Holiday Gift Ideas for Sound People
Hopefully we have all survived the annual gastronomical excess known as Thanksgiving, so it’s time to start working on that holiday gift list. If there’s an audio engineer lurking on your list, maybe it’s time to break away from the clichéd multi-tool that always seems to appear under the tree. How many Leathermans or Gerbers does one really need? Plus, one always runs the risk of losing these tools to a lapse of memory that results in sheepishly handing the tool to that smug TSA person who noticed that you hadn’t removed it from your carry-on.
Instead, I want to offer a few suggestions that might be worthy of consideration. Let’s start simple, with clothing. My only foray into audio-related tourware resulted in the creation of the A-1 Audio tour jacket that enjoyed semi-iconic status among road crews in the 1980s. In 1979, Bobby Ross and I generated a rainbow graphic on a silver grid using Fletcher-Munson equal loudness curves. We had the design embroidered on the back of a navy blue sateen baseball jacket so it would be large and easily noticed. I enjoyed the irony of presenting an esoteric and complex audio research guideline as an attractive bit of eye candy.
In Fashion
I’m no fashion maven, but I’ve seen two or three designs that piqued my interest in a similar fashion to the A-1 jacket design. The first is a T-shirt from Cafe Press, (www.cafepress.com/mf/40262493/scfpacific_tshirt) with a graphic depiction of the sidechain concept (see above). There are so many ways of employing the audio sidechain to de-ess, compress, gate or duck that hours of stimulating conversation can be generated by just wearing this single piece of casual clothing. I’m definitely asking Santa for this one.
A different, yet equally attractive T-shirt design falls into the “More People Need to Read These, Please,” category. If essential information like microphone polar patterns or frequency response graphs is displayed as accessible art, maybe people will get the idea that the paperwork that came with the mic you just bought isn’t intended to line the cat’s litter box. This Giggware (www.zazzle.com/giggware) shirt design from is both another instant conversation starter as well as groovy art. The more attention all of us pay to reading the documentation, the more educated our community becomes. Wear this with pride.
On the silly side, Giggware also offers a shirt emblazoned with the “Suck Knob,” which lives in infamy as the punch line depicted in Gary Larson’s classic “Raymond’s last day as the band’s sound technician” cartoon.
Sound Choices
Moving to the practical. Our livelihoods depend on our hearing, and ear protection cannot be stressed enough. Sounds produced from speaker systems is not the only workplace audio danger we face. Noisy forklifts, wheels on truck ramps, dropped load bars, hammers banging on trusses and staging, clanging chair dollies and even people yelling can all permanently damage hearing through prolonged exposure. Use earplugs whenever possible. Step up from disposable foam models and try the ETY-Plugs from Etymotic Research (www.etymotic.com), which are a bargain at $12.95.
I highly recommend something that produces sweet and listenable sounds within your ears. My favorite in-ear product is Future Sonics’ $170 Atrio (www.futuresonics.com). These single-driver earphones have been in my toolkit since they first came out. I use them everywhere, and Atrios also come in handy when one of the musicians forgets to bring his or her “ears” to the gig. On the plane or on the stage, this excellent product earns my highest praise.
My preference for gig headphones has never been for expensive, super-accurate, totally sealed over-the-ear models and a product with response characteristics that are complemented by the sound already coming from the PA provides the most useful mixing information. I’ve used Sony MDR-V6s for years to pick things out of a mix or for cueing effects. Sennheiser’s HD-280 Pro headphones, another excellent product, are also employed by many of my colleagues. Both the 280s and V6s can be found for less than $100. Headphones should be replaced or re-diaphragmed regularly. Normal wear and tear, frequent dropping and hours of music exposure significantly affect headphone response and accuracy. Ask for some new ones this year.
Getting Practical
How many times have you left your 1/8-inch mini stereo to dual male XLR adapter cable behind at your last gig? It’s always good to have a spare. Lately, I have been using the Hosa CYX-402M (about $13). Have one put in your stocking.
Maintaining a healthy, germ-free work environment both artists and technicians is a good idea. Microphome ($8.95), a cleaner/sanitizer/deodorizer for vocal mics, can help. This fast-drying cleaning foam is spread onto the outside of the mic grille, safely away from the internal electronics. After about two minutes, the foam evaporates, promising to leave the mic 99.99 percent germ-free.
Flashlights are fantastic for filling a sound person’s stocking. At FOH, I use the Inova X5 series 5-LED flashlight (about $30). It’s a nice, bright flood in a tough steel package. I used to carry the titanium colored one. However, it’s exactly the same color as the surface of the Avid VENUE console that I use and I kept losing track of where I put it. I put that one in my car and replaced it with the black version. Inova and Streamlight make a variety of road tough and very bright handheld and headworn flashlights, with tight beam, long-throw models to wide beam, short-throw units. Streamlight also offers many rechargeable models.
There are a few other sound person essentials that are often provided in a company workbox. Cable testers like the Behringer CT 100 ($30), the Ebtech Swizz Army Cable Tester ($80) or the Hosa CBT-500 ($40) are must-haves in any toolkit. A Whirlwind Q-Box ($185) is something every responsible sound company will include for troubleshooting convenience. If these are missing from your workbox, Santa should make a stop at your sound company. These are as necessary as a good multimeter.
I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season and best wishes for a happy, busy and prosperous 2013. Safe travels!
