When you contract for a new gig at a venue you've never been in before, checking out or "advancing" the venue well before the gig is a good idea–and doing it a few weeks before is a very good idea. By knowing ahead of time what you are facing in terms of logistics, your truck/trailer pack can be optimized so you are not bringing in the "kitchen sink" to cover the unknowns.
Come Prepared
Read More »People who want to see Beatles music performed live, particularly with a variety of male and female singers, will get a kick out of Lennon. Approved by Yoko Ono, the show offers glimpses into John Lennon's life, from birth through the Beatles to his untimely death in 1980. The show is unusual in that several people portray Lennon, often in the same scene, and it offers a good blend of drama and humor. Despite the mixed reaction the musical has received from critics, no one can deny the superb vocal talents of the cast. And from a sound angle, the show's continual interplay of music and dialogue makes it a tough juggling act for any mixer.
Read More »In recent years, AES shows have tended to be measured quantitatively, particularly in the wake of the 2001 terror attacks in New York City. That year, the annual U.S. iteration of the audio technology convention and exhibition was scheduled to take place literally within a couple of weeks of 9/11. Most of the organization's own assessments of the shows since then tend to emphasize its size, while exhibitors would be naturally inclined to assess the show based on floor traffic.
Read More »Scott Flaws
Production Manager/
Systems Engineer FOH
K.C. Audio
Alsip, IL
scottflaws@hotmail.com
Quote: Don't get all 2K on me…
Personal Info: Been in the business for 20 years now, still having fun and trying NOT to reinvent the wheel.
Services Provided: Live audio engineer/recording, production and tour management.
Read More »Dear Anklebiters,
When doing a permanent install in a small room, how big is too big for speakers? Is it not detrimental to the human ear to have too high an SPL in an enclosed space? Does one simply judge decibel levels relatively with your ear?
Zack, Lakewood, CO
Jamie: Well, Zack, let me start by saying that I like your name. My dog is named Zack. And hopefully, this answer will get to you before you put too many decibels in that small room of yours.
Read More »When FOH first started publishing three years ago (yes, this issue marks the end of our third year), we had already talked about the electronic components of the magazine. The Web site has been there for a while, and the electronic version has grown rapidly and has extended our reach to areas of the globe that were impractical when it came to mailing printed copies of the magazine. But on the question of peer-to- peer, electronic communication online, it might have seemed that we were slacking.
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For a place that acts as the tabernacle for old-time American music, the Grand Ole Opry has kept itself remarkably up to date. Like country music itself, it benefits from a periodic infusion of new ideas. The Opry is an institution that once banned drums from its stage (though bolder artists in the 1950s would have a kit playing behind the velour curtain of the Ryman Auditorium, the Opry's original home). But on a night this spring, the drums were as up-front in the mix as they are on the radio. Top 40 radio, even.
Read More »OK, it's official–I'm an audio expert. No, really, I'm not just saying this to impress; I am officially an expert and I can prove it. Unfortunately, at this time, if I do reveal any references, names or places I will have to erase the reader's memory by writing a subliminal memory erase code into this text. This, of course, I'd like to avoid at all costs because it is not a specific memory erase code and, if used, may erase much more of the user's memory than necessary. It could mean that the reader, while not being able to remember anything written in this article, may also lose the capability to remember things like how to set up gain structure, how to read an input list or even simple things such as the formula for Ohm's law or how to use the internal computer on the Midas H- 3000 console. Therefore, be satisfied with the information I give you and all will be well.
Read More »I have been privileged to provide audio gear and production for Good Charlotte on a few occasions and the band has always sounded great–a fact that I attribute not only to the equipment, but to the professionalism of their seasoned engineers. I was scheduled to arrive at the Good Charlotte show at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia to interview their audio engineers, but true to form, I got overbooked and couldn't make it. Fortunately, I managed to catch up to Vince Buller (monitors) and Gary Ferenchak (FOH) in cyberspace for a conversation, and they were sporting enough to make the dialogue happen.
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Owned by the City of Anaheim and managed since 2003 by Anaheim Arena Management, LLC, the Arrowhead Pond opened in 1993. In addition to being home to the NHL's Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, the Pond hosts major sporting events and yearly shows such as the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and the Disney on Ice, and books major concerts each year. Some of those events pushed the limits of the arena's previous console–a 16-input analog board with eight subs, eight matrix outs and four aux outs.
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During my meager eight-year career in live sound, I have only feared for my safety on two occasions. One was an angry rap concert with no security to speak of, which isn't surprising, but the other was a Pentecostal revival.
Being a Christian, I always enjoy working church-related events, especially those which are, to some degree, more energetic than the ones I've experienced in my entirely Southern Baptist upbringing. But this was an evening I'll never forget.
Read More »The music on the current Robert Plant tour is a mix of different eras and vibes. Some covers, some tunes from the new record, some of the solo hits from the '80s and '90s and a whole bunch of Zep. Most of the band backing this rock and roll elder statesman consists of kids–what's left of the Brit trip-hop unit Portishead. Likewise, the production is a mix of state-of-the-art Meyer MILOs mixed with old-school stalwarts, including Midas H3000s at both FOH and monitors, and lots of screaming Turbosound wedges on stage.
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