAW and what it can do are specific to my compositional process.  And Audition is still my favorite: I can use MAX MSP with Audition by using the Plugin Soundflower which converts the midi into .wav.   But, please, please Adobe, add a Midi input and editor so that I can use some of the other instrumental samples available.

I’ve started learning Mexican Spanish for my planned trip to Mexico at the beginning of March; I’ll probably stay forever, I haven’t decided yet, but I’m aiming to be in Morelia because of the Centro Mexicano para la Música y las Artes Sonoras, Mexico, in Michoacán, which is 4 hours by train from Ciudad de Mexico where I gather, there are Soundgirls. Yay!  And I know where I’ll be and with whom on the 8th of March

Hermanas vos quiero a todas

 

Does It Matter Which DAW You Use?

A few years ago, when I was fresh out of college and looking for jobs, I remember reading an article that explained why Pro Tools is the industry standard and why every audio professional needs to make it their DAW of choice, whether they work in music, film/TV, game audio or podcast production.

In addition to this, I found that a lot of radio and podcast job adverts were very specific about the software they required people to know how to use (usually Pro Tools, Logic, or Reaper, but mainly Pro Tools).

It got me thinking about how many of us use a particular DAW simply because we’ve been told it’s the best one, rather than choosing one that suits our individual needs. Obviously, it makes sense to have an understanding of different ones (if nothing else, you’ll learn what you like/don’t like working with), but is it fair to reject a job candidate on the basis that they have a preference for one DAW over another? I don’t think it is.

I’m a big fan of Adobe Audition. It’s what I use in my day-to-day freelance work, what I used in my last full-time job, and what I used during my studies. Before that, I learned how to use Pro Tools and have also experimented with other DAWs in the past. But I don’t mind admitting that Audition is the one I feel most comfortable with. It wouldn’t be the best choice for music production, for example, but for radio and podcasting, it’s perfect. It’s widely used for this purpose, yet most production companies still require those they hire to have Pro Tools expertise.

This is not in any way a criticism of Pro Tools. It’s a fantastic and versatile DAW that undoubtedly works for a lot of people. I also understand that companies will have a particular setup and employees obviously need to know how everything works. But if someone is experienced in their field — enough to actually be hired — should it really matter if they’ve used a different DAW up to now? I’m not saying it’s easy to just jump into a piece of software that you’ve never used before, but it is entirely possible to learn (quickly) on the job. I’ve had colleagues in the past who had only used Pro Tools and had to learn Adobe Audition on the fly. But they still got hired in the first place because they were good at their jobs, not because of the DAW they used. I feel the same thing should happen with those who may not have much (or any) experience with Pro Tools.

If you’re a freelancer who chooses their own clients and projects, the DAW you use should be even less relevant to the people you’re working with. I haven’t yet had a client question my setup (unless there’s a situation that requires us to collaborate on an edit or share sessions, but those have been few and far between) but if they did, I would want to know if there was a good reason for needing to use a different DAW. I’ve never been in a situation where Audition didn’t meet my needs or allow me to deliver a project successfully.

To sum up, I think we can easily get bogged down by the term ‘industry standard’. What matters most is a person’s own skills and qualities and what they can bring to the table. The software they use is secondary.

 

Stock and Purchased Plug-Ins

With many plugins come great opportunities. Plugins, for those unaware, are akin to cooking spices. Each one has a different flavor to add to your dish. Say you got this basic track going, drums – bass – vocal – maybe a keyboard – and guitar, cool? Adding a plugin depends on which one can change the track dramatically or subtly based on your choice.

“Stock” plugins are built-in with the price of admission to use your DAW.  Thinking back to my cooking example, these plugins are your basic salt and pepper.  Here is a really good article you can check out if you want to learn more about your DAW’s plugin format from Renegade Producer. The link will be at the bottom of this post.  Some of the best examples I can give for what a stock plugin looks like in Logic X Pro match Equalizers and Multiband, they are easy to use and effective.

Besides stock, you can always go out and purchase plugins.  Not all, but many of these are clones of outboard gear, tapes, preamps, or amps like the Suhr PT100 for example. They offer a way to work with iconic equipment in the box for a smaller price than the original hardware. These purchased plugins can bring even more flavors to the table – bring out that hot sauce baby!

The names that often get thrown around are Fabfilter, Soundtoys, Waves, and UAD,  I would advise that the larger the price tag is doesn’t necessarily mean the best quality is guaranteed.  If you are just starting out or are a student producer and have some spare cash I’d recommend the following.

CLA-2A Compressor/Limiter from Waves 

Antares Auto-Tune Realtime from UAD 

C-Suite Reduction from UAD 

Little Plate from Soundtoys 

Now unless you got the cash or catch a really good sale you’re looking at spending a lot. While I would highly recommend learning the basics on when to best implement reverb on those pipes of yours ( or friends ) on stock, I can’t say to go on a shopping spree and end up not understanding how they work and burning that hole in your wallet at the same time.  As best as I could explain or a youtube guide could show its best with trial and error, cultivating your preferences and that unique flow that only you can.

*End note* if you really want to shell out for premium plugins I’ll let you on a secret… If you got that student ID on you can save massive amounts!! Acustica, Avid, Native, Soundtoys, Waves, FL, Fabfilter, and Ableton all have student discounts. Remember that Antares Auto-Tune I mentioned? You can get it close to 50% off with this academic link- https://identit-e.com/antaresaudiotech

 

BandLab Mastering: A Review

I’d heard about BandLab Mastering a while ago, and was very curious to experiment with such an interesting bit of kit – a free, web-based tool that will quickly master tracks through the use of algorithms created by industry experts. What’s not intriguing about that? So, I sat down for an afternoon of mastering and re-mastering fun, to see what BandLab Mastering has to offer.

What is BandLab Mastering?

BandLab Mastering is a free online audio mastering service that all works via a web page or mobile app. BandLab Mastering lets you upload music unlimited tracks of under 15 minutes in length, and then experiment with the four preset mastering settings it offers. The software was made with world-class artists and engineers and designed with GRAMMY-winning multiplatinum collaborators such as Mandy Parnell, Mike Tucci, Maria Elisa Ayerbe, Justus West, and Will Quinnell.

The first thing I found was the ease of use of the BandLab Mastering website. I signed up to create an account via the homepage and was uploading my first track about a minute later. There is an ‘upload’ or a ‘drag and drop function, and the whole process with my particular internet speed, took around another minute to upload a 4-minute track and begin listening with the mastering options applied.

The four settings to choose from are clearly labelled with an explanation, as well as some suggested genres that work best with them:

Universal: Natural dynamic and tonal balancing – Rock, Pop, Electronic, Alternative

Fire: Punchy lows and midrange clarity – Trap, Hip-Hop, Experimental, Reggaeton

Clarity: Pristine highs with light dynamic expansion – Acoustic, Classical, RnB, Singer-songwriter

Tape: Warm saturation with analog dynamics – Jazz, Alternative, Indie, Rock

There are samples on the BandLab page to hear what each option sounds like, but I wanted to hear for myself how they all compared playing the same piece of music, and also where the strengths and weaknesses of each setting would lie.

Universal

The Universal setting was most pleasing on tracks that had lots of instrument parts and vocals, and it really ensured that the lead vocal sat prominently in the mix. The balance was perfectly nice for this preset and it felt like everything was boosted equally, while still being positioned in its right place. The Universal option would make a great default setting, and had the same feeling of equal boosts across the spectrum on all the tracks I used, ranging from solo instruments to larger band and electronic setups. Overall, it sounded pretty impressive with all of the styles I experimented with. Universal has a modern yet classic and inoffensive sound, and I’m sure many users could get by just fine using this setting alone.

Fire

The Fire setting sounded great on a retro-sounding band piece I had. This setting not only boosted the drums and bass in a very agreeable way, in keeping with the genre and my expectations but also added clarity and prominence to a piano that was in the middle of the mix. Synths and a lead vocal kept their place upfront and weren’t overpowered by the low-end, but the difference was significant. Overall, this setting fit perfectly for a track of this style, and I suspect any traditional band setup would sound quite nicely mastered with Fire. As I experimented with pieces of more variety, I kept coming back to Fire for tracks that needed that extra punch in the low-end, whether electronic or band based. While this preset wasn’t created to optimise softer pieces, the impact on bigger and more aggressive tracks across genres was highly rousing and effective.

Clarity

Clarity didn’t disappoint and was perhaps the unsuspecting hero of the group. It was my favourite setting to use for guitar pieces and really brought them to life. The high-end was pronounced, but without losing the warmth or depth of the low-end or mids, which is always a concern of mine with the guitar. It kept the feel open and balanced; the full range of the instrument was present, and it never sounded small or twangy. It also worked very nicely with piano pieces, as well as ambient electronic tracks. The revelation for me with Clarity was experimenting with rockier band tracks. Surprisingly, this didn’t lose any punch and still felt meaty, even though the airier high-end was quite prominently boosted in this master. For this reason, I felt Clarity was the most inclusive all-around setting, as it could cope with almost anything.

Tape

Tape was similar to the Fire setting in places, such as boosting the low-end, and working really well on more aggressive tracks. I felt like Tape also evened out any jumps or discrepancies in volume and compression between sections much more smoothly than the other options. This was a huge bonus for this setting, and pretty much every track of every genre that I played with Tape sounded warm, full, and pleasing. My only criticism of Tape would be that the ‘tape noise’ on extremely quiet parts is too noticeable and distracting. For example, on a live guitar or vocal recording where there is a natural break or diminuendo, the fuzziness of Tape detracts from the silence too much. Other than that, my love for the sound of analog days-gone-by would see me use this regularly myself.

The verdict

I was genuinely surprised by how far the BandLab Mastering effects exceeded my expectations. After much playing around with all kinds of tracks from classical, to electronic, to rock, I was not expecting the four preset options to all be so well-rounded and effective. None of the settings sounded ‘bad’, even when pushing the limits and trying music that wasn’t intended for that choice. To me, that’s a good sign about the quality of each default and makes it a very useable piece of kit, highly accessible to lots of different people. It’s worth remembering that the mastering function can’t solve problems in the mix – if a track has issues with balance, clipping, or bad recordings, this isn’t a magic remedy. If, however, you’re looking for loudness, clarity, a nice EQ spread, and a particular vibe, then BandLab Mastering has some pretty great options.

Victoria Butash -Monitor Engineer for Jason Isbell and Sylvan Esso

Victoria has worked in Live Sound for over eleven years and is currently on tour as a monitor engineer with  Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit and works with Sylvan Esso as a monitor engineer. In addition, she works for Big House Sound, Inc. and Sound Image.

Victoria grew up surrounded by music, as her dad was a musician as well as his friends, and at age ten began exploring songwriting. She was part of the choir and band at school and can play a variety of instruments. She attended Capital University, in Columbus, Ohio with the notion of becoming a studio engineer, but realized quickly that her love was in live music and the dream of touring. She would graduate with a Bachelor of Music in Music Technology.

 

Career Start

How did you get your start?

I honestly didn’t know what exactly I wanted to do when I started college. I didn’t even know if I wanted to be in college at all. At first, I thought that I wanted to pursue being a studio engineer, and I realize now that that was a result of my program being so studio-focused. As soon as I got a taste of the live sound environment, I was sold. My first paid gigs were in small clubs. My friend recommended me to cover a few shows, and soon I was being scheduled regularly and was being offered shifts at other clubs that were similar in size. I was bartending to keep a steady income, but eventually, I realized how much those two tracks conflict and decided to pursue other audio opportunities.

What did you learn interning or on your early gigs?

One of the biggest lessons I learned early on was that there is more than one way to efficiently and correctly accomplish something and that you can learn so much from simply observing. I learned and practiced the nuance of asking the right questions at the right times. The other big one was that you absolutely do not have to yell or be a bully to get things done in an effective way. I watched a lot of others try that tactic, and it exclusively garnered resentment amongst the people that you want on your team. There’s a time and a place for being stern (safety), but you absolutely do not have to use it as your primary tactic.

 

Sylvan Esso Crew

Career Now

What is a typical day like?

Wake up at least an hour and a half before walk and chalk, and check Google Maps to see where we are and if there are good coffee spots within walking distance.

Even though I’m not flying anything currently, I still go to walk and chalk to determine my footprint on SL and make sure that I’m being left enough room to operate and make adjustments if not.

Load In

Build MON world and take a look at the air space with RF Explorer and Touchstone Pro

My RF products are all Shure, so I use Touchstone Pro to visualize, and then import data into Wireless Workbench to analyze and deploy my frequencies and pair receivers/transmitters.

Open the previous show file, review my notes, and update snapshots accordingly

Once the backline is built, I run my looms to stage boxes and power drops and help patch the stage

Find some time for lunch and another coffee, and if there’s enough time I’ll call a loved one

Line check with backline pals

Soundcheck

Organize stage/prep changeover if there’s an opener

Dinner

Show

Load Out

 

How do you stay organized and focused?

The most important thing is taking care of your mind and body – if you’re not drinking enough water or eating consistently, your mind will not be at its best.

Outside of health, I find that having a step-by-step routine for getting your day started and setting up is helpful. If you continue to practice the same routine every day, you’ll be able to troubleshoot faster and be considerate of your team’s schedules. For instance – I wouldn’t ever run stage looms first thing because the backline has rolling risers that need to be built and placed. I really don’t like when I hear others use the phrase “work smarter not harder” condescendingly, but I can attest that running out a hefty sine loom is much easier if you don’t have to move it because it’s in the way.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?

I love being a part of the interpersonal relationships within the tour team and talent. I think that being a monitor engineer means that your crew is instilling a lot of trust in you. It’s your job to create a sonic space that honors the musician as well as the backline techs that work tirelessly to preserve tone. It’s an amazing feeling to experience the energy on stage as it morphs from song to song.

What do you like least?

When things go wrong, it’s hard not to take it personally. Even if you’re fully prepared and have done the work to secure spare lines, spare frequencies, etc., the equipment can still fail in a way that isn’t immediately fixable. That aspect can be anxiety fuel.

Luckily, I work with incredibly understanding folks who keep their frustrations in check and trust that I am doing my best to make the issue go away. It’s been great to know that if something comes up, we can have a civil conversation about it later.

If you tour what do you like best?

I have always (kind of) joked about how my number one passion in life is food and touring is my gateway to experiencing all of the world’s best food. Seeing the world is such an amazing perk.

I also love that I get to partake in so many fantastic friendships.

What do you like least?

I think that living out of a suitcase surrounded by up to 11 people in a small space as well as being away from your loved ones gets tiring during a long tour. It certainly forces you to choose what items are most important to your every day. I think even the most social people need a break with privacy sometimes, and it can be hard to come by.

What is your favorite day off activity? 

I have two priorities: Find the best coffee. Find at least one good meal.

Outside of that, I usually bring my rollerskates on the road, so I’ll find somewhere to skate and listen to music. I also genuinely love hanging out with my crews, so I like planning fun group activities – especially if they can be outside. I also always make time to phone my loved ones.

What are your long-term goals?

I just want to continue staying on top of the newest technologies and seeing the world (and eating all of the food that the world has to offer!). Eventually, I’d love to dive into more Production Management. I also want to continue exclusively working for and with good humans.

What if any obstacles or barriers have you faced?

My biggest obstacles have always been my own anxieties: whether I deserved to be where I was, whether I could handle challenging situations, and being worried that I’m not communicating well enough with my team. The industry’s volatile nature has left a lot of my friends and coworkers with these same anxieties, which means that many of us can share in them and help each other deplete them. You can only control what you can control.

I would be remiss if I didn’t note that I’ve experienced a fair bit of sexism and sexual harassment. I’ve worked in spaces that didn’t feel safe, and I’ve been brushed off for asking for help.

I’ve noticed that – for me at least – it hasn’t been as up-front as it once was. Post-COVID lockdown, there’s been a level of accountability that didn’t quite exist before. That’s not to discount anyone else’s experiences, but I’m glad to feel somewhat safer in my work environment.

How have you dealt with them?

Letting go of the things you can’t control is a powerful thing. I see a therapist once every two weeks, which really helps with the struggles of having anxiety and being on the road full-time. I really, really encourage everyone who tours to seek telehealth therapy options. Many cities have programs that can help with financial support for mental health services. If you live in the Austin area, please reach out to SIMS for mental health support.

I’ve had to get better at advocating for myself and my safety, as well as the safety of those around me. I do my best to work hard and foster an environment where everyone feels welcomed and appreciated.

Advice you have for other women who wish to enter the field?

Never stop learning. Remember that no single person knows everything; it’s okay to look something up on Google if you’re second-guessing. Do your best to stay focused through the beginnings of your career: it’s gonna be tough, but you can push through. Meet everyone and try to remember their names – that goes a long way and helps with networking. Make sure that you’re ALWAYS taking breaks to drink water and eat – even on the busiest days. If you only have the budget to purchase one nice tool to start out with, grab a multi-tool like a Leatherman. You will more than likely encounter some form of sexism/discrimination, but do not let that stop you…and always reach out to a Production/Stage Manager, Tour Manager, or Venue Manager if you need help. You should not be expected to work in an unsafe environment, and safety includes sexual harassment or sexism. Advocate for your health, your pay, and your safety. And as you move into positions with more authority, despite what you may see others do, you can accomplish things with kindness and comradery instead of fear.

Must have skills?

I think the biggest skill to being on any team is work ethic and the ability to see everything and everyone from the “same team” point of view. We’re all here to do the same job, even if we work in different departments. People on your team will also notice when you care about your work, and that is a valuable trait.

Be communicative and open. Take responsibility if you mess up and put fail-safes in place to avoid the issue in the future. At the same time, also know when to let a bad night go.

Do your best to stay calm and collected when troubleshooting. Something will definitely go wrong at some point, so be prepared with the knowledge and tools to track it down and fix it.

Last but not least: do your best to be pleasant while respecting your boundaries and your teammates’ boundaries. We all have to work together through long, sometimes arduous days and then we have to get onto our tiny house on wheels and live together, which is a lot. I’d say that getting along with your team goes further than technical know-how.

Favorite gear?

My Leatherman, JH Roxannes and UE 18+ PROs, my RF Explorer, soldering irons, my SoundTools Rat Sniffer, label maker (with cool glitter tapes), anything from the Neve 500 series in a rack, and honestly…zip ties. Haha.

I just want to pay homage to those who helped me get to where I am. In no particular order: my dad Jeff and my mom Cindy, Rick Rhoads, who introduced me to recording and opened the door to a plethora of incredible music, Dr. Mark Lochstampfor, Greg Harbert, Joey Pasternak, Andie Cascioli, Melanie Renecker, Kip Montgomery, Zach Anderson, Nate Peterson, Alicia Blake, Karrie Keyes, and Jeremiah Karni.

Essentials & Creativity of Location Sound

Sound designers for films and podcasts have access to many amazing tools to match and enhance the audio recorded in the field. There are multitudes of audio repair options, as well as EQs, reverbs, preamp simulators, saturation plugins, stereo field wideners, as well a ton of sound libraries. Yet, the technology available to us can still only do so much. We can make our projects sing by recording more quality options on location. This is a guide on how to capture audio in the field and why it matters for post-production. Although I use film terminology throughout this article, these recommendations can apply to any medium.

Gear Recommendations

First, a note on best practices for specifically recording dialogue; I’ve worked on films and documentaries where the only audio I had was from a lavalier mic. Lav mics often sound chesty and unnatural, so it takes a long time in post to get the dialogue sounding crisp and clear. Clothing rustle and other movement sound from lavs take a long time to repair as well. Ideally, dialogue is captured on set with a shotgun mic with lavs as backup options. Shotgun mics are also handy to have in case the wireless catches interference. Booms usually can not be used during wide shots, but you can point the shotgun elsewhere and record ambience. (Even though that would be a mono recording. Still good to have options!)

Go beyond capturing dialogue when planning out gear. Spec out a kit that can get stereo recordings, especially outside. When editing and mixing the final product, extra environmental recordings can be a bed under dialogue and used to create smooth transitions into and out of scenes. Stereo backgrounds set a more immersive and natural sounding environment and are a satisfying, yet basic sound design method. Stereo audio can easily be captured with the mid/side technique, but if that option is not available to you, grab a stereo field recorder and record the environment before or after the interview or shoot.

If you have the inputs available on your mixer/recorder, arrive on location with an extra mic or two that you can plant to capture other audio. Is there a babbling brook nearby? It might be cool and interesting to record that on its own channel during the gig, so the sound designer can layer it in. Same if there is a sidewalk with foot traffic in the background – hiding a mic behind a trash can or in a bush (out of the shot, for film), and boom! You have environmental audio that is synced with the rest of the audio in the scene. For something like this, where you aren’t capturing anything specific, you could probably use an omnidirectional mic. But I say, fine to use whatever you get your hands on. It is far better to have audio recorded than to have a missed opportunity because you couldn’t get the perfect microphone.

To sum it up, here’s your list of gear: 1-2 wireless receivers/transmitters and lavalier mics, 1 shotgun mic and boom pole, 1 handheld field recorder, and/or a mid/side setup (a bidirectional mic, a hyper-cardioid or omnidirectional mic, and a blimp and pistol grip), and of course your trusty mixer/recorder such as a Zoom F8 or Sound Devices Mix-Pre 10. And hopefully other random microphones!

Best Practices

These are blue sky recommendations, so your projects may not allow you the time for all of these. If you can go back to a location and get purely environmental recordings, I highly recommend it. Some of these ideas are things you should advocate for in a production meeting before you step foot on location.

On the note of boom operation – ask the producers when they plan to do a site visit. Site visits are essential to figuring out wireless solutions, power, and possible sources of unwanted noise. In more run-and-gun situations, they are helpful to gain familiarity with the terrain before the shoot. Camera operators get the assistance of a spotter – location sound mixers/boom operators do not. Understanding the terrain beforehand will enable you to keep your boom steady and out of the shot, and reduce the risk of you tripping and getting hurt.

Try to carve out time to get extra audio of the environment or the room. In the post-production phase, it is helpful to have options to create smooth transitions into and out of scenes, with the added benefit of having audio to build an immersive scene through sound design. For indoor scenes, a minute of audio per room is usually fine. Advocate for a “meditation minute” where no one moves or talks on set. Since there is more variability in the environment outdoors, three minutes is usually best. It may be more ideal to go back and get that audio or stick around after the gig.

If you can swing it, try to grab other recordings of cars passing, planes, etc. If you need to stop recording, or a cut is made in post during one of those occurring in the background, it is unnatural and jarring to hear that element suddenly drop out. And background sounds can not always be removed.

Then there are the things you should try to avoid recording while capturing dialogue. Heavy traffic, airplanes, HVAC, fans, unwanted conversation, etc. Discuss sources of unwanted noise with your director/producer during the site visit so they are aware and can hopefully make plans. And if a plane flies overhead or a car passes by, or there are any issues at all, tell production to hold for it. As audio people, we are generally encouraged to keep our heads down, so it can be hard to adjust towards speaking up more. But in these situations, you will get so much more respect by courteously speaking up and advocating for getting good sound. (Though holding for planes only works for scripted shoots. In interviews and documentaries, there is no stopping once you’re rolling.)

Everything discussed here may or may not be possible for every project due to time and budget. I can not emphasize collaborating early to figure out what is possible. The end goal is to serve the project and immerse the audience. Vocalize your suggestions through the lens of bringing the story to life. Every department is there for a common goal – to make the story.

How to Own Your Work Without it Owning You

Working in theatre can be full of ups and downs. You get some jobs; you lose out on others. You don’t always get to know why. Some production processes are smooth; others are nightmares. Since I resumed working in live theatre in 2021, I’ve had my share of all these experiences, and everything else in between. But one thing that has changed for me post-shutdown is how I approach those messier situations. And learning to survive them and still do my job well has helped me learn an important lesson about letting go of some of my emotional attachment to my work.

This is not to say that I don’t still love what I do! I remain deeply passionate about mixing musicals. There’s almost no place I’d rather be than behind a console in a theatre. However, working in theatre isn’t just a source of joy for me; it is also my job and primary source of income. And one of the biggest discoveries I made over the course of the pandemic shutdown when this huge part of my life and livelihood went away for a while, was that it can be unhealthy to tie my emotional wellbeing to something as fleeting as anyone show. And when I think back on how I approached my work then vs now, I can see that I am in a much better place mentally.

It turns out there is an important distinction between loving your work and being ruled by it. And my success at doing the former without falling into the trap of the latter is key to my current healthier overall psyche. Here are some tips and techniques that I utilize every day at work to stay grounded in calm and stormy seas alike.

Practicing Gratitude

Even within a dumpster fire, there is good. I try to remind myself each day, or even each hour, to take a moment to name one thing I like about my current job or situation. It could be anything from “I am grateful that I’m getting along well with my colleagues” to “I am grateful that tomorrow is payday.” Any small acknowledgment of gratitude that helps you to simplify what’s going through your head can be a great aid in re-centering oneself in moments of chaos. I use this technique when I catch myself falling into bad behavioral habits, such as getting impatient or passive-aggressive about things outside of my control.

Lane departure warnings

 

We may think of this as being a safety feature in fancy new cars, but checking yourself or asking others to check you when you begin to let your emotions rule your actions will help you resist the pull of the drama and tension around you. I have worked hard (with a lot of help from my wonderful therapist) to learn what my emotional defense mechanisms are and to recognize them before they get out of hand. For example, I know that when I’m stressed or low on sleep, I can turn into a bit of a control freak and micromanager. At times earlier in my career, I also tended to accidentally overstep my departmental boundaries when I thought I could help with a problem, even when the issue at hand was totally outside my responsibilities. I’ve learned that this behavior, while well-meaning, is ultimately counterproductive because it can hide flaws or issues that need to be solved by the team organically, and not fixed with slapdash “band-aid” solutions. So, learning to stay in my lane has proven to be both a gift (because it allows me to feel pride and ownership of that which is my job), and a relief (because I can let go of everything that isn’t).

Set good goals

Another way I try to cultivate a feeling of satisfaction at every job is by defining for myself what would constitute “victory” or “success” in this situation. For example, on a recent out-of-town show, my primary goal was to develop a good work relationship with a sound designer I had never mixed for before. On a different show that I supervised back in March, my goal was simply to get paid and save money for a future cycling trip. So, regardless of what happens on any of my shows in the end, I can consider them wins for me because I have met my personal goals. Anything more than that is gravy!

Work-life balance

 

To the left, to the left!

 

I’m generalizing here, but I’ve found that because of our long hours, atypical work schedules, resultingly small social circles, and overly cultivated sense of “family” or “community” among each individual theatre company or show team, we (the denizens of the theatrical workforce) are especially prone to letting the work-life scale tip in the “work” direction. Find things you value off the clock and give them the time, attention, and emotional value they deserve. Some tactics I use to maintain my balance are intermission phone calls with my spouse, taking my cat with me when I travel for out-of-town shows, going out on walks or bike rides on my days off, or cooking a simple meal at home that I can bring in to eat on my dinner break. All those things and more help me to remember what I really care about and what makes me happiest, and as a result, I am not expecting work to provide a sense of completeness (or to fill a void) in my life.

One of the great things about being a stagehand is that most of my work can only be done at work. I can’t exactly EQ a microphone or hang a speaker from home. For this reason, I try to take the act of clocking in and out very literally. When I’m at work, I commit to being there fully, doing my best, and devoting my complete attention to the tasks at hand. When I leave the theatre, I try my best not to take any of that home with me. This applies on breaks too. Of course, the existence of modern technologies like smartphones, email, and push notifications can make that hard, but at the same time, especially if you’re paid hourly, then you don’t owe your employer anything when you’re not on the clock. Try using an app timer or similar feature on your devices to limit the times of day that you can check work email. Leave your show paperwork and mix script at the theatre so you aren’t tempted to look at them after hours. If there isn’t enough time in your scheduled shift to get all the needed work done that day, then it’s ok that it must wait until your next workday. And that’s not on you.

 

Accept reality and measure expectations

 

 

We all know that just existing in a stressful situation is easier said than done. Here I am preaching about detaching emotionally from work, and the next moment I’ll be texting a friend to vent about how frustrating some part of my workday was. Being emotional is an extremely logical human response to stressors. It means your body is working as intended! But acknowledging emotions and then letting them go will allow you to keep a cool head and not get stuck in a state of burnout. As my meditation app put it, “Acceptance doesn’t mean apathy. It means seeing clearly from a place of calm, knowing when to act, knowing when to let go.” Someone might come up to you and say something like, “the show is so behind, we’ll never be ready in time!” And that might in fact be the case. But unless one of you is part of the show’s upper management, then all you can do is acknowledge that yes, the current situation is less than ideal, but it’s still ok. Know it’s not your job to fix everything, just to ask for what you need to do your job well. And if that isn’t available to you, at least you’ve made your issues known in a calm and rational way and can now go back to focusing on the here and now of the situation.

At the end of the day, it’s ok to walk away

This blog was intended to dive a little deeper into tactics for maintaining good mental health and objectivity in stressful work situations. However, I want to emphasize that I am not writing this to condone improper work conditions in any way. Everyone deserves a workplace where the expectations of their job are laid out clearly, where each employee is treated with humanity and compensated fairly, and where issues that arise can be brought forward without fear of repercussions or retaliation. That is a bare minimum of what one deserves when one enters the theatre to work on a show. And if your current employer is not meeting those standards, feel free to go find one that will. While not every job will be ideal in every way, you are not “weak” or “a failure” for deciding that a situation you’re in is not the best for you as an individual and that the appropriate solution for your own mental health is to extract yourself from the project. It is hard to remember at the moment, but it’s always true that the ultimate power you have as a worker is the power to walk away, and no one can take that from you or make you feel bad for using it.

Above all, take care of yourself

Theatre is a job, but theatre is also objectively interesting and fun. That’s part of why I and many others choose to put on plays for money instead of seeking employment in other fields. However, “love of the art” does not mean one has to be married to it, as the saying goes. Any emotions that come up because of work are just emotions, no different than the rest of the time. I hope this blog has highlighted ways that creating an emotional separation from your work can ultimately make you a better worker because you will no longer be counting on a show to make you happy. It may do that anyway, but that’s a perk, not a job requirement. You also won’t feel like you’re carrying so much of its baggage if it makes you sad, angry, or stressed. If you can live by the philosophy that your job is to show up, do your work, get paid, and go home, you’ll hopefully find satisfaction in yourself even in less-than-ideal situations, and feel pride in your work at the end of the day regardless of what else happens.

 

A great tool for making a self-care action plan, courtesy of the Mental Health First Aid Association

Lexi Jackson Music Licensing, Songwriting, and Production

Lexi Jackson is one of the most inspiring, generous, and vibrant musicians/audio people I’ve befriended online. She not only writes and produces music as eye.elle and creates playlists to feature other artists, but she is also forging a career in music licensing. After obtaining a certificate in Music Production at the Community College of Baltimore County in 2021, and interning at both Maryland Public Television’s Content Department and Women’s Audio Mission, she began work at The Sync Center. She has since landed a job as a Music Licensing Assistant at ESPN.

Lexi answered the following questions via email.

Tell us about your audio education. What program or educational experience played the greatest role in forming you into the artist and professional you are today?

Well, let me just say, I got my degree in Sociology, but I knew I wanted to go a more creative and musical route. The problem was, I didn’t know how. I’d decided I wanted to work in Music Supervision, but needed to find a way to transition my career. I came across a Music Production and Audio Recording Certificate program at a local college and that helped me tremendously! I had always been musical, and had even written lyrics to songs, but never knew the specifics about production. With this program, I learned exactly that and broadened my horizons to various opportunities in the future. One, in particular, helped to expose me to so many different types of people and opportunities that I don’t think I would have found otherwise: an internship with an amazing organization called Women’s Audio Mission. Right in the thick of COVID, I suddenly had this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to challenge myself creatively, and I met some of the best people because of it.

What was the last song you released and in what ways was it a departure from others you’ve recorded?

Wow, I love this question. The last song I released was a song called “You Never Know,” and it features an artist named Ivory James. I actually met him through a friend I made in my WAM cohort. He and I worked on something as a part of our mutual friends’ WAM Final Project, and knew we had to work on something together! I created a Collaboration Form to find collaborators around the world to work with, and he filled one out. When the time came, I had lyrics written (which later became the hooks of the song) and all we needed were the verses. This song was definitely different because, not only did we work with an unfamiliar song structure, but we also took a bit more of a divide-and-conquer approach. In most songs, the chorus repeats. I wanted the choruses to be a bit more ambiguous and hard to find — after all, the song is called “You Never Know.” On top of that, we wanted to tell a continuous story to really hone in on the emotion and uncertainty that often comes with change or during a transitional period. It was an incredibly important song for me and my growth both as an artist and a person. Ivory James was able to come in, capture the vibe, and make it his own. The end result was one of my most streamed songs to date, and I couldn’t be more proud of us.

You work for the ESPN Music Licensing Department and are well versed in the world of sync licensing. Tell us a bit about sync licensing. What do you wish others knew about it?

I’m not gonna lie, understanding the world of sync can be tricky. There are so many ins and outs (audio pun intended) and it’s easy to get lost in the weeds when doing your research. The easiest way to explain it for me has always been to think of music for what it is: a product. With products, there is always an owner of that product. If you want to use someone else’s product you have to ask their permission, otherwise you’re stealing — which I’m sure we all can agree is bad. Sync licensing is pretty much the process of securing the rights to use music when marrying it to picture, and paying the necessary fees associated with its use. The first thing I wish people understood more, though, is the fact that music should indeed be paid for when using it in projects. Musicians, artists, and producers aren’t just creating art for their enjoyment: In most cases, it’s how they make a living. Pay them. The second thing I need people to understand is how important clarifying your splits is BEFORE submitting your music to any music libraries or music supervisors. We literally don’t have time for split disputes and we will move on.

What are some of your favorite plug-ins? Favorite gear?

To be honest, I’m not the biggest plug-in junkie. I’m too indecisive to choose. I stick with the stock plugins in ProTools mostly, but I’m definitely ready for something new. Got any suggestions? Lay ‘em on me!

What first got you interested in the world of audio?

I’ve always loved music. The power that it has to evoke so many different emotions has always been so incredibly beautiful and inspiring to me. There’s nothing else like it. I played instruments and sang all throughout school, but I knew I wanted to do more than just play what my band directors put in front of me. I wanted to be the one making the songs. In doing so, I still wanted a bit more. I wanted a way to share it. The desire to push myself past my limits is what got me interested in audio. It was a bit of a slow start considering I was too shy to try it out in high school. It was such a stereotypically masculine gig, I felt almost wrong for wanting to try it and I had no support to help me learn. Despite this, the music itch continued and I knew I couldn’t sit back and wait for someone to teach me; I’d have to start learning myself. I learned a little, then found a great certificate program that helped fill in the gaps. As much as I learned in that program, I’m still learning. There are always new ways to do things and cooler methods to try, so it’s a constant grind, but it’s a fun one when you get to make something really special as a result.

What goals do you have for yourself in the coming year?

My biggest goal, personally, is to be patient with myself and have self-compassion as I journey through this transition I’m embarking on. I’m working at a new job, and will soon be moving to a new state. I’ve never lived that far from home before, so there’s a lot of change for sure, but every day I get a little more excited and sure that everything is going to work out. Creatively, my biggest goal is to release an album. So far, I’ve only released EPs. I’ve been really learning to be patient through life in the last few months, and I think that same patience has shifted to my music. I’m taking my time to get inspired and I’m letting the music flow, as opposed to completing tracks by a self-imposed deadline like I have in the past. I’ve been working on new music, but the fun part is I haven’t been as open and social about it. I really want to surprise everyone with what it turns into. It’s some of my best work so far, and I’m really excited to share it with everyone when it’s ready, but I’m not rushing it.

What is the piece of advice you have received that stands out to you most, either for how great it was or how misguided?

Growing up, especially as a black female, I was often instructed to lay low or keep my head down. Though it was the advice provided with the best of intentions, it definitely stunted how I viewed myself and what I was capable of. It also prevented me from really going for the things I wanted. At some point, I realized just how uncomfortable it was for me to live like that. From a very young age, I always dared to be different. The world tried to strip that part of me, but no matter what, it always found a way to creep back in. Remembering who I am has always been a source of great strength for me. In fact, “Remember who I am,” is what I use to this day to get me through hard times. Music helps me to remember. Whether it’s listening to it or creating it, it’s medicine for the soul for sure.

What advice would you pass on to someone hoping to follow in your footsteps as an audio professional?

Perfectionism is the biggest enemy of creativity. Please know that in anything you do, the first step is to simply begin. That’s it. Get started. Waiting until you know everything, or can do the thing perfectly, is futile and will only hold you back. The sooner you can learn to catch yourself in those moments and act against those beliefs, the better off you’ll be. Learning to have fun and be okay with not knowing things right away is how you grow. Embrace that growth.

Thank you, Lexi.

An Introspection on Theatrical Sound Design

Where to begin? An empty screen, a blank page, and a freshly printed script. Still warm from the printer. I love designing for theatre. It allows me to experience hundreds of different renditions of the same script. The same story, but from a different perspective. Theatre is the original never-ending story.

Thus, when I design for theatre, I begin by asking myself several fundamental questions. I approach it in its most basic form, a story.

What are some of the thoughts and emotions I feel during the first read-through?

I am currently sound designing and composing for a play titled The Revolutionist. I remember being awestruck, fueled with energy, and rereading passages several times. There were parts that I clung to and others where the action was so quick that it came spilling off the pages. This is what the script felt like for me at this point in my life.

If someone was to map this out they might call it a tension plot. Or a visual representation of the story arc. It might look like a rough line plot with descriptions. It might be a list of points with titles and corresponding symbols with emotive words. It could very well be a single paragraph talking about the story arc’s path. Understanding how the play feels and flows is important as a storyteller, regardless of how you explain the emotions.

Following this, you might begin to form questions or deeper contemplations.

What questions are asked and answered in the play and what is left unanswered? What might this mean for the overall storytelling?

As the collaboration process unfolds, some of these themes and questions will be brought up by the director and other designers. I think by asking questions, wondering why and how, and taking the time to look at the script as a team ultimately leads to a clearer and more cohesive form of storytelling. When you ask questions about the script, you are asking about the story, the author, the period of time it was written, and so many other factors. You are taking a step into that story. I find this perspective is vital when creating the musical world for live theatre.

Keep a dedicated journal or notebook. A sound designer’s grimoire.

I would suggest collecting all of these feelings, thoughts, and questions and writing them in a dedicated notebook. I have used the google drive method of typing notes and keeping my work mostly electronic until I had the pleasure of seeing a costume designer’s personal production notebook. It was cluttered in an artistic and beautiful way. It had swatches of fabric and sketches with descriptions. There were pages filled with words that illustrated her design. What I found on those pages was what I saw in her costumes. It was magical and I knew I wanted that for my artistic process.

I don’t think I could dedicate a grimoire for each design I do, but I do think it is beneficial for large designs and projects I am passionate about. As artists, our ideas flow fast and accumulate. We want to keep them close when we need to remember some tiny forgotten idea. My current one does not contain fabric swatches, but it does have a lot of character analysis, questions, poetry, and snippets of descriptive phrases. I create mood boards to go with the sounds and music I associate with characters and locations. By compiling these thoughts and feelings on paper in one place, I have easy and convenient access to all of it. Plus, you have the opportunity to get a fancy notebook if you choose. I am sure I have sold you on this.

What do these worlds/spaces look like? Sound like? Feel like? What are some keywords, sounds, and images you might associate with the vibe?

Each designer is going to be unique in their artistic approach. Whatever helps you convey what you have in mind is going to be the right approach for you. What something looks like can tell you so much about how it sounds. How big is the space? Are we inside or out? What creatures inhabit it? What kind of weather are they experiencing? Are we experiencing a non-diegetic moment filled with underscore and magical sounds?

Consider the tension plot. Where are we at in terms of emotions that you felt when you first read the script? Maybe you have added and developed these thoughts since then. What do those emotions infer to you? If you were excited and hanging onto every line when you first read it, then an otherworldly underscored moment might be necessary to tell that story and emotion.

What leads the story? The characters? History? An unseen fate? How does that flow? Is it a slow burn or is it staggering? How does this contribute to the story?

You might answer these questions differently compared to others on the production team. You are going to share similar opinions as well. This examination is going to help you further flush out the story’s arc. In Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard, shifts in socioeconomics and the unknown fate of the orchard are what drives the plot of the story. In Eric Overmyer’s On the Verge, the story is forcefully pushed along by the three female lead characters.

The answer to these questions hints at how a designer might approach perspective and how their design can emphasize that. Audience members might find it easier to relate to characters unless they have been directly affected by the conflict in the story.  It is also going to help the production team guide the audience through the experience of the story. The actors on stage need our help to do that successfully. When all of these inner workings come together, the theatrical experience is truly magical.

How does the audience interact with the action on stage? Are we in the world or are we spectators? How does sound move around us or in front of us? Is it intrusive or is it invited? What does that mean in regards to how we tell the story?

Finally, we are in the physical theater space. The production team brings the pieces of the world into the playing realm. The play is becoming realized.

These questions will be answered as you have discussions as a team and with your director. The actor playing space will be decided early on. Some parts of the play might protrude out into the audience and some may remain separated. How the action and world move around the theater space is important because the sound might need to emphasize that. Or it might need to represent it solely. It could also contradict in an adverse effect.

This sound support might manifest itself in where you place speakers, effects like reverb and delay, panning and spatialization of sound cues, and the list goes on forever. I mixed a South Pacific where an invisible airplane taxied on stage, took off down the runway, got into the flight, circled around the perimeter of the audience, and flew away. For the most part, that show was separated by the viewer’s veil. The audience members were spectators. However, in that scene, the world of the Pacific crossed that divide and created magic.

Those are the instances that have audience members smiling when they leave the theater. They are special and so much fun for designers. It is a moment to flex your artistic muscles and shine in the spotlight. These scenes are made special because they are precise. The time was taken to consider when the audience becomes part of the world. They are special because they help us tell the story and in turn, we are better storytellers.

 

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