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Bands are Like Spiders

When I started mixing bands in-house at university I was terrified: I had so much technical stuff to remember, and then I was faced with a bunch of stony-faced strangers who wouldn’t even come and talk to me! They were going to hate me. If I had known then what I know now about interacting with bands (and event organisers, or any kind of client really) those first gigs would have been so much less stressful. It’s easy to forget that not many people outside of our job really understand what the role entails; it’s a bit of a dark art to them. The technical team can make or break a show, and that can make people a bit nervous about us. Once I realised that bands are like spiders: they are, on the whole, more scared of me than I am of them, I could approach things differently.

First off: don’t expect them to come to you! They may be affecting an air of cool by being standoffish, or they may just be shy, or a bit lost because they’ve just got out of the van after an 8-hour journey and are looking for the facilities… Take a deep breath, smile, and go and introduce yourself. Be ready with a pen and paper to note anything you need to know that wasn’t in the advance. The single best piece of advice I’ve ever got for mixing is to write the band members’ names down! If you’re on monitors, write it on their mixes, on FoH on their vocal or instrument channels. It’s such a simple thing, but using their names during soundcheck makes them feel that you really are paying attention, and if someone yells “I need more of Dan in my wedge!”, halfway through a song with no hand gestures, you stand a fighting chance of knowing who and where Dan is. Communicating with them properly from the start will help them to relax so they can concentrate on having a better show. You’re also inviting them to let you know about problems constructively, instead of giving you the silent treatment then complaining after the fact that it sounded bad.

The same applies to any live event: take the initiative to introduce yourself to the client’s point of contact (or ask the head of the technical team to introduce you if that’s more appropriate) and be confident! I come from a background where modesty and talking down your skills is the norm, and confidence is looked down on as boasting, especially if you’re a woman. It took me far too long to understand that people look to the techs for reassurance that the show’s going to go smoothly. You needn’t be arrogant, just be secure in your abilities. Clients often gauge how well things are going by looking to you; the knock-on effects of you appearing happy or worried are definitely noticeable.

When things go wrong, and they will don’t let the confidence fade. Technical issues happen, it’s how you deal with them that’s important. Take a few seconds to assess whether you can fix the problem quickly. If not, it’s time to swallow your pride and let someone know. If you realise you’ve made a mistake don’t ignore it in the hopes, it’ll go away. The earlier you own up to it, the easier it is to deal with. For example, if you’ve forgotten to bring something from the warehouse, you might be able to get it delivered in time for the show if you mention it at 11 am, but you won’t have a chance at 6 pm. You might get teased or worse for it, but it’s much easier to forgive and forget as long as it’s alright in the end. How you deal with problems gets remembered much more than what the problems were.

As engineers, we often tend to shut out the outside world and think only about the signal path when something goes wrong during soundcheck or the show. While it’s great to be focused, taking a minute or two to tell someone else can actually speed up the problem-solving process, or at least prevent a stressed and angry client because the music has stopped and you’re ignoring them. If there’s another sound person there, tell them what’s happening. Two minds are better than one, and at the very least they can go and smooth things over with the band or event organiser while you get on with troubleshooting. It can be very frustrating when an already patronising colleague steps in and “rescues you,” but in the long run, it’s more important that the show goes well than that you were the one who saved the day.

If you’re the only tech, calmly tell whoever’s in charge what’s going on, and roughly how long it will take to fix. No need to waste time on details unless they ask; saying you have a technical issue but you’re working on it is usually enough. Don’t be tempted to tell even a little white lie! You never know who used to be a sound tech in a previous job, and bluffing to them could do you a lot more harm than good. Clients don’t care that an XLR has broken, all they want to know is whether you can fix it, how long it’ll take, and whether it’s likely to happen again. Remember the Scotty principle: overestimate the time you need by at least 25-50% to allow for unforeseen complications. People are much happier if you’re back up and running in 20 minutes when you said half an hour than if you promised them it’d be done in 10 or 15. Don’t waste time apportioning blame either. It’s impossible to look professional while pointing the finger at someone else, even if it was their fault.

There’ll be times where you might think there’s nothing that sharing the problem will do to help, but you never know. Someone might have a quick and simple solution that just didn’t occur to you because you’re stressed or inexperienced, or the event organisers could open the community fair with the sack race and move your band’s set to, later on, buying you precious time. You won’t know until you discuss it. You might be surprised by how willing people are to help if it ensures the success of the show, and makes life easier for that nice sound engineer who was so welcoming and friendly when they first arrived.

 

 

Ch Ch Ch Changes

It’s the new year’s resolution time where many people look at setting goals such as eating healthier, exercising more, or to stop procrastinating as much.  While some stick with it others give up within the first month or so.  Some people don’t believe in setting resolutions while others like myself set new goals any time of year, especially when I feel like I have achieved a previous target. For me, as part of setting new goals, it is helpful to look back on the past year.

2017 brought a lot of change in my career and life.  What I decided early on in the year it was time for a career change.  I wasn’t unhappy where I was, but I had felt like I had achieved my goals and needed a significant change to continue to grow as a person and in my career.  So, I started the job hunt which resulted in a move later in the year. I was pretty lucky to have a job line up quickly, found great housing fast, and had a family to help me with all the transition.

As with any change though, there were things I would end up having to give up and things that would inevitably change even though I didn’t want it too. I wouldn’t see my friends every day and eventually lose touch with some. My surroundings would be unfamiliar for a long time, and I wouldn’t be the expert in my new position until I learned it and so much more.  Many of these changes I expected, while others I did not.

For instance, some friends change a lot faster when you move unexpectedly. I need to keep reminding myself that lifelong friends will always stick around – near or far a great friendship will last any distance. Meanwhile, getting out and joining clubs or groups will create new friendships closer to home which could also open new possibilities and new experiences. It is incredible how people are connected and meeting one new person could lead to networking connections for even more positive changes down the line.

As for learning my new job, that will take time, and I am just going to have to get used to that. Each organization runs differently and has different goals.  Even though the jobs are similar the people, venues, and events are different. It will take time to work through all the differences and changes as well as to improve it with my experiences and skills.

I never expected that doing sound would become mostly absent from my life. I hoped by changing my job would have become fun again by having a new environment to work in and new things to learn.  Diving back into sound is essential to me. I will work towards it one step at a time, so I can change the phrase “I use to do sound all the time” to “I do sound all the time.”  It will be an uphill challenge as I rebuild relationships, learn new technology, and balance it all; but it is one I am sure looking forward to!

Even with the things that have gone according to plan and the others that have not I would still make the changes I did because through these experiences I will only grow as a person and be ready for future opportunities to come. So, my goals for 2018 are to continue running with the change I started in 2017, see where all of it is going to take me this year, and get back into sound. All different kinds of goals can create a fun and challenging year. What are your sound goals for 2018?

Philadelphia SoundGirls Chapter Kick Off 2018

Attend the first meeting for 2018 for the Philadelphia Chapter of SoundGirls and find out what is in store for the organization and our local chapter in 2018. Meet other women in the industry. What do you want to learn about, have access to, or do this year with SoundGirls? Share your ideas and experiences with other women in audio engineering.

A tour of World Café Live Downstairs will follow the meeting for anyone interested in learning about their system. Open to any members of SoundGirls and new people interested in joining. SoundGirls is open to anyone who has a desire and drive to succeed in professional audio and is open to any gender, age, or experience level. Find out more at www.soundgirls.org.

 

How Business Classes Helped My Audio Career

Many business owners in our industry experience the same growing pain: there’s a struggle between doing the work you love and the demands of a business growing larger than you can manage. There’s a learning curve to business, and if you’re not prepared, it’ll cost you work, relationships, and most importantly, money.

In my first years in the field, I watched multiple businesses crumble up close. One studio went into bankruptcy because the owner made some poor choices. Another studio I worked for laid off most of their staff in one day. As I saw this, I was also faced with the reality that I would probably have to run my own business someday. I decided to take a couple of business classes at a local community college and found them so helpful that I completed a business certificate and went freelance shortly after.

Since standard business courses aren’t typically part of the arts/audio school curriculum, here’s a rundown of some useful classes and their application in the field.

Introduction to Business – this trains you how to think in terms of business and business opportunities. Before this, my boss and co-workers seemed more like friends than business colleagues. In actuality, decisions have to be made sometimes based on what’s best for the business.

An intro to business class will likely teach how to write a business plan. This is important if you have any interest in growing a company beyond a “lifestyle business” or plan to find investors or funding for your business. (A lifestyle business is where you have a comfortable income and lifestyle but not trying to expand the business to the max it could be. Most freelancers in the audio industry fall under lifestyle businesses.)

Entrepreneurship – An entrepreneur is someone open to taking more risks than the average business owner. This course was terrific for learning how to look for problems that need solutions, and how to turn those solutions into a business.

Accounting – An accounting course will teach skills like how to track spending, make and manage invoices, and business budgeting. The vital skill from a standard accounting course is learning how to make and read financial statements.  A “profit and loss” statement and a “balance sheet” will give you an overview of how healthy your business is financially.

In retrospect, I would have looked for an accounting class specifically geared towards small business, not for accountants in training.

Sales – This class was learning how to sell but not in a “door-to-door salesman pressuring you into something you don’t want” kind of way. Sales is about recognizing your strengths and what you have to offer and learning how to present that to people who may need it. It’s been a helpful skill to have when meeting potential clients or pitching/bidding on a project.

Helpful takeaways

In our field, the odds are that you will be a freelancer/contractor at some point in your career. Business knowledge and skills are necessary for survival. If you have taken a freelance or contract gig, you are already a business owner.

Before taking business classes, I assumed if my business grew I could hire someone to run it (or teach me how). That mindset is harmful to a business. A lot of business decisions revolve around money, so it’s crucial to understand your financials. A good accountant can help you get so far, but he/she probably won’t help you set rates or know the going rate of an assistant. A lot of this can be learned on the job – but ultimately the learning curve (and any mistakes made) cost you money. When you’re first getting started freelance every dollar counts

Chance to Win Mix with the Masters with Sylvia Massy

SoundGirls this a chance to win a spot at Mix with the Masters with Sylvia Massy. This is a week-long seminar valued approximately at $4,500 and includes lectures and workshops, accommodation within the mansion, catering (breakfast, lunch, dinner) the fitness room, swimming pool and shuttles from Avignon to the studio.

You must have an advanced understanding of audio and work as producer/mixer/engineers to attend Mix with the Masters.

You are responsible for Travel to France.

The upcoming session will take place Feb. 27 – March 5, 2018

You can purchase a raffle ticket for $10 (you can purchase more than one to increase your chances)

We will draw a winner on Jan. 20th

We are also holding a second raffle that is free to enter for a chance to win a 35% discount of Mix with Masters with Sylvia Massy. You can enter here.

You are responsible for Airfare to France

Sylvia Massy is an American entrepreneur, music producer, mixer and engineer, writer and artist in the United States. Massy is perhaps best recognized for her work on 1993’s Undertow, the full-length double platinum-selling debut for Los Angeles rock band Tool and her work with System of a Down, Johnny Cash and Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Massy started out in San Francisco circa 1985 as a producer, engineer, and mixer for Rat Music. This led to her producing the punk band Verbal Abuse for Boner Records, engineering two projects for metal band Exodus and co-producing the Sea Hags independent album with a young guitarist Kirk Hammett, who had just finished the « Master Of Puppets » album with thrash metal group Metallica.

Towards the end of the 1980s, Massy moved from San Francisco to Los Angeles and took a job at Tower Records on Sunset Blvd. At Tower, she met the members of a Buffalo, New York band named Green Jello (later known as Green Jelly) and helped them record their debut independent album. After finally getting on staff at Larrabee Sound in West Hollywood, she was hired by Zoo Records/BMG to produce Green Jello’s major label debut, which featured members of a new Los Angeles group called Tool. On Green Jello’s « Cereal Killer » album, the voice of Tool singer Maynard James Keenan is heard on the song  » Three Little Pigs,» as well as Tool drummer Danny Carey playing on the album. This began a relationship Massy would have with the band Tool that would span two records: Opiate and Undertow.

During her time in Los Angeles, Massy was also an engineer, producer or mixer on recordings from a diverse group of internationally-known artists, including Aerosmith, Babyface, Big Daddy Kane, Bobby Brown, Prince, Julio Iglesias, Seal, Skunk Anansie, Paula Abdul, Ryuichi Sakamoto and many more. She worked with manager Gary Kurfirst on Irish rock band Cyclefly for Kurfirst’s Radioactive Records.
At Larrabee Sound, Sylvia connected with producer Rick Rubin and would work with him on several projects spanning seven years.

From 1994 until 2001, Massy’s vintage Neve 8038 console and other specialized recording equipment occupied Studio B at Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, California. Besides Massy’s own work at Sound City, several other successful projects were recorded on Massy’s equipment during these years, including albums by Sheryl Crow, Queens Of The Stone Age, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Smashing Pumpkins, The Black Crowes and Lenny Kravitz. Massy’s equipment is visible in many scenes of Dave Grohl’s « Sound City Movie ».

Massy engineered and mixed several projects for veteran producer Rick Rubin, including Johnny Cash’s album Unchained, which won a Grammy award for Best Country Album in 1997. With Rubin, she also recorded Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Slayer, Donovan, Geto Boys, The Black Crowes, Danzig, and System of a Down’s debut album. In the ’90s, Massy also produced many popular artists, including the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sevendust, and Powerman 5000, which featured guest appearances from Rob Zombie and actor Malachi Throne from Star Trek fame. In 1997, Massy co-produced engineered and mixed Foo Fighters, Björk, Patti Smith, Sonic Youth and others for the Beastie Boys’ « Tibetan Freedom Concert » in New York with Adam Yauch and producer Pat McCarthy. Massy produced an album in the mid-nineties for young rising star Pauley Perrette who went on to play the part of Abby Sciuto in the NCIS television series.

Sylvia Massy will be conducting her second MWTM seminar from February 27 to March 5, 2018.

Program

The process of greatness fostering greatness has long been recognized and is the reason why master classes are organized. The Mix With The Master’s seminars are part of this tradition, offering an exchange of in-depth first-hand studio experience and knowledge that is unparalleled and not available anywhere else. Each seminar is conducted by one of the world’s top music mixers and producers, ready to share his professional secrets with a select group of a maximum of 14 carefully-screened, professional-level participants, who come from all over the world.

One factor that contributes to the enormous success of the seminars is that all tutors support the general MWTM ethos, which is about the love of music, music technology and wanting to help others. Participants also are in part selected on displaying similar, positive attitudes. The fact that the seminars last a full week is another major contributory factor because it offers tutors the time and space to go into real depth, and the participants the opportunity to spend a prolonged time watching a master at his peak, and to ask any question they can think of.

The tutors share exclusive, insider-information on any subject: detailed technical knowledge, how to run sessions, how to handle artists, how to manage a career, the right attitude, how to remain successful, and more. The tutors also assess the work of the participants, by listening to their mixes and mixing recording sessions that they bring, and providing extensive feedback to each participant on where they are at, and how they can get to where they want to be. This is invaluable and offers participants wanting to become world-class professionals in their own right a unique advantage.

Another primary factor in making the MWTM seminars exceptional is that they take place at La Fabrique, a large, comfortable, high-end recording studio located in a picturesque historic building, surrounded by huge, lush grounds, and set in the south-east for France in one of the world’s most beautiful environments. The secluded and idyllic location offers the participants and tutors a lot of space to relax and recharge, far away from the hustle and bustle of daily life and the all-demanding intensity of their regular professional environments.

Because the courses are residential, the participants and tutor work, eat, socialize, and sleep in the same environment. While tutors, and participants, will at times opt to retire to their private quarters, there is ample opportunity for social interaction outside of the studio environment. Participants interact extensively with each other and the tutor, making it easier to assimilate the intangible qualities necessary to be successful at the highest level—presence, focus, social skills, intelligence, creativity, right attitude, and so on.

In short, for seven days participants are able to experience mixing with a master in both senses of the phrase, mixing and interacting with him.

Get more information about Studio La Fabrique

 

 

“In You You Trust”

It’s the beginning of January which means it’s the beginning of a new year. Year-end lists and New Year’s resolutions abound. As corny as it sometimes feels, the end of a year and the beginning of a new one really is an excellent time to take a step back and reflect on yourself.

In this modern capitalist society, we are not taught to trust ourselves. Someone else is the expert on our happiness and success and how to get there, and there is always something missing that we need to purchase to become truly fulfilled.

But instead of thinking about how we can keep changing ourselves, let’s look at what we’ve already accomplished and how we have already grown. First, ask yourself: what is you? We sometimes forget that we are not defined by just our career, or only our relationships, or just our health. We can become so focused on one aspect of ourselves that we fall out of step in other areas. But each piece contributes to the whole. YOU are your current life, your goals (your future life), your relationship with yourself, and your relationships with others.

If you have cultivated a healthy home life with yourself, a partner, a dog, a child, a friend, or a family member, this is something to be proud of.

If you are in a business or creative partnership with people or a person with whom you trust and are inspired by, this is something to be proud of.

If you meet new people who excite you and make you want to get better at what you do, this is something to feel good about.

If you actively engage with your creative process, you should be proud of the love and respect you are showing yourself.

If you actively support someone else’s creative journey, however deep into it they may be, you should be proud of the love and respect you are showing someone else.

If you actively engage in your professional skillset and continually work toward greater mastery and new perspectives, this is something to be proud of.

If you mentor those that can learn from you, in any capacity, this is something to be proud of.

If you have open and honest conversations about money, business practices, gender gaps, race, and the ways you can participate in change for good, this is something to be proud of.

If you have ever wanted to quit, but you didn’t, this is something to be proud of.

We have a lot of work ahead of us. We have songs to write, bands to form, sounds to record, albums to make, stages to mix, setups to design, decisions to make about futures we hope to have. We have girls wanting to learn the ins and outs of an industry we know is uncomfortable for women to work in, and fortunately, they can learn in an environment that is vastly more comfortable for them than it was for us. There are so many more steps forward we will make. But today, please take a moment to acknowledge all of the steps you have already taken to make this industry, this world, your life, and the lives of those around you, a kinder, more loving, and inclusive place. Let’s keep it up!

 

 

Five Ways to Make your Freelance Applications Work for You

Happy 2018 Soundgirls! If you’re self-employed or considering becoming so, then you’re probably preparing for another year of hustling for new work opportunities. As someone who has experienced both sides of the freelance hiring process, I thought it was an appropriate time to offer some words of advice on applying for freelance jobs.

Freelance opportunities aren’t often formally advertised. They’re passed on by word-of-mouth, email, and posted on social media. A casual approach to hiring may seem to encourage a casual response, but don’t be fooled. Even the most laid-back “Hey we’re looking for awesome peeps to join us” company will still be looking for a professional response.

Here are a few tips for increasing your success when responding to opportunities for freelance work:

Read the job description

At the very least a freelance job posting or callout should include something along the lines of “we’re looking for [this kind of] person to join our team to do [this kind of work].” If it’s a useful job advert, it will also include a list of skills and experience required for the position, and any other specific requirements, e.g., location and language. Your very first step should be to thoroughly read the job description and consider if you meet the requirements before applying.

When I’ve posted call-outs for freelancers in the past, it always surprises me how many emails I receive where the applicant either hasn’t thoroughly read the application. Or they’ve forgotten to include any evidence that they have the skills and experience required for the role or they seem to think that working in any area of sound for a few years is enough to be considered for a job that requires specific expertise.

Responding quickly to a job posting may increase your chances of the hirer reading your application, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of the content. Similarly, responding to every freelance job advert even if you’re not qualified, in the hope that someone might give you a chance, is not a winning technique. If a company is looking to expand their pool of freelance dialogue editors and your background is solely in music production, they’re probably not going to be interested. Freelance positions fulfill a professional requirement – the hiring company will want whoever they hire to be able to step in and do the job straight away. Avoid wasted effort on both sides, and make sure you understand what the hirer needs before you apply.

Do your research

Of course, not every freelance job advert has an explicit list of the job requirements, or the description might use more generic terms like “we’re looking for sound engineers” without expanding on the work involved. It pays to do a bit of research before applying. If the job posting is on a company’s website or social media account, it only takes a few clicks to get more information on what kind of work they do and for what they may be looking. And if you can’t find what you’re looking for – ask. I’m always happy to answer people’s queries about jobs I’ve posted, providing the answer isn’t already in the job post itself!

Have your portfolio and CV ready to go

If you’re applying to work for a company for which you’ve never worked, you’ll always be asked for your CV (at a minimum) and either a portfolio or details of your experience. Freelance positions often aren’t often advertised for long, and in the current climate, you can expect any job post to attract a lot of applicants, so it pays to be ready to apply as soon as you can.

Your CV should be a professionally formatted PDF – a maximum of two A4 sides, if you can get it nicely formatted on a single A4 sheet, even better. It also needs to be in the language applicable to the company or job for which you’re applying – worth considering if you’re looking to work in a different country. It can be worth having an online version as well, on a personal website, Linked In, or similar. Have your portfolio samples available both as audio/video files and online links – some companies ask for portfolios to be attached to emails or uploaded, others prefer a link to a website or media sharing site like Soundcloud or Vimeo.

Draft an excellent application email: what to include

Your application email (the modern-day cover letter), should be short (250 words maximum), contain the information requested in the job advert (skills and experience), any additional relevant information, and have the appropriate documents and work examples attached or linked, depending on what’s required. Remember: all a hirer wants to know on a first quick pass of your application is: do you have the professional skills and experience needed for this job? If they can’t see evidence that you could do the job, they’re unlikely to follow up.

From my experience as a hirer, I prefer a friendly, professional tone for application emails – not overly formal, also not quirky. I don’t need you to be creative in a cover letter to help you stand out – your portfolio or CV should do this for you. Plus, depending on the job, I might have upwards of fifty emails to go through, and if it takes me more than a couple of minutes to get the information I need, I’ll be inclined to delete and move on.

Regarding including additional relevant information: if you’ve worked with the hirer or hiring company in the past, met them in person, or have been recommended through personal contact, this is always worth mentioning. I am more interested in working with people who I know to be reliable professionals, or who come recommended by someone I trust.

Draft an excellent application email: what to leave out

Unless a job posting asks for it, the following has no place in a freelance application email (all of these come from real application emails that I’ve received)

You don’t have the exact skills and experience, but you still think you’d be great for the job

A freelancer fills a professional need for a company, and they need to trust that you can do the job straight away. Unless expressly stated, you can assume you’ll be expected to do the work as soon as it comes in, with no training. If you can’t provide evidence that you can do the job, then your application is likely to be discarded.

How much you love sound and want to work in the industry

I see this a lot from graduates and people new to the job market. If you’re a working or trained sound professional, I’ll take it as a given that you enjoy working with sound. You don’t need to spell it out in an application email.

How you can only do the job if certain conditions are met, e.g., you can only do certain days per week

Your application letter is not the place to negotiate the day-to-day details of a job (unless specifically requested). If a hiring company decides to take your application to the next stage, you’ll have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss requirements on both sides. Applications that include a list of unasked-for stipulations can make you seem inflexible, which isn’t a desirable quality in a freelancer.

The best application is always one that’s prepared, relevant, and professionally written. Good luck with all of yours for this coming year.

Check out SoundGirls Resources for Career Development

Giving Back to the Audio Community – Lenise Bent

Producer/engineer LENISE BENT is one of the first women recording engineers and has worked on many iconic records including “Aja” by Steely Dan, “Breakfast in America” by Supertramp and “Tusk” by Fleetwood Mac. She was also the first woman to receive a platinum album for engineering on Blondie’s AutoAmerican.

Lenise is a native of Los Angeles and comes from a musical and technical family. She studied piano and played flute in the Compton Festival Orchestra and at the age of eight was enrolled in the Screen Children’s Guild, working in film and television. This lead to studying film and TV production in college until one day she was invited to a recording studio. With her love of music, she was hooked, dropped out of college and enrolled in a recording school the very next day. Fortunately, her parents were supportive.

After graduating from Sound Masters Recording Institute (this was one of the only schools in Los Angeles at the time), she was hired as an assistant engineer at The Village Studios in Los Angeles, eventually working her way up to engineer. It was at The Village that Lenise furthered her education in audio recording, working with and being mentored by many legendary engineers and producers, most notably Roger “The Immortal” Nichols and Roger Linn. Lenise then became chief engineer for hit producer Mike Chapman, working with several artists including Blondie, Cher, The Knack and Suzi Quatro. Together they recorded in several iconic studios such as The Record Plant Sausalito, Air London and United Western, which is now United Recording and EastWest Studios.

Lenise’s first session as an engineer was April 1977 at the Village Studios (formerly The Village Recorder) Studio A. The equipment was a Harrison 3224 console, Ampex ATR 100 2 Track, Technics ¼ Track, and M-79 2” 24 Track tape machine. The Artist was Americana musician (and uncle) Willie Wilson. The Village encouraged all the assistants to use un-booked studios when they weren’t working on their own projects.

Lenise moved into post-production audio, beginning with creating the foreign music and effects tracks for the entire Disney cartoon catalog, and eventually specializing in recording and editing Foley. She has worked on several films and animated series, such as “Robo Cop,” “Street Sharks,” and “Extreme Ghostbusters.” She has traveled the world for Dreamworks supervising and producing the foreign dialogue and vocals for “Shrek,” “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron” and “Shrek 2”. This rekindled her love of recording music, and she is now engineering and producing up-and-coming musicians as well as seasoned artists. Currently, one of her projects, a blues/rock band called the Primal Kings, is all-analog, recording and mixing to tape and cutting vinyl.

Lenise believes in giving back to the audio community and is a sought-after lecturer at colleges throughout the country. She holds workshops and consults with singer/songwriters to learn basic recording techniques and is currently creating a workshop for recording and editing analog tape. She taught Production Sound, Post Production Audio and Studio Protocols and Procedures at SAE-LA and conducts “History of Audio Recording” presentations at The Grammy Museum. She also works in audio restoration and repair, including restoring the audio for the photo exhibit “Who Shot Rock n Roll” for the Annenberg Space for Photography.

Lenise is a long-standing voting member of NARAS and the Producers & Engineers Wing of the Recording Academy and is on the advisory board for the TEC Awards at NAMM as well as the executive committee of the Los Angeles chapter of the Audio Engineering Society. She also belongs to SoundGirls, Women in Music, ARSC (Assoc. of Recorded Sound Collectors), the prestigious Hollywood Sapphire Group, The Blues Foundation, and Women’s Audio Mission (WAM).

SoundGirls interviewed Lenise on her long career

What do you like best about your job?

I love working with musical creatives, inspiring and capturing their performances.

What do you like least?

The few times I got stiffed. Valuable lesson: always count your pay in front of the person paying you.

What if any obstacles or barriers have you faced?

Fortunately, very few. I was told once that I wouldn’t be working on a project I really wanted because they preferred to work with a guy but I eventually got the gig, and it was great.

How have you dealt with them?

Honestly and professionally.

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

To me being a recording engineer is a genderless skill, I think the individual who is passionate about recording and producing and does the hard work to learn well will succeed. I learned early on that on a session my required skills were why I was there, not because I was a woman. In the studio, I am an engineer/producer.

Yes, I realized that there might be obstacles when I started out, there were VERY few woman in the recording world at that time, so I made sure I did my job well and brought good energy on the project.

Be versatile. The more you know, the more valuable you are. Have a strong work ethic and be willing to do the jobs others aren’t, you will move up faster.

Value yourself. Working for free is being a volunteer and if that’s what everyone else is doing then okay. Otherwise, have your rate.

Be trustworthy.

Do not say you can do something if you can’t.

Leave gender out of it. You are an audio professional; your gender is secondary. Dress appropriately.

Save your money. There was a time when being a recording engineer was a very lucrative career. Times have drastically changed. Be mindful of your audio opportunities. Join a union, work for a company that provides benefits and a pension. Start saving for retirement NOW. I know it sounds cold and unartistic, but it’s reality.

Don’t sleep with your clients or co-workers. Just don’t.

Have good social skills. You can be a ProTools wizard and know everything audio, but if no one wants to be in the same room with you for more than five minutes, it doesn’t matter. Be an asset to the project and the production team, not a liability.

Must have skills?

ProTools, basic recording techniques, signal flow, knowledge of electronics. Learn your gear and mic placement. I encourage learning what good audio sounds like. Have excellent social skills and hygiene. Remember that you are providing a service.

Favorite gear?

Neve 8068, 80 series consoles, Neumann U67,  LA2A, 1176, DBX160 (Great on female vocals) limiters and compressors, EMT 140 plate reverb, Izotope RX 6, Burl converters, Prism converters, Altiverb. There is so much great gear out there that I love!

Do you ever feel pressure to be more technical or anything else than your male counterparts?

No, I don’t think more, but I better be at least as good. I prefer to be better. : ) When I started, I knew if I was more technical and did my job really well I’d have more credibility and work.

Is there anything about paying your dues you wish you would have paid more attention to that came back to haunt you later in your career?

Yes, I wish I had better electronic knowledge. When I started out studios had maintenance departments, and assistants and engineers weren’t required to know how to solder or build mic cables, etc. Good stuff to know.

When the DAW came along were you an immediate adopter?  Or did it take you a long time to convert?

I was already doing post when it came along (SoundTool!), and it was a welcome tool for fixing audio right away. I was working on Foreign M, and E’s (Music and Effects) tracks so if there was any English it was so easy to remove it. Also editing foley was a breeze, everything could be synced so easily. The foley artist still had to have good sync though, still, do.

What part of analog engineering practices have you maintained?  

I still record to tape. The main thing I apply to digital recording is the style of recording, making commitments to performances and moving forward, like recording to tape. I like to work quickly and in the moment while the emotion is still high and not wait until later when I can’t remember what nuance I liked. I record and comp, boom.

What are your favorite plugins?

I like the UAD bundle and Altiverb. I try a new plug-in on every project so I can learn it. I admit that I don’t use many plug-ins as I am usually in a studio with the outboard gear that I’m used to. The most important thing about plug-ins is to understand how to use them and why you are using them. I’ve received tracks that I’m hired to mix, and there will be five or six plug-ins on one track!

Do you have a few stories you can tell that have taught you valuable skills? Whether industry people skills or tech skills?

Here’s a good one…do not get stoned, high, drunk, etc. during a session. I was working with the group The Band, and we were recording basic tracks to 2” tape. I’m not a pot smoker but their keyboardist Garth Hudson kept insisting that I take a hit of his pot, that it was different and would help me really focus. After several refusals, I finally took that hit just to get him off my back. We had done three takes of a song, and now it was time to comp the track.  Robbie Robertson and the others decided they wanted the first verse from take 2, the first chorus from take 3, the bridge from take one, and well you get it. Remember this is 24-track tape, folks, totally destructive audio, razor blades and splicing tape, requiring focused experience and skill in the finest of times. Thankfully, the group took a long dinner break, allowing me to spend all that time juggling take-up reels, going back and forth, as I put the track together. Yes, there was major panic. When they returned from dinner, I had just finished. We played it back, and it was all good except the bridge was upside down. They all laughed like crazy except for Robbie who was not amused. I was amazed I got it as right as I did. Ugh.

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Profiles of Women in Audio

La magia detrás de la mezcla

By: Nizarindani Sopeña and Andrea Arenas

Como ingenieros de audio, tenemos que tomar en cuenta diferentes factores para poder optimizar nuestro trabajo y así enfocarnos en la parte artística cuando hablamos de una mezcla. Si partimos de este principio, hay varios factores sumamente importantes que debemos tener en cuenta antes de un show para llegar a nuestro objetivo con mayor facilidad:

El rider, el cual se deberá realizar con mucho detalle, ya que dependemos de esta información para poder contar con el equipo, así como para cubrir todas nuestras necesidades técnicas específicas como las siguientes:

El input list y lista de Backline, esto nos ayudará a que el personal local (si se requiere), tenga el conocimiento de cuántos canales y cuáles instrumentos utilizaremos durante el show. Si esta lista no es correcta, perderemos tiempo y podemos correr el riesgo de no contar con los instrumentos y/o micrófonos que están previstos a utilizar. Adicionalmente, el input list nos permite configurar las sesiones de la consola de mezcla con anticipación y coherencia de acuerdo a los requerimientos del show.El stage plot. Como sucede con el input list, contar con un stage plot facilitará a todo el personal conocer con exactitud la posición y distribución de todos los músicos e instrumentos en el escenario, permitiendo un flujo de trabajo eficaz durante los montajes y movimientos durante el show.

Tomar en cuenta los puntos anteriores nos asegurará contar con información puntual y concisa, lo que se verá reflejado en una optimización de tiempo, trabajo y fluidez a la hora del montaje.

Usualmente, la persona encargada de FOH (Front Of House) se hace cargo de posicionar los micrófonos correctamente en los instrumentos (previamente corroborado por la persona encargada de monitores).

El o la ingeniero de monitores, en caso de llevar sistemas de monitoreo personal y no contar con personal encargado para hacer una coordinación de radiofrecuencia, deberá hacer esta coordinación de manera precisa, ya que de eso dependerá la tranquilidad de los músicos durante el show y evitará problemas técnicos que generen pérdidas de la señal de audio. En caso de utilizar monitores de piso y/o side fill, la persona encargada de monitores deberá realizar una ecualización por cada zona para evitar posibles retroalimentaciones. A su vez, en el área de FOH también deberá hacerse una ecualización y revisión del sistema de PA completo. (main PA, subwoofers, front fill, out fill, delay, etcétera).

Al término de este trabajo que ambos ingenieros realizan paralelamente, deben coincidir en hacer un line check, en el cual, con ayuda de los técnicos de escenario, revisan cada uno de los inputs en donde se verifica que llegue la señal de audio sin inducción, con una polaridad correcta y de acuerdo al input list.

A continuación se realiza el soundcheck, mismo que tiene como objetivo hacer una prueba de sonido, en el que los músicos tocan algunas canciones, mismas que normalmente tienen dinámicas que ayudan a los ingenieros a escuchar cómo responde el sonido y el sistema de amplificación dentro del recinto. Otra forma de realizar la prueba de sonido es haciendo un soundcheck virtual, que consta en reproducir multitracks previamente grabados de algún otro show y/o ensayo; esto se utiliza normalmente cuando alguno o todos los músicos no puedan presentase físicamente a la prueba de sonido, tomando en cuenta que para llevarlo a cabo se deberá contar con el equipo apropiado.

Otro factor importante al sonorizar shows en vivo es que usualmente no mezclamos en los mismos lugares; esto hace que aunque se trate del mismo grupo musical y se cuente con el mismo el mismo equipo, el show suene diferente, bien sea debido a características acústicas del recinto o a las condiciones atmosféricas del lugar. La humedad, la temperatura, el público y el viento son factores sumamente importantes que afectan directamente al sonido, por lo que se deben contemplar antes de mezclar.

Por ejemplo:

La velocidad del aire cambia cuando hay alguna variación atmosférica de humedad, viento y temperatura, de manera que debemos de tomar en cuenta el clima, así como también la altitud de donde estemos trabajando. Un show que se realiza en un recinto al aire libre será muy diferente a cuando se mezcle el mismo grupo, pero en un lugar cerrado. Esto es por la acústica del teatro, pero por otro lado, en un sitio en exteriores, nos ocasionará muchos más cambios climáticos, aunque evitará posiblemente ondas estacionarias que provocan alteraciones en el sonido. Es por esto que debemos considerar primero varios factores técnicos al hacer nuestra mezcla antes de tomar en cuenta la parte artística.

Si tomamos en cuenta todo lo anterior, deberíamos haber llegado a un punto de seguridad, el cual nos permitirá enfocarnos con mayor claridad y tranquilidad en la parte artística, que es realizar una mezcla clara, precisa y balanceada, sin perder la atención en la parte técnica.

 

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