At this time of year — when the members of our celebrated audio industry descend upon one town or another and fill massive convention centers with miles and aisles of new, state-of-the-art audio technology — my thoughts turn to control. After all, every item on display at AES is purporting to present the user with more control of their mix along with the promise — spoken and unspoken — that each new piece of technological wizardry will offer a newer, faster and more efficient way to manipulate and manage the mechanics of their audio world.
What We Take for Granted
There are many items and concepts of control that we take for granted. Tools that at one time did not exist, but through diligence, need and brilliance were made manifest by a few great minds that could not only visualize them, but actualize them as well. What we take for granted as everyday items in our audio arsenal are things that at one time did not exist when the need arose. To name just a few of the technological innovations that have aided the audio engineer in his or her quest for ultimate control, I would have to include such every day controls as parametric EQ, compression, noise gates and 31 band equalization.
Wireless microphones and personal monitors have become a mainstay in the industry, and although they are relatively new to the scene, digital consoles and line array speaker systems are almost a prerequisite on most riders. With the advent of computers and digital technology, speaker management has been taken to a new level of controlled use. Wireless and digital advances now make it possible for the monitor engineer to walk the stage while ringing out wedges and mixing at the same time, thus doing away with any intermediary help and again allowing the engineer more control.
A Plethora of Technology
Every year at the AES convention the tried-and-true established audio companies and many new upstart businesses put forward a plethora of new and updated technological advances to be picked through and assessed by all of us control-obsessed audio engineers.
Just for the record, I totally support being in command of an environment that could so easily spiral out of control at any moment. All engineers are fully aware of how frightening it is to be behind a console during a show and have something go wrong. Thirty seconds of downtime can feel like time without end in a very hot place, therefore, we try to avoid any of these eternal moments by doing our best to control all situations during a show.
It is my experience that to avoid sweating bullets during a show, most successful audio/production people live by the Boy Scout mantra “be prepared.” State-of-the-art equipment is definitely one of the key ingredients for maintaining control of the audio stew, but as we all know, anything can happen, which is why most engineers try to ensure their success by preparation. It’s not easy nor is it always possible to plan for every situation, but based upon our experiences and our skills, we try to do just that with varying degrees of success.
Only Words
A good blend is in the details and most engineers are constantly tinkering with the audio mix in an effort to achieve perfection. Perfection, as we all know, is a rather high bar to jump. Therefore, the successful engineers I know are, to a fault, diligent and detail-oriented in their search for flawlessness. I say to a fault because I have often seen this meticulousness and attention to detail misconstrued as a negative trait and described by others as “picky,” overbearing,” “fussy,” “demanding,” and even “anal-retentive,” or in hip terms just “anal.” The term “anal retentive” has slipped into our vernacular due to an acceptance of Freudian psycho-babble and is often used as a pejorative to describe a person with an obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is not a very eloquent way of describing a person — let alone an audio engineer — but be that as it may, it is part of the contemporary lexicon.
Some people, who are a little more laid back in their approach to production and audio, view the engineer’s attention to detail as demanding and arrogant. Many times an engineer will refuse to share consoles or snakes. Engineers are very particular about what they need in order to make a show successful and often do get an attitude when told they cannot get what they want. So, this “anal-retentive” becomes known as arrogant and now they are seen as “cocky anal-retentive.” Of course, if the engineer keeps insisting upon getting what they want, they will also become known as an “asshole,” which, for those of you who may not know, is a derogative term and is definitely not the same as being “anal.”
I have heard certain engineers being described as “anal,” and others described as being an “asshole,” but the one that really made me wince was when I heard an engineer described as being an “anal asshole.” Sort of a weird mixed metaphor, but given the choice, I think I would rather be an “anal asshole” than a “horse’s patoot” since, if I am correct, a horse’s patoot is a euphemism referring to the rear portion of the aforementioned animal.
Part of Our Job Description
Recently, I mixed a popular morning radio show, and since it was an early morning show we were required to load in and set up the day before. I insisted upon bringing my console as well as all my microphones, stands and personal monitors. I was being somewhat “anal” about my gear and actually had a bit of a fit when I was informed that I had to use his in-house snake. Therefore, I became somewhat of an “asshole” when I insisted that the house technician stay overtime and be available for a sound check when we arrived to set up the gear.
Although I had been an “anal asshole,” all went well at the check, and it wasn’t until the band started to play the next morning that the show’s host stated screaming that he did not have any vocal in his headphones. The house technician blamed me for not sending them the vocal, but I was sending them a stereo mix and I had a great full mix (if I say so myself), which included the vocal. Turns out that the on-air mix was fine, but the house technician neglected to send the host of the show a headphone mix, and while the band had everything in their ears, the host could only hear what his studio microphones were picking up.
I felt like a “horse’s patoot” due to the fact that the in-house engineer had not been “anal” or “asshole” enough. I had taken for granted that the house audio tech knew what he had to do. When he verified he was receiving signal, I just assumed that he was sending signal everywhere it needed to be sent, and while technically the blunder was not my fault, I assumed some of the blame because I had not been a bigger “anal asshole.”
That said, have fun at AES. Be particular, ask questions, demand answers and find new equipment that helps you maintain control of your domain. Remember that it’s OK to be an “anal asshole” and that in certain ways it’s part of our job description. If you have successful gigs then consider the sobriquet a badge of honor. One should take solace in the fact that being an “anal asshole” is better than being a “horse’s patoot.” Try not to feel self-conscious about your “anal assholiness” and remember that you will be in a convention center surrounded by like-minded souls.
