Empowering the Next Generation of Women in Audio

Join Us

Missed this Week’s Top Stories? Read Our Quick Round-up!

It’s easy to miss the SoundGirls news and blogs, so we have put together a round-up of the blogs, articles, and news from the past week. You can keep up to date and read more at SoundGirls.org

October Feature Profile

https://soundgirls.org/bryony-october-tolerance-patience-the-ability-to-remain-calm/

The Blogs

Living In and Out of A Big Fat Suitcase

Sound Design in Another Medium

Launching Content 

SoundGirls News

 

Accepting Applications for SoundGirls Bloggers


We just got some new merch in. Long Sleeves, Onesies, Toddlers, Gig Bags, and Canvas Totes. Check it out Here

Internet Round-Up


.

Recording Academy Putting Focus ‘Behind the Record’ With New Social Media Initiative

Regardless of whether it’s an indie or record label production, every individual involved in the music creation process deserves to be credited. It might seem like a small gesture, but for many music creators, engineers and producers, this hard-earned credit directly impacts their livelihoods.

So what better way to honor and celebrate the birth of an album than by acknowledging everyone involved in its creation!


SoundGirls Events

Portland SoundGirls Chapter Social

Bay Area Chapter Monthly Meeting

Colorado SoundGirls Chapter Social

SoundGirls Dante Certification Level 1, 2, 3

SoundGirls Alberta Chapter – Field Trip

Portland SoundGirls Chapter Social

SoundGirls Electricity and Stage Patch

Los Angeles – Live Sound Workshop

SoundGirls FOH Tuning Workshop – Los Angeles

SoundGirls Mentoring at AES@NAMM


SoundGirls Opportunities


SoundGirls and SoundGym

Sound Particles Licenses Available

Meyer Sound Supports SoundGirls


SoundGirls Resources


Spotify and SoundGirls Team Up – EQL Directory

SoundGirls – Gaston-Bird Travel Fund

Letter for Trades and Manufacturers


Women-Owned Businesses

SoundGirls Scholarships 2021 Now Open

Events

Sexual Harassment

https://soundgirls.org/about-us/soundgirls-chapters/

Jobs and Internships

Women in the Professional Audio

Member Benefits

Missed this Week’s Top Stories? Read Our Quick Round-up!

It’s easy to miss the SoundGirls news and blogs, so we have put together a round-up of the blogs, articles, and news from the past week. You can keep up to date and read more at SoundGirls.org

October Feature Profile

https://soundgirls.org/bryony-october-tolerance-patience-the-ability-to-remain-calm/

The Blogs

So you Think you Want a Career in Live Sound.

The Secret to Being a Woman on the Road

My Take on Line-By-Line Mixing for Theatre

SoundGirls News

SoundGirls at AES

NAMM 2020 Badges for SoundGirls Members

Accepting Applications for SoundGirls Bloggers


We just got some new merch in. Long Sleeves, Onesies, Toddlers, Gig Bags, and Canvas Totes. Check it out Here

Internet Round-Up



SoundGirls Events

Colorado – BLUE MAN GROUP – BACKSTAGE TOUR & DINNER

Bay Area Chapter Monthly Meeting

Colorado SoundGirls Chapter Social

SoundGirls Dante Certification Level 1, 2, 3

SoundGirls Alberta Chapter – Field Trip

SoundGirls Electricity and Stage Patch

Los Angeles – Live Sound Workshop

SoundGirls FOH Tuning Workshop – Los Angeles


SoundGirls Opportunities


SoundGirls and SoundGym

Sound Particles Licenses Available

Meyer Sound Supports SoundGirls


SoundGirls Resources


Spotify and SoundGirls Team Up – EQL Directory

SoundGirls – Gaston-Bird Travel Fund

Letter for Trades and Manufacturers


Women-Owned Businesses

SoundGirls Scholarships 2021 Now Open

Events

Sexual Harassment

https://soundgirls.org/about-us/soundgirls-chapters/

Jobs and Internships

Women in the Professional Audio

Member Benefits

My Take on Line-By-Line Mixing for Theatre

Theatre sound

Since I had started as a live sound engineer for theatre, I didn’t really pay attention to other mixing styles. Line-by-line mixing made sense to me and was my natural technique. It wasn’t until I started working with musical artists and bands that I realized I needed to change my approach. I was not a live sound music mixer, I am a theatrical mixer, and there was a learning curve for me. Line-by-line at the most minimal means you are opening/closing mics for each person coming on and going offstage. Mute groups, DCA/VCA, and automated scenes REALLY help when you have a ton of radio mics. Mixing for an orchestra plus 15-25+ wireless mics were the norm for me while in college (& working professionally later).

We were taught to read a script a minimum of three times. Script analysis was integral for sound design, as it forces academic research. The first time you read a script is the most important as you are forming first impressions and understanding of the story. The second read-through was sometimes done with other designers, actors, director, etc. but I felt they often left out the tech crew. The second was to solidify the understanding of the themes, subjects, and tonality. The third and subsequent read-throughs of the script are for writing SFX cues, entrances, and exits (if not in the script OR noting they will go off and immediately return), orchestral solos, and grouping of singers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In rehearsals and the tech week process, there was always a lot of “hurry up and wait” while we all made adjustments. This was a valuable time for note-taking; if my script was thorough and accurate, I would be able to focus more on the mix rather than who the hell is onstage right now. An Audio Engineer for the theatre is a lot of things: FOH, foldback, A2, RF Tech, systems engineer, sound effects operator, comms, and so many other little things. Keeping organized was the most important because we have a lot of shit to handle.

Once you know who is doing what on stage, which solos or special parts the orchestra has (which is why attending the sitzprobe is integral for success, ( In opera and musical theatre, a sitzprobe (from the German for seated rehearsal) is a rehearsal where the singers sing with the orchestra, focusing attention on integrating the two groups, it is often the first rehearsal where the orchestra and singers rehearse together.) You can build your show file and program the console. The Stage Manager will be able to call your SFX cues (and sometimes even run them) so I make notes and place trust in my SM. I learned how to mix on an Allen & Heath ML4000 (?? TBH it was over 13 years ago), so my brain is focused on having as much as possible in front of me. Layers are where I hide things that don’t need to be actively mixed, as I do not like switching between layers quickly.

My Console Setup

Once everything is labeled and organized, I start with assigning VCAs/DCAs (Showing my experience/age). Wind, strings, rhythm, etc. will each get a DCA if it’s a larger orchestra. Orchestra overall gets a DCA. Ensemble (separated men/women), and quartet/trios should also get their own DCA. Some of these may be assigned to a group instead of processing, which will depend on the situation. Mute groups are your best friend, it takes some time to program them on older consoles, but it is worth the effort. Depending on your digital console, recording scenes or screenshots while in rehearsals would be the best option. You can always make small edits later if your timing isn’t quite perfect. From there, it’s all about the notes from rehearsal. Line-by-line was the most logical method for theatre & I still think this way during productions.

 

Missed this Week’s Top Stories? Read Our Quick Round-up!

It’s easy to miss the SoundGirls news and blogs, so we have put together a round-up of the blogs, articles, and news from the past week. You can keep up to date and read more at SoundGirls.org

October Feature Profile

https://soundgirls.org/bryony-october-tolerance-patience-the-ability-to-remain-calm/

The Blogs

An Open Letter to Theatre Reviewers

 How to be the New Crew Person

Glossary of Sound Effects (Part 1)

SoundGirls News

AES Exhibits-Plus Badges for SoundGirls Members

NAMM 2020 Badges for SoundGirls Members

Accepting Applications for SoundGirls Bloggers


We just got some new merch in. Long Sleeves, Onesies, Toddlers, Gig Bags, and Canvas Totes. Check it out Here

Internet Round-Up


.

Natalie Hernandez – synthesizer and electronics technician

Natalie discusses her background in electronics design and repair, including her work at Death By Audio. She speaks candidly about combatting imposter syndrome and the importance of saying “I don’t know.”


List of Woman and Non-binary-Run Music Organizations Is the Future of the Industry


SoundGirls Events

Colorado SoundGirls Chapter Social

Colorado – BLUE MAN GROUP – BACKSTAGE TOUR & DINNER

Bay Area Chapter Monthly Meeting

SoundGirls Dante Certification Level 1, 2, 3

SoundGirls Alberta Chapter – Field Trip

Vancouver SoundGirls Console of the Month

SoundGirls Electricity and Stage Patch

Los Angeles – Live Sound Workshop

SoundGirls FOH Tuning Workshop – Los Angeles


SoundGirls Opportunities


SoundGirls and SoundGym

Sound Particles Licenses Available

Meyer Sound Supports SoundGirls


SoundGirls Resources


Spotify and SoundGirls Team Up – EQL Directory

SoundGirls – Gaston-Bird Travel Fund

Letter for Trades and Manufacturers


Women-Owned Businesses

SoundGirls Scholarships 2021 Now Open

Events

Sexual Harassment

https://soundgirls.org/about-us/soundgirls-chapters/

Jobs and Internships

Women in the Professional Audio

Member Benefits

Missed this Week’s Top Stories? Read Our Quick Round-up!

It’s easy to miss the SoundGirls news and blogs, so we have put together a round-up of the blogs, articles, and news from the past week. You can keep up to date and read more at SoundGirls.org

October Feature Profile

https://soundgirls.org/bryony-october-tolerance-patience-the-ability-to-remain-calm/

The Blogs

Radioactivity and Sound

Hearing Health – Hearing Test

Deconstructing a Song

SoundGirls News

Opportunity to Shadow Sound & Lights National Tour

AES Exhibits-Plus Badges for SoundGirls Members

NAMM 2020 Badges for SoundGirls Members

Accepting Applications for SoundGirls Bloggers


We just got some new merch in. Long Sleeves, Onesies, Toddlers, Gig Bags, and Canvas Totes. Check it out Here

Internet Round-Up


Lisa Affenzeller on Roadie Free Radio!
FOH Engineer, Tour Manager, Production Manager, and Stage Manager based in Hamburg, Germany.

 


 

 


SoundGirls Events

Bay Area Chapter Monthly Meeting

Alberta SoundGirls Chapter Social

Colorado SoundGirls Chapter Social

AES SoundGirls Events

SoundGirls Dante Certification Level 1, 2, 3

SoundGirls Alberta Chapter – Field Trip

Vancouver SoundGirls Console of the Month

SoundGirls Electricity and Stage Patch

Los Angeles – Live Sound Workshop

SoundGirls FOH Tuning Workshop – Los Angeles


SoundGirls Opportunities


SoundGirls and SoundGym

Sound Particles Licenses Available

Meyer Sound Supports SoundGirls


SoundGirls Resources


Spotify and SoundGirls Team Up – EQL Directory

SoundGirls – Gaston-Bird Travel Fund

Letter for Trades and Manufacturers


Women-Owned Businesses

SoundGirls Scholarships 2021 Now Open

Events

Sexual Harassment

https://soundgirls.org/about-us/soundgirls-chapters/

Jobs and Internships

Women in the Professional Audio

Member Benefits

SoundGirls Electricity and Stage Patch

Learn the basics of Electricity and Stage Patch, and Putting together a Gig Bag.

Electricity

This workshop will cover the Basics of Electricity.  What you need to know on the gig – Not a bunch of theory, but what we need to know for gigs. There are two basic aspects of working with electricity. One is to move enough electrical power from point A to point B to adequately energize the equipment that requires it. The other is to do it safely. Sometimes, these two factors will be in conflict with each other, usually because of budgetary restraints Large wire and cables are needed to move a lot of power, and they are expensive to purchase and install properly, but small, cheap gangs of “extension cords” may seem to get the job done, until a plug or receptacle burns out, or a cable catches on fire. And therein lies the potentiality for serious problems.


Stage Patch

Stage Patch is the most important job on a gig. You will learn how to properly wire a stage, learn how to make input lists, festival patches, and best steps to becoming a patch master.


Gig Bag

What’s in your Gig Bag:  Learn what tools you should have in your gig bag.


Taught by Ivan Ortiz

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

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

 

SoundGirls FOH Tuning Workshop – Los Angeles

This  workshop covers various Front of House system design and scenarios. Topics include designing the PA, software prediction, coverage over SPL, time alignment, sub-woofer configurations, and coverage gaps. This is an intermediate course and will help professionals to hone their skills.

Designing  your  PA  

Using  Prediction  Software  accurately  

Coverage  over  SPL  

Time  Alignment  

Subwoofer  configurations  

Filling  the  gaps  of  coverage

About Ivan Ortiz

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

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

 

Missed this Week’s Top Stories? Read Our Quick Round-up!

It’s easy to miss the SoundGirls news and blogs, so we have put together a round-up of the blogs, articles, and news from the past week. You can keep up to date and read more at SoundGirls.org

September Feature Profile

https://soundgirls.org/foh-lisa-affenzeller-chasing-the-magic/

The Blogs

The Importance of Saying No

Giving Up Wasn’t a Choice – Freelancing in Bollywood

New Podcast Finds

SoundGirls News

Opportunity to Shadow Sound & Lights National Tour

AES Exhibits-Plus Badges for SoundGirls Members

NAMM 2020 Badges for SoundGirls Members

Accepting Applications for SoundGirls Bloggers


We just got some new merch in. Long Sleeves, Onesies, Toddlers, Gig Bags, and Canvas Totes. Check it out Here

Internet Round-Up



 


Motion Picture Sound Editors To Honor Cece Hall With Career Achievement Award

 

 


SoundGirls Events

New York SoundGirls & Female Frequency present Live Show Workshop

Bay Area Chapter Monthly Meeting

Alberta SoundGirls Chapter Social

Colorado SoundGirls Chapter Social

AES SoundGirls Events

SoundGirls Dante Certification Level 1, 2, 3

SoundGirls Alberta Chapter – Field Trip


SoundGirls Opportunities


SoundGirls and SoundGym

Sound Particles Licenses Available

Meyer Sound Supports SoundGirls


SoundGirls Resources


Spotify and SoundGirls Team Up – EQL Directory

SoundGirls – Gaston-Bird Travel Fund

Letter for Trades and Manufacturers


Women-Owned Businesses

SoundGirls Scholarships 2021 Now Open

Events

Sexual Harassment

https://soundgirls.org/about-us/soundgirls-chapters/

Jobs and Internships

Women in the Professional Audio

Member Benefits

New Podcast Finds

I’ve written about podcasts before. Listening to them. Producing them. Presenting them. They remain one of my favourite mediums of entertainment and education. I’m also running out of audio topics to expand upon! So, this month I decided to write up some mini-reviews of new podcasts I have discovered. Some I have completed and listened to in full, some I am binging at the moment and others I haven’t even started yet and are on my ‘Listen to’ list.

I Shouldn’t Say This…But

 

This is presented by Katy Leeson, Managing Director of Social Chain UK. I found it through Steven Bartlett’s podcast (Diary of a CEO). It is very raw, natural, and unedited. Well, it is at the moment, I am still on December 2018 episodes, to be honest. I have about 40 to listen to which is great. They vary in length but are relatively short (30 – 40 minutes) and easily digestible. There is also a producer (Dodds) that vocalises his opinions and adds value with his ‘devil’s advocate’ comments. Topics about personal emotions, professional struggles, and taboo subjects are covered each week.

Teenage Mixtape

This is hosted by Joel Dommett (comedian and presenter) and Steve Dunne (comedian). They are childhood best friends which makes the podcast flow easily, their conversation is friendly and not forced. The guests are often male British comedians (Iain Stirling, Rhys James). Most likely their close friends and colleagues which makes the vibe very funny and comfortable. The structure is asking certain questions around music, for example, first album you bought? A song that reminds you of a teenage crush? This results in creating a 10 – 12 song mixtape. It often reminds you of classics you may have forgotten about.

Dear Joan & Jerika

This was recommended by a colleague of mine. It. Is. Epic. I was warned how “near the knuckle” and controversial it was. But it is hilarious. I don’t know the actors/presenters but they are incredibly talented. (Update! Upon searching for the thumbnail image, I have realised I do know Julia Davis, from Gavin and Stacey). Highly recommend this podcast to anyone that also loves ‘My Dad Wrote A Porno’.

Doing It! with Hannah Witton

I have followed Hannah’s YouTube channel for many years, therefore, it was likely that I would enjoy her podcast. She broaches topics including sex, relationships, feminism, sexuality, and pregnancy. Her guests are diverse, interesting and have a huge amount of expertise. Any young woman that wants to learn more about their body should listen.

This Might Get Weird

A long-term YouTube duo. Grace Helbig and Mamrie Hart. Comedians, actors, presenters, and social media creators. They’ve done it all. They have managed to create a hilarious podcast merely discussing the weirdest moments of their week. You would think there couldn’t possibly be that many but you would be wrong. These women are hard-working and dedicated to their loyal audience and deserve a TV show eventually.

There are so many more podcasts I want to listen to including:

Call Your Girlfriend

And The Writer Is…with Ross Golan

Phil Taggart’s Slacker Podcast

Feminists Don’t Wear Pink

What are you listening to right now?

 SoundGirls Suggestions – Women in Audio Podcasts

WHERE ELSE TO FIND ME:

Tri-lingual radio show (Sobremesa): https://www.mixcloud.com/Alexandra_McLeod/

Sobremesa Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AlexandraSobremesa/

YouTube and Geography blog: https://alexandrasobremesa.wordpress.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-mcleod-79b7a8107?trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile

X