This issue marks the 10-year anniversary of FRONT of HOUSE. On the occasion of this "Decade Milestone," I'd like to thank a few people, starting with you, the readers.
There are two kinds of people in our world: those who have lived on a tour bus and everyone else. The bus is a classroom for "getting ‘er done" because the show must go on – today. It also teaches us about getting along with others, being part of a family and, of course, teamwork. It also instructs about both loyalty, and payback, if you've been following our "Nightmare" serial.
In the live event business, no one ever achieved much without help from others. I'd like to thank my bus mates and everyone I've ever shared the cab of a truck with at 3:00 a.m.
"Please" and "thank you" are called "magic words." Did things go well today? Perhaps you didn't use the magic words. Do yourself a favor: Tomorrow, make a point to say "please" and "thank you" and see if it goes a bit better. I'll also point out that it begins at home, with the people in your family who put up with your passion for a career that constantly steals you away and penalizes them.
I personally must also thank Herb Mayer of Sun Sound Audio who gave me my first real audio job (and KF850s) and put me in the cab of that truck. ("Sure, I can drive a truck!") More importantly, Herb saw the famous 1984 Super Bowl Macintosh ad and put a Mac 128 on my desk.
I also honor Steve Jobs, who passed as we were going to press – I had my own technology moment of silence in his honor and turned off my MacBook, MacBook Pro, Mac Mini, iPad, iPod and iPhone for five minutes to reflect on his gift to us this last quarter-century.
JBL's David Scheirman has been a great mentor over the years, and my life and those of countless others benefit greatly thanks to his involvement. Good luck with the new job.
At my own half-year equinox, I must thank each of our contributors – the FOH "A Team" of writers – they're the best. I've spent my time on both sides of the fence as a technical writer and a working engineer, so I know it can be hard – when faced with live sound's "daily slings and arrows of outrageous fortune" – to consistently find just the right words to write careful, thoughtful copy that teaches us about ourselves, our industry and all the new-fangled kit.
Baker Lee, audio production coordinator for New York's SIR (endlessly providing "a mic for five hundred people") has been with FOH so long that he's up to column 119, making it his tenth year.
Woody LaCerra, FOH engineer for Blue Öyster Cult (never-ending weekend dart-board tour for iconic rock Gods) has been with FOH eight years, but spent the decade before that with EQ.
Jamie Rio, who makes it his tireless mission to serve those who serve audio for those who serve God, has been in FOH since the first issue.
Dan Daley, the pro-audio writer's writer (also a talented musician, songwriter and producer) for the last quarter century, has written for more magazines than I'll ever read – as well as a few books – has also been with FOH from the beginning.
David Morgan, FOH mixer to the stars (out mixing Joe Walsh right now) has "only" been with FOH as long as I have, but writes as succinctly as he mixes, producing word-perfect copy as if he's been doing it his whole life.
New contributor Phil Graham (www.
passbandLLC.com), who wrote an introductory thesis on design and construction of subwoofers for his first article, is also working on his PhD at the Georgia Institute of Technology's School of Materials Science and Engineering.
I must also thank the production staff at Timeless Communications, who work tirelessly to also produce PLSN, Stage Directions and the Event Production Directory, as well as the Parnelli Awards. Art director Garret Petrov, managing editor Frank Hammel and production manager Victoria Scott work long hours, and I couldn't begin to do it without them.
I arrived with two priorities when I came to FOH. First is to provide the best possible product for our industry, for the readers and the manufacturers. Written by and for people who live and die with the quality of their audio every day, because good is never good enough when you're providing a service that clients and patrons can't fully understand (but is immediately compared to audio playback in cars, home entertainment and movie theaters).
Every day working with sound systems we ask ourselves: "What one thing can we do differently that would make a major improvement? What frequency should be tweaked? What plugin should I use? What amps and/or processors should I upgrade to?"
At the Parnelli Awards (you're going, aren't you?) I'll get to thank Audio Innovator Kenton Forsythe who, for me, is the Steve Jobs of loudspeakers and was (figuratively) by my side from the beginning, from humping Forsythe bins into a Dodge van to mixing FOH on KF 850s at my first Radio City Music Hall show at age 29. Along the way I met members of the KF850 users group, which has become a life-long fraternity.
Ten years may be old for line arrays and digital consoles, but FOH is just hitting its stride. And if we needed one more reason to celebrate, please check FOH's iPad app, my second priority from day one. What!? You don't have an iPad yet?
Finally, on this tenth anniversary, I must thank the advertisers who have been supporting FOH from the very beginning: A&H, EAW, E-V, JBL, KT, Lab.gruppen, L-Acoustics, Martin, Meyer, Schubert, Soundcraft, QSC and Jerry Harvey. Thank you very much.
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life." – Steve Jobs
