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Headphones / Headphones – How to Choose the Ideal? 

Choosing our ideal headphones is usually a topic that binds us, and we tend to resort to the first direct recommendation that comes our way, whether it is from our friends, experts in the field, or the first thing that comes to us online, which is not that bad, but; how could they know exactly what we are looking for or, rather, what we are listening to?

The first question we must ask in order to find our perfect headphones is what do I need them for? Due to their characteristics, not all of them are optimal for the same functions.

The objective of this article is that at the end of it we will be able to identify and understand the specifications that each presents. And thus having sufficient criteria to be able to select the headset that we really need.

Let’s start by talking about their sizes …

Over ear: They completely cover the ears, without a doubt a favorite of recording studios and console monitoring. These offer us, in addition to greater coverage, also comfort to be able to use them for a long time, they are usually more robust headphones and consequently a little more expensive.

On ear: This is a medium size, it barely covers the diameter of our ears, they are more popular for listening to music on mobile devices, with some alterations in certain frequencies in order to make certain music more attractive to our senses, they are also popular with DJ’s because they are easier to take off and put on during the event.

These are usually a little cheaper and made of lighter materials, but with certain losses in sound quality. Mainly if what we are looking for is a flatter sound.

In ear: In-ear or intraural headphones, are those that go inside the cavity of our ear, by small we do not mean that they are of lower quality, there are many brands, styles, and prices. (as in all) These due to their size have the characteristic of isolating the ambient sound much more. Ideal for personal monitoring or also in its less professional and much cheaper version for use on mobile devices.

Let’s continue with the technical characteristics.

Frequency: When we talk about frequency, we mean how wide is the reproduction range in our earphone potential, that is, what is the frequency range that these reproduce. Taking into consideration that, no matter how healthy a human ear is, it will not be able to perceive more than 20 Hz to 20khz, there is not much to worry about at this point since most headphones have, if not a range very close to this it will be rather up to one that surpasses it. If you ask yourself the latter, you will see. Some very demanding people not only want to listen but to feel those extra frequencies in their bodies as well.

Sensitivity: In summary, this would be the ability of headphones to convert electrical impulses into audible sounds, the higher the value, the louder the headset is measured in decibels, a recommended value would be between 100 and 105 dB.

Impedance: We are going to understand this characteristic in a simpler way, as the energy (electricity) that our headphones need to produce sound. This is measured in ohms, the lower the impedance, the less energy they need to function, and the higher the impedance the higher the demand. This is not to say that the higher impedance headphone has better sound, although it is true that operating with higher energy makes it less prone to signal failures, interference, or unwanted noise. Of course, we must be aware that the preamplifier to which we are going to connect our headphones knows how to receive their impedance. So, before purchasing our headphones, we must check the impedance of our equipment. If our equipment works in a low impedance, 30-ohm headphones will be perfect, and if our equipment is of a high impedance of 30 ohms onwards they will be ideal.

And before deciding one last question …

Open or closed headphones?

Just when we feel that we have found our ideal headset, the store technician asks us, or we find ourselves in the specification list with the characteristic of…, open or closed? And we go back to zero, but it really is not that complicated.

Let’s see, a Semi-Open or Open Headphone is one that lets part of the sound we are listening to escape. Ideal for mixing since it gives us a much more real feeling of space. It does not encapsulate sound.

On the other hand, Closed Headphones isolate the ambient sound, concentrating only the sound source in the headphones, recommended for live audio, also for the recording studio. But then because the closed one is and not ideal for mixing. I explain.

The ideal is an open one if you are in a space without external noise and with ideal acoustic treatment. Since the closed will create a reverb within the same earphone. But in case of having a lot of external noise and a room without treatment, it is a great option.

Headphones are the extension of our ears; we must try to make a successful, and above all personalized choice.

So now, which headset are you going to buy? Don’t hesitate and go for it!

Maria Fernanda Medina, from Tegucigalpa Honduras. I studied a BA in Acoustic Technology and Digital Sound at Galileo University in Guatemala City. I have mainly worked in ​​the live audio field as a freelancer, and with Audio rental companies. Developing myself in the Backline, Stage manager, and Production area. Both in international concerts and national festivals. Currently, my passion for audio and the social commitment I feel with my country have guided me in the dissemination and education. A facet that I explore and enjoy more every day.

 

 

Auriculares/Audífonos ¿Cómo escoger el ideal?

Escoger nuestros auriculares ideales suele ser un tema que nos lía, y tendemos a recurrir a la primera recomendación directa que se nos cruce en el camino, ya sea de nuestros amigos, expertos en el tema o lo primero que se nos presenta por internet, lo cual no es que esté mal, pero. ¿Como ellos podrían saber exactamente que buscamos o, más bien dicho ¿que escuchamos?

La primera pregunta que debemos resolver para poder encontrar nuestros auriculares perfectos es ¿para que los necesito? Y si, porque debido a sus características no todos son óptimos para las mismas funciones.

El objetivo de este artículo es que al finalizarlo seamos capaces de identificar y comprender las especificaciones que estos presentan. Y así tener el criterio suficiente para poder seleccionar el auricular que verdaderamente necesitamos

Comencemos hablando de sus tamaños…

Over ear: son aquellos que cubren por completo los oídos, sin duda un favorito de los estudios de grabación y monitoreo en consola.

Estos nos ofrecen además de mayor cobertura, también comodidad para poder estar con ellos un tiempo prolongado suelen ser auriculares más robustos y por consecuencia  un poco más costosos.

On ear: este es un tamaño medio, apenas cubre el diámetro de nuestras orejas, son más populares para escuchar música en dispositivos móviles, con algunas alteraciones en ciertas frecuencias con el objetivo de hacer más atractiva cierta música a nuestros sentidos, también son populares con los DJ´s, por ser más y fáciles de quitar y poner durante el evento.

Estos suelen ser un poco más económicos y de materiales más livianos, pero con ciertas pérdidas en calidad de sonido. Principalmente si lo que buscamos es un sonido más plano.

In ear: o auriculares intraurales, son los que van dentro de la cavidad de nuestra oreja, por pequeño no queremos decir que son de menor calidad, los hay de muchas marcas, estilos y precios. (como en todos) Estos por su tamaño tienen la característica de aislar mucho más el sonido ambiente. Ideales para monitoreo personal. O también en su versión menos profesional y mucho más económica para uso en dispositivos móviles.

 

un audífono se define por mucho más que su tamaño, así que podemos guiarnos únicamente por esto a la hora de escoger el nuestro, debemos principalmente conocer que los construye por dentro y es por eso por lo que ahora…

seguimos con las Características técnicas

Frecuencia: Cuando hablamos de frecuencia nos referimos a que tan amplio es el rango de reproducción en nuestro potencial auricular, osea cual es el rango de frecuencia que estos reproducen. Tomando en cuenta. Que, por más saludable que esté un oído humano no podrá percibir más de 20 Hz a 20 Khz, no hay mucho de qué preocuparnos en este punto ya que la mayoría de los auriculares tienen, si no un rango muy cercano a este será más bien hasta uno que lo sobrepase. Si se preguntan esto último, verán.  Algunas personas muy exigentes no solo desean escuchar, si no sentir esas frecuencias extras en su cuerpo también.

Sensibilidad: En resumen, esta sería la capacidad que tienen los auriculares de convertir los impulsos eléctricos en sonidos audibles, entre más alto sea el valor más fuerte sonora el auricular este se mide en decibeles un valor recomendado estaría entre 100 y 105 dB

Impedancia: Vamos a entender de una manera más sencilla esta característica, como la energía(electricidad) que necesitan nuestros auriculares para producir sonido. esta se mide en ohmios, entre menor sea la impedancia menos energía necesitan para funcionar y a mayor impedancia su exigencia es más alta. Con esto no queremos decir que el auricular de mayor impedancia tiene mejor sonido, si bien es cierto que al funcionar con mayor energía lo hace menos propenso a fallas de señal, interferencia o ruidos no deseados. Eso sí, debemos estar consientes que el preamplificador al cual vamos a conectar nuestros auriculares sepa recibir la impedancia de estos. Así que, antes de adquirir nuestros auriculares debemos revisar la impedancia de nuestro equipo. Si nuestro equipo trabaja en una baja impedancia unos auriculares de 30 ohm nos quedarán perfectos, y si nuestro equipo es de alta impedancia de 30 ohm en adelante serán ideales.

Y antes de decidir una última pregunta…

¿Auriculares abiertos o cerrados? 

Justo cuando sentimos que encontramos nuestro auricular ideal nos pregunta el técnico de la tienda, o nos encontramos en la lista de especificaciones con la característica de…, ¿abierto o cerrado? Y volvemos a quedarnos en cero, pero realmente no es tan complicado.

Veamos, un Auricular Semiabierto o Abierto, es aquel que deja escapar parte del sonido que estamos escuchando. Ideales para mezclar, ya que nos brinda una sensación del espacio mucho más real. No encapsula el sonido.

En cambio, los auriculares cerrados aíslan el sonido ambiente, concentrando únicamente la fuente de sonido en los auriculares, recomendados para audio en vivo, y también estudio de grabación. Pero, entonces porque el cerrado es y no ideal para mezclar. Te explico.

Lo ideal es un abierto, siempre y cuando estés en un espacio sin ruidos externos y con un tratamiento acústico ideal. Ya que el cerrado creará una reverberación dentro del mismo auricular. Pero en caso de tener mucho ruido externo y un cuarto sin tratamiento es una gran opción.

Los auriculares son la extensión de nuestros oídos, debemos procurar hacer una elección acertada y sobre todo personalizada.

Así que, ahora, ¿Qué auricular vas a comprar? No lo dudes más y ¡anda por el!

Maria Fernanda Medina Desde Tegucigalpa Honduras. Estudié una licenciatura en Tecnología Acústica y Sonido Digital en la Universidad Galileo de la Ciudad de Guatemala. He trabajado principalmente en el campo del audio en vivo como autónomo y con empresas de alquiler de audio. Desarrollándome en el área de Backline, Stage manager y Producción. Tanto en conciertos internacionales como en festivales nacionales. Actualmente, mi pasión por el audio y el compromiso social que siento con mi país me han guiado en la difusión y educación. Faceta que exploro y disfruto más cada día.

 

Hit Like A Girl And SoundGirls Team Up To Promote Music Education And Expansion.

 

Hit Like A Girl and SoundGirls, leading organizations in the effort to grow the music community for girls, women, and non-binary and trans people have announced a new collaboration that will add impact to Hit Like A Girl X, the 10th annual edition of the groundbreaking contest for women drummers and beatmakers. In addition to sharing SoundGirls’ educational content about tuning, miking and recording acoustic and electronic drums on the HLAG-X website, SoundGirls members have been added to the judging panels for HLAG-X drumset and beat-making categories. The group is also contributing lessons and seminars from SoundGirls mentors as contest prizes and awards.

“It is so important to be multi-versed in music production and we are excited to provide tools for drummers to learn how to record and produce their own music,” says SoundGirls co-founder Karrie Keyes. “With current events forcing many players and programmers to become sound engineers, we are happy to for the opportunity to work with Hit Like A Girl.”

Adds Hit Like A Girl Executive Director, David Levine, “Our organizations share a common goal to encourage a higher level of participation as well as a higher level of contribution to music by women. Providing the Hit Like A Girl community with additional knowledge and support from such a reliable source will only accelerate the process.”

SoundGirls was established in 2013 to provide a support network for women and marginalized people working in the professional audio industry and to assist those with a drive to be successful in audio. The organization supports girls, women and marginalized groups working in professional audio and music production by:

To learn more, visit www.hitlikeagirlcontest.com and www.soundgirls.org.

Hit Like A Girl® is a celebration of female drummers, percussionists and beatmakers. The organization was founded in 2012 by Phil Hood (Drum!), David Levine (Full Circle Management) and Mindy Abovitz-Monk (Tom Tom). Now in its 10th year, the Hit Like A Girl Contest has had more than 10,000 participants from 50 countries and has reached nearly 100,000,000 online impressions. Additional HLAG Directors include Louise King (Rhythm Magazine), Sarah Hagan (Marketing & Artist Relations), Danielle Thwaites (Beats By Girlz) and Diane Downs (Louisville Leopard Percussionists). HLAG sponsors include many of today’s leading drum, percussion, electronics, accessory and media companies while its judges include many of the most popular, most respected drummers on the planet.

SoundGirls – Audio Équité Montreal Chapter Launch

We’re launching the Soundgirls – Audio Equite –  Montréal Chapter!

March 5th,2021 at 16h30 EST/ 4:30 PM EST/ 1:30 PM PST

This event is in English” & “Cette activité est présentée en anglais

Register Here

Join us for an exploration of what diversity is and how to foster it through our everyday practice.

We will be joined by Keynote Speaker Dawn Birr from Sennheiser and Ky Brooks will present work that has been done towards promoting a healthier industry. This will be an opportunity to get to know fellow colleagues, and get the ball rolling for interesting things happening during the year.  We hope that this Chapter will foster more diverse, inclusive and interesting collaboration in Sound, create new opportunities for our members, provide relevant information and programming, and become a space to visibilize all the great work our community creates.

Looking forward to meeting and connecting with you!

 

Keynote Speaker – Dawn Birr

Dawn Birr began her career in the audio industry in 2000, joining Sennheiser fresh out of college.  She started as a temporary receptionist and began to learn her way around and through the company.  Shortly afterward she moved into Customer Service and began learning how the customers and company worked.  Thanks to a nurturing company culture and strong role models who encouraged her to learn as much as possible, Dawn was promoted over the years to Neumann Product Manager, Professional RF Product Manager, VP of Sales for U.S. Installed Sound, Global Commercial Manager for Audio Recording, Channel Manager for the Americas for Pro Audio, and most recently to Global Customer and Markets Insights Manager, Pro Audio.  She completed her MBA in 2005 and is an advisory board member for The Women’s International Music Network and a proud SoundGirl.

Dawn Birr a commencé sa carrière dans l’industrie audio en 2000, rejoignant Sennheiser à la sortie de l’université. Elle a commencé comme réceptionniste temporaire et a commencé à apprendre son chemin à travers et à travers l’entreprise. Peu de temps après, elle est passée au service client et a commencé à apprendre comment les clients et l’entreprise fonctionnaient. Grâce à une culture d’entreprise stimulante et à des modèles de rôle forts qui l’ont encouragée à apprendre autant que possible, Dawn a été promue au fil des ans au poste de chef de produit Neumann, chef de produit professionnel RF, vice-président des ventes pour le son installé aux États-Unis, directeur commercial mondial pour l’enregistrement audio , Channel Manager pour les Amériques pour Pro Audio, et plus récemment pour Global Customer and Markets Insights Manager, Pro Audio. Elle a terminé son MBA en 2005 et est membre du conseil consultatif du Women’s International Music Network, et fière SoundGirl.

Rejoignez-nous pour une exploration de ce qu’est la diversité et comment la favoriser à travers notre pratique quotidienne.

Nous serons accompagnés de la conférencière principale Dawn Birr de Sennheiser et Ky Brooks présentera le travail qui a été fait pour promouvoir une industrie plus saine. Ce sera l’occasion de faire connaissance avec d’autres collègues et de lancer le bal pour des choses intéressantes qui se passent au cours de l’année. Nous espérons que ce chapitre favorisera une collaboration plus diversifiée, inclusive et intéressante dans Sound, créera de nouvelles opportunités pour nos membres, fournira des informations et des programmes pertinents, et deviendra un espace pour visualiser tout le travail formidable que notre communauté crée.

Au plaisir de vous rencontrer et de vous connecter!

 

 

It’s Who You Know – But It’s Not – It’s Who Knows You.

I never really followed the “traditional” path to get to where I am today. The world of audio has led me in all kinds of different directions. And it made me a better engineer because of it.

I didn’t start out knowing I wanted to be an audio engineer. In fact, I had no clue what I wanted to do. I went to college after high school because I have Dominican parents, and as the child of immigrants, there’s tons of pressure to do better and take full advantage of the opportunities this country has to offer. All through my life, people called me a human jukebox because of my love of music and eclectic taste, so I started a music minor fairly quickly (I grew up playing piano and trumpet) and declared a major in a foreign language. By the end of my time in undergrad, I had taken enough classes to tack on a minor in mass communications (this will come in handy later).

While I was working on this degree, someone gave me a copy of Cool Edit Pro – an early DAW and editing software – you know it as Adobe Audition. I became a wiz at editing music together for dance groups and random school projects.  It was clear to me that music was going to be part of my life, but I just didn’t know-how. In the late 90s and early 2000s, audio engineering wasn’t something I saw in the media – much less a thing you saw women doing. Especially as a Latina – those aren’t jobs you do. But I had to figure out a way to work in music.

One afternoon, I was cleaning out my desk at my parent’s house and wondering what I should do with my life when I found an old brochure for the University of Miami. I considered Music Business, and when I turned to that page, I saw a degree in Music Engineering right next to it. I read the description and a light bulb went off in my head. This was it. This was obviously what I was meant to do.

To make a long story short, I went back to school to study audio (not at UM), a job my parents didn’t fully understand, but supported my decision. My ultimate goal was to work in Latin Music – to do that I would need to eventually end up in Miami. It was the music I loved and grew up with, so naturally, I wanted to hear it every day. But after my program finished, that was not the option on the table. It was also at this point where I decided I actually wanted to live in New York.

I’ll remind you here that I am the child of immigrants, so free internships were not an option for me. My parents already asked when I was going to get a real job, so working for free just wasn’t going to cut it and NYC is not exactly cheap. I met the great engineer and professor, Jim Anderson, during a student mentoring session at the AES convention. Jim told me, “Don’t go to New York; go somewhere where you can make all your mistakes. Then you can go to New York.” So, I applied for a work-study at the Banff Centre for the Arts in Canada – a program he suggested.

In September of 2006, I was on a plane to Canada, where I would spend six months in the most picturesque place you can imagine, recording and learning how to be an actual engineer. I messed up a lot, but I asked a million questions, and this was a place that fully supported your personal projects. While I spent most of my time learning and recording classical music and jazz – I took my off time to find a Brazilian batucada group in Calgary to see if they wanted some free studio time. Offering free studio time will become a theme with me, but we’ll come back to that.

The Banff Centre led me directly to my next gig at the Tanglewood Music Festival, the summer program for the Boston Symphony Orchestra which then led me to my first job in New York City. I worked with then LongTail Audio doing archiving and restoration for the Metropolitan Opera Project. I hated opera. When my colleague told me about the job I said no probably three or four times, but every studio I wrote to in the city offered internship after internship with no pay. I was offered a spot at one of the larger studios – 40 hours a week, for 3 months unpaid, but as I’ve mentioned before, there was no way I could find a way to live in NYC with a job that was unpaid. So, I grew to love opera. And I still do.

I took a second job as a part-time engineer at the Manhattan School of Music, and for the first few years in New York, I basically worked all the time. But these jobs had me working with some of ex-Sony Classical engineering heavyweights and taught me so much about audio that it set me up with a super-strong foundation. I learned how to listen, how to pay attention to detail, how to work with large groups, and how to be prepared for any scenario. I learned amazing mic techniques and how to use minimal mics to capture great performances. I learned how to use analog tape. And that’s what I did until I decided I wanted more stable work and not to work 24/7.

 

I got my foot in the door in radio after completing a Masters degree in 2012. Not just engineering – I started producing as well. Now, if you have your mindset on working in music, you may completely reject the idea of radio. And in fact, sound design is quite a different skill set, but it’s not to say that you won’t learn something through it. In radio, you learn to work with the equipment you have to make something sound great. And so many other engineers I’ve met, all have similar stories – they started out in music and transitioned or fell into radio. For me, radio taught me about storytelling and I applied this to my work in music.

I’m going to jump forward to 2018. I’m now a Senior Engineer for a podcast on NPR and racked up some really great music credits before that. On a whim, I put my resume in the running for the EQL residency thinking I wasn’t going to get it. (This is the 6-month residency Berklee University and Spotify created for women engineers). But I did get it; a paid residency, landing in the room where some of the biggest names in the business came through. I negotiated studio time on weekends, and I started offering free studio time to artists I admired within the Latin indie scene in New York.

You may wonder if I’d been working for over a decade at this point, gotten a Grammy nomination while at Swan Studios, why I would want to leave a full-time job for a residency and/or be offering free studio time. And that’s because

  1. You never stop learning
  2. This was an opportunity to work in a studio on music that was non-classical and get PAID
  3. I missed music and no one knew me in the Latin indie scene.

And this last part is important. Because everyone says “It’s who you know” but it’s not – it’s who knows you.” Who knows your work, can vouch for you, can call you for a gig, or recommend you to someone for a project. And sometimes, that takes some freebies (aside from tons of networking). Now, part of this scenario is that I’ve never been afraid to ask for something. So if I wanted studio time, the worst they were going to say was no, and I could live with a no. I couldn’t live with the ‘what if.’ And also, there was no one too big to offer studio time to. So, I emailed a lot of people and at the end of the residency I managed to record tracks for Flor de Toloache, Williamsburg Salsa Orchestra, and overdubs for Making Movies featuring none other than the GOAT Ruben Blades (this not including the sessions I assisted on for Spotify Singles).

What all came together for me here was all of the work I had done in classical and jazz was essential to what I was recording. Here I was recording some of the same instruments within a different context. I felt such an aha moment, such gratitude for the much lengthier path it took me to finally get here because at the end of the day all of these dots did in fact connect. Even radio directly influenced my work. I mentioned earlier it taught me about storytelling – the music, as well as the lyrics of a song, are in themselves part of a narrative.

At present, I’m now working part-time in radio and freelancing in music again. All of this to say that sometimes your end goal may not be reached by taking the obvious or direct path. I loved working in classical and jazz, but in the back of my mind was always the thought of how I could get to that original goal. I didn’t know where I would land, but I just trusted my gut when it came to taking on new jobs. As a woman in audio, we all know the struggles it takes to prove yourself in the industry, so sometimes that means taking the job that’s going to give you the best foundation you can have or the best job on the table at that time. It took me longer to get here, but my tool kit allows me to do a lot of different things and for that I’m grateful.

 

 

Practicing Proactivity

 

Have you ever had a little voice in your head whispering that you don’t know what you’re doing? Ever looked around the room with a sinking feeling that you’re the least qualified person there? In small doses, these impulses can push us to improve, to get help and learn from those who’ve come before us. However, when that mentality seeps into our lives and latches on for months, years, or even decades, we find ourselves faced with the far more problematic Imposter Syndrome.

The Dunning-Kruger Effect is the best representation I’ve found to conceptualize the progression that most people follow during their careers. As you can see, it’s not a linear road to travel, even in its most simplified form. As 2021 continues, and we hopefully start to make our way back to work, many of us are facing the discouraging outlook of a year or more of lost time in our careers. Most of us will have to take a few steps backward before we can go forward in rebuilding our professional confidence.

When I started my career I was excited: I’d wanted to tour since I learned that was an actual job and I was ready to hit the ground running. Instead, the ground hit me. I loved my crew and running shows and seeing the country, but there was a learning curve (like with any new job), and I was suddenly very much aware of just how much I didn’t know. Imposter Syndrome hit hard at that stage in my life and turned my learning curve into a confidence free-fall from my Summit of Stupid.

For such a sharp plunge on that graph it starts out deceptively small: a little voice in the back of your head harping on every mistake. That voice monopolizes your attention when you realize you’re making someone wait while you finish a project. It whispers, “they’re right” when you’re told, “It’s not something I can teach you if you don’t understand it.” These little things build on each other and grow until you wonder how you were even hired in the first place.

I spent most of my time as an A2 caught in a loop: I felt horrible at my job so I figured I should quit, but I’d be just as horrible at anything else, so I should just stay where I was, but I felt so horrible at my job…. That cycle went on for years before I found a way out. There were days I was depressed and didn’t know why, but also days I went out with the crew after a tough load in and laughed so hard that I squeaked. Once I was told that my brand of book-smart intelligence was good for nothing more than being a “party trick.” Other times I had shows I mixed where everything clicked and I fell in love with my job all over again.

Imposter Syndrome is a toxic relationship with yourself. It keeps you guessing at every turn: constantly off balance and convinced that the world is waiting for the right moment to pounce. The thing is, everyone other person around you is dealing with those exact same feelings. So, the good news is you’re not alone.

The even better news is this isn’t permanent. Imposter Syndrome is effective because it puts you on defense and instills a reactive state of mind. You no longer trust yourself to give an accurate assessment of your own skills. Instead, you take your cues from the words and reactions of those around you, and always give extra weight to the negative because it agrees with that little voice in your head. After all, why should you even try to improve when people who know so much more than you have told you you’re hopeless?

The best way to quiet that voice is proactivity. In a proactive mindset, you dictate your own self-image first and all other information is evaluated, but not treated as fact purely by default.

One of the best proactive moves I made was transitioning from an A2 to A1. Unknowingly, that was my final major step out of my Valley. Three years up the Slope, I was in tech for Saigon when a colleague told me he was worried that I didn’t realize how hard the show was to mix.

Reactively, my self-esteem would have curled up in the fetal position and that voice would have whispered what an idiot I was to think that I was even halfway decent at my job.

Proactively, I raised an eyebrow at a comment made out of stress-induced worry. After all, I’d spent as much time as I could working on my script, learning the show, and practicing the mix. While there would inevitably be a few mistakes, I had come prepared and I knew I could handle them.

Practicing proactivity gives you a solid foundation to approach a project or learn a new skill. And just like Imposter Syndrome, it starts small. It’s taking the time to relabel a cable instead of having to wrack your brain for its name every single load in. It’s refining the way you explain a project to the local crew so they don’t have to ask you to clarify the directions seven times. It’s signing up for a class or a workshop that the little voice says you don’t know nearly enough to attend.

These seemingly insignificant steps give you the building blocks for the rest of your career. Now, I’m particularly efficient at loading in and out shows because back then, in any proactive moment I had, I made one tiny tweak after another. Sometimes it was looming the end of a cable bundle a different way or even making a whole new loom for a special project. Other times it was pre-marking a tape measure to make instructions less complicated or taking pictures of an efficient case pack so it was easier to duplicate. Bit by bit the small fixes accumulated to make me more efficient, clearer, and more consistent.

Even after two years on my way out of my Valley, it wasn’t until the tech for Saigon where it actually hit home that I didn’t feel like an Imposter anymore. That month was challenging to say the least, partly because I was faced with many of my former triggers: not having all the answers, people getting frustrated, negative comments, and more.

That voice started whispering again, but when it did, I realized that I hadn’t heard more than a momentary peep from that insidious little thing in all of my previous two years as an A1. Without those triggers, that voice couldn’t sustain itself.

I was not the common denominator.

At that moment, I had the choice to drudge up my old, reactive habits or stick to my new, hard-won, proactive ones. Tech was still tiring and stressful, but I was better able to identify and mitigate my triggers. I did my best to address problems and solve what was in my control or ask for help with what wasn’t. If someone got frustrated I did my best to talk with them to see if there was an underlying issue. There was no way to avoid every frustration, but I could make sure I didn’t add to them unnecessarily.

If you find yourself with your own negative little voice, practice being proactive whenever you can. Even if it seems like it’s pointless, do it. One baby step at a time. Also, make a point to keep mementos. Did you have a great day, mix an amazing show, solve a tough problem? Write it down. When someone sends you a note or text or email telling you how amazing you are, save it, screenshot it, flag it. If you have a bad day, pull those out to remind you that this is temporary.

Lastly, find your kindred spirits: people who aren’t afraid to be honest when you need a swift kick, but will always have your back. (It helps if they work in the same industry and understand your world.)  Mine are my former A2’s, current dear friends, and the very people I ask to proofread everything I send to this blog.

Rachel, Mark, and Dan were with each with me for a year of my first three tours while I navigated a new chapter in my career as an A1. Touring with someone creates a unique bond in itself, but each of these three have gone well above the call of duty time and time again to offer support, help, and motivation anytime I’ve needed it.

It’s not an easy road out of Imposter Syndrome, but the only way out is through. Keep in mind that you are not alone, grab a friend, and do your best to get a little better, one baby step at a time.

 

Ask the Experts Recording – In-The-Box versus Out-Of-The-Box

In-The-Box versus Out-Of-The-Box

Join us for a webinar on recording and the pros and cons of mixing in the box or out of the box. This webinar will focus on both ways of recording and discuss the pros and cons of each. This is not a debate on what sounds better or is better.

This is your chance to get your questions answered by Jess Fenton, Vira Byramji, Jasmine Chen, Lenise Bent, and Christal Jerez

March 16 at 11 am PST/2 pm EST

Register Here and Post Your Questions

Moderated By Jess Fenton

Jess Fenton is a Producer/Audio/Mix Engineer based out of Brooklyn, NY specializing in music and podcast productions.  She is the creator of Proof In Music, a video series showcasing women working in music production who deserve to be seen but are often overlooked. PROOFINMUSIC.COM 

 

Panelists

Vira Byramji is an audio engineer specializing in studio recording and mixing. Vira’s entrance into the industry was through the legendary Electric Lady Studios in Greenwich Village, where she was the assistant manager and a staff engineer. There she worked with major labels and high-profile clients such as Patti Smith, U2, Lana Del Rey, Sara Bareilles and HBO to name a few. As an engineer and assistant studio manager, Vira gained a range of experience from the back end of the music business to the creative and technical workings of running sessions. Ultimately, these two full-time roles drove her to pursue opportunities as a freelance engineer. After leaving Electric Lady, she began working with LA-based producer Jonathan Wilson. With him, she traveled to Haiti and there worked with Jackson Browne, to LA for Father John Misty’s Pure Comedy album, and engineered remote sessions for Roger Waters and Lucius at the start of their world tour. She has also kept herself busy in New York with local artists like Maya Hawke, Emma Caymares, producer/songwriter Jesse Harris, producer Thomas Bartlett and Tamar-Kali (composer of Mud Bound and Come Sunday soundtracks). https://www.virabyramji.com/

Jasmine Chen is a GRAMMY-nominated audio engineer and vocal producer based in Los Angeles, CA. After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, she moved back to Los Angeles and began interning at Forecast Recordings while working at IO Music Academy as their Partnerships & Studio Manager. During that time, she also freelanced as a production sound mixer & boom operator on film sets and helped sound design products for music software and studio furniture company, Output. From IO Music Academy, Jasmine was brought in as an intern for Heavy Duty Studios, where she honed her skills as a recording engineer and now holds the position as their house engineer and studio manager. Jasmine has worked on projects for Allie X, Berhana, Cass McCombs, Clairo, Conan Gray, Dove Cameron, HAIM, Jarina DeMarco, Johan Lenox, Jonah Mutono, Kaleena Zanders, Kelly Clarkson, Killy, Love Mansuy, Madame Gandhi, Snoop Dogg, Steve Jablonsky (film scores), and more. Jasmine on SOUNDCLOUD

Lenise Bent is one of the first women audio engineers & honed her skills on many iconic records including “Aja” by Steely Dan and “Breakfast in America” by Supertramp. She is the first woman engineer to receive a platinum album for Blondie’s “AutoAmerican” album which includes “The Tide is High” and the very first hit rap song with music, “Rapture”.

Lenise is also a post-production audio professional, specializing in recording and editing foley sound effects for many films and animated series and has traveled the world for Dreamworks supervising the foreign dialogue recording and producing the vocals for such
animated features as “Shrek”, “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimmaron” and “Shrek 2”. She also archives and repairs audio, instructs and consults for singer/songwriters.

Lenise is a long-standing member of the Audio Engineering Society, the Producers & Engineers Wing of the Recording Academy and a voting member of NARAS. She is also a proud member SoundGirls, Women’s Audio Mission (WAM), Women in Music, the prestigious Hollywood Sapphire Group, The Blues Foundation, IASA (International Association of Sound Archivists) and ARSC (Assoc. of Recorded Sound Collectors). Though mostly working in digital recording formats, Lenise recently produced and engineered an all-analog recording with blues/rock/Indy band Primal Kings, recording to 2” tape, mixing to 1⁄2” and cut to vinyl from tape, all analog and completely out of the box.
To know more about Lenise Bent go to her website at www.lenisebent.com

Christal Jerez is an audio engineer with experience recording, mixing and mastering music. After studying audio production at American University for her undergrad and New York University for her graduate studies, she started working professionally at Platinum Sound Recording Studios in NYC. After 4 years, she moved on to work as Alex Tumay’s mix assistant at Do What Sounds Good Studios in Chelsea where she was able to work on records for PARTYNEXTDOOR, dvsn, Gunna, and more. Christal is currently working out of Los Angeles. www.christalssoniclab.com/

 

 

On Aesthetic Distance & Virtual Live Performance

 

In a theater, sound design is a mode of transportation into the world of the story. As we adapt to creating virtual live performances, however, we are up against greater challenges in effectively inviting the audience into the worlds we are building. In the virtual space, live performances are flattened – both literally and figuratively. So, the question becomes, how do we translate live theatrical performances to the virtual space in a way that offers a satisfying experience comparable to that of in-person theater? How do we address the lack of sensory immersion and narrow the gap in the aesthetic distance?

The X factor at home is huge and complicated – far beyond the question of what sort of headphones or speakers are used. How is the audience watching the show? Have they set everything up on their TV, lights dim, no distractions or are they balancing a tablet on the kitchen counter while they cook dinner, their kids watch cartoons, dog barks, and upstairs neighbors do jazzercise? Background noise and viewing setup aside, it’s more difficult to maintain focus at home. Distractions are everywhere, the level of commitment is much lower, and the energetic benefits of being in the room with other people are just not available. All of these issues prevent sensory immersion, widen the aesthetic distance, and impede audiences’ ability and willingness to suspend their disbelief.

In order to really transport our audiences without the control we typically have in a theater, we have to shift our approach. Narrative Transportation Theory (in the context of storytelling) suggests that reaching the state of complete mental absorption in a narrative hinges on two key ingredients: empathy and imagination. As sound designers, we certainly have tools to facilitate empathy along with the work of the text, the actors, fellow designers, etc. But imagination might be the most critical ingredient to pay attention to right now. How are we inviting our audiences to imagine?

In trying to convert our 3D medium to a 2D medium online, it makes sense initially to emulate television and film. And our audiences are already accustomed to enjoying television and film from the comfort of their own homes. However, virtual live theater is not television and it needn’t be. With incredibly tight budgets, the constraints of streaming platforms and accessibility to those platforms, achieving a production level comparable to that of a tv show is a maddening and often disappointing challenge. Beyond the production logistics, there is the issue of “Zoom fatigue.”

Over the past few months, I’ve been meditating on what variation of theater I would like to experience and how I would like to experience it. I desperately want to be transported and lose myself to a story while I’m trapped in my tiny apartment in real life. At the same time, I stare at my computer all day long and the idea of staring some more just for fun seems, well, not fun. I’ve also found it difficult to become immersed in virtual programming as I’m hyper-aware of virtual backgrounds, delays, all of the same things we grapple with behind the scenes. The risk of these elements is that they can stifle imagination rather than ignite it.

At first, my focus was on all of the incredible technology in our hands what innovative things we can do with it from our own homes. Lately, I’ve turned in the opposite direction. More specifically, towards radio plays. These are bare-bones times in need of bare-bones productions. Taking cues from radio plays along with gripping low-budget productions of any sort, memorable black box performances, anything that makes way for a “less is more” sort of approach is worthwhile. Right now, less is more. We certainly have less to work with, but we also need to allow more space for audiences to use their imagination and hopefully be transported into the story. Some of the designs may be best left to the mind’s eye or mind’s ear. We can perhaps benefit from paying special attention to what not to include. And, of course, I am biased towards sound (and would love to give my eyes a break), but I think this idea can apply more widely. In order to close the gap in the aesthetic distance, we have to craft a path towards the imagination.

Now, I am not advocating a strict return to radio plays. Nor am I advocating that we necessarily turn to sound-only media. In thinking about the process, however, live radio plays are a suitable jumping-off point. I certainly don’t have the answer to creating effective virtual productions and I can’t offer prescriptive advice or best practices as every show is completely individual. I do think, though, that there are some elements of a live radio play and its process that can enhance or at least refresh our approach in the virtual space.

Trying to capture attention by increasing stimuli can be more exhausting right now. Stripping a production down, counterintuitively, may offer a better opportunity for immersion. Knowing the challenges that we are up against, considering first what elements need to be presented and which can be forgone is a good first step to streamlining. Do we really need to hear that door close? Is it essential to see that room? As sound designers, we are already cognizant of silence as a strategic part of our design. What we do not hear is equally as important as what we do. We can expand this line of thinking to create more space in a production. What can be strategically left to the imagination? Then, keeping the two-dimensionality of the final product in mind, we can critically assess how each element is best portrayed, whether aurally, visually, as dialogue. The question being, what is the best way to provoke the mind’s ear or mind’s eye to complete the picture?

Lowering the complexity of virtual performances, in addition to making room for enhanced imagination, also allows for more focus and energy within the production. With fewer distractions and fewer opportunities for latency and glitches, actors and audiences alike have more space to relax and concentrate. The energy of live performance is one of the things that makes theater so compelling. When actors are in a flow state, completely absorbed in their characters and the story, all of their energy carries directly to the audience. With a stripped-down design, we can protect that precious energy.

Every show, every production can be approached, produced, designed in infinite ways, none of them right or wrong. As we all wrestle with creating live virtual theater, its limitations and possibilities, it is important to take a step back and re-evaluate our own personal design processes. For me, this has been a helpful way of reframing my work and my goals for virtual performances. It’s my hope that some of these ideas can at least come in handy when a virtual design hits a virtual wall. And when in need of some inspiration, go ahead and close your eyes and listen to some radio plays.

Abigail Nover is a sound designer and composer based out of Miami, Florida. She works as a freelance designer for theatrical productions in English and Spanish throughout the country. She holds a BFA in Sound Design from Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama and an MA in Folklore from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her work is often rooted in cultural memory and immersion. In addition to theatrical work, Abigail conducts oral histories and writes about cultural and sound studies. She is a member of the OISTAT Sound Design Group.

 

Ask the Experts – How to Produce a Podcast

There’s a lot that goes into making a great podcast beyond pressing record and rambling for a while before hitting the upload button. From strategy and pre-production, how to record a podcast, and editing, through to distribution, our Ask the Experts webinar has you covered.

We’re going to talk about choosing a name and artwork, planning your topics, getting the most out of your guests, creating a narrative and cleaning up the sound in the editing and post-production stages, how and where to host and distribute your podcast, and a lot more.

This is your opportunity to have your questions answered by Fela Davis, Larry Millburn, Beckie Campbell, and Chris Leonard.

Tuesday, March 30th at 6 PM EST / 3 PM PST

Register Here and Post Your Questions

Moderated by Laura Clapp Davidson

Laura Clapp Davidson heads up the retail market development team for Shure. She brings passion and knowledge of gear that comes from over 15 years in the MI industry. When she isn’t talking about music equipment, she’s singing or playing through it as a professional singer/songwriter. Laura lives in her hometown of Guilford, CT with her two daughters, two dogs, two rabbits, and one very patient husband.

Panelists
Fela Davis

Fela is a graduate of Full Sail University with 20 years of experience in audio engineering and inducted into the University’s Hall of Fame in 2020. Her mixing experience at front of the house position includes Ron Carter, Brian Blade, Jose Feliciano, Meshell Ndegeocello, Bilal, and almost a decade with 6-time Grammy Award winner Christian McBride, mixing sold-out shows across Asia, Europe, Canada, and America.

Currently, I co-own One of One Productions Studio and a writer for Pro Sound News and Podcast Pro Newsletter. With many of her studio clients needing home audio setup, we began selling one and two-person audio kits. One of One Audio Kits includes Focusrite interfaces, Lewitt Microphone, Wireworld Cable, AKG or CAD headphones, and a waterproof travel case! Check out One of One Audio Kits and more audio related gear at our One of One Shopify store!

Larry Millburn

Larry Milburn, Producer: Award-winning filmmaker Larry Milburn has been involved as a producer/editor on several behind-the-scenes EPK’s and DVD documentary projects for both film and commercial production studios as well as advertising agencies such as FOX, Columbia Pictures, BBDO Detroit, RSA, and BMW.

It was with great pleasure that he was asked to co-produce the film SWEET BLUES: A FILM ABOUT MIKE BLOOMFIELD, directed by Bob Sarles and part of the 2014 Sony Legacy Boxed set FROM HIS HEAD TO HIS HEART TO HIS HANDS. As a cousin of Michael Bloomfield’s, this film helps to keep the memory of such a gifted guitar player relevant and alive. Along with film, music plays a large part of Larry’s life, and when he finds the opportunity to marry the two he takes full advantage. Since 2016, Larry has been the host of the podcast ROADIE FREE RADIO, a weekly series on which he interviews the men and women behind the scenes of the music and film business. He has also produced podcasts for wide range of his commercial clients.

Beckie Campbell

Beckie Campbell is a FOH, Mon Engineer, and Owner of B4Media Production. As a twenty-year veteran of the music business, Beckie has had the honor to help mentor and train teams for several theaters, live events, and houses of worship. All while touring as a FOH Engineer for major acts and still working local hometown gigs. Beckie has had the pleasure to work with major acts such as Indigo Girls, Altman Betts Band, The Commodores, Nicole Nordaman, Firehouse, Colt Ford, Ace Freely, Julian Marley, Gary Pucket and Union Gap, just to name a few. She has also mixed at the New Orleans Jazz Festival, 30A Songwriters Festival, and does the live and on-air mixes for the City of Orlando Christmas Tree and 4th of July Live Shows. Early in her career, she was a Technical Director/FOH Engineer for two Mega Churches in Florida.

During the pandemic,Beckie has continued to find work including Producing and Training at HOW, doing installs for streaming, online training, and is one of the hosts of the SoundGirls Podcast and the Orlando SoundGirls Chapter head.

Chris Leonard

Chris Leonard has been in the professional live audio world for almost two decades, following in the footsteps of his father. As a monitor engineer with Maryland Sound International, he toured with artists like Tears for Fears, Don Henley, Disturbed,
Josh Groban, Anthony Hamilton and more.

Chris is currently Director of Audio at IMS Technology Services, where he has spent the last ten years overseeing and managing all aspects of audio for the Event Staging Division of the company. IMS is a full-scale production company providing audio, video, and lighting for special events, conferences, and conventions nationwide. A highlight while at IMS includes designing and mixing for the Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl victory parade, with an estimated 800,000 + audience and the largest outdoor event in Philadelphia’s history. He has also worked on the last four Presidential Inaugurations.

Chris is a co-host on the Signal To Noise Podcast presented by ProSoundWeb. The podcast has over 70 episodes and has been downloaded over 100,000 times. The show features conversations with people from all corners of the live sound industry, from FOH and monitor engineers, tour managers, Broadway sound designers, broadcast mixers, and more. Chris’s current project, “How We Got Loud” begins with this podcast focusing on the stories of the people, technology, and passion that built the history of live sound, with many plans to grow and expand beyond the podcast in years to come.

 

 

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