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From “Girl Engineer” to Re-Recording Mixer – Sherry Klein

Sherry Klein is an Emmy-nominated re-recording mixer and a pioneer of women in audio in both music and television. Sherry became a recording engineer at Larrabee Studios in the late 1970s – one of a handful of female engineers in Los Angeles at the time and possibly one of the only female re-recording mixers in town when she moved into post in the early 1980s.

Sherry’s television credits include Bull, Queen of the South, Burn Notice, Sons of Anarchy, Falling Water, The Shield, and Arrested Development.  She mixes dialogue and music with her partner Scott Weber, who handles sound effects and Foley.

What’s your music background?

I took all my music classes in Manhattan. Growing up all I ever wanted to do was study music and play guitar. I would travel to the city to learn blues fingerpicking style at the Folklore Center in Greenwich Village. And on weekends played small clubs and coffeehouses in the NY and Jersey area. After High school I went to College in St Louis, Missouri to major in music composition.. 6 months into mornings filled with classical counterpoint and fugue, I decided I would rather study jazz. There was only one school for me, and that was Berklee College of Music, in Boston. I got accepted and then spent the next six months hitchhiking cross-country before moving to Boston.

While attending Berklee, I was pretty much a monk to music and composition, and after a few semesters, I found that I was having difficulty writing and composing. I could analyze a Charlie Parker solo on the subway, Ace my exams .. but I just couldn’t innovate anymore. Learning the nuts and bolts of music theory seemed to limit my creativity. I went on to study independently at Boston School of Electronic Music and took various classes all over town… basically whatever interested me in the areas of sound and music. Even audited (snuck into) an acoustics class at MIT… I did crazy stuff to get a little bit of everything in.

What I realize in hindsight is that I have a very technical and organized mind. While in college I memorized all my scales and theory exercises using mathematical formulas, but in reality, I sucked at math and practically flunked it in high school … it just wasn’t presented to me in a way that I saw any use for it in my life, but as soon as I was able to make sense of it in my life, i.e., in music… math and I got along much better!

How did you get into sound?

I started hanging out downstairs at the 2-track studio at Berklee and became fascinated with sound. Soon after leaving Berklee, I got a job working for Hub Recording Studios. I was the girl in the front who handled phone calls and stuff. Eventually and begrudgingly, the boss ” allowed” me to become an assistant engineer. I also began working live sound in clubs around Boston and working for a few local bands. One night a couple of guys came over to the studio to do some wiring work. We talked for a while, and they said they were building a 16-track recording studio. They asked me if I would be interested in joining them … that was a no-brainer. I said “Hell yeah! It proved to be some of the best times I ever spent during those early years.

We wired everything in that studio. We built a shell within a shell that sank within the first year. Physically I was the smallest one, so I ended up doing much of the wiring between the ceiling and the shell. I could wire and solder anything at that point. We had to make many compromises because our funds were very limited.

For a DDL: we used our concrete basement and would put a Neumann U-87 in bidirectional mode catching the bounces off the wall and feeding it back upstairs. That was our DDL because we couldn’t afford to buy a real one.

Our reverb unit was a bastardized set of Hammond springs that sat under our little homemade console; we would change the reverb time by putting small pieces of fiberglass on the springs. (Above examples of Hammond Springs, not exactly the ones used by Sherry.)

Hub Studios Rate Card

There were so many crazy things we did to emulate the real stuff that we couldn’t afford. When we positioned amps and mics just right, in that basement, we could get some great sounds! It was an amazing learning experience because we had to create sounds in the most uncanny, but organic ways! After a few years, a new partner joined us and with him came a “real” console and that helped to prepare me for the next step I was about to take.

I left Boston in 1976 to move to Los Angeles and only knew a few people in town. The record business was a big and lucrative industry at that time. There were many recording studios, and I think I circumnavigated all Hollywood looking for a job as an assistant engineer. Larrabee Studios called me back first. I also got lucky because I had a client from Boston that gotten signed and was coming to LA to do an album. They contacted me and asked if I could do their demos for the album. When Larrabee called me, I said, “I’ve got this client from Boston, they’ve got a couple thousand dollars for a demo – can I do it here?” One of Larrabee’s engineers assisted me and right after that .. I got the job as an assistant engineer. As time went on, I was given some engineering work. I did a lot of the publishing demos and got some great clients and album work from that.

Leslie Ann Jones, Sherry Klein, & Lenise Bent AES

As far as I knew there was me, and three other women engineering in Los Angeles at that time (the mid-late 70s ) – The late Terry Becker at the Record Plant, Lenise Bent at Village Recorders, Leslie Ann Jones at Capital Records.

Did people treat you differently for being a female assistant or engineer back then?

There are lots of stories I could tell, but mostly I had good experiences once the client got to know my abilities and me. Sometimes, the studio wouldn’t use my name when assigning me to a client. One time, in particular, there was a very major British engineer that I was going to work on, it was on a set of music festival recordings, Larabee’s owner, Jackie Mills, said “We’re not going to tell him your name or anything. When you come in to meet him be ready to spout every four-letter word you know” When I walked in for the meeting the engineer looked at me and said, “Oh Fu… crap, Give me a break (and a few other choice words) !” Jackie gave me his look, and I just rapped off a whole paragraph of 4 letter words… the engineer just looked at me, smiled, and said, “Ok, we can do this! Ready?”

I assisted on an album for Michelle Phillips; Jack Nitzsche was producing. I was working with an engineer who had to go do another gig out of town for a week, and he told Jack “Sherry can record the vocals and do some of the overdubs.” In the end, I got my first credit. Jack listed us as “Girl Engineer” and “Boy Engineer.”

It was Kim Fowley who gave me my first solo album gig., an all-girl group “The Orchids” for MCA Records. He taught me rock and roll history, and he was my mentor. He gave me my first, second, third albums – quite a lot of projects actually. I also credit him with helping to give me my backbone in the industry, and anyone who knew him would know what I’m talking about…. he was truly an amazing person, and he remained a friend until he passed away.

Kim Fowley playback party

Why did you leave the music industry?

Those were incredible days to be working in the music business, the late 70’s, early 80’s. The years before the bottom fell out of the record industry. That’s when I moved into post-production. A bunch of record labels went under, and I was only doing a few albums here and there. A mixer I had worked with on an album was working at KTTV. He called and said needed a sub while he went on vacation he said, “You know all this stuff – you know the consoles the machines, you’re familiar with gear, and you’ve got the ears. You just need to learn about the CMX and timecode synchronization, what do you think?” I said ok, and that’s when I moved to post-production… I went over there for four weeks and stayed for the next year.

I started mixing tv shows over there as a single mixer; it was basically “audio sweetening.” From there I took a lot of little freelance jobs here wherever I could find them. I met with EFX Systems, an independent facility transitioning from music to post, and was hired as their first postproduction mixer. That’s where I started honing the postproduction side of myself. When we picked up the show  “30 Something” we went to a three-person crew, and I mixed dialogue. That was a big deal for me because it was a very high-profile show. I think that’s when people started knowing about me, even though I was still fairly isolated and didn’t know many post people in town.

Were there other women re-recording mixers in post at that point?

Not that I was aware of, at least in LA. I learned of Melissa Hoffman, who I believe was at Ryder Sound a few years later. I stayed with EFX for nine years until they closed their doors. After EFX, I began looking for another post facility I knew that I wanted to be on a team and not just work as a single mixer. Strangely, I found that the doors were open, but many studio managers who were ok with having a woman mixer said they just hadn’t found one with the experience and credits. Luckily.. I had some of both!

Sony was the first to call. They needed someone to replace a popular mixer (who was retiring) on a team with three mixers, he was mixing a show called “The Young Riders, ” and they needed someone who could take over for him. They offered me the dx chair. When I first came on, I asked the head of post-production, “Do you think the guys are going to be cool about this?” He said, “If they’re not ..screw em,” you have the qualifications.” As it turned out, I had a great fx mixer, who took to me immediately. The music mixer not so much. Since I wasn’t embedded in the “studio lot” culture and was the first and only woman on a dubbing stage at Sony, I didn’t want to make waves, I kind of rode it out and took some words and (shall we say) disrespect?. Unbeknownst to me, some of the clients weren’t happy with what they were seeing and started going to management.

One day management came to me asking how long this attitude had been going on? I said pretty much since a few months after I came on (about a year). He said, “Why didn’t you say anything?” I said, “I didn’t want to be a problem, I’m hard-headed and can take a lot,..” He said, “You’re the lead mixer and the reason that clients are coming into that room. This is done!” He fired that mixer. I was really quite taken aback. I had no idea that was going to happen, but the decision had been made before he even talked to me. When my original fx mixer retired I had to put together a new crew, we were together for almost nine years and still remain close friends.

Where did you go after Sony?

One of the reasons I left Sony was because I wanted to get into Protools mixing and at that time, they weren’t ready to use it on the dubbing stage. Prior to leaving Sony, I had been working on three shows, and two got canceled in the same week. My last remaining show was the final season of Dawson’s Creek, and I wanted to see it through..  I had lots of free time, and I started looking around for Protools classes. I found Chilitos Valenzuela and his company “Audiograph Intl” in Santa Monica. It was the best thing I could have done for myself, I signed up and took his class, it was three weeks and paid for by me … Chilitos and I became fast friends, and he truly helped me to learn Pro Tools. I moved over to Larson Studios the following season. They were one of the first full Protools studios in town, and that was a great place for me to begin what I call the 2nd phase of my career. Currently, I’m with Smart Post Sound– and they’ve been my home base for the last ten years.

In my choices for leaving one facility for another, I can honestly say that I’ve only moved when I felt was the right move for my career; I never moved just to get a few extra bucks. Just wasn’t where my priorities were set.

Can you explain your role working on a two-person mix team?

The dialog mixer is the lead mixer on the team. Usually, we’re the ones who get all the shit if something goes wrong. Rarely is there a situation where I’ve had to throw (lead mixer) weight around? It’s just not in my nature. I feel that we’re both equally important to the team and therefore equal in our mixing partnership.

How much time do you get for a mix?

An hour show is typically a two or three-day mix. We work from 9 am to 7 pm with a lunch break. On day one we get through the show. By the late afternoon, we’ll do a pass playing back together.  Since we work separately, this is the first time we hear everything together so we can start to fine-tune it all. By the end of the day, we’ve done one pass on the main speakers. (Many of the execs still prefer their playbacks on small speakers… it drives us crazy..but that’s what they want, and so that’s what we do:-) So, the next morning we do playback on the small speakers and a pass with our co-producer. We all take notes and do our tweaks. Then if we have another chance, we can play it down again and take more notes. Usually, after lunch is when we get the execs. If we have three days, not much changes with the schedule except there’s more time for playbacks, tweaking, and just making it more presentable.

What happens when execs love something that you hate? How do you deal with creative differences?

The executive producers are the final word. If asked my opinion? I’m very honest. I’ve been known to say “I hate it.” Sometimes they will ask, “Are you happy with it? ”my answer can be as simple as, “It sounds better than it has any right to.” and it’s true!  There are times when we’ve all worked on something and mixed in circles because of getting directions from so many people in the backfield that at the end of the day we walk out saying to each other we liked our version better. But that wasn’t the way the powers that be wanted it.  There are days where I’ve been pulling my hair in frustration because the dialog was so noisy – bad locations, mumbly actors, or whatever. The truth is… I’m too close to it, and I just have to take a step back to hear that it does sound fine, and better than I thought. But always, it’s the execs that have the final say!!

Does it ever bother you to work on something where the dialog is terrible, to begin with, and then your name is in the credits for it?

Sometimes what we do as dialog mixers is to make shit shine. Sometimes dialog is good, to begin with, so we can work to make it richer and fuller and just enhance it. The question for me is that when I walk out at the end of the day, do I feel creatively fulfilled? That answer would be yes, or I would have stopped doing this years ago.

What do you enjoy about being a TV dialog mixer?

I like the hustle of tv and the fact that it’s like a new mini-movie every week. Having multiple years on a show is always a treat because you have the opportunity to grow with your crew and the show, it becomes kind of a family thing!!

What skills/traits should someone have who wants to be a dialog/music mixer?

Patience – of which I have none! (I have the attention span of a 12-year-old) which is why I’m better working in television than features.

You need people skills – especially when you need to let everyone in your backfield argue (discuss) and do their thing while you wait till they’ve come to a consensus.

You need stamina and the ability to multitask. You have to be able to filter out what’s going on behind you and just do what you need to do up front. Sometimes it’s stopping and listening to what the people behind you are saying, and other times it’s continuing to work and then turning around and saying, “did I miss something?” It’s an intense balancing act. You have to move fast and move with preciseness and detail. You need to learn to gauge time and your activities within the time allotted to get something you’re happy with, and they’ll be happy with.

Favorite plugins?

Izotope RX 6 – I got hip to RX a couple of years ago, and it’s fantastic. It’s saved my ass tremendously in a lot of things. If you get to know Spectral Repair, there’s a great number of things you can do.

Cedar (noise reduction) – I like to use it gently, and these days if I want to go in deeper, I can go to the RX.

Audio Ease Speakerphone – I use it on a lot of my ADR, not with the futzes but utilizing the rooms and other parts of the plugin. From my record engineer days, I know how to use the various mics to change the characteristics of the sound. There are also lots of other features within the plugin I like – it’s sort of my audio suite channel strip.

LO-FI – I’ve always been a fan of this one. Sometimes we just have to shmutz things up

Avid ProLimiter, Fab FilterDS, SA2 – we’re always fighting sibilance, and we have to keep our levels within network specs.

Those are some of my go-to plugins.

What advice would you give to women in the field or trying to get into the field?

I think there are a lot more opportunities than ever before for women moving into mixing positions. The field is open to it. I don’t believe it’s even a question of being a woman mixer – it’s a qualified mixer. Years ago people would say “she’s one of the best chick mixers etc.…”  and I would say, ‘” Umm … I’m a mixer” I just happen to be a chick. We are mixers. Nuff said!!

As far as getting into it and coming up through the channels – it’s a long road. It’s a very satisfying road. Ultimately, you do have to learn how to have your life, while still devoting the time needed to have the gig. I don’t buy tickets for anything unless it’s a Saturday night or Sunday … and even then I don’t know for sure; travel plans are always meant to be changed. You have to be willing to sacrifice the aspects of “normalcy” that most people are accustomed to. I tend to believe that it can be a bit more difficult for women…speaking personally, in my past experiences sometimes the men in my life have not always understood that I just can’t get up and leave a session that’s going into OT because we had planned together that night. Oh Well. That’s why those are in my past!

How do you find work-life balance?

What balances me is being able to go and spend a couple of weeks at my home in Mexico – or as I call it “in my other world.” I will always try to get out of town when I’m not working. When I’m in town and have time off, I try and catch up with my friends, more time with my man and then there’s my other passion which is baking bread. I was informed almost nine years ago that I had to get off gluten. After asking wtf that was, I started researching on the internet and experimenting with baking. Now, I grind all my own flours and bake whenever I have the time. It’s just all mixing! Be it flours or eq’s or levels..it’s mixing to get what you want. It’s sort of like my out of the dub stage Zen place!

Cinema Audio Society Board

Final thoughts?

I think a mixer can only mix for what they hear, and that doesn’t always please everybody all the time. I’ve left shows because I’ve felt I wasn’t the right person for the job anymore.. and sometimes it’s the clients that want to make a change… shit happens, I’ve learned that you have to just roll with it.

At this point in my career I want to continue to work with people I respect and enjoy, and with people who allow me the freedom to be creative and fulfilled in my work. As far back as I can remember I’ve always tried to be as honest as possible and give 150% of myself to all my projects. I truly don’t know how to do it half-assed! My best explanation of what I tell people I do for a living is “I get to play in a big sandbox with a bunch of crazy people, and paint pictures with sound.” Gotta love that.

More on Sherry

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Profiles of Women in Audio

Siemens/Sitral W295

The Siemens W295  is a bridge impedance, fully discrete class-A push-pull output Equaliser designed in West Germany in the early 70s.

The cassette size unit features input and output transformers, inductor based midrange, old and hard to find BCY58, SST117, and BCY 66 transistors and it has a 600-ohm input and output impedance, hence “bridge impedance.”

It is one of the most colorful, sweet and round EQ I have ever had.  The W295B has a fixed frequency High Shelf eq, and Low Shelf eq, both with +/-15dB in 3dB increments. It also has a Middle Range bell eq with fixed frequencies of 700Hz, 1kHz, 1.5kHz, 2.3kHz, 3.5kHz, and 5.6kHz with +/- 8dB in 2dB increments.Both High and Low shelf are based on the classic Resistor / Capacitor design while the midrange uses a multi-tapped inductor to create the resonance frequency of the filter.

Think of it as the NEVE / PULTEC of Germany.

This unit, along with the all series of preamps (676) line amps (672,274,374 and so on) were part of the Siemens/sitral broadcast consoles (see pictures) and were designed for radio stations use.

Soon enough recording studios had found out that the broadcast modules had uber high specifications, sounded amazing and as radio stations started upgrading for more modern equipment these cassette modules started to find their way into the recording business.

This is an incredible tracking and mixing tool that can be used in wide variety of applications from vocals to drums to guitars and bass. I find that the frequency choices are really useful to bring out the grit and air of guitars, top end on drums and generally air on vocals. The top shelving is especially very useful when a singer needs a bit of overall presence as the filter starts at  1KHz and very very gently boosts up until 15KHz. On drums, it is very useful as both snare and overhead EQ as the midrange inductor EQ sits in that range of frequencies where most of those elements live.

I absolutely love the silk and sweet character it has and how you can boost program material without ever sounding harsh. I tend to use it for additive equalisation that happens while recording so I can paint coarse strokes to change the colour and feel of the instrument very quickly without spending too much time. The channel where this EQ is used is normally then paired in the mix with a more surgical Plugin EQ which helps to remove any extra resonances.

I think this is an excellent tool that every musician could use when recording and/or mixing as it gives a good alternative to the usual Pultec or NEVE EQ, so it can be a different flavour and yet maintain the “polished/ expensive record” sound. The SoundToys Sie Q is an incredible emulation of this. I also own the plugin, and I ended up using it extensively in quite a few classical records I have worked on lately. If you cannot get your hands on an original one, I highly recommend the SoundToys alternative.

Matt Sartori of Vintage Productions

Vintage Productions is a Location / on demand recording service. We use the latest audio interfaces and multitrack recording systems along with vintage gear and some special DIY custom built tools to bring studio quality to any location that the artist chooses to work in.

Our portable system allows bands, ensembles, and producers to work in any location they choose using a discrete headphones system and high-end gear, cutting down on studio rental cost and allowing everyone to work very comfortably.

 

 

 

 

 

What are you worth? or Do I need an agent?

In an industry where fees are kept close to everyone’s chest, it’s often hard to know what is a fair price for your time. Taking a job where I feel I have been ripped off in the fees department is never a way for me to feel like part of a team and produce my best work. I have found that it is often not a one-off. Doing one show at a discounted rate, in my experience, only leads to being offered more shows with a discounted fee attached. It is often assumed, in theatre, that the Sound Designer is at the bottom of the pile when the money is being handed out. Add to that the global phenomenon of women being paid less than men. Yes, women working full-time still often earn less than men doing the same job:

Women are Still Paid Less than Men Even in the Same Job

Nursing Pay Gap Women Paid Less

Research Finds Women Paid Less than Men in 90 Sectors

The Gender Pay Gap

It can feel the struggle to find out if you are getting paid what you are worth. I have said this before but, I have found that, for me, working for free has never led to a paid gig. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but not in my personal experience.

There are Guidelines for Theatre Designers, but not specifically for Sound:
The Association of Lighting Designers has a suggested fees document that covers everything from a major musical (£20,000) to a fringe/pub theatre production (£1,000). I find that the only way not to drive myself mad is to try to stick to this. If there are special circumstances, like a very short run in hope of a transfer, then I will make sure there are clauses like: I get the first refusal if the show transfers, and that transfer will come with a fee that is the going rate. I also make sure the copyright of the sound design and content created stays with me.

If I have to be away from home, there is the issue of accommodation. £500 seems to be a standard figure offered for accommodation and travel but I am very honest if I can’t find anywhere for that and/or there are last-minute changes to schedules. Not being able to book ahead makes everything a whole lot more expensive.

Also, I always mention any dates I am not available for during the rehearsal and production period. We aren’t expected to be there for every day of rehearsals unless specified in the contract and compensated, but it is still good to give a heads-up to the director and producer of any clashes in my schedule. Theatre Sound Design pay rates mean you often have overlapping projects; people understand this but communicate with them so there are no awkward surprises later on.

I do sometimes wonder if it’s worth trying to get an agent to do the negotiating, but the only benefit I can see is that they have more of an idea of what the going rate is. I would still have to agree, or not, to the terms of the contract. Technical Design Agents in the UK theatre scene don’t really get you to work, at least not actively. As far as I’m aware, they negotiate the contract on your behalf. I have heard a variety of things from Lighting Designers: those whose rate tripled when they got an agent, to the agent who insisted on taking a cut from all of their clients’ earnings, regardless of whether they had been working as a designer or not.

The only way through, for me, is to make sure I don’t go into a job feeling that I’ve been taken advantage of. If I can manage that, then I am happy to negotiate the contract myself. And there is always the rest of the creative team who, if they won’t actually tell you the fee they are on, will tell you if they think yours is below the going rate.

 

 

 

Standard Brazilian P.A. Mix for DVD Recording

In our past blog, Live Recording of a DVD of Setanejo, my colleague Karen Avila went through the crazy process of Brazilian DVDs. Although she was specifically referring to the ‘sertanejo’ style, most Brazilian artists record a DVD before going on tour. We only get one day of live recording. Also, some new singles are recorded live on that day, to promote the ‘DVD tour.’

We usually record the sound/light/video check, with cameras in positions that would be impossible to do with the public. Then, we record the show with the public and re-do some songs at the end. It works fine, but we have to mix the P.A. with the recording in mind.

Over the years I’ve been the DVD P.A. mixer, but also the studio mixer and editor. I’ve developed some procedures – some are my own, some that I have learned from more experienced colleagues – in order to have a good P.A. mix without compromising the recording.

Overall volume and alignment of the P.A., front-fill, subwoofer, and delays:

Most DVDs are not recorded in open areas because it is safer concerning weather variations. On the other hand, acoustics are always a problem here. The house mix is usually not centered because it is more important to have open space in the middle for the audience and cameras.

Because of these conditions, I always prefer a digital console, which can be controlled through Wi-Fi. It is better that the P.A. console is not the one being used for recording but, depending on the budget, it will be FOH, monitors, and recording…

FOH not centered – Digital console, Wi-Fi controlled

The volume has to be high enough for the crowd to be excited and reach them even when they are screaming the song. Brazilians usually sing all the lyrics during the whole song, together with the band (I think this is a Latin phenomenon). But it cannot be too high, so it doesn’t mess up the ambience microphones. We want to clearly catch the crowd screaming. It is the same for delays all over the room.

Front-fill is a solution and a problem. I usually only put vocals and solo instruments on the front-fill in this type of mix. And I do not put any effects on the front. The best crowd is always the one near the stage. They need to hear the singers, but we have to be careful in case we have some editing, studio overdub or auto-tuning to do afterward. All high frequencies tend to be reflected back to the stage and mess up the ambience mics. I do not use a lot of hi-hat and overheads, nor high-frequency percussion on the mix.

For the front-fill, I use an HPF. I need it to complete the Main Stereo. It doesn’t have to sound really, really nice. It is usually on an aux send or matrix send

 

I cut the subwoofer at 80Hz because it is easy to cut this out from the crowd in the mix. I use it a lot. It saves me when we don’t have too much volume, but we need the crowd to jump and dance. I only send the instruments that I want to excite the crowd to the subwoofer; like the kick drum, the electronic stuff, and the bass. It is usually on an aux send or matrix send. We must be very careful to have the subwoofer outside the stage, or in an end-fired or cardioid arrangement.

 

I like to duplicate the voice with some parallel compression, to make it powerful but not too high. I need a strong de-esser because of the above-mentioned high-frequency issue in the P.A.

As for effects, unfortunately, I must use very little. For example, I cannot do crazy long effects or delay rides. Usually, I prefer to use a short modulated-delay (in eighth-note), a medium stereo-delay (in quarter-note) instead of reverb. If you don’t put a lot of feedback in them, they will be wonderful esthetic allies. I also use a little overdrive in some of the instruments, but especially in vocals, to add presence, since I don’t have analog gear in general.

 

Basically, this is it. I’m constantly in touch with the recording suite, so they are always giving me feedback about P.A. leak in the recording. If we are always working as a team with artists, monitor/recording/P.A., lights and video, it will come out just fine.

Florencia Saravia-Akamine has over 20 years dedicated exclusively to audio, whether in the studio or live. Today, she centered her activities in the areas of “live sound” and recording, editing, and mixing for broadcasting. (This has changed through the years and will probably keep on changing every day.

More on Florencia Saravia-Akamine at Pro Audio Clube

Australian SoundGirls Lunch – Sydney

The SoundGirls Sydney Chapter will be hosting a lunch to meet New Zealand SoundGirl Gil Eva Craig.  Details below. Hope to see you there.

Thai Pothong in Newtown. Great food and it caters for everyone.

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RSVP to Toni Venditti at toniandgab@gmail.com

 

Touring – A Tribute to our Strengths in Times of Darkness

‘Darkness cannot drive out darkness- only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate – only love can do that.’

Dr. Martin Luther King

The horrific recent event in Manchester shocked the world, and hit the industry many of us call home, the touring music business. This murderer targeted not only human lives, but joy, happiness, and community. People – kids – who loved music, having fun at a gig. Coming together to celebrate life and enjoy that transcendent sense of uniting in the excitement of a great show.

The attack happened a few days before my current tour was scheduled for its Manchester gig. Our show went ahead and was one of the first to happen after the attack. While there were a significant number of people who had bought tickets but understandably decided not to come out that night, there were also a great many who felt brave enough to defy the hate-filled cowards who try to scare a free society into submission.

I won’t begin to try to make sense of what happened at Ariana’s show – we call it senseless violence for a reason, and there can be no justification for such appalling actions. Instead, I’d like to pay tribute to all of those who have been affected by this real-life horror story and remember everything that is so wonderful about the music industry and our touring family.

The whole reason that a music industry exists is because of how music makes us feel. Whether we’re feeling elated, melancholy, misunderstood or angry, music is there to help us ride that wave of emotion, process it, or shift out of it. It touches the deepest, truest part of us. It makes us stronger. It unites us. Nothing else has a power quite like it – music is unbreakable. While the industry which has grown up around it certainly has its dark side, the fact remains that it only exists in the first place because of joy. For all its downsides, it’s a fabulous way to make a living – it’s pretty great to look at a jubilant crowd during a gig and know that, in some infinitesimal way, you have contributed to the sum total of human happiness. Those fans deserve our gratitude and respect because they are the music-lovers who make our touring industry possible.

I’ve written before about the strengths of roadie-dom and the way we pull together to make shows happen in the most unlikely and challenging of circumstances. I can think of no better folk to be amongst when you need to pull off the seemingly impossible, and whilst we may not go in for deep and meaningful heart-to-hearts (at least not until the wine is flowing), we become very attuned to each other and quickly sense when someone isn’t ‘right’. I’ve lost count of the ‘is he/she ok? Will you have a chat or shall I?’ conversations I’ve had over the years. Even when it’s just a case of the tour blues and you’re missing home, it’s good to know that you’re surrounded by friends who have been there too and who get it. Friends who will let you get it off your chest and then jolly you along.

We have each other’s backs in a way that more formal industries can only dream of. Because we literally live together for months at a time, strong bonds are quickly formed, and this motley bunch becomes your touring brothers and sisters, your family away from home.

So what are those shared qualities which make our industry so special?

1 – We are resourceful. Rock concert up a mountain in a blizzard? We’re your gang.

2 – We are determined. Blizzard or not, that concert has to happen. The fans have paid, and there WILL be a show.

3 – We are practical. We roll up our sleeves and get stuck in.

4 – We are logical. Things happen in a certain order for a very good reason.

5 – We are adaptable. If that order can’t happen (lighting truck falling down a ditch is one that springs to mind), we find ways around it. Because see 2.

6 – We are responsible. Yes, we might like to party on our downtime. But don’t let that fool you – when we’re dealing with large amounts of electricity, hanging tons of gear in a roof, and lifting heavy, cumbersome flight cases, we’d better have our heads on straight, or someone’s going to get hurt.

7 – We are efficient. Non-touring folk are amazed at the speed at which we can set up and pull down a spectacular show. Especially after the 100th time, we do it!

8 – We are hard-working. There are no sick days in our world – I’ve mixed shows with a bucket next to me when I’ve had a vomiting bug, and most of us can relate similar tales. But if you are seriously ill, get to a hospital.

9 – We are there for each other. If one of us is truly too ill to do the show, we pull together our collective skills and make it happen. It might not be perfect, but the audience will be none the wiser.

10 – We are friends. We laugh and joke and share truths, we fall out and make up and put it behind us. We take the piss out of each other mercilessly but stick up for each other when it matters. We don’t see each other for months and years and then pick up right where we left off.

We are family.

Honing Your Sound Skills in Your Own Home

By: Sally Perkins

Getting into the audio industry can be tough – especially if you’re caught in the cycle of ‘no experience = no job = no experience.’ Many schools and technical colleges offer programs in music production and sound engineering. Obtaining an internship or volunteering with a local band can be a great first step on the ladder – but if you’re looking for a way to build up your skillset in your spare time and can’t do either of those, setting up a studio at home could be the way to go.

The acoustics of your average bedroom or living room aren’t fantastic but experiment with the placement of equipment around the room to see what works best

Build up your familiarity with different software and hardware – lookout for second-hand items advertised in music shops.

Make sure that, like with any music practice room, you’re free from distractions and able to concentrate on the most important thing: the sound. This guide provides further details on building a productive music environment. 

Navigating the New Building

Keeping up with tradition, but changing with the new space

I regularly encounter reoccurring events on campus; yearly activities that different departments host to raise funds, celebrate their achievements, or to just have fun. Working with a variety of people, trying to meet the needs of their event, can offer up quite the challenge sometimes. Several of these organizations have, in their own ways, established traditions for their events: how the room is set up, the position of the lighting, the stage setup, methods of projection, staging options, or other fine details. With a new building, many of these traditions need alterations due to the many changes within the new space and its different technology – this throws both customers and staff into a new learning curve.

In my time in this position, many of these recurring events have become familiar and normal. In the past, all that’s been required is a quick check-in to see if there are any changes, confirm the date, and move on. This semester has been extremely different. It has been important to not take the norms of the past for granted. As a service provider with a new facility, it has been important to take a moment to consider all the events and the changes the venue’s offering and then adjust accordingly to all the changes. It has become important to slow down, to reconnect with everyone, both staff and customers, to make sure they understand the changes that have occurred and how they might affect their events.

For instance, the new facility has improved customer-controlled projection, which accommodates most customers’ desire to be able to run individual PowerPoints without the added cost of having staff there to help. However, there is no professional video switching at the moment so some groups have to rethink their presentation to have seamless viewing of PowerPoints and DVDs. To work through these changes it has been important to provide customer training on the newly installed technology, taking into consideration how this challenges any of their long-standing practices. The more of these challenges you can identify and work in advance, the better; customers need time to learn all the new stuff and to make adjustments.

Another example is the lighting in the venue. Previously, we had over thirty lights, now we have eight (at least until we have worked through some budgeting and contracting issues). Eight lights by no means produce the coverage needed for the stage, let alone the traditional look dance groups strive for. Connecting with each dance group is important to explain the limitations of the space, including offering them the best options possible to support their event, so they can plan accordingly.

The biggest hurdle within the venue at the moment is the size and shape of the room. It is such a change from the old space that everyone that uses the venue has to take the time to really learn the space and hear the differences. Even with the assistance of technology and some acoustical treatment, there is still a significant slap-back off the back wall which reaches the front of the stage just in time to muddle in with the monitor sound. There is some acoustic treatment but it’s not enough, and it is going to take time to purchase and install more. In the meantime, we have to strategically plan to assist groups, warning them about the slap-back, and trying new setups to alleviate some of the effects until improvements are possible.

Overall, the venue is still a work in progress, and it will take time to meet all of our customers’ desires. There seems to be an idea that this change was going to make everything perfect, solving all the problems of the past, but that has not been the case so it is important to connect with everyone to work together to create some amazing events.

In my case, the new building brought the need to look at old practices and make new ones. It has highlighted how easy it is to get caught in the norms or traditions of regular events. Sometimes it is important to reconnect and truly talk through details, explaining the new opportunities a venue or equipment has to offer. This way, as service providers, we can meet the resources and skills to create even more spectacular events.

When the Going gets Tough…

Sometimes things are tough. We are all strong and competent, but sometimes the circumstances we find ourselves in are tough. Even the strongest and most experienced of us have bad days. There is no nirvana level of badass that we reach where events can no longer bother us. But life, or at least working in a male-dominated industry, isn’t about how we get knocked down – it’s about how we get up again. Why would I allow my knockbacks to define me when I could choose to let my recoveries do so?

How do you recover from a knockback, from that awful gig, from finding out those you thought had your back didn’t? Firstly, stop. Stop, take a breath and think: Is there anything about what happened that you could learn from? Is there any responsibility you can take for any part of what happened? If there is, then you will become stronger by admitting it, if only to yourself, especially to yourself. Can you afford to let this one thing rock you?

Where to look for sources of strength

Ever since I was a girl, I have found books, both fictional and factual, to be a great place to mine for inspiration:

Fiction

‘Granny sighed. “You have learned something,” she said and thought it safe to insert a touch of sternness into her voice. “They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one-half so bad as a lot of ignorance.’

― Terry Pratchett, Equal Rites

‘Wisdom comes from experience. Experience is often a result of lack of wisdom.’

― Terry Pratchett

‘If you trust in yourself….and believe in your dreams….and follow your star…you’ll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren’t so lazy.’

― Terry Pratchett, The Wee Free Men

‘“The secret is not to dream,” she whispered. “The secret is to wake up. Waking up is harder. I have woken up, and I am real. I know where I come from and I know where I’m going. You cannot fool me any more. Or touch me. Or anything that is mine.”’

― Terry Pratchett, The Wee Free Men
I’ve been a huge fan of Terry Pratchett since I was a girl. It struck me as magical that a grown man could know what it was like to be a teenage girl. He has written a whole cannon of works that have a variety of women in lead roles, overcoming obstacles, and not caring what the rest of the world thought.

Iain M Banks

I discovered the fiction of Ian M Banks when I was a teenager. He wrote both science-fiction and a strange (to me) type of mainstream fiction. The Wasp Factory was the first novel of his I read, and it changed the way I thought about a lot of things. I also spent a lot of time reading his science fiction novels as well.

Although fiction is stirring and often empowering, I find factual accounts to be more so. Knowing that the things I am reading actually happened, that other people have faced challenges greater than any I personally face – I find it especially humbling and it helps give me perspective.

I Write What I Like is a collection of works by Steve Biko, a journalist, and activist who was killed by the South African government for speaking out about Apartheid.

‘The greatest weapon in the hand of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed.’

― Steve Biko

‘You are either alive and proud, or you are dead, and when you are dead, you can’t care anyway.’

― Steve Biko

‘A people without a positive history is like a vehicle without an engine.’

― Steve Biko

My Own Story is an account of the British Suffragette movement. It chronicles Emmeline Pankhurst’s struggles with the police and the British Government.

“As long as women consent to be unjustly governed, they will be.”
— from Pankhurst’s speech in Hartford, Connecticut on Nov. 13, 1913
‘Men make the moral code, and they expect women to accept it. They have decided that it is entirely right and proper for men to fight for their liberties and their rights, but that it is not right and proper for women to fight for theirs.’

— Emmeline Pankhurst

Who do you surround yourself with? Are the people that you allow into your life supportive, or are they happy to give you a bit more grief when you are trying to push through a rough patch? There is a theory that the five people you spend the most time with will have a great influence on how you live your life. I don’t know how true that is but I do know it’s important to have people around you that make you feel supported.

‘You can’t change the people around you. But you can change the people around you.’
— Joshua Fields Millburn.

Fix your own oxygen mask first – that is what you are told during the safety drill on an airplane. You can’t take care of anyone else if you are letting your own state slide. Taking good care of yourself is especially important when you have faced a setback. Even if it can feel indulgent to be extra nice to yourself, it is important to realize you need a bit of support from yourself at times.

We all have difficulties at times but, if you think back to the difficulties you have had in the past, you overcame them. There is no reason why you won’t overcome this as well.

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