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Delaware – Intern at The Ladybug Music Festival

 

 

 

Ladybug Music Festival is looking for SoundGirls members to volunteer for the 2017 festival. There are many positions available for any level of experience.

The event is July 20th in downtown Wilmington at various stages near 2nd and Lower Market Streets. They will have 8 to 10 small indoor venues they are looking for engineers to run sound at. Some are simple singer-songwriter artists with one or two inputs. Some are full band and may require more experience. The main stage is run by Electro Sound and volunteers are needed to assist at that stage with setup and artist relations.

Volunteers to mix sound at one of the smaller stages would need to be available between 4pm and 10pm. (there may be a small pay for this position only)

Interns to help with setup of the sound systems in these smaller venues would need to be available between 2pm and 5pm.

Interns to help with artists load in would need to be available between 3pm and 7:30pm.

Water and Limited Food Vouchers will be given to volunteers. Free parking is available through the organization. Anyone interested in volunteering or running sound for Ladybug Music Festival should email a resume and cover letter no later than June 15th to soundgirls@soundgirls.org

 

Radio Mics and Vocal Reinforcement, Part 2

Continuing from my last blog post, here is some more about the vocal reinforcement techniques I have learnt in relation to radio mics. Read Part 1 Here

Addams Family


This is a photo of a production of the Addams Family musical. This was the same setup, in principle, as Rent. The band is at the back of the stage – there is not much separation between the stage and the band. The mics are in the hairline; you can see the odd mic poking out but they are pretty well hidden. So, what is going on here? Why does this mic position work for The Addams Family musical and not for Rent?

It’s the score. The Addams Family is much more traditional in terms of musical theatre: the line-up of instruments is more traditional and there is room in the score for the vocals. The overall level of the show is quieter and that means we can get away the mics in a more discrete position.

Let’s look at the difference between the mic positions within the show, considering everything else is the same.

Ear hanger

In this photo, you can see Uncle Fester. Uncle Fester has no hair so the hairline isn’t an option at all. What can we do for uncle Fester? Uncle Fester needs an ear hanger.

You can’t see the ear hanger in this picture – I couldn’t find a shot of him from the correct angle. The ear hanger is quite long –  you would probably make it shorter and paint it to match the skin or hair tone.

Sometimes the hairline can’t be used because you have a hat situation that isn’t going to resolve itself in the way you’d hoped. So, what are the problems with this?

If you have to go for an ear hanger, it’s generally a step down in audio quality from the hairline position. Although they are omni-directional mics, there is a muddy quality to the audio when you put the mic over the ear. They are probably far more visible but they will keep a constant distance from the mouth. They can be liable to sweat-out, and if the actor is laying down, or head to head in profile with someone, then that can cause noise problems. But it can be a good solution if you can’t get the mic in the hairline.

It is common to use an HF boost cap on an ear hanger to try to help with the difference in EQ that it will need.


American Idiot



Boom mic

I did a production of American Idiot at the Bridewell Theatre. You can see they are all on boom mics here. American Idiot was a loud show and we had a great band who were up on a balcony at the back. Everyone in the cast was on a boom mic. It gave us the level we needed to get the vocals over the band and to have that great impact at the start of the show.

What are the downsides of boom mics? Well, they get in the way. Obviously, the actors lying on the floor is an even bigger problem here because there is more of the mic to crush. Any scenes where the actors have to kiss can be awkward. The mics move and, depending on where they are anchored, they may move relative to the mouth of the actor. They have to be anchored and fitted really well to not move about. Heavy breathing can be a problem and there is a very distinctive look to them. But they are worth it. So long as they are fitted properly, they will give you lots of level.

Chest mic

This is the least useful mic position for live sound. In theatre, it can bring all sorts of issues.

It is so difficult to make chest mics work as the actor can turn their head away from the mic – that will generate an inconsistent level. There can be loads of clothing noise and they really get in the way of costume changes.

Live effects on radio mics

Mic-ing every line of dialogue can you give you the opportunity to impose SFX on top of certain actors’ voices, so you’re not just restricted to amplification.

I was the sound designer for a production of Ghost.  One of the main characters in the show, Sam, is dead. He dies during the show and refuses to go away. He is not the only Ghost in the production.

The problem was one of how to make Sam otherworldly. There were some physical magic tricks to make that happen, but we wanted to give him that sudden transition into a ghost. We couldn’t do it visually – we couldn’t make him transparent, or black and white, or any of the other standard visual tricks used to represent a ghost – so I decided that whenever someone died they would have their own reverb. All their personal dialogue after they died would have its own reverb.

When they launched into song, the difference between the speaking effect reverb and the reverb needed for a number created a bit of a conflict, but subtle mixing fixed that.

I played with a similar thing on a version of the Nativity that I designed.

The play starts with the Book of Genesis, so before the world existed there was God and the angels and they all had a vocal reverb when they spoke as well.

The same actor that played God also played Death. I wanted to create something for Death that was different from the human characters in the play, but also something different than the reverb effect we had used for God and the angels. We used a pitch shift and, although you could still hear her acoustic voice, there was an undercurrent of something more menacing and subtle that gave enough of a difference to her voice to make an impact.

I’ve covered some of the things I have learned about radio mics here, but it’s a constant art of just doing what works and not being afraid to change the way things are done if they aren’t working the way you need them to for the job in hand.

Recap
In the last two posts I have covered five different types of mic-ing:

In the hairline: Looks good and sounds good, if you aren’t doing a very loud show. Minimal interference with the actor, unless they do a lot of forehead acting. Hair products and sweat can be a problem.

On the forehead: Still sounds great, but isn’t as discrete and is more prone to forehead acting.

Over the ear: Can sound muffled and needs some EQ work. It can get in the way if the actor is laying on their side. Sweat can be a problem. picks up costume noise, and doesn’t sound great.

Boom mic: Great for level, but can really get in the way physically.   Heavy breathing can be a problem. They are not at all discreet.

Chest mic: Can be very noisy, causes problems with costume changes.

Erika Earl – Always be yes-sing! (say it out loud)

Someone once said about Erika Earl, “the building could be on fire, and no one would know because all nine sessions would keep going.” She has made more than a few musicians, engineers, and producers feel good about broken gear or a tough situation.

Earl has been working in the professional audio industry for 15 years. She is currently the Director of Hardware Engineering at Slate Digital. She has worked in key positions in the audio industry, from being the Chief Tech at The Village Studios to running live sound at Coachella, to performing quality control and repair for leading audio manufacturers including Drawmer, Focusrite, Tube-Tech, and Daking. Her passion for audio was ignited at the age of 12 when she was introduced to the recording studio. Her mother booked time for her older sister to record a few American standards in Spanish and brought her along. Earl was captivated by the studio environment and the recording process: “Anyone who has ever walked into a professional recording session with talented artists knows she never wants to leave that room. It’s fucking cool to experience the moment of capture!” Earl knew she wanted to be a part of that process and her technical skills came from realizing she needed a reason to be in the control room beyond a simple desire to be there.

Earl’s education has been non-conventional. While she attended public school, her greatest influence came from observing her immigrant mother who in addition to having five kids, established, owned, and operated several sewing factories: “I think growing up in a factory environment informed my understanding of what ‘work’ is: long hours and sometimes under grueling conditions. I thought I better choose a job I like doing if it’s always going to be that hard.” Her audio engineering education has come from mentorships and a willingness to fail. “I have learned the most from just doing it. I have audited audio production and engineering classes at various institutions over the years. I studied math in college. I volunteer a lot, write and record as much as possible, make giant mistakes, and frequently spend late nights studying up and teaching myself. Many of my friends and mentors are serious musicians, engineers, and sound people. They encourage me to be still and listen, which I have discovered is the best way to learn more. I try and make it a point to be the dumbest and least talented person in my friend circle.”

Erika started as a studio intern working for free. Producer and engineer David Nichols gave her a key to his studio and allowed her to observe and participate as much as she was able during sessions. At night she produced live shows with friends. “My cousin and I had a club night series called Lipgloss and Cigarettes. I would book the bands and arrange the sound production while she was in charge of the venue and creative art direction.

Earl finally got a chance to mix live and get paid for it from Randy Lopez who would hire her to run FOH at a venue in Tucson, Arizona called Plush. Erika says, “I was a pest and just started showing up all the time until one day the sound guy didn’t show up, and there I was foaming at the mouth ready to go. I think Randy appreciated my enthusiasm and mentored me until I could fly on my own.” She also interned with Craig Schumacher at Wavelab, while attempting to fix guitar pedals and cables at Bevins Guitar shop.  At the same time, she worked at Epic Cafe serving coffee and vegan scones before sunrise. “Sometimes I would work at every place in town on the same day. A band would be touring and buy a cup of coffee from me in the morning, visit the studio in the afternoon, and then I would run their live sound at night. It was a trip.”

Earl says that at every trade show and conference she made a point of introducing herself to as many manufacturers as possible. “I met Jonathan Little of Little Labs at a TapeOp conference, and he hired me after a working interview. I worked there during the day and then recorded at The Distillery at night. If I wasn’t recording, I was running live sound, or stalking rehearsal spaces in LA looking for bands to work with me.”

After a few years working in LA, she got pregnant and quit everything to go home to Arizona and be closer to her family. She knew she wanted to go back to work, but studio hours and a baby seemed like a miserable combination. “I just didn’t think I was ready to commit to that lifestyle again, so I cold called Tony Marra at Thermal Relief Design on a recommendation from Jay Fitzgibbons (DSPdoctor, LLC) and asked Tony for a job. Thermal Relief was the only authorized service center for many brands I respected at the time. Tony did not have a position available, but I somehow managed to impress him into meeting with me. I moved to Las Vegas and started at Thermal Relief as a tech, receptionist, shipping & receiving person and was eventually promoted to Technical Service Manager.”

Village Techs and Ed Cherney

During her time at Thermal Relief, Earl was invited by Brad Lunde (Trans Audio Group) to work as a tech for his Audio Underground Roadshow which is a traveling high-end audio showcase. At one showcase hosted at The Village Studios Earl was introduced to Studio Manager, Tina Morris. One of Earl’s goals was to work in a large classic commercial studio, and The Village was a perfect opportunity to do just that. About a year after their first meeting, Morris was interviewing Earl for the Chief Tech position. Earl accepted the job and moved back to LA. Earl was in charge of the technical staff and all of the electronics in the building at The Village, including the phone system and internet. “The place is three stories and has four commercial recording studios, eight or nine private studios, two NEVE 88Rs, one NEVE 8048, a NEVE 8068, a Digidesign Icon which we upgraded to an AVID S6, an auditorium, a ballroom, and loads and loads of gear. At one point we had an all female tech staff which was pretty radical. Outside of servicing and maintaining the gear, I was responsible for assisting engineers with any technical support they required, training, and developing new processes and systems. I also helped create the forensic archiving department, design a cam lock and distro for live concerts, build two new rooms, and completely re-wire another”.

Erika is now at Slate Digital and is the Director of Hardware Engineering, where she directs teams and engineers in the technical development of hardware products from concept to launch. She also manages manufacturing and supervises logistics and hardware support. “I sort of perform double duty as Product Manager / Director of Hardware Engineering. Prototyping is one of my favorite things to do. I also really enjoy standards testing. I find radiated emissions fascinating. Working at Slate Companies and keeping up with Steven Slate, Fabrice Gabriel (Slate Digital), Alex Simicev, and Sergey Danilov (Slate Media Technology / Steven Slate Drums) is insanely rewarding. Their ideas and skills are what I imagine X-Men are made of. Our teams are working at the edge of technology using critical, complex, and creative strategies to come up with innovative solutions and tools for everyone. Every role at our company is held by a high-level high-output individual, and that makes it so thrilling to be a part of. I love being surrounded by so many gifted and talented people.”

Erika’s long term goals are:

What do you like best about your job?

You know what people say “behind every great man is a great woman?” For me, that woman is, Jesse Honig. He’s my right-hand man. In fact, he answered this question for me. After having kids, I have become very selective about work. Anyone who knows me understands how much I enjoy motherhood and contributing to my community. If I am going to spend any time away from my kids, then the work better be worth it. And if I am going to spend more time with any other people than my children, they better be worth it. I feel so lucky to be working with some of the most incredible and inspiring human beings on work I believe in. They are what I like best about my job.

What do you like least?

Working across three different time zones is my least favorite thing about work. I thought after my son turned two I would get to sleep through the night. NOPE. We have engineering teams and clients all over the world.

What if any obstacles or barriers have you faced?

You’ve seen American Ninja Warrior right? You know the moment in the show where they unveil an obstacle and once the athlete gets through it they are awarded a new obstacle…yeah, I think in many ways, and very much by my own design, I have chosen paths which have led to bigger and badder goals which are inescapably riddled with bigger and harder obstacles.

How have you dealt with them?

Practice, patience, and a relentless desire to succeed. A good sense of humor has saved me on more than one occasion. I think it’s extremely important to acknowledge my feelings and then do my best to let anything that doesn’t serve me or the project go. I try and focus on the next logical move and take small steps until I have overcome or maneuvered past the barrier. I rely heavily on my support team of friends and colleagues. Therapy helps a lot. Meditation helps a lot. Exercise and diet help a lot. At the end of each day, my kids remind me of what really matters.

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

Oh dear, this will be cheesy and probably echo every inspirational calendar you have ever read, but I mean it: take care of yourself. Don’t believe everything you think. Especially when that inner voice is telling you “you suck!”. Define your boundaries. Stand up for yourself even if that means you might lose the job. There will be others. Be honest. Listen more than you speak. Be thoughtful in everything you do, no matter how big or small the job or task is treat it with the same care. Look to your right, look to your left, and make friends. These are your peers and your future community. I am a big believer in you get what you give, and a goal without a plan is just a dream. Never make excuses.

What side of the glass do you prefer? The creative side or the recording side or tech side?

I feel like this is somewhat of a trick question because that’s assuming that being an artist is non-technical and being an engineer is non-artistic which is not often the case. I am a results oriented person by nature. If that means making everyone in the room feel okay about broken gear to continue the creative process, I am happy to bring relief. If that means staying up all night to fix said broken gear, I will do it. Setting up and getting tones are just as thrilling to me. Want to write a song? Come over! I also think creating intuitive interfaces which expose engaging parameters of more complex systems remains one of the most interesting types of work as far as bridging STEM to humanities and the arts. I believe artists and engineers are more alike than different.

Must have skills?

Attention to detail. A “can do” attitude. Must be kind and willing to listen. Admit your mistakes promptly and without emotion (cry later, problem solve first!)

Favorite gear? APx515, Coles 4038, Hakko 888, Flickinger console, ATR 102, Slate MTi2, VMS One, Snap-on anything, Ampex MM1200, Scully 280, RCA BA-6A, M49, Slate Control, I could go on forever!

How do you juggle being such a bad ass in the industry and being a mom?

Wow, thank you! First thing is maintaining that illusion; kids are a lot of work! I have also worked for some incredibly understanding and flexible employers. I sort of feel like kids are on a suicide mission until they are like ten. They see an outlet as a perfect target for a fork! Being a mother is my favorite job. I don’t know, we all have our lives and responsibilities. I just find ways to do the things I want to do, and I start by believing I am capable of it.

 

Conversations About In-Ears

One of my favorite things is seeing musicians embracing, understanding and using technology to further their artistic goals. I regularly do monitors, and I get so excited seeing when singers have successful soundchecks and go on to just nail the performance. I notice that time and time again singers struggle a little harder with wearing in-ears than most musicians do. I decided to use the resources I have close to me and talk to vocalists I know in the area. These are women I believe excel at what they do and also wear in-ears properly.

First I talked to Nikia Hammonds-Blakely. She is a local singer that I have the pleasure of working with regularly. She started performing in a choir at age ten which progressed to her performing as a solo artist in her teens. Her early influences were obviously gospel. As she got older singers such as Whitney Houston, Toni Braxton, and Celine Dion have become an influence. Her favorite style of song is a mellow love song.

When I started asking her about her experiences with in-ears, I noticed a how she hesitated. She has been using IEMS for three years and is still hesitant to say she is comfortable. Nikia uses Shure SE425 a dual driver generic in-ear. I asked her what her biggest struggle with in-ears was. To which she replied, “I’m a people person, I like to connect with people. I want to feel the room. I want to feel a vibe off the atmosphere.” She felt that she initially didn’t want to hear just the music, it made her feel as if she was in a recording studio and in her own world.  She said she struggled at first to be able to describe what would help her still feel connected.

“I am a work in progress. I’m an artist. By no means do I have any tech-savvy-ness. . . I want to grow to the point where I know the science behind sound. So I can ask for what I need.”

The most exciting thing, as a monitor person, was to hear repeatedly her desire to know more about the technical aspects. The more she knows, the easier and faster she can achieve her perfect in-ear mix.

“I used to hate them because I felt contained. I’m much more comfortable with it now because it allows me to hear my voice better and perfect my voice. When you can hear yourself better you can adjust yourself without going sharp or flat.”

Another interesting point she brought up was performance. She said her performance changed using in-ears. Before she relied on a lot of auditory cues for how engaged the audience was, now she is forced to open her eyes and make a connection. Her stage presence has changed. Her actions now are more deliberate. When she inserts her in-ears, it is as if she is now entering performance mode and is now there to bring her A game. The world of in-ear monitoring can get complex. Now there are cues, countdowns, and people calling songs or note changes all of which a singer could hear.

“In-ears is not just me listening to myself, or the band. It’s someone talking to me while I’m singing, distorted sounds, some sounds too fat; some are too soft. So you have to listen to those things and drown it out. You hear many more things than you did while just listening to wedges.”

As she grew more comfortable wearing in-ears she realized there was more than just going out there and singing.

“All that said, it is growing me. It is making me more aware of all the elements that have to come together to achieve a good sound. As a professional singer, you need to have an awareness of how one thing plays into another and the balance that is required to create this beauty that is music. ”

I always find it interesting what different singers want in their in-ear mixes. I feel like I’ve encountered a lot of singers who are timid with their requests. There is no wrong way to build a mix that helps you, the singer, give an incredible performance. When I asked Nikia what she liked in her mix she said herself, keys, whoever is carrying the melody, kick, click, audience mics. And what she calls the cherry on the top, reverb. She said, “reverb is like a filter on a camera or lip gloss on ashy lips. It just comes out a little prettier.”

When I asked her if she had advice for techs, new singers, and fellow musicians, she warned that as professionals we forget how foreign and overwhelming it can be for someone who hasn’t worked in this professional world. Her specific advice for monitor engineers was,

“Teach. Teach, the more you take a second to teach the more you will get out of them. In gospel music you have to be able to feel it, you have to be able to unplug from the technicalities and feel the audience and the message. It takes a certain level of confidence and being equipped on the front end to be able to do that.”

When I asked her if she had advice for new singers who are just starting out wearing in-ears she said,

“Talk to your engineers. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. I wish now I had asked more questions. I’m just now feeling more comfortable asking for what I need. Don’t feel intimidated by the engineers and people who know what you don’t know. You’ve got to learn from them and not be afraid to ask.”

That is the key for anyone coming up in the music business. Don’t be afraid to ask.

You can learn more about Nikia at:

nikiahammondsblakely.com

championpromise.org

Aubrey Caudill: Aubrey lives in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and works as a freelance audio engineer. She currently works for several area wedding bands and runs monitors at The Potter’s House North Dallas. She is also a mother of two sons under ten.

Tour Tribe

‘Human beings are social animals. Biological evolution equipped men and women for a communal existence, hunting and foraging in tribes of between twenty and forty people. We could never have survived this ecological niche by ourselves. We don’t have the strength, speed or agility of other animals. But we do have language. We can communicate with others, and we are bright enough to collaborate for purposes of hunting, collecting food, defense, and building shelters. A tribal group would work as a team, assigning to each member a role according to their character and skills.’

This an extract from a book called ‘Sick and Tired – Healing The Illnesses Doctors Cannot Cure’ by Nick Read. It’s a fascinating investigation of ‘functional illnesses’ which doctors are unable to pin down with a cure, such as IBS, chronic fatigue, depression, fibromyalgia, eating disorders and so on. Dr. Read explores the idea that, despite the fact that as a society we’ve ‘never had it so good,’ we’re sicker and unhappier than we’ve ever been, and the stressful pace of modern life and disconnection from our simple humanity is to blame.

His description of how we lived back in our caveman days struck a very loud chord with me. Twenty to forty people, living a nomadic existence and working as a team within roles according to their character and skills. Remind you of anything? No wonder we like touring – we’re basically channeling our inner caveman! I’m making light of it, but life on the road really does offer a sense of community that’s increasingly rare in modern life. We each have our roles to fulfill, which offers the opportunity for creative expression, problem-solving, and collaboration with others, and we have to do it within a timeframe, which means tangible satisfaction rather than never-ending procrastination. And our work may involve mind-boggling amounts of technology, but it also involves a lot of physical activity – pushing, pulling, climbing, lifting, standing up and walking around for most of the day – all of which means we use our bodies as evolution intended. Being away from home also provides a chance for genuine rest and downtime on days off, rather than racing around. I certainly find being on tour more relaxing than juggling different tasks back home, and suddenly I understand why that is, despite long hours and the potentially pressured environment.

This is not to say that roadies never suffer any kind of functional illness; of course, we do. There are ample temptations and opportunities to break yourself on tour as well as all this good stuff. But I think it’s interesting that studies increasingly suggest that it’s living out of sync with our caveman roots which has made us so sickly as a society. The rate of lifestyle change has dramatically accelerated since the industrial revolution, and the incidence of illnesses which have no obvious cure – despite immense, marvelous leaps in treating pathology – has accelerated alongside it.

When you think about it, it’s the least surprising thing. Take a being who has evolved for a nomadic, active, communal existence roaming in nature; who thrives on practical problem-solving, eating food hunted and gathered from the land; who derives satisfaction from doing the skills they’re suited for and not comparing themselves with others; whose body responds to threat by fighting or running for their life, and who rises with the sun and sleeps for as long as they need. Now, airdrop them into a situation where they spend most of their time static, unable to roam freely because of overcrowding; where their practical abilities and simple satisfactions have been outsourced to machines; where they eat processed chemical foodstuffs with precious little connection to the land; where they are encouraged to constantly compare themselves with others and measure their self-worth by their appearances and possessions; where they are vulnerable to artificial alerts and stimulation 24 hours a day and where, because of all of this, they’re in a constant state of stress from which they cannot run. Would we really be shocked if this being got sick? Of COURSE not!

We may not have been airdropped, but the few thousand years in which we have made these changes, in evolutionary terms, is the blink of an eye. Our physiology and psychology haven’t been able to keep up, and we’re now very bewildered space-age cavemen. So it feels good to have a taste of that more natural way of life, as we roam the world with our tour tribe. Touring doesn’t make modern life go away – heck, touring as we know it couldn’t have happened 100 years ago. But we do have some precious, crucial elements in there which I believe are a large part of the pleasure – even the romance – of touring.

Failing Smart

Recently, I have been super excited to see many women sharing their stories and joining us as part of SoundGirls. Many of the recent posts on our Facebook page have been new members of our organization in school, about to graduate, or just starting their first position in this amazing field.  It reminds me of conversations about what’s next as student staff members and student event organizers around me begin their last steps toward graduation and their next steps toward their desired careers.

Working within an educational system, we frequently discuss with graduating students what they have learned if they feel prepared, and how to find support once out in their field. Outside of the educational system, I hope everyone can learn something through all of their life experiences. I would like to share some things that I have learned over time through failure in hopes you can learn from them.

How to Fail Smart

There are many things outside of our control that can lead to failure. Those we are rarely able to change, but there are things as an individual we can do to prevent our failures.  The first being, always blaming others.  It’s a fact, mistakes will be made, things will go wrong, and sometimes it is our fault. Something was missed, forgotten about, or we just simply misunderstood something. When this happens, and you know that you could have prevented it or you messed it up – take ownership of it. Own the mistake, apologize for it, and work toward fixing it.  It can be as simple as, “I’m sorry, I messed up on this – I am going to fix it by…..”

I had a situation just like this happen the other day.  I was making a room reservation for a client when I was pulled away for something else, and by the time I got back to my desk, I completely forgot about it. Then the next day I was reminded that I needed to finish the reservation. When I did so, I found that the hotel was sold out. I had messed up for not completing the reservation when I should have – but I owned it. I went to my team, let them know what had happened, and asked for help. I asked if there was any way we could fix the problem. We worked together, and we were able to solve the issue quickly.

A second way to avoid failure is to not complain about everything all the time. Yes, there can be negative times, but if all that comes from you as an employee, team member, and leader is negative, you have failed.  To get out of this rut, look at what went well and what didn’t and fix it. Take steps to turn the negative into positive outcomes. I grew up with an ideology of – if you don’t like it, then you fix it. Now that can sound a bit intense, but when you break it down this way take ownership, change what you don’t like, and if you can’t change it make decisions to make it better. As individuals within the sound world we will end up working with negative people, and if we continuously act the same as those negative people as well we will all live miserable lives – so let’s not do that, because life is too short to be negative all the time.

Finally, it will always be important, no matter if you are a rookie or a veteran to learn from your mistakes. As I mentioned above, we have all made mistakes. Taking ownership of those mistakes is important; learning from them is even more important.  They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.  The same goes for mistakes.  If you are making the same mistakes over and over again, you are failing. Learn from those mistakes, and adjust your game plan from show to show. In the long run, this will make you a productive and valuable employee and leader, plus you may not have to spend so much time troubleshooting.

At the end of the day, no one is perfect when it comes to failing, but owning and learning from mistakes will help you succeed in your career path and remaining active will help you move through failure one step at a time by failing smart.

 

Dedication and Perseverance – Meegan Holmes

Meegan Holmes has worked in live sound for over 25 years doing everything from system teching to mixing monitors and FOH. She is now in Global Sales for one of the largest sound system providers in the world, 8th Day Sound – Los Angeles. At 8th Day Sound Meegan can utilize her years of experience in sales and account/project management, as she held a similar position at Delicate Productions for over 18 years.

With a mother who is an artist and a father who is a musician, chances were high that Meegan would end up working in the arts. Meegan says her parents “were always supportive of whatever I wanted to do and they never discouraged me from pursuing my goals. In many ways, it made me both fearless and a bit stubborn.” At age 13, Meegan was exposed to live sound and event production when she volunteered at a summer stock theater. She would spend many evenings through several summers, painting sets, hanging lights and speakers. It was there Meegan learned all about theatrical mic technique and live mixing from the FOH engineer. From there Meegan would go on to attend California Institute of The Arts, where she studied Sound Design and Music Composition.

After about 18 months at CalArts, Meegan realized that she was not going to make it as a musician and started to think about how she could still be involved in music and not have to perform. It was evident to her that bands would always need crew and if she chose a path on the tech side, she would always have a job. ”I loved the experience that I had with the technical aspect of live production when I was younger, so it was an easy transition for me to make and one that I do not regret.” During her junior year, she started working as a stagehand with LA Stagecall. While working for Stagecall, she would make friends with the guys at Delicate Productions, which eventually led to Delicate hiring her as a stage tech for a tour.

While Meegan does not believe that attending an audio program or obtaining a degree is necessary, it will most likely benefit you. “CalArts gave me a chance to try varying aspects of audio, not just live production. I tried designing and mixing for film, television, and animation. I spent time in the recording studio on campus; I used the first version of Protools. None of that excited me, but a live rock show did. I don’t think a four-year private university is mandatory. Where I grew up in Connecticut, we weren’t given an option to ‘not go to college. I had to apply to at least four and pick one. I chose an art school. Honestly, going to college gave me the hunger to learn, the networking skills to get a job and the discipline to keep it. Keep in mind; there are many successful people in our industry that do not have any continuing education at all. If you already know someone that can help you get involved in the industry, great but if you don’t, attending some education program might be the only way to get some contacts to help launch your career.”

Meegan’s first tour was Lollapalooza 1997, (back when it was still a tour), as the stage/patch tech. “The tour was a lot of hard work; I started my day with flying/ground stacking PA. Once the band risers were up, I would start mic’ing up the seven bands. I’d re-patch between each and only get sporadic breaks to eat lunch and dinner. After the show was over, I took down the PA I had installed in the morning. My trouble-shooting skills improved by 100%. I learned how to be a strong member of a team (not only the audio crew but the other departments as well), we all worked together to execute the show.”

From there she would go on to mix FOH and monitors for various smaller acts, such as Soul Coughing, Tenacious D, The Melvins and God Lives Underwater. The majority of her road experience has been as a monitor or system tech on tours with Natalie Merchant, Natalie Cole, TOOL, Queens Of The Stone Age, Linkin Park, Basia, and Gorillaz. She even had a brief stint working as a production assistant on Limp Bizkit “I just wanted to try something different, I loved working with the PM on that tour, but I missed being on the audio crew.” Her favorite thing about touring was being paid to see the world, but the disconnect from her life at home was taxing.

Touring would no longer become an option prompting Meegan to seek local full-time work with Delicate. Over time she would start to assist in crewing shows, eventually leading to working as an onsite Project Manager for the more complex shows. Meegan says she “developed a knack for dealing with some of their more challenging clients. After learning the onsite leadership skills and all about dealing with personnel, I just had one last piece to learn, the money. I was promoted to account management in 2013 where I learned pricing and client management on an entirely different level. It was not a difficult transition to make. I spent a lot of time on-site with Delicate’s clients, building relationships with them. Also being on-site, I developed stronger relationships with the crew, bands and event producers. Creating these relationships gave me the opportunity to represent the company beyond email and phone calls. I learned a valuable lesson about how relationships drive our industry. Clients liked dealing with me; they did not care where the equipment came from, they wanted the service, attention, and dedication that I had to offer.”

After 18 years, Meegan felt it was time to move on as she says “Account Management showed me a lot. It also showed me the limitations at Delicate as well. I knew I needed to move on to take my career to the next level. I needed something slightly different and challenging. I interviewed with several different companies. Initially, I was interviewing with 8th Day to take on some of the 30+ festivals they do in the U.S. each year. After my interview, the plan changed, and I was asked if I was interested in starting the west coast operation of the company.

So start she did, with a small pile of gear stored in a warehouse owned by one of 8th Day’s clients. Meegan worked alone with the support of the Cleveland office and freelancers that she knew in Los Angeles. “At the time, I did much of everything, sales, crew, trucking, prep, loading and unloading the gear. I don’t think anyone (including myself) knew how quickly we’d grow here. We hired more full-time personnel and moved into our own warehouse last August. I spend most of my days, now that we have more personnel, doing quotes for shows and tours, conference calls and attending site visits and meetings, hiring crew for our shows here in LA and keeping up with the warehouse maintenance and needs. I spend time on show site, I still feel like nurturing personal relationships is a crucial part of my job.”

When hiring crew Meegan says she looks for “someone that is willing to do any aspect of audio, patching the stage, FOH/monitor tech, RF tech, and mixing. This versatility is beneficial if you plan to work for sound companies. If someone specializes in something, we have less work for them of course but sometimes being the best RF technician brings you more work. Keeping a positive attitude, being reliable, honest and having a good sense of humor are all necessary traits. We can teach you the technical side of the things you don’t know, but we cannot teach you to have integrity. Spending time as a stagehand, working in a warehouse or working in a venue learning how everything goes together is beneficial, especially if you are starting out.”

Meegan’s long-term goals are to help build the 8th Day’s business here in Los Angeles and to use her position to help others achieve their goals in the industry.

What if any obstacles or barriers have you faced?

I contacted two audio companies when I graduated from college; the first told me “we don’t hire women for touring positions.” The second told me “we don’t hire women because we find we have to pick up their slack.” These were literally the only two tangible barriers I experienced, and both happened in 1993.

How have you dealt with them?

I never stopped wanting to work in the industry and have always worked hard. I never made a big deal out of gender or my education; I let my work speak for itself. Either people wanted to work with me, or they didn’t. I kept a positive attitude and tried to have fun regardless of what I was doing. I never said ‘no’ when I was asked to do something like pull feeder or load or unload a truck.

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

Get ready to work and prove yourself. Nothing comes easily to anyone, and there will always be someone smarter, stronger, and more experienced than you. Stay humble and open to learning from anyone and everyone you are around regardless of age, gender, race, or experience level. This applies to both technical and interpersonal skills.

Must have skills?

Patience. Drive. The willingness to learn. A strong knowledge of signal flow and troubleshooting.

Favorite gear?

Equipment that can handle the wear and tear of road life.

Parting Advice.

Don’t limit yourself! If you tell someone that you only mix FOH, then you’ve just limited yourself, and you’ve made it harder for someone like myself, to hire you or recommend you for a tour. Do not be afraid to fail; it means you tried. If you are not happy with your job, do everything you can to change that. We spend much of our lives working, and if you don’t love your job 90% of the time, it will affect your entire life. Have fun, be safe and do not give up on your goals, sometimes they might take a little longer to achieve than you want but the wait will be worth it.

More on Meegan

The SoundGirls Podcast Interview Meegan Holmes

Getting What You Give: Inside The Career Of Veteran Audio Professional Meegan Holmes

NAMM – Meegan Holmes

Meegan Holmes on Roadie Free Radio

Wrong End of the Snake – Meegan Holmes

The Pandemic Series THE ROLE OF AUDIO COMPANIES IN TOURING — PT.6 — 4/21/20

Showmakers – Meegan Holmes

Find More Profiles on The Five Percent

Profiles of Women in Audio

Asle Karstad – Mic Tips for Acoustic Instruments

On the last day in February, Soundgirls.org – in cooperation with KRETS (Norway) – arranged a day with Asle Karstad, who gave a lecture on the reinforcement of acoustic instruments.

Asle Karstad has worked for over 35 years in sound, and and refers to himself as a ‘sound producer’ – the person who guides the sound so the listener will get the most optimal experience. He has spent most of his time working with the Oslo Symphonic Orchestra, but is also very well known by Norwegian Jazz and folk musicians.

On this particular day Asle had been kind enough to invite some friends to join him – an acoustic guitar player, a quartet from Norwegian Radio Orchestra and a well known contrabass player by the name Ellen Andrea Wang.

We were very excited to meet Asle in this relatively new venue in Oslo.
Sentralen is only a year old and contains five separate and diverse concert rooms. (If you happen to visit Oslo, don’t miss out on visiting this very special venue.)

Asle’s first mission was to show us how you find the resonant frequency of an acoustic string instrument – or the ‘Crazy Note’ as he refers to it. (The resonant frequency is the natural ‘note’ that the instrument will create on it’s own as soon as you ‘put’ some energy into it, for example by tapping on it.) The reason Asle places importance on finding the ‘Crazy Note’ – is because he discovered that when six violin players put down their instrument at the same time, the little bump on the floor creates the resonant frequency, which could lead to feedback from the six violins in close proximity with each other. The resonant frequency of a violin will be around 275 Hz – 280 Hz. Their fundamental note is 94 Hz.

The method he used to find the ‘Crazy Note’ was to place the instrument on a table and close mic it where the resonant frequency was assumed to be found (Asle was using a DPA 4011 as microphone). He would then tap around the body of the instrument, and take a ‘snapshot’ of the frequency response.

By using this method we discovered that the instrument has one spectacular note in the lower range that stands out- the crazy note! (If you try this yourself, remember to dampen the strings so they don’t resonate – a towel works well)

It’s important to find this frequency because you may have to deal with other issues in the low end, like for example the low hum that likes to ‘sneak’ around your PA and end up in your mic’s on stage. If that ‘hum’ happens to be the same frequency as the ‘Crazy Note’ on one or more of the acoustic instruments in the orchestra, you could quite quickly end up with a problem.

Asle reminded us that it is always good to consider that the low end has a tendency to travel around the speakers and up on the stage, higher frequencies, as we know are more directional and therefore don’t have the same problem. This is also why we like to close mic, to eliminate ‘sneaky’ low end frequencies from PA and the room itself.

Whilst we are thinking about resonance – we also have to remember that any kind of resonant shell acts like an amplifier. You will do yourself a favor knowing the resonant frequencies of your acoustic instruments in advance to deal with any issues. For example the resonant frequency or ‘crazy note’ of an acoustic guitar will most likely be around 200 Hz. Asle suggested, when you pull that frequency out of your acoustic guitar that you add a little decay to it around 1,85 – 3,25 seconds to keep the natural sound to it.

Here are some other resonant notes to remember: Cello 80 – 90 Hz, Contra Bass 105 Hz (105 Hz goes for electric bass too). Asle suggest to ‘work’ a little around 65 – 105 Hz, since you will have the low end energy from the PA in this area as well.

Some other interesting tips from Asle are to put a compressor on the reverb send for your acoustic strings. And if you do not want ‘things right up in your face’ as he puts it, delay the whole mix 6 – 9 ms. We tried this and it made a huge difference, it somehow also made the mix sounds bigger and brighter.

Also to make your mix sound more natural you might want to put a high shelf cut on your strings from 1500 Hz and up – it sounds crazy, but if you think about it, higher frequencies die quickly over a distance. We felt this method worked.

Regarding string instruments – aim the capsule at the wood when you mic up – not for the strings!

KRETS is a part of the Norwegian music organization that was founded in 2013, as a tribute to the 100 year anniversary for the Women’s Right to Vote in Norway. The group is trying to connect female technicians across Norway by supporting events like this one with Asle Karstad. Soundgirls.org would like to thank KRETS for their co-operation and support.

 

The Important Art of Documentation in Theatre Sound Design

When you work on a production, you never really know what sort of life it’s going to have after that initial run or tour. A production you designed two years ago may suddenly get another run, and you realise you need to dig out all your sounds and designs and make them work in a different venue. Or, you need to hand it over to an associate to do the same. It’s at times like these that you discover the value of two things: accurate, detailed documentation and an organised filing system.

I know that documentation and filing are the least exciting aspects of a creative sound role, but I cannot overemphasize how much they will save your bacon when you need to recreate the sound design for a show. In the time-sensitive, pressured environment of theatre and theatrical productions, it’s very easy to let documentation lapse, so you need to either delegate the task or make time for it. You don’t want to be tearing your hair out the night before tech week kicks off because you have no idea where you put that crucial sound effects file you recorded four years ago.

Here’s a starter list of what you should be captured during the production of a show.

Rehearsals and production weeks before tech week

  1. Make sure you have copies of all your design drawings, whether you created them in CAD software or hand-drew them. If they’re hand-drawn, scan them so you have an electronic copy as well. Ask for model box photos as well (or take your own), so you have a visual reference point for this production.
  2. Make sure you have an electronic copy of the script, score, or both, and any additional material e.g. song lyrics, prologue/epilogue, as well as paper copies.
  3. Take photos of any pictures, sketches, diagrams, props, or anything else that were used in the rehearsal process or in your own creative time that directly influenced your sound designs. They may come in handy if you need to create any new files for subsequent runs.
  4. Label each sound file accurately as you create it, including documenting the recording process if you recorded it from scratch.
  5. Label and save all venue tech specs and sound hire quotes
  6. Label and save all photos taken during venue visits, including any notes about potential speaker/equipment positions

Tech week to press night

  1. Once speaker positions are set, take photos from multiple angles to accurately capture positions. If you have to hand a show over to an associate further down the line, it’s far easier to show them a picture of how you positioned a particular speaker in a venue than explaining it.
  2. Note positions of racks, microphones, processors, desks, screens, comms, cue lights, everything that’s specific to that show.
  3. If there’s anything particularly unique about this production that you may need to remember at a future date, write it down.
  4. Keep sound cue sheets and update them as necessary, including a record of deleted cues. They may be reinstated for future productions.
  5. Make sure you have an accurate list of hired sound equipment, including the hire company, any existing venue equipment used in the show, and any equipment purchased by the production
  6. Save all show and desk files

After press night

  1. Save copies of the final show files and desk files with copies of all final sound files.
  2. Save any sound files not used in the show to a separate folder. You may need them for subsequent productions
  3. Save all documentation, including sound design plans, final cue sheets, radio mic plans, scene maps, etc.
  4. Confirm where any sound equipment purchased by the production company will be stored following the end of the show’s run and save that information in a document
  5. Label everything clearly and put in a single folder so you can quickly find everything for that show
  6. Back up everything!

Managing your documentation should be an integral part of your sound design work, not an addition to it. Do it once and thoroughly for each production, and you’ll save yourself a lot of potential headaches in the future

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