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Empowering the Next Generation of Women in Audio

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New Perspectives

Several weeks into this tour, I’ve come to realize how much positivity exists within this nomadic career. While it can be hard to maintain traditional relationships with friends and family, touring also presents unique opportunities to strengthen those relationships, even if they’re brief.

There are many days when I feel disconnected from folks back home, and even today’s technological advances can’t make up for differing schedules. Not only that, but my occasional lack of energy can certainly also contribute to making it hard to send a simple “hello” to a parent or friend.

Living on the road full-time is one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had in my life. It is so satisfying to be able to wake up with ever-changing views, be it a retail parking lot or the venue, or essentially the backyard of Banff in Alberta, Canada. The gig comes with constant adventure and being able to mix for a living brings me immense joy, as does being immersed among other creative individuals and people who mirror similar values and expectations to mine. Saying I’m lucky is an understatement; in fact, there are no words to describe how deeply I feel about this career.

In the midst of tour currently, I find myself settling into a groove. I love it. I love the challenges, I love the places we’ve seen, and the music I’ve been able to help make. However, as the tour continues, it’s increasingly obvious how much of a gap there is between myself and the individuals I love who are not on the road with me.

Don’t get me wrong. I love being a pilgrim. Personally, wandering and making music with my road family is the most satisfactory way to spend most of the year. However, it can be difficult to navigate the interpersonal relationships you have with people back home. I miss my pets and movie nights with my roommates. I miss giggling over failed trivia nights and losing track of time in my hometown with loved ones. Feeling like you’re constantly playing catch up with people post-tour can also drag you down, and FOMO can really bite you if you’re not self-aware and grounded.

A few weeks ago, while visiting with my aunts before a show at Red Rocks, I realized how a tour can present so many opportunities for connection. We bonded over old memories, told stories, and explored a cute town in Colorado, dreaming of adventure and making plans for the future. Many more of my friends and family have made efforts to visit me across the country since then, and because of these visits, each week has brought me someone new to look forward to, whether it’s briefly on a show day or trekking around old and new cities on off days. It’s been fulfilling and enlightening, and I feel like I’ve been able to lean into the discomfort of missing individuals and exchange that discomfort for more meaningful memories. It’s been beautiful and wholesome.

I offer this as a new outlook for anyone struggling on hard days. Beyond the physical distance you may initially see, this kind of gig presents so much room for true quality time and novel memories. We get to do what you love for a living, we get to travel the world, and we get to see so many people as you do both, time permitting.

Working at a Summer Classical Music Festival

This summer I had the opportunity to work as an audio engineer at a classical music festival – a unique experience in which I got to further hone my audio skills, work as part of a great team, and see behind-the-scenes of how a large festival is run. Here are my reflections on various aspects of the job, the skills needed, and the overall experience, that I hope might be helpful to consider if you’re looking for a similar summer experience.

Be prepared to be flexible and problem-solve

Most festival environments involve an intense schedule of many concerts and events over a short period of time. Going in with an open mind, a willingness to help out as needed, and being mentally ready for moments of intense activity contrasted with times of low activity, will serve you well. You might have little time for planning and may need to troubleshoot things quickly. I found I honed my abilities to problem-solve and think flexibly, and learned when not to fixate on something and to move on – skills that can be useful for life in general.

Be ready to give things a go and learn new skills

I finished the festival with many more skills than I went in with. It was a great opportunity to get hands-on experience in many aspects of audio engineering, in a team environment with colleagues who could help me with what I didn’t know, and with whom I could share my knowledge on aspects that I knew more about. The work that we undertook at the festival included recording all concerts for archive or for future broadcast, editing and archiving audio, audio, and video for live-streamed concerts, manual and remote camera operation, PA setup, live sound amplification, audio for board meetings and multimedia presentations, installation and maintenance of recording systems and equipment.

The challenges

Depending on the festival, the working hours can sometimes be long (due to early morning rehearsals and late night concerts) and tiring both mentally and physically, so making sure you get to rest and enjoy recreation on your time off is important. At the start of the festival, there is a lot to learn: the audio procedures and expectations specific to that festival, how to use gear that you haven’t seen before, what is involved in certain audio roles, and getting used to working with different members of staff. I found it was always best to ask for help if I was doubting something or couldn’t figure it out myself, and I would write it down so as not to forget. As with any new job, it can be challenging and a little stressful at the start, but as time goes by it becomes easier as you become more fluent in each aspect of your job – and you can focus more on enjoying the music and creating excellent sound!

An adventure in a new place with new people

One of the great perks of summer festival jobs is that they are often located in beautiful places (such as in the mountains), and you have the unique experience of living in that place for a few weeks and being immersed in a different environment. Festivals often provide accommodation for staff, and you might be sharing living spaces with colleagues, making it easy to get to know people and make friends. Spending a lot of time together with people who are all there for a new and positive summer experience creates a great feeling of community, and an opportunity to meet interesting people and make meaningful connections. It’s also fun to experience being a resident of a different town, city, or state for a few weeks or months, and to go exploring and sightseeing on your time off.

A great way to get experience

You don’t need to be a classical music nerd to work at a classical music festival! While some of the audio and other staff had backgrounds in classical music, many others came from other audio specialisations, other genres of music, or theatre. A festival is a great way to get experience in recording classical and acoustic music, learn more about how orchestras sound and are run, and hear a lot of incredible music played by top-level musicians. It allows you to experience this kind of job for a short-term period and see if it’s something you want to do more of in the future.

If you’re thinking about working at a summer music festival – classical or otherwise – I say go for it, and be ready for a memorable experience that may turn out to be a life highlight!

Everyone’s Favorite – What’s In My Pelican

A favorite conversation among touring techs centers around the tools we carry in our pelicans or bags. It’s taken me years to refine my kit, but the pieces have become incredibly personal to me in how they support my career. Some items in my FOH kit tend to shock people, but I maintain that even though I typically have a “speciality,” I’m not free from responsibilities as a tech. Equally, while these items don’t always directly benefit me, they’re oftentimes helpful to others I may be working with.

Hopefully, this can serve as a guide for someone building their first kit. While none of these are necessarily outside of the box/unconventional, I consider them must-haves for either backup on tours or as part of my fly rig.

First, I carry a small tuning rig. This includes a Smaart Suite license purchased from Rational Acoustics. Along with this, I have a 2-channel Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, a 100-foot cable, and a couple of measurement mics such as the Isemcon 7150 or dbx RTA-M. I also carry a Manfrotto 156 BLB stand with a couple of adapters and clips.

Next up, testing tools are a must. This includes fiber cleaner, a Rat Sound XLR Sniffer/Sender tool, and a Sound Bullet. They’ve come in handy countless times for double-checking my work on stage or in the shop prepping.

Small organizational items also make it into my pack. A label maker is always present, as are zip ties and cable ties, a variety of colors of e-tape, and some gaff. Allen wrenches come in handy, as well as screwdrivers. Extra thunderbolt/usb adapters, drum keys, and RJ45 cables are also generally seen in my kit.

These items are generally organized within a Pelican 1510, but I also make sure my backpack is packed with essentials. Other expected items I include are my JH V2 16 in ears and a pair of HPH-MT8 headphones. And of course, I never leave the house without a notebook and flash drives.

More Resources

What’s In Your Go Bag?

Living In and Out of A Big Fat Suitcase

Going With the Flow

This spring I had the opportunity to step back into my roots and mix a loud rock band. The goal was simple: make sure it’s loud and doesn’t get in the way of their groove.

The opportunity came with a rocking stage (many guitar cabs, something the “luxury” of amp modelers softens us to) and PAs that ranged from questionable, to what is one of my favorite Cohesion systems that I’ve ever mixed on.

The tour brought me back to a sense of reality and perhaps grounded me in many ways. Sometimes the systems and consoles made me feel less than comfortable, either with their inability to work “flawlessly” or because of the fast-paced and unexpected nature of the show. I had to create a dialogue daily with house venue staff to learn about how they managed the system or room and try to employ their techniques when necessary.

The overarching observation is that this was such a valuable learning experience, providing opportunities to re-think the show and challenge myself with varying mixing platforms. I saw the gamut of nearly every mainstream console: PM5, X32, S6L, DLive, and even a Pro2. Sometimes these consoles worked flawlessly. Other times, they didn’t, forcing me to be creative with my layouts and workflow.

These shows solidified my technical understanding, and sometimes lack of. I had to quickly become comfortable with the fast-paced environments. It was also critical to maintain my composure in tense situations.

Efficiency was a must, as was learning how to prioritize daily tasks. It equally forced me to sit back and enjoy the show because I had to lean into what the band was doing, let them take the reins, and trust their input.

I offer this story to encourage you to be willing to step out of your comfort zone and enjoy the spaces you’re in. These moments teach us how to pivot and take things in stride. Being open-minded to these moments allows you to be creative and shows you how to be flexible when facing challenging circumstances. It’s another piece in the journey of continual improvement.

What matters about our unique careers doesn’t change:

These moments provide a ton of direction, self-reflection, and opportunity for growth. They can also increase your confidence in yourself, especially if you can learn to excel at keeping a cool, level head when moments are tense or stressful. So, next time you’re faced with something different, don’t be afraid to lean into it, learn from the challenges, and enjoy the present moment.

Managing Sonic Expectations – Part 2

Maintaining Sonic Expectations From Clubs to Stadiums: Part 1

Critical to building a mix is establishing a foundation. Having said foundation also ensures that if circumstances potentially compromise the system you’re working on, you won’t lose sight of your role as a mixer.

Genre-dependent, a mix should be near album quality but include some feeling, which may insinuate impact that is established in low-frequency information like kick or bass. However, venues aren’t consistent and occasionally prevent the same end result, in this regard, from being achieved.

The specific instances I have in mind occurred a few summers back when the position of the subs was compromised, the venue felt overpowered, and we were forced to pull the power of the system back. This resulted in me having to work with the systems engineer and instead of producing a full-range mix that also had impact and punch, we ended up with a mix that still provided a nice listening experience and supported the production.

A few things came to the forefront when we made the adjustments. Losing significant sub-information meant the tonality had to be adapted so it felt balanced and wasn’t painful or uncomfortably bright. Also equally important was ensuring certain elements were adjusted to maintain the musical motifs and intelligibility of lead instruments. Percussion and bass elements were also examined so they were still heard, but they lost their oomph instead. The mix still felt big, still had depth, and all around was more comfortable for the audience and the individuals on stage.

Imagining a pyramid, you should be able to build and maintain a mix based on a foundation. At the base, you’re probably prioritizing the integrity of the sources and musicality, and supporting it with a mix that’s pleasant to the ears and equally translates the message of the client. Following this you can include the pieces that make it flashy or provide a visceral feel. Your mix should still be supported and can be well-adjusted if the situation calls for it.

Starr McLaughlin – Monitor Engineer for Japanese Breakfast, Alex G, Jessie Murph

Starr McLaughlin is an industry gem, casting a bright light on everyone she encounters. With 10 years of experience under her belt, she’s garnered an impressive resumé that includes indie-rock sensation Japanese Breakfast, Alex G, and most recently Jessie Murph. She is also a cardholder of IATSE Local 917 and Local 8.

Starr grew up in an audio-centric household with both parents having met while working in the entertainment department of an Atlantic City casino. It was destiny: by the end of high school, she knew that she wanted to pave the way for a career in live sound. She earned her Associates in General Studies from Atlantic Cape Community College and was later accepted to the University of the Arts in Philadelphia for Music Business & Entrepreneurship, though she chose not to attend. “While I value everything I learned, my college studies had very little to do with my success today.”

Delving in, Starr shares her story, pairing it with relatable wisdom and excellent gear advice:

How did you get your start in the audio field?

I want to preface with how lucky I am to have parents already in the industry. Although I had to work hard on my own to make anything of myself, having my parents give me advice and connect me with certain people along the way was a huge help. At the age of 17, I started volunteering at a local Performing Arts Center and a church. I got on the overhire list with my local union when I was 18, took calls as a stagehand, and eventually got into doing part-time audio visual (AV) work in the Atlantic City casinos. I got a full-time job at the Hard Rock Casino in Atlantic City, and this is where I sunk my teeth into mixing.

What inspired you to pursue audio as a career path? Were there any significant life events that led you to it?

I can pinpoint the exact moment when I decided this was what I wanted to do. I was running sound for my high school’s spring musical, Hairspray. The teacher who was in charge of the tech club had a gig, so I was left alone to, y’know, ruin the show. I had no clue what I was doing. Signal flow was a brand-new concept, I didn’t know what a high pass filter was or that I could have stacked a list of snapshots. Also, side note, the high school had an Avid Venue SC48 (it was an Avid-sponsored school, weird right?) Anyway, here I am, with 22 wireless Lavalier mics and near-zero knowledge of how wireless works (Disney magic, maybe?). The show, from what I remember, was rough tech-wise. Like a lot of feedback, late cues, etc. But there was this one moment, during ‘I Know Where I’ve Been’ where everything sounded great. I remember getting chills and thinking “This is it, this is what I want to do.”

How did your early experiences/internships/jobs help build a foundation for where you are now?

Working as a stagehand for the casinos made me quite versatile. I can be a decent helper in any area, especially if it’s throwing up a fast fold or lining a ballroom with pipe & drape. Being willing to jump in on any crew kept the calls coming in. It also taught me the correct terminology for various things outside of audio, as well as all the colloquialisms we love to use.

When I started doing more AV calls, I met my friend Scott, who did part-time AV at the casino but was a full-time AV installer. I began working for him in 2016. Doing installations was a whirlwind of knowledge. You have to learn all the different avenues of signal flow for building racks. It was also helpful to learn the theory behind designing systems such as Q-Sys, Audio Architect, Media Matrix, or Crestron. Your design has to make sense to the end user – who could be anyone. I found that philosophy very helpful later on doing monitors. Working installs afforded me the luxury of taking my time. Even under deadlines, it’s typically a longer timetable than a standard live gig which is: get in, do a show, get out. It was nice to sit in an office, take my time building racks correctly and to code, and having Scott to ask any questions too.

When I got a full-time job at a casino, I started on the AV crew. I was on the Hard Rock’s opening crew, so we were the first people on the floor fixing problems that the installers left for us. We had stages that had no power, and venues that had no stages in which they wanted 15-piece bands to play. During my first few months there I worked 70-100 hours a week. It was insane, and while I don’t think anyone should have to overwork themselves, I got a boatload of experience. There were many trials by fire and I managed to keep landing on my feet. Eventually, I was moved over to the audio crew and got to start working in the bigger rooms as opposed to just mixing in lounges.

What were some important lessons you learned early on in your career?

Always, always, always ask questions! SO important! People respond so much better to you admitting when you don’t know or are unsure about something, than doing it wrong.

Ask if someone is ok to lose power. This applies to unplugging anyone’s gear, even if it’s someone’s pedalboard, ask first please!

Silence is golden. I love to talk to people when working, but my gig is my number one focus. I always try to make sure I am attentive and ready to break off a conversation and focus on the gig.

Stay off the phone. If an artist, manager, or anyone looks over to someone for something and they’re buried in their phone, it is a bad look. At the gig, the number one focus should be the gig. Break time is for phones.

Be neat! I am a stickler for tidiness, especially on stage. Keep your cables neat, keep the patch bay neat, and tape down tripping hazards (typically after line check). Cables are your lifeline. You need to be able to see where everything is going and be able to unpatch, repatch, and replace in record time.

With velcro cable wraps, the felt side of the velcro should be facing out. If the pointy side is out, everything will stick to it and that is disgusting.

Touring wise: Don’t take long showers if people are waiting to shower. Literally, no one will ever let you live it down. Time yourself on your showers and get it down to like, at most 10 minutes in the shower, MAYBE another 10 to moisturize, dry off, and stuff. If you absolutely cannot cut down on time, offer to shower last. Learn from my mistakes!

Try to remember people’s names. Keep a note somewhere (physical or on your phone) of who you are working with. Calling someone by name shows so much respect, and they will want to work harder with you if you treat them with respect.

Learn to swallow your pride. This is a service industry, and the musician is always right (even when they’re wrong). A band that is paying you to help them, wants you to help them, they don’t care to hear all the technical jargon of why you can’t help them. Some days, the only acceptable response is “I will work on fixing that right now.”

You’re never going to stop learning new things. No one knows everything, and that’s ok! Take everything as a learning experience.

Did you have a mentor or someone that helped you?

Johnny Modugno at the Hard Rock in Atlantic City. I got to be Johnny’s A3 numerous times while I was full-time. Johnny taught me many skills, but most importantly he taught me his philosophy behind being a “monitor engineer.” He would always say “Personality is 95% of our job” and “always act like you’re into the music. When a band member looks over for something, you want them to see that you’re into what they’re creating.” While patching in the split he would say “Starr, these are your lifelines. When you get a tangled mass of whips, take the time to clean it up. It’ll save you later.” He is the epitome of an UN-grumpy soundman and brings zen, happiness, and badassery to stage left. Johnny is also just an absolute pleasure to be around, he is so passionate about the work he does. I aspire to be like him, he’s my top role model and I hold his philosophy with me and push it forward wherever I go.

Scott Coumbe, of M. Cramer & Associates, is a very notable mentor, critic, cheerleader, and friend of mine. Scott was one of the first people I met on my very first day doing AV at Harrah’s in AC. Our first interaction was kinda tempestuous, honestly. His very first words to me were, verbatim: “I wish you were better at your job.” (Yes, that made me cry). Soon after we met though, I began accompanying him to his installs. He taught me how to build racks, make cables, and program and integrate systems. He’s someone I can call upon at a moment’s notice to help troubleshoot, get advice from, or simply chat with to pass the time. I can quite literally say I would not be where I am today if it were not for all the time Scott invested in me.

MJ Snelsire, of Hard Rock in AC. We affectionately call her “the den mother” because she takes such good care of everyone on and off the stage. MJ is one of the most bad*ss, kindest people I’ve ever met. She’s been mixing for over 40 years, starting at the age of 15. She had toured with acts such as Donna Summer before coming to start a career in Atlantic City. I’m pretty convinced she knows every colloquial audio term and piece of nomenclature that exists in the world. MJ walked into this industry, so we could run (she’s a runner, she even ran with the Olympic torch before). She’s faced numerous trials of adversity and has gone through hell and back because her passion shines brighter. MJ is smart as a whip and tough as a bull. She has always looked out for me. She helped guide the way and taught me how to cope with being the odd one out on the crew. I’m extremely lucky to have her to learn from, and I relish every chance I get to work on her crew.

Harrison Fore, FOH for Japanese Breakfast, Alex G and Alvvays, is also my husband. He is one of my biggest supporters, and I would have never started touring if it wasn’t for him. He trusted in my skills and brought me on as an A2 even though I never toured before. I love getting to learn from him and grow as engineers together. Even if he steals my shiny new gear and replaces it with his old raggedy stuff while my back is turned.

I know that you have experience in multiple environments, but tell me about a typical day on tour for you:

The following is a typical show day on tour for me with no funny stuff (no disco load out, bus call is 4 am, zero clownery). I’ll be honest, I usually sleep as long as I can. I try to wake up at least an hour before load in, earlier if I’m trying to shower. I always do a skin routine when I wake up, get dressed, brush my teeth, and go find the closest coffee shop. Next, I’ll head into the venue and scope it out. I’ll try to do some reconnaissance. Like finding the green room and seeing if the hospitality rider has arrived yet. After that, I head to the stage. I first scope out all the emergency exits, then I check if anyone is lurking in monitor world that I can bother. If I find anyone from the local audio crew, I will hand them a hard copy of our stage plot & input list.

During load-in, I help push until the audio is in. First, I try to get my world in position and powered on. Depending on who I’m with, I will either set mic stands and mics or if the FOH is doing that, I’ll move onto wireless. I pull up Shure Wireless Workbench on my laptop and start a scan (Disney magic). So now I’m like, in a holding pattern for at least 45 seconds. Perfect time to go back to the green room and scope out the snack situation.

Now that I’ve refueled, I get back to work. Sync up wireless, and walk them around. If everything checks out and the monitor world is feeling good, then I’ll start patching the stage. Depending on who I am out with the patching responsibilities vary. I do prefer to be the primary patcher because I hate a messy patch job. If it’s not up to par I will redo it. I know some people prefer to have their cable slack all piled up at the stage box, I am not one of those people. In the event of a miss-patch or bad cable, it seems like a setup for failure. I am also anti-loom if it’s more than like… three cables (sorry everyone who has a drum loom). The time I will spend untangling the leads would be better spent patching. Are you still reading? Hello?? Come back!! Alright, alright, I’ll move on. After a patch is complete, if we have the luxury of time, we shall perform a tap-through – which is a line check without the musicians present.

Time for soundcheck. Soundcheck is a good way to gauge a room’s acoustics and pray it changes when the bodies hit the floor for the show. It’s amazing how much a room can affect your iem mix. Sometimes your vocalist will like the natural reverberance of a room and it’ll add to their mix. More times than not, however, the reflection of an empty room will be too much and drown out the clarity of a vocal, causing a very muddy mix. Too much low-end can have a similar effect. There are some stages where the low end will be delayed every so slightly that it’s off-time, which is super disorienting.

Post soundcheck has 4 musts: 1) re-battery 2) eat dinner 3) step outside, even if it’s for a minute 4) Grab a setlist and mark down important notes.

Pre-show and changeover happen. Gotta do any pre-show rituals, they are a MUST!!! The show starts and once the first song is over, usually I feel a lot better. That’s when I lock in and just… Well, do it!

Immediately after the show, we rolled into load out. The first thing I do is pass out set lists. I believe they are a tangible memento. Also, “reduce, reuse, recycle”! Load out is always a fun event. I am trying to get better at delegating. It’s a learning process to decide what will help you load out faster, and what are some things you ought to do yourself. For certain acts, I’m responsible for the trailer pack. I like to think packing the trailer is one of my strong suits. Delegating to the hands what I want done? Am improving.

After the trailer door is closed, I say THANK YOU (always a big thank you!!!!) to the local hands and house people. I will go collect my things from the greenroom or grab toiletries from the bus to wash my face, brush my teeth, FLOSS! (don’t forget to floss!) and put comfy clothes on. If I decide I want to shower, I try to shower last (because I notoriously take long showers). I’ll put dirty clothes away in a suitcase and take out the clothes I will wear tomorrow. As the night winds down, this is the perfect time to talk with everyone. With Japanese Breakfast, we would watch shows together (like Squid Games, or Great British Bake Off), or play games. After a little socializing, I’m usually ready for bed. So I climb in my bunk and read a bit of a book or play my switch and fall asleep.

What do you enjoy the most about your job(s)? What do you like least?

I love the people I meet and the friendships I’ve fostered thanks to this career. I have met some of my closest friends through touring and gigging. I love that my work (especially touring) has helped me to come out of my shell, gain confidence, and be more independent.

This industry has a beautiful community of knowledge and connections within it. I love meeting someone I follow on Instagram in real life. I enjoy that most of the time if I ask someone to show me something or ask for advice, people are more than willing to help and share their experience with me, as I am with them.

As for what I like least, I guess it would be that everything takes a lot of time. With Touring, you are gone for weeks at a time. Seasons change, people have weddings, you miss holidays and warm moments with your loved ones. With local gigs, they are demanding of your ability to say yes. So if you are offered 10 days straight of gigs, with 6 of them doubles, you usually have to take them. It’s a feast-or-famine lifestyle, and your off days are spent recovering instead of doing things you want to. You’re also working weekends and holidays… You miss out on a lot with this job. All that to say, I get a lot of joy and fulfillment from what I do. Even the hard days are worth it for me.

What obstacles or barriers have you faced? How did you deal with those adversities or issues?

I have struggled with extreme anxiety since I was a child. I’ve always been incredibly shy, easily overwhelmed, and had an extreme lack of confidence. I was officially diagnosed with an anxiety disorder when I was a teenager, and then as an adult in college was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). Having the ADHD diagnosis helped me identify why I had such debilitating anxiety.

I surprised myself (and my therapist) when I started taking stagehand calls and didn’t curl up in a ball and panic. I wanted to be an engineer so badly. My desire and passion for audio drove me to conquer what I never thought possible for myself. I was able to push through my fears and make it in this industry – and I won’t lie, this is a tough, high-stress, difficult-personality kind of business. Constantly putting myself out of my comfort zone was extremely challenging, but it gave me daily breakthroughs. Like being a monitor engineer, you can’t be scared to talk to people. Musicians need you to communicate with them. I can still be a little awkward, but I don’t fear speaking like I used to. Exposure therapy, I guess.

Having those disorders affects me presently. More often than not I feel anxious, disorganized, and overwhelmed. That won’t go away, I just deal with it better. I believe cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has helped me the most along the way. It taught me healthier ways to cope with my mental illness and improved my outlook on life in general. If you are struggling with your mental health, 10/10 recommend seeking therapy. I know it’s hard to find time, and healthcare situations vary, but there are many resources out there to assist you. Such as the Roadie Clinic and Musicares.

Having a good support system is also necessary for coping with any kind of adversity or obstacle. I’m very grateful to have the community I do. Being around the right kind of supportive people will do wonders. Toxic people will hold you down, but the right kind of people uplift you.

What are some ways in which you stay organized and focused?

I label everything! I try to streamline wherever I can by labeling or looming. I also try to exclusively use velcro cable wraps to keep cables organized. Smart devices are modern marvels. I use my Apple Watch to set reminders and timers for myself. I also wouldn’t survive without Google Calendar. On my iPhone, I will set one of my dock’s apps to Master Tour, which I check more than any social media app at this point. I also constantly write notes to myself to document things I need to remember and create lists. As for personal organization, I try to take a few minutes every day to clean up my areas. I will make my bed every morning on the bus and try to make sure my space is tidy and my dirty laundry is put into a laundry bag. Either post soundcheck, or during load out (if I have a second) I’ll try to make sure everything is neat & organized. My goal with my spaces is that anyone looking for something can either look in a drawer and see it or ask me and I can tell them exactly where it is.

What are some of your favorite day-off activities?

I love going on hikes, exploring museums, thrifting, and doing group activities. A day hanging out with friends is a day well spent. Doing anything together with my buds on the road is extremely refreshing and fulfilling to me. I also love to just sit in a hotel room and watch Netflix, do a proper self-care routine, and have a long shower.

Do you have short- or long-term goals that you’d like to share?

A short-term goal of mine would be to keep a healthy workout habit while out on tour. This next one is a little intimate, but a long-term goal of mine is to figure out how to start a family in the coming years and maintain my career. It’s something I’m actively seeking advice on, so if any industry moms are reading, please hit me up.

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Do you have any advice for women/non-binary folks entering the audio industry?

First and foremost; treat every woman and non-binary person you meet as if y’all are in some secret club. Don’t fall into the trap of viewing them as competition, we have enough of that. We are on the same team. Work together, learn together, help each other out. They are the only people who can understand what adversities you are facing. Second, always be mindful that we as non-men are going to be held to a different standard, so always bring your best. A lot of men automatically find us intimidating, even if they don’t mean to. People can be unkind when they feel threatened, so they’ll grab at straws to try and bring others down. Third, choose your battles. “Mansplaining” for example, is extremely annoying. Instant headache. It’s tiring to deal with, but in many cases, you have to be the bigger person and not let it get to you. I believe in saving energy, and only calling out those that are asking for it. However, this goes without saying, but don’t let anyone be mean or disrespectful to you, and never tolerate sexual harassment. Lastly, never forget why you are doing the job. Audio is an art form, and it’s a labor of love. This industry (especially anything live) is a tough one to be in. We do this because we love it.

What are some of your favorite “must-have” skills?

I love this question! I think the ultimate skill is being NICE and knowing how to ask questions. I wouldn’t mind at all if I never worked with another grumpy sound person again, and I’m glad that archetype seems to be dying out a little. Coming into a venue, I would rather have my house person know little, but be inquisitive and pleasant, than having someone who seems bitter about being paid to be there, or someone who means well, but doesn’t know when to say “I’m not sure what you’re asking for” or “Could you show me how you want this done.” The other more literal “must haves” would be to have some knowledge of frequency recognition. Not that anyone has to be like “oh that 2.5 khz in the guitar is driving me crazy”, but like knowing if something sounds “muddy” or too “sibilant”, and where to search for that. Rational Acoustics has a great bumper sticker/t-shirt logo called “The Seven Bad System Dwarves” which is a great visual representation of naming what you are hearing. Getting good at it can make it much easier to ring out stage monitors too. The biggest baseline “must-have” skill is undoubtedly knowing signal flow and being able to (calmly) troubleshoot. That is where the signal starts (microphone), where it ends up (speaker), and the path it is going in between (XLR, stage box, split, mixer). Knowledge of signal flow is essential to troubleshooting a system.

Any gear/gadget favorites?

I love my Sound Bullet, it’s so handy for troubleshooting, or going through and testing cables – and it’s smaller than a Q-box. My P-Touch Cube labeler was a life-changing investment. I love that you can connect to it via Bluetooth & the app saves all your recent labels. My Leatherman Wave (I don’t like the spring of a Gerber) is my most reliable tool, but I wish I had it in pink. I have this little duster guy (Hin from Howl’s Moving Castle) that makes me smile when I see it. Dusters are very helpful, especially during a very dusty festival and the days after. The Hoto 4-in-1 rechargeable compressed air capsule (it blows and sucks!) is a new addition, but I’m excited to take it out. I got it for my husband, but it worked so well that I stole it for a tour. I have a Ryobi drill that is small and USB-C rechargeable – I like that it’s light and doesn’t take up much room in my pelican. There are lots of mics I like, so I’m gonna tell you the one I don’t like. I don’t like the Beta 52 on its own, I mean, as an out it’s fine, but to use it by itself without an in? Mid. I will shout out Se, their mics are gaining a lot of popularity and for good reason. I love their stuff, especially the V7 vocal mic & V-Kick. Shure is also always a solid brand (even if I beef with the B-52 on its own). We got a pair of Shure 313s (pretty ribbons with a red grill), which we use on guitar amps with JBrekkie and Alex G. We paired them with SM57’s and it’s just phenomenal. The 313 adds such warmth – it even managed to get a compliment from a guitarist using IEMs once. Now that’s saying something! As for consoles, I like the Allen & Heath D-Live, especially the CTi1500. It’s small, but a powerhouse. It has my favorite workflow, it’s very intuitive. It feels like it has combined many good features of other digital desks. I appreciate that A&H listens to their consumer base and tries to improve based on their end user’s experience. Onboard-wise, the Point Source Enhancer (PSE) as an option for gates is a game changer on a noisy stage. Also, I use the heck out of the Dyn-8 multiband comp/dynamic eq.

What’s in your backpack/pelican? Any fun clothing items that you can’t live without at work?

In my backpack: laptop, folder for stage plots/input lists, an organizer for chargers/essential cables, Pinecil Soldering Iron, my Sound Bullet (TSA will always think it’s a vape and I should probably put it in my pelican), Nintendo Switch, Analogue GameBoy, my IEMs (JH16v2), ear protection, foldable tote bag, tiny cosmetics pouch (inside is hand cream, facial mist, lip balm, perfume, dental floss).

Pelican: RF Explorer, talkback (SeV7 Switch), hot pink 6ft XLR with black Neutrik connectors, assortment of audio adapters, turnarounds, Y’s, and cables, Sharpies, several USB sticks, headlamp, flashlight, hearing aid vacuum, alcohol wipes, assortment of tapes, headlamp, spare IEM’s, 4-in-1 air compressor (doubles as a vacuum), small drill, soldering iron, small vice grip, solder, extra iron tips, fanny pack with gloves, wire strippers, flush cuts, microdriver (for cable creation, microdriver is essential for phoenix connectors & also straightening out the wires inside a CAT cable). I also keep a “self-care” kit: body wipes, sunscreen, hand cream, body spray, spf lip balm, tide sticks, lint roller, ointments, bandaids, Listerine (doubles as mic cleaner in a pinch), Advil, tampons, hair ties. Everything in my pelican is inside a bag or case. I use Klein tool bags to hold different collections of things, as well as Pelican micro cases to hold adapters and small things that I want extra protected. I like the quality of the microcases, but they are a tad heavy. Also, I have three pelicans: mic pelican (this one is waiting for the day I pick up a Foh tour), a small pelican for short-term gigs, and the Green Monster. Green Monster is a Pelican 1615 Air. I love her, but she gets above flyweight a little too fast. Oh! Small stature person hack: grip tape on the face of your pelican! Gives you a sturdier ego riser 🙂

As for fun clothing items (or general tour items), I cannot live without: I want to be buried in my Patagonia rain jacket and Tilley hat. Lifesavers for outdoor gigs! I like Bombas socks, Lulu Align Leggings, big oversized sweatshirts, and Brooks sneakers. Saving your feet is very important. Buy socks that are comfortable on your feet, and bring two pairs of comfortable, well-fitting shoes to alternate between. I always bring a heating pad, a foldable yoga mat, and resistance bands for working out. I also keep a lacrosse ball handy to roll out any knots or sore muscles.

Also, wanna take a second to shout out Amy Truong (@amytrng on instagram), they share so much information in terms of well-priced gear/clothing, audio info, label creations, RF workflow, and Costco finds. I live for their reviews, recommendations, Disney thrift finds, and their entire audio journey. Go follow them!!!

Do you have any certifications/memberships you’d like to spotlight?

I just took the Rational Acoustics Smaart Essentials course. Although I’m not a certified user because I haven’t taken the test (I wanna practice first), the class itself was extremely informative.

Tell me about something you wish you could change about the touring industry?

I wish there was a union or something for freelance engineers. It would be nice if we could earn healthcare and vacation time or something.

Any shout-outs or thank-yous you’d like to include?

Shoutout to my folks, One F Jef and Dawn McLaughlin – thanks for always supporting me and being the fantastic people you are. Huge shoutout to my Local 917 family in Atlantic City! Love y’all. Shoutout to the Brooklyn Bowl in Fishtown crew, and Local 8. Giant shoutout to Rachel Dispenza, you are a gem and I love us learning together and being able to tour with you. I am so appreciative of you my friend <3 A big thank you to Michelle: thanks for giving this small-town AC girl a chance to tour with the big dogs awoooo. Thank you to Deven, Katie, Kat, Collen, and Tim. Thank you TORI!!!!! Shoutout to all my wonderful audio leads in AC: Chris Carll, Timmy Antolini, and Dan Curley! Thanks to everyone in JBrekkie, Alex G, and Jessie Murph.
Starr’s Instagram: @good.on.mons

Profile by Victoria Butash

Victoria has worked in Live Sound for over eleven years and is currently on tour as a monitor engineer with Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit and works with Sylvan Esso as a monitor engineer. In addition, she works for Big House Sound, Inc. and Sound Image.

 

Maintaining Sonic Expectations From Clubs to Stadiums: Part 1

 

With each tour I’ve been a part of, a few checklist items help me be successful at FOH regardless of the size of the show.

A friend last year asked what it was like mixing such a vast mixture of venues, and how I maintained consistency while still searching for the last 1%.  For context, we were jumping between Soldier’s Field, The Eagles Room, and outdoor venues. It was tough to paint the same sonic image every day, so I had to quickly employ a variety of organizational techniques and become pretty analytical of many elements to achieve that goal.

That experience has come in handy since, giving me tools to tackle both acoustically challenging venues and shows where every variable in my control hasn’t been consistent.

This spring I’ve been mixing on consoles of the day in small clubs, which offers a new set of challenges. Oftentimes I’m battling heavy stage volume, and dealing with consoles of the day and PA of the day makes it challenging to create the same auditory experience for the audience.

This is a glance at how I tackle the change in environments, first from a procedural and organizational perspective.

Spend time with show files

When using the venue’s house console, I familiarize myself before show day with YouTube, manuals, and other resources. Offline editors are also helpful for building a baseline so I can maximize time making noise.

On this tour, I’ve been lucky enough to use the same console two or three times. In these cases, I make sure I reset the output EQs and matrices so I can start fresh for the space.

If you’re touring on a dedicated show file, don’t be afraid to make adjustments as you progress. For the tour I was a part of last year, I had a stadium show file, my baseline show file, and something else to provide a starting point for clubs and weird venues. I also occasionally altered master bus processing depending on the line array being used, to maintain an expected depth of field among instrumentation and vocal clarity. This of course took time to organize, and I had notes to keep myself accountable. Also, changes between files were never big but were just enough to make sure I could deliver the same sonic experience.

Lastly, proper file organization goes a long way. Label your files with date, location, and other pertinent info so you have the most up-to-date changes available to you. I usually have a “start” and “end” to refer to.

My show files also generally follow a template I’ve created for myself. I have specific ways I prefer to use groups, VCAs, FX, and parallel busses that let me quickly set up an impactful and transparent mix.

 

Making noise

Listen to your PA as much as possible. Walk around the room and get a feel for what’s happening outside of FOH. Play your reference tracks, play a variety of them if you have time. Use Smaart and then your ears to tune the system to your target curve and adjust for tonality. Ask the local tech or SE for their input on the system and room, but also listen to the behavior of the equipment and the acoustics for yourself.

Another favorite, resources permitting, is to use multi tracks for virtual soundcheck if possible. If this is not a viable option, spending ample time with each input during line check can also go a long way.

These starting points are like a compass for tackling a myriad of situations at FOH. They let me stay flexible and also quickly build a mix or give me time to ensure my mix sounds the way I intend.

Ianina Canalis Specialist in Live Sound – Spatial Audio – Software Development – Education 

Ianina has been working for Meyer Sound for the last four years and has been working in audio for over 20 years.

Early Life

Did music and audio interest you while you were growing up? 

I started studying music when I was 10 and I finished with a Teaching degree in music when I was 18 years old.

Musical Background?

I used to play guitar and saxophone and sang when I was a teenager. I loved playing classical music in small groups, and I also participated in playing in orchestra and choirs for several years.

When did you discover audio as a career path? 

When I was a teenager.

How did you get interested in audio? 

I studied music and I frequently went to listen to play to my friends but the sound was not good at all and I felt bad because concerts with my friends and the sound didn’t like me at all. I had the feeling that all the effort they made during the rehearsals was not reflected in the live show because it was almost impossible to listen to all the instruments or melodies.

Educational Background

Did you attend a University/College/Trade School? 

I got a degree in teaching music at the College of Music Juan Pedro Esnaola in Buenos Aires, Argentina where I come from. Then I got a double degree in Sound and Recording and Audiovisual Technology at the Universidad Nacional de Lanus in Argentina. Some years later, I went to the UK and studied for an MSc in Audio Engineering at Leeds Beckett University. And finally, I got a PhD in Science and Technology at Universidad Nacional de Quilmes in Argentina

Career Start

How did you get your start?

When I started studying at the University, I felt that I needed another challenge, so I walked through the main avenue in Buenos Aires, where most of the theatres are and I knocked on all the doors saying “I want to participate as a Sound Engineer” but I didn’t have any technical skill at that time. In several places, they invited me to see some rehearsals and event setups.

In the Centro Cultural General San Martin, they told me that they needed people but there was no money. With great happiness, I began to participate in all the shows. I was so happy that I went six days a week because every day there was a different band and they had events of various musical styles; jazz, rock, folklore, music for kids, etc. After a few months, they hired me! I worked there for three years while I continued my studies and one day, they offered me a tour as a PA mixing engineer with Jairo (a well-known Argentine folklore singer). With a lot of enthusiasm, I quit and jumped into the touring lifestyle with different bands in Argentina and Latin America. Over 15 years on tour I worked with Jairo, Los Pericos, Virus, J. C. Baglietto, Jairo, Soledad Villamil, Lisandro Aristimuño, Duratierra, and more.

On the other hand, Gustavo Basso, an Acoustical Engineer, offered me to be his assistant at the Universidad Nacional de Lanús for the subject of Acoustics when I was 20 and that was the beginning of my path as a teacher-researcher. For some years, I assisted different Professors who taught audio subjects until I became the Live Sound teacher. In those years, with Jorge Petrosino, we created the Acoustics laboratory where research work is carried out. We published some investigations related to different topics like the Photoliptophone (Fotoliptófono), and human hearing perception over 20 kHz.

What did you learn interning or on your early gigs?

In every part of my career, I learned different things. Everything was equally important, the beginning, the university, the tours, the teaching, the research, all that experience contributed to who I am today.

Did you have a mentor or someone that helped you?

During all these years I developed my career working on tours as a monitor, PA, or System Engineer and at the university as a teacher and researcher. I didn’t have a mentor, however, over the years I met wonderful people who were passionate about audio from whom I learned a lot and with whom we shared talks, experiments, research, and a lot of music, so the list is huge!

Career Now

What is a typical day like?

There is no typical day. At Meyer Sound I am the product owner of some software so, basically, I coordinate the design and implementation of them. Then, I can use the software we create like Spacemap Go and Nebra in shows and demos, which is great! And finally, we meet with customers, and they share their experiences so we can collect feedback to improve our software.

How do you stay organized and focused?

I am very passionate about everything I do, so I work for goals, I focus my job on small things we need to solve every day and also think of the big picture and plans for future challenges.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?

There is a very creative part of my job that I enjoy. When we create software from the beginning there are no limits other than our imagination to produce a new concept, idea, workflow, etc. That creative freedom in a work team is very nice.

I also give some seminars or trainings, as I love teaching, I enjoy wonderfully these activities. And when I work on Spacemap Go demos I mix musical content keeping my passion for spatial audio and music.

I also have some side projects where I mix content for spatial configurations like Future Ruhr: A full dome film that won two Janus Awards at the Fulldome Festival in Jena, Germany in 2023. We won 2 categories: Best Spatial Audio Award & Best Full Dome Innovation & Creativity Film.

What do you like least?

I don’t like spending too many hours on the computer.

If you tour what do you like best?

I enjoy mixing music and spending time with people on the stage, at the hotel, on the bus, etc. In January 2024 I was in Argentina and worked on a short tour and I enjoyed every moment.

What is your favorite day off activity? 

I love to spend time in nature doing some sport. I love meeting friends and spending hours and hours talking and playing music. I also love dancing, so when I can, I go to dance salsa or tango.

What are your long-term goals?

I’d love to spend more time mixing.

What if any obstacles or barriers have you faced?

At various times being a woman was a challenge. I had the strength to overcome many situations, comments, and attitudes that would not have happened to me if I had been a man. From harassment to questions like which member of the band I had sex with to be the sound engineer. Some guys, couldn’t believe I worked with famous bands because I am good at mixing.

How have you dealt with them?

In a job, after much persecution and psychological harassment, I quit, and I didn’t say anything about the real reason why I was leaving. I was very young. A few years later, I learned how to answer and face uncomfortable situations. As I strengthened my career and my personality, these situations faded away. I think that many of the women who started in this profession 20 or more years ago, suffered many uncomfortable moments. Some of them could not endure such a hostile environment. And that is one of the reasons why we are still a minority. However, I believe that we paved the way for younger generations, and today, at least in Argentina, many more women and minorities are Audio Engineers, Sound Technicians, Lighting Engineers, Stage, etc. than 20 or 15 years ago.

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

The first thing I can suggest is that they pursue their dreams. If complex, stressful, and distressing situations appear they do not isolate themselves. There are a lot of SoundGirls and we support each other so it is important to talk and learn from our experiences. We are building communities and that is what helps us strengthen ourselves and overcome unfair situations. So don’t stay alone, look for more SoundGirls!

Favorite gear?

I love mixing with DiGiCo and Meyer Sound!

You can check out some Ianina’s work here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZ0yzt_-gtM&ab_channel=IaninaCanalis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzBkQWXif8w&ab_channel=IaninaCanalis

Prepping With Intention

Last month I took a brief look into some routines I’ve developed that help me feel centered to better reach my full potential as a mix engineer. In it, I mentioned the importance of solidifying your understanding of the music to achieve the most impactful, distraction-free mix. Here we highlight how I approach learning music before a show or tour to achieve this goal.

When I ask my mentors what I should do to improve my mixes, this is usually their number one comment: proactive, intentional listening. But how do you listen, and how do you commit that to memory? When it comes to tour prep, it helps me if I create playlists based on the setlist or discography of the artist, and refer to it several times a day. Outside of sitting down to actively listen, I also will let it run in the background while I’m doing other activities. I find ways to quiz myself on the arrangements, becoming aware of a few key elements throughout the song and other fundamental elements of the mix.

For me, being proactive has translated into a two-fold process. I have duality as a musician, growing up both in the bluegrass community and developing retention for pitches and rhythm from a young age and later learning how to correlate that to sheet music through classical studies. The second kind of musicianship taught me so much about how to notate musical information, long before ever becoming a tech. I’ve bridged my career as a musician and as a tech by learning how to transcribe what I hear to sheets of paper. If you have a musical background, visualization in this manner can be powerful. This can look like simply being able to learn how to notate the chord progressions, keys, and tempo, or just identifying what stands out throughout the listening process and subsequently writing it down. Even shorthand can be impactful. Make any and every attempt to understand the entirety of the arrangement and understand each tiny piece of it like the back of your hand.

I also find it helpful to find meaningful associations of the song. Other than the black-and-white analysis of the music, you must be able to bridge the gap between what you’re hearing to the pieces of the sound that resonate with your human experience. Research the music or artist to understand their intention and ask the musicians for information regarding the show. What is one player’s role? When are their solos, or when do they play something that they deem show critical? Maybe your steel guitar has a tiny little lick in the verse that parallels the emotions the singer is trying to convey. You should emphasize that. Show that you have a comprehension of what they’re creating. And if you have access to multitracks, you can use these to help you dissect each element and invite the players into the conversation as you prepare to help them deliver their show.

In conclusion, take time for yourself before having your hands on faders to learn the music. Doing research like this can help provide you with a toolset to make decisions quickly and with intention. After all, we have so many resources available at our fingertips and within our community that can help us achieve the goal of a distraction-free, artistic mix. Make sure you keep listening and find a method that works for you so that you can continue excelling and delivering top-tier mixes.

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