Empowering the Next Generation of Women in Audio

Join Us

Griselda Jiménez the First Woman Sound Engineer in México

Griselda Jiménez is the first woman sound engineer in México, working for Mr. Vicente Fernández (among many other representative icons of Mexican popular music) for more than thirty years. Her hallmark, beyond her professionalism and dedication, was her interest in transmitting what the artist is feeling, which is why artists wished to work with her.

From Dancing to Mixing

Griselda came from a family that was directly related to sound, her parents were involved in the rental services of musical instruments and audio equipment where she learned how to use and manage them, but her dream was to become a dancer “I learned everything about the sound when once, as an artist on a tour, my father, who was in charge of the sound, got sick and went back to Guadalajara. I had to take care of the sound at the same time I was performing, that’s how I learned. Actually, I didn’t like it, I had to do it because my father made me do it. I was only an actress and a dancer.” says Griselda.

In 1969, Griselda started her career as a dancer in las caravanas of the Blanquita theater in Guadalajara. A couple of years later she moved to Mexico City and worked as a substitute dancer for the company of the same theater where the actress Margarita Su López, also known as Margo Su, was in charge. It is relevant to say that Margo Su was an important writer and a theater entrepreneur during the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema.

Working in this venue opened a window where Griselda had her first introduction to live sound mixing. An accident gave her the opportunity to be in charge of the theater audio – “Thanks to the unprofessional behavior of the staff, I had the opportunity to be in charge of the audio. I remember that the audio manager got drunk and had an argument with Lucha Villa (icon of Mexican music), she knew I had knowledge about audio so she told me “you are in charge” and fired the guy. Instead of waiting to finish the show, he grabbed his things and left everything there. It was at that moment when Griselda started as a live sound engineer.

Her career continued, at first, she worked for comedians and theatre artists that work by seasons which was the case of Lucha Villa, one of the most important singers in Regional Mexican Music. This event was important to Griselda since she was the first person who believed in her. Later, Jiménez worked with important artists such as Pepe Jara, Juan Gabriel, Imelda Miller, Los Platers, La Sonora Santanera, Irma Serrano, Los Panchos, Pérez Prdo, Lola Beltrán, Jiménez sisters, Vicente Fernández and more.

Professionalism, Modesty, and Determination – The key tools for her development

Griselda has shown modesty and professionalism through her career, basic principles that have kept her in the industry for several years. In 1982, she met the great icon that marked her career, Mr. Vicente Fernández. Fernández had some issues with the attitude of audio engineers, so he thought it would be better if he worked with a woman audio engineer, that’s when he offered Griselda a full-time job. Coincidentally, the engineers were her brothers, so her immediate reaction was to say “No sir, you are my brother’s artist and I won’t get in the middle of that”, but she went to talk with her family who told her to take the job.

After more than thirty-three years touring, Vicente Fernández left the stage five years ago and Griselda was decided to do the same, but Edith Márquez asked to work with her for a few dates since Griselda sees her as a daughter because of her big heart and human quality, she agreed by gratitude and worked a few concerts more, which were her last sound mixes before her retirement.

Training and Empirical Knowledge

During that time there were no schools where you could study music engineering, so she acquired all her knowledge about sound engineering by practicing, experiences, and day-by-day challenges, with joy and pride Griselda became one of the best sound engineers in Mexico. Adrenaline was the key for choosing live sound, although she worked on some projects inside the studio, for Griselda it wasn’t the same experience and sensation, that’s why she preferred the adrenaline and pressure that comes from working on stage with artists. “I started to learn in an empirical way by watching tv shows, but where I truly learned was when we were touring with Vicente in the United States. The audio engineers that worked there were curious about the fact that there was a Mexican woman sound engineer and they helped me” says the engineer.

 

Opens a Path in an Industry Dominated by Men.

“At first it was quite difficult to be in an industry where there were no women working on the technical side”. With her personality, tenacity, and the support of the people around her like his husband Miguel Lara (which whom she married in 1975 until she became widowed in 2012), and her crew Enrique Díaz, Fidel Pérez, and Diego Valdivia (who were always by her side) she earned the respect of many professionals and a place in the industry.

In Griselda’s words “As a woman, in a job for men, it was complicated but not impossible.”

Confidence is the Most Important Thing

“As a monitor engineer, it is key, no matter the mood of the artist, to feel my support. In the Vicente Fernández case, the monitor system that he used was eight-floor monitors just for him, a few more for his musicians, and six side-fill points. Everyone said he was putting a PA for monitors, which was shocking.” says Griselda, “I would say that the sound pressure level was around 100dB. The first sound that the artist made was crucial, if everything was good he would see me with total confidence, and then I knew his sound was just as it was supposed to be, sometimes he even told me to lower the level”.  The word started to get out and some other artists started to ask for the same monitor system. “The only one who makes it is my gordita” would say Vicente.

From Analogue to Digital

“Vicente only used three microphones: one for the violins, another one for the harmonies, and the last one for the trumpets. I didn’t agree with that, so I taught him how to make a mariachi sound. He used to say that people went to listen to him, not the mariachi, but I always told him that without the mariachi the people would never know the songs. It was kind of difficult to work with him, but step by step I changed his mind. I made him use wireless microphones, to the point where he stopped using cable microphones because they made his outfit dirty”, she remembers. “Later I worked closely with his musicians because when the show started, they moved back so they could hear themselves, the reason was they weren’t mic’d correctly. I changed that so they could hear themselves as it was supposed to be. “My equipment preferences changed over the years, you have to learn, improve, and be updated every day”.

Griselda started with a pair of Cerwin Vega speakers and a Monitor console in a 1980 Dodge truck, always with her husband by her side who always supported her.

“At that time, having the right equipment was complicated which is why I didn’t have any type of preferences, with the microphones as an exception, where I always used Shure and Sennheiser,” says Griselda, “Whatever they put me in front, I would make it work.”

 

Over the years, she built her technical team and started to acquire her sound equipment, always keeping up with the newest technology. Griselda told us “all my equipment were KF850 system processors, EQ racks, and Roland effects which were the ones Vicente used to like”.

After some time, my U.S. friends called me to pay me for engineer training because Vicente’s tour was published as the number one show and I used an analogue console. So I went to Los Angeles, I was on an intensive course for a week and then they put me on a show using a digital console” says Griselda Jiménez and continues “Everything was so fast because the next weekend I had to be touring with Vicente Fernández. I took my analogue console (Midas, and when we changed to digital we used a DigicoSD5), with all my peripherals. At the end of the first show, everything went awesome and I saw that Vicente was happy.”

The engineer says “as for the monitors, we always used floor wedges, although they were changing over the years because the stages Vicente used were central and rotating ones, so I had to make different arrangements, for the side-fills we had to hang them from the lighting and we put them down before the show to make four reference points. The monitor engineering for Vicente was difficult and complex because of his needs, every time he asked for more sound pressure reaching the 110dB as a base. He used to allow me only three feedbacks during the show, but I never had them, that’s why I had some independent EQ.

“I think we as women have the feeling and we are dedicated, we surely can do any job that it’s classified as a “man’s job” as is sound engineering.

I started as a dancer and maybe because I had my musical sense developed it helped me to mix. For me, everything started as a surprise that evolved into a necessity and challenge that I didn’t want. I had complicated, scary and sad moments, although I was afraid of the unknown, I constantly said I could achieve it, remembering my daughters Imelda and Rocío that had given me all their support to overcome any obstacle”.

 

What do you like best about touring?

I like traveling very much and being able to soundcheck in different venues.

What is your favorite day off activity?

To be at my home with my husband and daughters. Enjoying my family and my life.

What if any obstacles or barriers have you faced?

There are many obstacles but all of them can be overcome.

How have you dealt with them?

With a lot of persistence, love, honesty and the most important thing is to be constant all the time.

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

Do not lose the passion and love for their profession, ignore negative comments, keep updating all the time and not compare yourself with anyone, each one of us is unique and we have our own mix styles.

 

Griselda Jiménez Primera Mujers Ingeniera de Sonido en México

Griselda Jiménez primera ingeniera de sonido en México, trabajó por más de treinta años para el Sr. Vicente Fernández, entre muchos otros íconos representativos de la escena musical popular mexicana. El sello que la caracterizó además de su profesionalismo y entrega, fue el interés por transmitir al público lo que el artista estaba sintiendo en cada momento, razón por la cual  diversas personalidades buscaron trabajar con ella.

Del Baile a la mezcla.

Griselda viene de una familia relacionada directamente al sonido, sus padres se dedicaban a la renta de audio e instrumentos musicales, fue ahí donde comenzó su aprendizaje en el manejo del equipo de sonido, pero su sueño e interés era ser bailarina “aprendí todo lo del sonido cuando, como actriz, en una gira, mi padre ponía el sonido, pero una vez se enfermó, regresó a Guadalajara y yo me hice cargo del sonido a la vez que actuaba. De esa forma aprendí. De hecho, a mí no me gustaba hacer el sonido en la gira. Lo hacía porque mi padre me ponía a hacerlo. Mi carrera era ser bailarina y actriz”, comenta Griselda.

 

En el año 1969, Griselda comenzó su carrera como bailarina en las caravanas del teatro Blanquita en la ciudad de Guadalajara. Años más tarde se mudo a la Ciudad de México realizando trabajos de suplente como bailarina profesional, dentro de la misma compañía del teatro blanquita, en ese tiempo estaba a cargo la reconocida actriz Margarita Su López, mejor conocida como Margo Su, quien fue escritora y empresaria teatral dentro de la época de oro del cine mexicano.

El trabajar en este recinto, abrió una ventana que sin buscarlo fue donde Griselda tuvo su primer y gran encuentro con la mezcla de sonido en vivo. Un accidente ocasiono la oportunidad de quedarse a cargo del audio de este teatro, Griselda nos lo cuenta– “Por falta de profesionalismo del personal, tuve la oportunidad de estar a cargo del sonido, recuerdo que el encargado del audio se emborrachó y se peleó con la señora Lucha Villa (gran icono de la música Mexicana), ella ya sabía que yo tenía poco conocimiento del audio y me dijo “hazte cargo tú” y corrieron al chavo, en vez de quedarse a terminar por lo menos la función, agarró sus cosas y se fue dejando todo al “ahí se va!”. Fue entonces y desde ese momento que Griselda comenzó su profesión como ingeniera de sonido en vivo.

Su carrera fue avanzando, al inicio sonorizaba a cómicos y artistas que hacían temporadas en el teatro como es el caso de la Sra. Lucha Villa, una de las mas importantes cantantes en la historia del genero regional mexicano, ese encuentro fue fundamental para Griselda ya que fue la primera persona que creyó en ella. Tiempo después, la Sra. Jiménez trabajo con grandes artistas como Pepe Jara, Juan Gabriel, Imelda Miller, Los Platers, La Sonora Santanera, Irma Serrano, Los Panchos, Pérez Prado, Lola Beltrán, las hermanas Jiménez y Don Vicente Fernández, entre muchos otros más.

El profesionalismo, la humildad y decisión, herramientas clave para el desarrollo.

Griselda ha demostrado durante toda su carrera humildad y profesionalismo; principios básicos por los que ha logrado mantenerse tantos años dentro de la industria, como fue el encuentro con un gran icono que sin imaginarlo marcaria su carrera.

En el año 1982, Don Vicente Fernández tuvo algunos problemas con la personalidad de sus ingenieros de audio y pensó que al tener a una mujer encargada de su sonido, sería mucho mas fácil la relación, entonces le propuso a Griselda quedarse de planta. Casualmente los ingenieros eran sus hermanos, la reacción inmediata fue decirle: ‘No señor, usted es artista de mis hermanos y yo no me meto’, acto seguido fue hablar con su familia quienes le dijeron que tomara la oportunidad y trabajara con él.

Después de más de treinta y tres años de giras Don Vicente Fernández se retira de los escenarios hace aproximadamente 5 años, Griselda estaba decidida en hacerlo junto con el pero la señora Edith Márquez le pidió hacer algunas fechas con ella, Griselda siempre la ha considerado como su hija por su gran corazón y calidad humana, en agradecimiento acepto realizar los conciertos siendo estas sus ultimas mezclas antes de retirarse de su profesión como ingeniera de sonido.

Preparación y conocimiento empírico.

En esos años, no existían escuelas en donde se pudiera estudiar la carrera de ingeniero de sonido por lo que todos los conocimientos de audio, los fue adquiriendo en la práctica, con experiencias, día a día nuevos retos a vencer, con gusto y orgullo, Griselda logró ser una de los mejores ingenieros de audio en México.

La adrenalina fue clave para tomar el camino del sonido en vivo, aunque realizó trabajos en estudio de grabación, para Griselda no era lo mismo ya que en los estudios no sentía la misma sensación, así que prefirió la presión y la adrenalina de trabajar en los escenarios con artistas de gran presencia.

“Fui aprendiendo empíricamente, viendo shows en televisión pero en donde realmente aprendí mucho más fue cuando íbamos de gira a los Estados Unidos con Vicente. Los mismos ingenieros de allá, sentían curiosidad al ver que una mujer mexicana trabajaba como ingeniera y me ayudaban”. Comenta la ingeniera.

Abrir camino en un medio mayormente dominado por hombres.

“Al inicio fue bastante difícil estar en un medio en donde no existían mujeres realizando el trabajo técnico”. Con su carácter, tenacidad y el apoyo de varias personas como su esposo Miguel Lara (con quien se caso en el año 1975 hasta que enviudo en el año 2012) y el apoyo de su grupo de trabajo Enrique Díaz, Fidel Pérez y Diego Valdivia, trabajadores que siempre estuvieron a su lado logró tener un lugar en la industria y ganarse el respeto de muchos profesionales. En palabras de Griselda “Como mujer en un ´Trabajo de hombres´ fue complicado pero no imposible”.

La confianza es lo mas importante.

“Como monitorista es fundamental que sin importar el estado de animo con el que salga al escenario el/la artista se sientan respaldados por mi, en el caso de Vicente Fernández, el sistema de monitoreo que utilizaba eran ocho monitores de piso solo para el, diversos monitores de piso para los músicos y seis puntos de side-fill. ¡Todo mundo decía que estaba poniendo un PA para monitores!, la razón es que debía de ser impactante” comenta Griselda, “Calculo que la presión sonora debía de alcanzar no menos de 100dB. El primer sonido que emitía el artista era crucial, si todo estaba bien, volteaba a verme con total confianza y entonces sabia que su sonido estaba tal cual lo deseaba e incluso me pedía que bajara el nivel”. Tiempo más tarde, se fue corriendo la voz y muchos otros artistas comenzaron a pedir el mismo monitoreo, ‘La única que lo hace es la gordita, les decía Vicente’.

 

De lo análogo a lo digital.

“Vicente sólo utilizaba tres micrófonos: uno para violines, otro para armonías y otro para trompetas. Yo no estaba muy de acuerdo en eso, así que lo fui enseñando a sonorizar al mariachi. Él decía que la gente lo quería escuchar a él y no al mariachi, pero yo siempre le sostuve que sin el mariachi la gente no sabría qué canción sonaría. Era difícil trabajar con él, pero poco a poco fui cambiando su pensamiento. Yo fui quien lo enseñó a utilizar micrófonos inalámbricos hasta el punto en el que comenzó a detestar los micrófonos de cable porque le ensuciaba el traje”, recuerda “Poco más tarde comencé a trabajar mucho mas cercano con los músicos, porque cuando comenzaba el show, se hacían para atrás para escucharse, la razón era que no estaban bien microfoneados así que lo cambie, logrando que se escucharan como se debía. De esa forma todos notaron que mi mariachi sonaba distinto, como si fueran cincuenta, pero en realidad eran doce”.

Mi preferencia de equipo fue cambiando con los años, siempre hay que actualizarse, aprender y mejorar cada día. Griselda comenzó con un par de bocinas Cerwin Vega y una consola Montarbo en una camioneta Dodge doble cabina 1980, siempre acompañada de su esposo quien la apoyaba en todo momento. En ese tiempo era muy complicado tener el equipo ideal por lo que no tenia como tal una preferencia de marcas, con excepción de la microfonía, usaba micrófonos shure y sennheiser, comenta Griselda “De ahí, lo que me pusieran lo hacia sonar”

Con el paso de los años, formó su equipo técnico y también fue adquiriendo equipo de sonido, nunca olvidando el estar al día con la tecnología. Griselda nos platica “todo mi equipo eran procesadores para el sistema KF850, rack de ecualizadores, mis efectos Roland 3000 que es el que a Vicente le gustaba.

Después de un tiempo, los amigos estadounidenses me marcaron para pagarme la capacitación en ingeniería porque la gira de Vicente había salido en las revistas en el primer lugar. Y usaba una consola análoga. Así me fui a Los Angeles, estuve en un curso intensivo de una semana y me metieron luego a un show a manejar la consola digital”, menciona Griselda Jiménez y continua, “Todo fue rápido porque el siguiente fin de semana ya debía irme a otra gira con Vicente; llevaban la análoga, (una Midas, y cuando hicimos el cambio fue a una Digico SD5), con todos mis periféricos.  Al final del primer show todo salió muy bien y vi a Vicente muy contento”.

La ingeniera menciona, “En cuanto a los monitores, siempre utilizamos de piso aunque fueron cambiando con los años porque los escenarios de Vicente eran centrales y giratorios, así que tenia que hacer diferentes arreglos, para los side-fills teníamos que colgarlos de la iluminación y los bajábamos antes del show para hacer cuatro puntos de referencia. El hacer monitores para Vicente fue bastante complejo por las necesidades que el exigía, cada vez pedía mas presión sonora llegando a los 110db firmes como base. Él me permitía tres feedbacks máximo durante el show, aunque nunca los tuve, por eso pedía ecualizadores independientes.

“Creo que las mujeres tenemos naturalmente un sentimiento y somos dedicadas, claro que podemos hacer el trabajo que se dice ser para hombres como es el caso de la ingeniería de sonido.

Yo comencé como bailarina y puede ser que el tener mas desarrollado el sentido musical me ayudara en la mezcla. Para mi comenzó como sorpresa que se transformó en una necesidad y retos que yo sola me ponía. Pasé momentos complicados entre llanto y temor pero aunque sentí miedo a lo desconocido, constantemente me decía que lo podía lograr, recordando cada momento a mis hijas Imelda y Rocio Lara que me han brindado el apoyo y sustento para superar todos los obstáculos”

¿Que es lo que mas te gusta de estar en tour?

Disfruto mucho viajar y poder realizar prueba de sonido en diferentes recintos.

¿Cuál es tu actividad favorita?

Estar en casa con mi esposo e hijas.

¿Cual es tu meta a largo plazo?

Disfrutar a mi familia y la vida.

¿Que obstáculos y/o barreras has enfrentado?

Existen muchos obstáculos pero todos se pueden superar.

¿Como haz lidiado con ellos?

Con mucha paciencia, amor, honestidad y lo mas importante de todo ser constante en todo momento.

¿Algún consejo para alguna mujer que quiera entrar a esta industria?

No pierdas la pasión y amor a tu profesión, ignora los comentarios negativos, sigue actualizándote en todo momento y no te compares con nadie; cada persona es única y cada una tenemos estilos diferentes para mezclar.

 

 

Micrófonos USB

5 recomendaciones menores a $200

By SoundGirl Maria Fernanda

En la búsqueda de profesionalizar nuestro contenido, nos encontramos con una inmensa cantidad de información. Artículos, videos e infinidad de opiniones. Que en consecuencia nos dejan con muchas dudas. las cuales nos hacen recurrir a mas artículos, videos y por supuestos muchas mas opiniones.

Un caso muy claro es cuando decidimos comenzar con nuestro ¨homestudio¨, seguramente vamos a encontrar muchas similitudes en la información general que podamos encontrar. Ejemplo: (que nos recomienden interfaces de audio, auriculares, micrófonos, una computadora, monitores etc.) pero, algo que sucede con mucha frecuencia. es que, estos no suelen ser de la misma marca, tipo o precio. Y he ahí donde deriva la gran variedad. Que en algún momento nos ha cruzado con los micrófonos de conexión USB.

La polémica que gira entorno a estos micrófonos en su mayoría suele ser por falta de conocimiento en los mismos. Las frecuentes dudas como, ¿son tan buenos como uno de conexión XLR? ¿es acaso un micrófono que puede entregarme un sonido profesional? Entre otras. Las respuestas incorrectas a estas dudas pueden orillarnos a una decisión premeditada y poco acertada.  Para comenzar a resolver estas dudas primero tenemos que saber como funciona un Micrófono de conexión USB

¿Cómo funcionan?

Hagamos una pequeña comparación, para conectar un micrófono con conexión XLR a nuestra computadora y poder grabar en el DAW, necesitamos de una interfaz de audio o mezcladora. Esta es la que permite que nuestra entrada de audio osea, la que vamos a grabar sea reconocida por el lenguaje de la computadora.

En cambio, el micrófono USB tiene una conexión directa a la computadora,

Esto quiere decir que por si solo es capaz de decodificar el audio que ingresa a esta. En otras palabras, es como si el micrófono tuviese una interfaz de audio interna.

Ahora, con una tarjeta de audio interna en el micrófono la calidad de audio dependerá únicamente de este, ya no de una interfaz externa como en el caso de los micrófonos con conexión XLR. Para poder identificar que tan bueno en comparación sean estos micrófonos USB dependerá de muchos factores, así es. Los hay de todo tipo de calidad tanto amateurs como profesionales. Esta brecha penderá de cosas como, materiales de construcción. Su interfaz interna, calidad del transductor y demás características especificas que tienen para ofrecer cada uno de ellos.

Como con la mayoría de los micrófonos lo importante no es elegir el mas costoso, o el que tenga mas adicciones. Lo correcto es saber interpretar sus características y de esta manera podamos escoger el que mas nos conviene para la actividad que vamos a realizar.

A continuación, te mostrare 5 recomendaciones que he elegido de micrófonos con conexión USB. Especificando sus características para que se pueda crear un cuadro comparativo y seas capaz de elegir el mas indicado. Los hay de muchos precios, pero he decidido abarcar un rango para todo publico.

Recomendaciones de micrófonos USB

Las características que se mencionaran en cada una de las opciones son las siguientes:

-Precio, Tipo de conexión, Transductor, Patrón o Patrones polares, Salida para auriculares y Soporte, lo que hace diferente a este Micrófono 

Blue Yeti

 

 

Este micrófono es considerado la mejor opción en relación calidad y precio. Ideal para streaming, conferencias y grabaciones domesticas.

 

Audio Technica – AT2020+

 

Este micrófono es ideal para comenzar con grabaciones domesticas de gran calidad, así como para podcast y otras aplicaciones.

Blue Snowball

Es ideal para transmisiones, video conferencias, podcast, grabar ideas para demos musicales.

 

 

Audio Technica – ATR 2100 X USB

 

 

Un micrófono robusto, que lo hace ideal para su uso en exteriores también. También es el indicado si lo que queres es reducir ruido de fondo

Samson GO Mic

 

Un micrófono ideal para grabar entrevistas fuera y dentro de casa, por su tamaño es considerado el Micrófono del viajero. Listo para llevarlo siempre con nosotros.

 

Un micrófono USB es una gran y sencilla manera de comenzar a hacer que nuestro audio sea profesional. No tengan mas dudas ni miedos al querer adquirir uno, son versátiles, económicos y muy confiables. Así que ya es tiempo, vayan por el suyo.

USB Microphones

 

Five Recommendations Under $200

By: SoundGirl Maria Fernanda

In the search to professionalize our content, we find an immense amount of information. Articles, videos, and countless opinions. That consequently leaves us with many doubts. which make us resort to more articles, videos and of course many more opinions.

A very clear case is when we decide to start with our “home studio”, surely, we will find many similarities in the general information that we can find. Example: (recommend audio interfaces, headphones, microphones, a computer, monitors, etc.) but,  something that happens very often. is that, these are not usually of the same brand, type, or price. And that’s where the great variety derives. That at some point has crossed us with the USB connection microphones.

The controversy that revolves around these microphones is mostly usually due to a lack of knowledge in them. The frequent doubts like, are they as good as one of  XLRconnection? Is it a microphone that can give me a professional sound? Among others. Incorrect answers to these doubts can lead us to a premeditated and unwise decision. Pto start solving these doubts first we must know how a USB connection microphone works

How do they work?

Let’s make a small comparison, to connect a microphone with an XLR connection to our computer and be able to record in the DAW, we need an audio interface or mixer. This is the one that allows our audio input, the one we are going to record, to be recognized by the language of the computer.

Instead, the USB microphone has a direct connection to the computer,

This means that by itself it can decode the audio that enters it. In other words, it’s as if the microphone has an internal audio interface.

Now, with an internal audio card in the microphone the audio quality will depend solely on it, no longer on an external interface as in the case of microphones with XLR connection. To be able to identify how good in comparison these USB microphones are will depend on many factors, that’s right. There are all kinds of quality both amateurs and professionals. This gap will hang on things like building materials. Its internal interface, quality of the transducer, and other specific features that each of them have to offer.

With most microphones, the important thing is not to choose the most expensive, or the one with the most addictions. The right thing is to know how to interpret its characteristics, and, in this way, we can choose the one that best suits us for the activity we are going to carry out.

Next, I will show you 5 recommendations that I have chosen from microphones with USB connection.   Specifying its characteristics so that you can create a comparative table and be able to choose the most suitable. There are many prices, but I have decided to cover a range for all audiences.

USB Microphone Recommendations

The features that will be mentioned in each of the options are the following:

-Price, Connection Type, Transducer, Pattern or Polar Patterns, Headphone Output, and Supported (reinforced), which makes this Microphone different

Blue Yeti

This microphone is considered the best option in value for money. Ideal for streaming, conferences, and home recordings.

Audio Technica – AT2020+

This microphone is ideal for getting started with high-quality home recordings, as well as for podcasts and other applications.

Blue Snowball

It is ideal for broadcasts, video conferences, podcasts, recording ideas for music demos.

Audio Technica – ATR 2100 X USB

A robust microphone, which makes it ideal for outdoor use as well. It is also the right one if you want to reduce background noise

Samson GO Mic

An ideal microphone to record interviews outside and inside the house, due to its size, it is considered the Traveler’s Microphone. Ready to always take it with us.

A USB microphone is a great and simple way to start making our audio professional. Do not have more doubts or fears when you want to acquire one, they are versatile, economical, and very reliables. So it’s about time, go for yours.

Events and Training

Find All Upcoming SoundGirls Events Here

AES – The Equity Learning SeriesAES is committed to addressing the issues of equity, diversity and inclusion in order to support the interests and pursuits of audio engineers of all identities.

The Equity Learning Series provides AES members with the chance to learn about important issues facing underrepresented communities, especially in the world of audio engineering, in an inclusive, group setting. AES is committed to addressing these issues in order to support the interests and pursuits of audio engineers of all identities. Facilitating learning, open discussion and understanding of the issues through this series is one way we seek to do this work..

AES members receive a 30% Discount on Women in Audio through AES’s agreement with Focal Press/Routledge.

Nonmembers can receive a 20% discount at womeninaudio.com using the discount code FLY21 (which will give the user 20% off of any title on Routledge.com until 12/31/2021). Register Here

Omni Sound Project – Signal Gain Conference

November 6th

Omni Sound Project invites you to join us for Signal Gain, our annual virtual conference, presented in partnership with Rupert Neve DesignsSpitfire AudioBABY Audio, and DistroKid.

As a participant, you’ll enjoy a full day of discovery within a welcoming, encouraging community. Signal Gain is a celebration of the year we’ve had together, accomplishing our shared goal of welcoming marginalized genders into the world of audio. Whether you’re newly curious about audio engineering or a seasoned professional, this conference will provide an opportunity to enrich your skills and knowledge base in a nurturing online atmosphere.

Signal Gain will be held online on Saturday, November 6th from noon to 5 pm CST and will consist of three live sessions and pre-recorded “speed” sessions between the live sessions.

This year, we will also be hosting Free Week prior to the Signal Gain conference, presented in partnership with Reverb, Source Elements, and Spitfire Audio LABS.

ADC21

ADC is an annual event celebrating all audio development technologies, from music applications and game audio to audio processing and embedded systems. ADC’s mission is to help attendees acquire and develop new skills, and build a network that will support their career development. It is also aimed at showcasing academic research and facilitating collaborations between research and industry.

November 15 & 16 In-Person, November 19 Online

Event Safety Alliance Summit

A hybrid in-person and virtual three-day event that will take place December 1-3, 2021 on the campus of Rock Lititz in Lititz, PA, sponsored by Take1 Insurance and Intact Specialty Insurance. (Go here for more information and to register.)

Allen & Heath Launches Mini Masterclass Series

Wednesdays, 9:00 a.m. PST

Make sure to check out the free ‘Mini Masterclass’ sessions offered by Allen & Heath.  Two tracks are currently running. Feel free to pick and choose any or all of the sessions that grab your interest. Installation Inspiration features veteran engineer and design consultant Samantha Potter. Monitor Mix Mastery is presented by the go-to monitor engineer and production manager Mike Bangs. See you in class! https://americanmusicandsound.com/allen-heath-mini-masterclasses

Insights in Sound

Fridays

Join host Daniel Liston Keller for a series of in-depth and irreverent conversations with people behind the scenes, behind the technology, and behind the music. From musicians and producers to touring pros, sound designers, inventors, and more. Previous episodes, including Pablo Wheeler, Jeri Palumbo, Harmoni Kelley, and Michael Beinhorn here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLELP8j3P2xz8tzRSqycOMtxrUWMvNzvvA

Nobody Likes Networking

For anyone who is looking for new work during these challenging times, Mike Dias — the Executive Director of IEMITO, the In-Ear Monitor Trade Organization — has a new monthly column in Pro Sound News focusing on networking skills. Now more than ever we need to be able to lean on second and third-tier relationships for opportunities. And if that sentence makes you uncomfortable — you’re not alone. No one likes making small talk and asking for favors. No one is a natural-born networker. But it is a skill that anyone can learn. If you want more concrete steps than what’s available in the Pro Sound News article, Mike has published many of his past networking talks and notes from his upcoming book at his Nobody Likes Networking site for free.

DiGiCo

Exclusive online DiGiCo Workshops: YOU choose the subject! We are running several online Clinic Workshops where you get to decide what we talk about! Each session is a private one-on-one workshop with a member of the DiGiCo team. So, book now and tell us what you want to know!

Book here: http://bit.ly/digicoclinics

Mixing Music Live

Concert Sound Engineer and SoundGirls Co-Founder Michelle Sabolchick-Pettinato shares her knowledge and experience from 30 years in the industry. Offering two online courses: Mixing Music Live and intro to live sound and mixing and LISTEN! a guide to EQ and Critical Listening. A discount is available to members of SoundGirls. Both courses include great info and lessons via her blog and newsletter. https://www.mixingmusiclive.com

HARMAN Live Workshop Series

HARMAN is thrilled to invite leading Front of House Engineers, Lighting Designers, Technicians and other knowledge experts in the industry to share workshops of their secret methods, tips and tricks.

https://pro.harman.com/lp/learning-sessions

SSL Live Sound Training Program

For the ultimate immersive learning experience, SSL offers its Live Certified training — a six-hour intensive online video course led by Live Product Specialist and live sound veteran Fernando Guzeman. Currently, SSL is offering certified training courses in both English and Spanish during June.

https://www.solidstatelogic.com/ssllivetraining

The Production Academy

Hosts weekly webinars The Pandemic Sessions.

https://www.theproductionacademy.com/pandemic-sessions

Post-New York Alliance – Post Break

You can watch past episodes here A weekly series produced by the PNYA Education Committee explores post-production in New York State. Each week, a different topic will be discussed with a variety of professionals. https://www.postnewyork.org/blogpost/1859636/Post-Break

Color of Music Collective

Hosts free virtual panels on a weekly basis that amplify People of Color and LGBTQ voices in the music industry. You can sign up for their newsletter to see when the next panel is.: https://www.colorofmusiccollective.com

Omni Sound Project

Dedicated to being the most accessible point of entry to the music and audio industries. We strive to provide affordable opportunities for learning to under-represented communities as well as spotlight the talents of female and non-gender-conforming audio professionals. All genders are invited to attend our online educational events. Find all events and to register at https://www.omnisoundproject.com/

Part of the Main

Has launched a series of affordable theatre training workshops from QLab and Lighting Programming into Theatre Marketing and PR. They are offering 20 funded bursary spaces to Black artists. Learn more bit.ly/partofthegrid

Intro to SoundGrid Studio: Online Webinars

Join us for personal small-group webinars about the new Waves SoundGrid Studio for real-time audio processing in the studio. Get a personal overview of how SoundGrid Studio can benefit you for:

These are limited-availability sessions with Waves Studio Specialist Ryan Monette, who will provide answers to any questions you might have.

https://www.waves.com/events/soundgrid-studio-online-2020?utm_source

Andrew Scheps Talks To Awesome People

There are a lot of awesome people in the world, and they all have amazing stories to tell. Getting them to tell their stories on camera is not only fun and educational for all of us, but it helps document some of the absolutely incredible things that have happened in the brief history of recorded music. Join Andrew and his guests for a deep dive into what makes them, and the people around them, tick..

Every Monday 2:30 PM EST, 6:30 PM GMT.

https://www.puremix.net/live/andrew-talks-to-awesome-people.html

I’m with The Crew

A very personal look at human nature and the adaptability required to get through this unprecedented time. Shining a light on the importance of understanding and managing the holistic-self in order to find the strength to take action.

Hosted by Misty Roberts & Jim Digby, Produced by Shelby Carol Cude, guided by mental health professionals Taryn Longo and Dave Sherman with weekly special guests, this live-webinar provides an opportunity to gain greater insight and control over how we respond to these times and manifest the resilience to survive and start again when that time comes.

The webinar takes place at 11:00 a.m. PDT every Friday.

https://showmakersymposium.com/im-with-the-crew

Robert Scovill – The Lab

An online, interactive session focused on pro audio called “The Lab”. This 90-minute session is a completely open forum with much of the topic matter being driven by attendees. Robert has a complete console, recorders and small networked PA system set up in an attempt to address and investigate most challenges. Admittedly the focus is geared more toward console, processing and mixing out of practicality as much as anything. Attendees are encouraged to share their screen and their challenges regardless of console type.

First three Mondays of every month. 1:30 p.m.

It is first come first served with a room limit of 300.

Sign up at https://www.robertscovill.com/ under News and Events.

Pooch & Rabold on YouTube

Pooch and Rabold have over 50 years of experience between them as Front of House live sound engineers.   They work for artists like Bruno Mars, Justin Bieber, Kenny Chesney, Iron Maiden, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Linkin Park, Motley Crue, Guns N Roses, Widespread Panic, and many others.  They have traveled the earth looking for the best steakhouses in all but a handful of countries.   Rabold and Pooch share all of their knowledge in this very informal series of videos where you get to be a “fly on the wall,” while two of the most respected live sound engineers talk freely about audio.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjx5xSFzwXd43XL4cZDeCag

Robert Scovill – The Back Lounge

An online social group called “The Back Lounge”. Here industry people of all types; production people, i.e. road managers, production managers, backline, audio and lighting pros, company owners and personnel, HOW staff etc. all gather to discuss the state and future of the industry and share guidance and resources on financial assistance strategies and any other topic that suits the discussion.

First three Fridays of every month. 4:20 p.m. PDT

This is first come first served with a room limit of 300.

https://www.robertscovill.com/

Sennheiser Academy Online Webinars

Sennheiser is pleased to announce a series of webinars for our customers and partners. Join us online in the coming weeks to learn about a wide range of topics, from RF and microphone basics to roundtable discussions with sound engineers, as well as a chance to put your questions to our application engineering team.

https://en-us.sennheiser.com/webinars

Updates & Resources

For COVID-19 updates and resources, check out the NAMM. In addition, NAMM is offering a variety of webinars and sessions to help understand alternatives and tips to coping with this new dynamic.

https://www.namm.org/covid-19

Club Cubase

Join Club Cubase Google livestreams every Tuesday and Friday, as Greg Ondo answers all of your questions.

https://www.facebook.com/47279836044/posts/10157291784976045/?d=n

Show Makers Symposium

The Show Makers Symposium is a place for us to gather, learn and give back. During these uncertain times, we will shine as much light as possible toward the end of the tunnel and provide as many resources as available for growth and mental resilience.

https://showmakersymposium.com/#missionstatement

Event Safety Alliance

The Event Safety Alliance® (ESA) is dedicated to promoting “life safety first” throughout all phases of event production and execution. We strive to eliminate the knowledge barrier that often contributes to unsafe conditions and behaviors through the promotion and teaching of good practices and the development of training and planning resources.

https://www.eventsafetyalliance.org/

Learn with Dave Rat

Learn new tips for pro audio engineers and sound techs on Dave Rat’s YouTube Channel. Dave mixed FOH sound for Red Hot Chili Peppers for 27 years, Rage Against the Machine, Blink 182, Soundgarden, Foo Fighters, The Offspring, and more. When he was 18 years old, he co-founded Rat Sound Systems which is the primary sound vendor for Coachella and provides world-class audio sound systems for numerous touring artists including Pearl Jam, Jack Johnson, Pixies, Alt J.. In addition to being president of Rat Sound, Dave has designed speaker systems including the EAW MicroWedge series and Rat SuperSub. The SoundTools.com division of Rat Sound is actively manufacturing and distributing his product designs.

https://www.youtube.com/user/www73171/featured

Wireless Side Chats

Lectrosonics has produced the new video series Wireless Side Chats, hosted by VP of Sales and Marketing Karl Winkler. Episode 1 explores the history of early wireless, episode 2 shows how to solve the seven most common wireless mic problems, episode 3 is an in-depth clinic about Lectrosonic wireless designer software, and episode 4 further explores best practices when using wireless.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwnOnolFSN5K2-2QZOwzVq-0ZFYgoPXDH

eMotion LV1 WEBINARS

Join Waves on our special eMotion LV1 Online Webinars series with one of Waves’ top live sound specialists as your guide. The seminars will be conducted as intimate sessions for small groups, involving an overview of eMotion LV1 mixer with a chance for you to ask questions after being given an overview of the layout and main functions and advantages of this product. Check the website for upcoming dates.

https://www.waves.com/events/lv1-online-webinars

Richard Furch – #mixtipwednesday

Now in the third year,  #mixtipwednesday aims to offer quick tips to get you out of the creative ruts and keep you inspired making records and improving your craft. Also, an Instagram Live event, every Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. PDT, mixer Richard Furch (@richardfurchmix) answers your questions and engages the listeners with insights into the craft and business of record mixing.

QSC@Home

QSC@Home is a comprehensive online launch point dedicated to users’ success across a vast range of solutions and applications. Through its “Connect, Learn and Experience” architecture, QSC@Home visitors are treated to unique collection of online training, tutorials, certification, webinars, entertainment and live online support from company experts, all of which is constantly curated and updated. QSC@Home is a valuable tool for everyone from systems contractors, integrators, A/V IT technicians, A/V consultants, musicians, artists, djs, live sound engineers, recording pros, HOW musical directors, cinema technicians, cinema dealers and end-users at all levels of expertise

https://www.qsc.com/qsc-at-home/

Conversations with Sound Artists

The Dolby Institute and the SoundWorks Collection Podcast, now in its 6th season, is putting the spotlight on episodic content, featuring in-depth conversations with the sound artists behind some of the best broadcast and streaming shows. Join the talented artists behind the shows The Mandalorian, Westworld, Mindhunter, Ozark, Locke & Key, and Unorthodox for in-depth discussions about the creative sound choices for these shows.

Learn more:  https://dolbylabs.co/33NNrgw

Wrong End of the Snake

Tuesdays at 2:00 PM EST

Front of House Live Sound Engineer Ken “Pooch” Van Druten, and Monitor Live Sound Engineer Kevin “Tater” McCarthy, team up to host a webinar exploring the sometimes irrational, always spirited relationships between the music industry tribe. Join us each week as Pooch and Tater reflect on decades of highs and lows, professional tips and tricks, and a special industry guest.

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_R2_ZRFobS3Og41Ax9JeQqQ?

ADAM Academy

An informative video series on the company’s YouTube channel which provides all viewers from entry-level audio students to skilled working professionals with valuable information, tips and tools that they can use to get the best performance from their loudspeaker monitor systems. Recent video topics include: How to Calibrate a Subwoofer; Studio Monitor Placement; Proper Monitor Maintenance & Cleaning; Mixing Rap and Hip Hop Master Class by Brooklyn-based hip hop producer and engineer Paul Womack; Audio Post; How to Mix Acoustic Sessions; How to Mix Live Sessions for Video featuring engineer Eric Bastinelli;  How to Tune Drums; How to Mic Drums; Drum Editing in Pro Tools; Tips for Becoming a Successful Freelance Musician presented by Grammy-nominated bassist Jonathan Maron.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGSZx_3dmWXqXo1-k5GqJtEmU9Uy4Sfye

New Lurssen Mastering YouTube Channel

On this channel with weekly updates, Lurssen Mastering engineers, Gavin Lurssen and Reuben Cohen get you closer to their audio engineering world and share useful tips and insights into the art of mastering.

Lurssen Mastering is a world-renowned multi-Grammy award-winning mastering studio. They have mastered many gold and platinum records and have received several industry awards. In addition to the Grammys earned and proudly displayed by Lurssen Mastering, numerous songs worked on by the team have been nominated for Oscars over the years and several have won this prestigious award.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuSlopV23zOqLzuKpeLKSIQ

 

Scholarships for Asian and Pacific Islander SoundGirls

SoundGirls is proud to announce a grant for Asian & Pacific Islander SoundGirls to attend the SoundGirls Virtual Conference, happening on December 4-5.

Grants are available to Asian and Pacific Islander SoundGirls residing outside of the United States where there is historically less access to educational opportunities in audio. Applications are now open until October 31st and grant recipients will be announced the first week of November.

Apply Here

We believe that diversity and representation are essential to any strategy for social or cultural change, and as music/audio is a driving force in those movements, it is vital for our community to continue to educate and empower all those who pursue a career in sound.

With this, we’re happy to announce that longtime SoundGirl, Jett Galindo, has generously donated five all-access passes to the 2-day virtual conference!

Jett Galindo is a Los Angeles-based Filipino mastering engineer & vinyl cutter who works at The Bakery, who continues to break molds within the audio engineering world, building upon the legacy left behind by her late mentor, mastering legend Doug Sax of The Mastering Lab. She’s worked with a diverse range of artists spanning various media from Barbra Streisand, Matt Bellamy, to Lena Raine (Minecraft OST) and the La La Land OST, just to name a few. She also serves as a contributing writer for various trade publications and organizations (iZotope’s LEARN portalWomen in SoundSoundGirls, etc.).

We thank Jett for continuing to contribute her efforts and energy as a leader in the audio community, helping to open a world of opportunities to young women everywhere.

 Tips for Tech

My last blog covered tips for touring, but before you truly hit the road, you have to get through tech. Which is hectic and stressful as you try to combine speakers, lights, sets, and props into an actual show.

The tech period is a progression of the show that slowly adds elements into the mix

First is load in with just the crew. Everything comes in from the various shops (lighting, sound, scenic) and you put it all together physically for the first time. Once things are mostly set up, lighting gets a day or two to focus (the rest of the crew will work on projects offstage or at FOH) and sound gets quiet time to tune the system, usually without any other crew in the building (love them dearly, but let’s face it, carps are always better at being unseen than unheard). Next is dry tech where the SM and the crew run through lighting transitions, scene changes, and automation moves without the actors, working through timing and how the SM will call the show. Then the actors leave the rehearsal studio to join the crew at the venue for cast onstage, teching the show with all elements except hair, wardrobe, and the orchestra. After a few days of that, the musicians get settled in the pit and are added to rehearsal for the last few days. Finally, you have the final dress rehearsals with all elements, including hair and wardrobe before you officially open!

It’s a grueling schedule with a lot that has to happen in a short amount of time. I’ve had some tech periods where I worked almost every day from 8 am to midnight for a month straight without a day off. I’ve done others where we had a practically luxurious 8-5 schedule with the rare treat of getting to see the sunset for a week or so before the actors got to the theatre.

Somehow, everything eventually comes together, but opening night seems like it’s very far away when you stand on an empty stage and hear the roll doors of the loading dock clatter open. Even then, opening night is a milestone, not the endgame. Your goal throughout all of load in and tech is to learn the show, learn the system, and get it ready to take on the road.

 

Assume that you won’t remember anything, so document everything

This is the one time where it’s okay to be glued to your phone as you take pictures of how speaker carts or cases pack, how cases line up in the truck, or mic placement in the pit (especially things like drums and percussion that can easily have twenty to thirty mics to set up).

When I take reference photos, I’ll try to get close-ups on things like speaker rigging and mic placements, but also have wider shots where you can see the entire drum kit, the full stage, or where the cluster truss hangs in the space, etc. Details are always good, but having photos of the big picture help establish context. I only take reference photos in tech for specific items, but I’ll take archive photos in every venue I go to: of the layout of the audience, my FOH set up, how I installed the system, where racks lived backstage, etc. When I go back to a theatre on a different tour, I have the photos from the last time I was there as a reference to jog my memory when I’m figuring out my plan for load-in.

 

Keep in mind that tech is the most time you have to spend with the design team

Once the tour’s out, someone from design might stop by for a day or two in a major market (LA, Chicago, DC, etc) or, if the show plans to run for several years, there may be plans to make regular checkups (say every 6 or 9 months), but that’s about it. So make sure to take advantage of the opportunity to get to know your designer. If you’re like me, making a point to spend time with someone for professional reasons feels disingenuous and presumptuous, something akin to greasy schmoozing rather than sincere conversation. It helps me to frame it as a genuine effort to build a relationship rather than a mercenary pursuit of future jobs. Plus, your designers also want to get to know you, not only to see if you’re someone who can take care of this show now, but if you’re someone they might want to work with in the future. I ended up moving from Les Mis to Saigon because I was a known entity to the design team. They felt more comfortable having me pass Les Mis, a show that was already up and running, off to another A1 and move over to Saigon so they didn’t have to gamble with bringing on someone unknown to start a show.

How you interact with your crew during tech will set up the tone for the rest of the tour

Especially with your A2. The A2 is backstage during tech while the rest of the sound team is at FOH, so make a point to include them when you can, usually during meal breaks and post-tech at the bar. This is something that might seem obvious, but that’s not always the case, which I, unfortunately, found out when I spent one tech as an A2 being routinely forgotten by the associate designer and production audio. That show was seven years ago, but the fact that I was made to feel inconsequential by design and unsupported by my A1 left a lasting impression. Now, if I have the opportunity to socialize with design, I try to make a point to invite my A2 or make sure they know where we’ll be for a meal break. That means the A2 has the opportunity for face time with the design team and hopefully conveys that I, as the A1, respect and appreciate their work and view us as part of a team.

Another overlooked aspect of tech is music

Usually, you have a keyboard in the house while the actors are on stage, then the full orchestra joins for the last couple days. However, several days before that, they’re somewhere in the theatre rehearsing (the lobby, a rehearsal room, etc). Whenever you have a moment, go and just listen: it’s one of the few times you have to hear what they sound like on their own. For the rest of the tour, you’re focusing on how they sound through the system or how they’re blending with the cast in the mix, or how inconveniently loud they are in the lobby during load-in while you’re trying to time the room. I’ll try to peek in for a moment during cast breaks onstage, even if it’s just listening to the MD give notes and work through a passage. Few people know the music better than the MD, and hearing how they explain things to the other musicians can give you a better understanding and appreciation of the music.

Finally, a few practical tips

Tech is stressful and tiring, but it can also be fun. You’re meeting new people, taking on new challenges, and getting to mix a new show for the very first time. Enjoy the thrill and get some sleep when you can!

Sound Editing with Music in Mind

Before audio post-production was even a possibility, composers would incorporate the emotion and the action of what they saw on the screen into their musical scores. They played the role of sound effects editor and composer, with a technique referred to as “Mickey-Mousing” where the composer would exaggerate a character’s movements with specific orchestration and musical motifs. Now that sound FX editors have taken this role in post-production, Mickey-Mousing is less common, so it’s key for sound effects editors to make cuts that work with the music in the overall mix for a film or tv show. Here are some considerations and tips that our team shared on their approach to sound editing with music in mind.

Consider the musicality of chosen sound elements for a build

“When designing sound effects of a musical nature, it’s very important to steer clear of anything with a defined pitch. It’s especially important to avoid any chords, whether arpeggiated (like an upward harp gliss) or played together (like a synth chord used as a steady for a magic beam). There is very little chance that you will happen to choose the same key and chord as the score, so most likely, these elements will need to be muted as soon as the music is added to the mix.
To avoid this, I always choose to use inharmonic instruments, such as chimes, cymbal, water-phone, etc., when I want to add a musical element. Their non-integer-multiple harmonics keep them from sounding like any particular pitch, which in turn keeps them from interfering with the tonality of the music. If you absolutely need to use a musical element, always be sure that you have a non-tonal backup element in place. That way, if your star element is muted in the mix, there will be something left to cover the action.”
– Kate Finan, MPSE

 

Here is a depiction of how harmonics work in periodic waveforms heard in music and tonal sound FX.

Here is a depiction of how harmonics work in periodic waveforms heard in music and tonal sound FX.

Think about the role that the score will play in the final mix

“Oftentimes, if the guide track provided to us for our sound effects edit includes music, it’s an indication that it’s an important musical moment in the show. This could be a montage or a song sequence. Knowing that music will take center stage helps us think about the sequence in terms of how sound effects will support the music. This may mean cutting less and focusing on what will cut through in the final mix. Or for a song, we may want to cheat some of our effects so they land on the beat and work seamlessly with the music.”
– Jeff Shiffman, MPSE

Be confident in bold builds when a scene shares heavy sound EFFECTS with the music

“It’s important to cut sound effects that are substantial enough that they’ll cut through in the mix once music is added. A lot of the time, music drives the emotion of the scene and therefore is fairly present in the mix, so if you cut a sound effect that is extremely subtle, it will very likely get lost. Make your choices clear and significant enough to not get buried.”
– Tess Fournier, MPSE

Focus on texture to support tonality

“Try to avoid using sound effects that have a musicality to them. You never know if something with a melody or tune will clash with what is going on in the score. This comes up a lot with things like magic effects, so I always try to go textural and nondescript, rather than musical or tonal.”
– Brad Meyer, MPSE

Notice how you’re using the full frequency spectrum

“During songs or music-driving scenes, make sound effect builds that are a bit more punchy and larger than normal scenes so it can cut through the score better if needed. That way your work won’t be lost in the mix!”
– Ian Howard, Re-Recording Mixer

 

This diagram illustrates the frequency spectrum as it relates to common musical instruments and the qualities that audio editors and mixers use to describe certain frequency ranges.

This diagram illustrates the frequency spectrum as it relates to common musical instruments and the qualities that audio editors and mixers use to describe certain frequency ranges.

Always benefit the progression of the story

“When mixing, remember that it is your job to help create harmony between the sound effects and music coverage.  In some cases, both parties will cover a moment or action in a similar way, and it’s essential to figure out whether music, sound effects, or a combination of the two will best serve the story.
Along the same lines, during songs or key musical moments, you can really enhance a scene by adjusting the sync of certain sound effects to hit on the beats of the music. This is especially powerful during title sequences and music video moments, where the music is driving the story.”
– Jacob Cook, Re-Recording Mixer

The bottom line is that there are multiple ways for sound effects to work with music in any given scene with considerations like atonality, sync, texture, and frequency spectrum. Keeping this in mind allows for a story to shine through action and emotion.

Back On The Road

 

I finally had the chance to get back to touring, albeit a very quick one. A last-minute call to jump onto a tour for a couple of weeks.

The first day was strange, mainly just being at an airport, being around so many people (there were a lot of people at LAX), and being on a plane. I landed to a text telling me the next day’s show was canceled. Good start! We were near the east coast and a tropical storm/hurricane was wreaking havoc. This was the story for most of my time on this tour. A show canceled, two days of rain on mobile stages, a show stopped halfway through the set for lightning strikes followed by the audience being evacuated to safety. And of course the constant threat of COVID/delta variant.

The touring side of it has been pretty smooth with everyone respecting the protocols; testing multiple times during the tour, wearing masks almost all of the time, no guests backstage for the most part (if you were backstage, you had to have a rapid test). We had to wear masks anytime we were indoors and anytime local crew/anyone, not in our bubble was around us. If we were outside and on stage with just our band and crew, we could take the masks off. This seemed to work really well. At times it was pretty rough having to wear a mask in the intense heat and humidity, but I know a lot of people have had to do this for a very long time so it’s a small sacrifice to be able to get back to work.

It’s crazy to think that people still don’t want to wear masks where it’s enforced. It literally affects our livelihoods and their enjoyment of events. If the band or crew catches it, the tour stops, they quarantine and the show does not go on. Everyone should be super grateful for those willing to risk their health to put on a show for the fans. I know I am.

Now I’m back home and back to triathlon training. Two very different worlds! No sudden weather events, no health scares. When all is said and done, however, it was good to be back!

On a side note, if anyone is curious how I transitioned my training whilst on the road (as I am currently in the middle of a rigorous Ironman training plan), I asked my coach what the best thing to do was and she said:

When you are away, it will depend on the facilities and the time you have available. It’s probably not worth trying to do a bad version of your programmed training riding on an old gym bike. It might help you maintain your fitness, but it won’t grow it.

The best approach is to do what you can, but don’t stress about it. Aim to complete your planned runs, and you can add a couple of short easy runs if you have the time (and energy). Add more than that, and on top of all the time on your feet in what sounds like a tough working situation will put you at risk of injury. Adding core strength and flexibility in the gym is likely to be more beneficial.

Don’t worry, you can get back into training properly on your return.

I think flexibility is the key for touring at the moment..do what you can and try to enjoy it. With the COVID protocols, I did a lot of hotel room bodyweight workouts (squats, planks, etc). You really only need a mat/towel and maybe a footrest (see photos!) It’s also been super key to continue to make healthy choices where possible. If it is within your control, choose healthy (smoothies and oatmeal, anyone?), if not, post-show pizza will have to do!! Hey.. sometimes you gotta live a little.

X