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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.

 

 

Ask the Experts – Teching for Live Sound Engineers

 

The role of FOH or Monitor Tech differs from the role of system and stage techs, system engineers and crew chiefs. They work alongside FOH and Monitor Engineers and responsible for setting up and maintaining the FOH/Mon equipment. (consoles and processing). The FOH Tech is responsible for running walk in and out music, announcements, media feeds. FOH techs often fill the role of the system engineer and are responsible for or assist in the EQ and time alignment of the system and setting the rigging points. FOH Techs can be called on to record the performance through digital technology such as Pro Tools. FOH Techs often mix the opening artists. FOH Techs should have solid experience with different consoles and outboard processing.

At the other end of the snake, Monitor Techs are often responsible for In-Ear Monitoring Systems (IEMs) and RF coordination. The Monitor Tech will most likely be responsible for mixing monitors for the opening artists. The Monitor Tech should have solid experience with different consoles and outboard processing, as well as different types of monitor and IEM systems.

Both of these positions are often filled by well-established engineers. FOH and Monitor Techs often work with Artist Engineers on a regular basis and are an important part of a touring production.

This is your opportunity to have your questions answered by Rachael Moser, Krysten Dean, Trevor Waite, and Ivan Ortiz.

Feb. 20, 2021, at 11 AM PST

Register Here and Post Your Questions

Moderated by Beth O’Leary

Beth is a freelance live sound engineer and tech-based in Sheffield, England. While studying for her degree in zoology, she got distracted working for her university’s volunteer entertainment society and ended up in the music industry instead of wildlife conservation. Over the last ten years, she has done everything from pushing boxes in tiny clubs to touring arenas and spends a lot of her life in muddy fields working on most of the major festivals in the UK. She has a particular passion for flying PA, the black magic that is RF, travel, and good coffee. Read Beth’s Blog

Panelists
Kyrsten Dean

Krysten is a touring Sound System Engineer and Crew Chief working for Eighth Day Sound Systems, but if you said Krysten on the road, most people would not know who you were talking about because everyone calls her “KD.” She has been working in professional audio for the last 17 years after quitting her corporate engineering job. She has toured with JayZ, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Earth, Wind and Fire, Drake, and Madonna to name a few. She is also an entrepreneur working to introduce more women and people of color to the technical side of the touring industry, through what she likes to call S.T.E.M.M. – Science, Technology, Engineering, Math and Music.

Trevor Waite 

Trevor works for Group One Limited as a technical support engineer. The company is the US distributor for Digico, Calrec, Klang: technologies and Avolites, among other professional audio and lighting brands. Prior to this Trevor was an audio technician for Firehouse Productions and Eighth Day Sound. Trevor has worked as technician, engineer and crew chief for multiple tours, festivals, and one-offs. Over the years, as both an independent and staff engineer, he has mixed monitors for countless well-known artists, including Harry Belafonte, Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, Thirty Seconds to Mars, The Black Keys and many others.

Trevor worked for The Who  (from 2007 – 2019) as a monitor tech for their two monitor engineers Bob Pridden and Simon Higgs. Trevor would take over mixing for Pete Townshend when Bob retired.

Rachael Moser

Rachael has worked for Clair Global in Nashville for over ten years as a PA Tech, Monitor Systems Tech, RF Tech, Monitor Mixer, and most recently System Engineer/Crew Chief. She has worked in audio for over 15 years and attended Belmont University, graduating from their Audio Engineering Technology program with a BS and minor in business

Ivan Ortiz

Ivan is an audio veteran, with over 18 years of experience in professional audio – gaining his education working for a small sound company that specialized in Latin acts while attending Full Sail. After he graduated he headed to the west coast – taking an internship at Rat Sound Systems and his “can-do attitude” led to weekend work with several Los Angeles-based sound companies. Ivan would go on to tour as a system tech for Blink 182, Jimmy Eat World, Pepe Aguilar and toured for several years as a monitor engineer for My Chemical Romance, Gavin DeGraw, and multiple fill-in gigs for other bands as FOH or MON Engineer.

Ivan would go on to work for LD Systems in Houston Texas working the Houston Rodeo as Monitors Engineer for the event for five consecutive years. While working for LD Systems Ivan also had the opportunity to work on nationally televised events as the A1 for NCAA Final Four, NCAA Sweet Sixteen, Houston’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, before returning to Rat as shop manager and all-around Tech Master.  Ivan is now the Technical Resources and Account Manager at Rat Sound Systems.

 

Krysten Dean – Changing the Narrative for the Next Generation

 

Krysten Dean is a touring Sound System Engineer and Crew Chief working for Eighth Day Sound Systems, but if you said Krysten on the road, most people would not know who you were talking about because everyone calls her “KD.” She has been working in professional audio for the last 17 years after quitting her corporate engineering job. She has toured with JayZ, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Earth, Wind and Fire, Drake, and Madonna to name a few. She is also an entrepreneur working to introduce more women and people of color to the technical side of the touring industry, through what she likes to call S.T.E.M.M. – Science, Technology, Engineering, Math and Music.

An Early Love for Music and Audio

KD grew up in a musically inclined family, with her mom and grandfather being singers, and she and her siblings all learned to play a musical instrument. She also was a member of choirs. Her love for audio started in her youth when she volunteered on the media team at her church. There she learned the basics of audio. KD says she enjoyed it all.

But when it came time to decide on college and a career path, KD was discouraged by educators from pursuing a career in the music industry. So instead, she went to college for mechanical engineering. After graduating with a BS in Mechanical Engineering and Masters in Science in Mechanical Engineering, she went on to work in the auto industry for eight years, where she found that she was pretty unhappy. She decided to quit her job and go back to school to become an audio engineer.

She says, “I knew I had to take a chance and bet on myself so that I could be happy. I secured an 85% scholarship and attended Full Sail.” She graduated from Full Sail with an Associate of Science in Show Production and Touring.

The Importance of Giving People a Chance and Mentors

After graduation from Full Sail, she would hone her skills as the technical director for her church. At the same time, she applied to Eighth Day Sound, where they took a chance on her. KD says of Eighth Day, “My boss really took a chance on me. I sent in my resume with no touring experience and little audio experience and he took a chance on me. He told me that someone smart enough to have a successful engineering career (with a master’s in engineering to boot) could learn how to do audio. Especially if they were passionate about it.”

She also had a co-worker who took her under his wing and introduced her to the touring world, which helped her navigate the touring culture. After a brief 6-month internship where she learned company culture and basic tour packages, she was sent out on tour. She says, “It was fast-paced and exhilarating for me and a welcome change from corporate America.”

Her corporate background did prove beneficial as working in the corporate world provided KD with a strong work ethic, and she says, “I am not afraid of the long hours, the grueling pace at times and the commitment required for touring.”

Before COVID hit, KD spent a good portion of her year on tour. Her long-term goals include establishing an organization to encourage minority women to become involved in the entertainment industry’s technical side. She says, “I am passionate about seeing people that look like me, doing what I am doing. By that, I not only mean women but people of color. There is something to be said about representation and achievement. I want to give back and make a difference.” Recently KD started an organization called KMissionD (pronounced ka-miss-ion-ed) to encourage more women and people of color to pursue STEMM.

Career Now

What is a typical day like?

Hectic, fast-paced. Arrive at the venue early (before most of the crew is even awake) to measure the room and plan the PA points and location with the rigger. Help the team to set it all up and get it working and sounding proper. This is usually when any problems are noticed with the system, but not always. Time-align and tune the system, line check, and sound check. Setup and handle the opening acts, do a show, tear it all down, pack it back into the trucks and do it all over again the next day. And somewhere in there, I manage to eat at least one meal for the day.

How do you stay organized and focused?

I usually have a game plan on what needs to be accomplished for the day. Although most would say we do the same thing every day, we are in a new location every day, which presents its own challenges. Thankfully I have been doing this for a while now, so I have been to many venues multiple times and know what to expect, but each tour is different.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?

Touring becomes your extended family. I can literally go anywhere in the world and reach out to someone I have toured with, met while on tour, or have a mutual friend.

What do you like best about touring?

I love to travel. I have been all over the world in this career. I also love when my crew and I can overcome the daily challenges we face in getting the job done effectively and efficiently.

What do you like least?

Being away from my family and my dog, Layla, for extended periods of time year-round.

What is your favorite day off activity?

SLEEP, no really, that is important, but I also like to take in the sights of whatever city I am in, especially if I have never been there. I also like to try some of the favorite local cuisines.

What if any obstacles or barriers have you faced?

Touring is still very much a male-dominated industry. As a result, you sometimes get treated as inferior or even invisible. I have had some difficult engineers and difficult situations, but at the end of the day, if I can say that I approached them with integrity, that is important to me.

I am a firm believer in having a strong character; my reputation is important, especially in this industry.

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

Don’t be afraid to ask for help, and when unsure, ask for clarification. We aren’t meant to go through life alone, and SoundGirls is an excellent resource. Also, learn as much as you can. But not only that PRACTICE what you learn so that you do not forget it.

Must have skills?

One thing that has saved me time and time again when issues occur is that one thing your teachers always say is important, but you are like, yeah…ok – it’s signal flow. Tracing a problem from beginning to end usually shows your right where the issue is, and you can quickly move towards a solution. In touring, this skill can save your career.

Favorite gear?

I am blessed to be able to use a little bit of everything. My company stays ahead of the curve with gear and is able to provide what the engineers like and request. That is one aspect that I like about my job. I get to use a lot of new and exciting gear regularly.

Closing Thoughts

Although I still love audio, I am looking to add a new dimension to my career and focus on giving back and helping others. I am discouraged by the lack of women and people of color doing what I do, and I am passionate about changing the narrative. I have started speaking to women’s groups and technical societies to introduce them to what I do, and encourage others that it is possible to do it, do it well, and be successful. I also coach and mentor other women who want help navigating it all.

I have a YouTube channel coming soon, highlighting people behind the scenes in the live touring industry. I want to amplify others’ voices, allow them to share their stories, and inspire others that they can do it too. The channel will be called KMissionD.

KMissionD to amplify your voice…check it out!

More on Krysten Dean

STEMM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and Music, with Krysten Dean

 

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