Editor’s Note

This month, the audio tradeshow season finally wraps up, with the LDI Show in Las Vegas (Oct. 15 to 21) and the AES Convention in San Francisco (Oct 26 to 29). Maybe “season” is the wrong word for a period that kicks off in January at Winter NAMM, (followed by Musikmesse/PL+S, NAB, InfoComm, PALM, Summer NAMM, PALA, PLASA, LDI and AES) and extends well into October. That 10-month period actually eclipses the length of the NBA season (quite a feat), and if you add in regional/specialized events — such as Sweetwater GearFest or PreSonuSphere — you’re never really very far away (in time or distance) from some kind of event or tradeshow having to do with pro audio.

It’s been a long time since a lot of us (including myself) were in school. In fact, learning about the techniques and tools of our trade didn’t come from formal classroom teachings, but grabbing what you could, either through trial and error or — if you were really lucky, having some one-on-one time with a seasoned pro, who could walk you through the ropes.

A couple month’s ago, FOH’s always-effervescent — and ever-insightful — columnist Baker Lee wrote about the very real problems of substance abuse and addiction that face many members of our community. But that’s not the only obsession many of us are afflicted with. For me, I’m ready to come clean: I’m a total microphone junkie, and I suspect this affliction strikes many of you as well.

It’s been a couple weeks since InfoComm 2012 and by all accounts, this year’s event was one of the most successful shows that organization has presented in recent memory. (Note: For highlights and insights on InfoComm 2012, CLICK HERE). Attendance was up, there was no shortage of new technology, new tools and new toys to check out, and the vibe among attendees — both exhibitors and visitors — was uncompromisingly positive. All of the above are good signs that bode well for the overall health of the industry.

Okay, you purists out there may insist that summer doesn’t officially kick in for a couple weeks, but it sure feels like summer, for a lot of reasons. The weather’s heating up, the kids are out of school and, if not summer, well… the travel season is well underway. And if truth be told, the sound season is off to a good start and showing signs of good health.

Once upon a time and long ago, most of us were enticed into becoming sound reinforcement professionals. Of course, at the time, few of us realized that this meant taking a lifelong oath of poverty (we’re never paid what we’re truly worth) and abuse — when it’s right no one notices; when something’s wrong, it’s always our fault. But we love what we do and stick to it in spite of any such minor trivialities.

Now that the Grammys have come and gone we can all go out and buy Adele’s 21, Foo Fighters’ Wasting Light, Skrillex’ Scary Monsters, Taylor Swift’s Speak Now, Bon Iver’s Bon Iver, Tony Bennett’s Duets II, The Civil Wars’ Barton Hollow, Alison Krauss’ Paper Airplane, Corea, Clarke & White’s Forever and maybe even Kanye West’s Twisted Fantasy since they all won multiple awards.

Just in time for the New Year’s upcoming presidential elections, the latest economic report has the annual rate of growth for the U.S. during the last quarter at 2.8%, in part due to new car sales and inventory replenishing, and though we’re still on a long slow climb out of 2008’s recession, modest sustained growth is not only possible, it’s likely. To quote Kevin Costner in the film adaptation of David Brin’s post-apocalyptic The Postman, “Stuff’s getting better. Stuff’s getting better every day.”

Once considered just a “music store” show, NAMM has evolved into a premier showcase for pro products for live sound, touring, and even the installed sound market. We make the annual pilgrimage to Anaheim for the Winter NAMM show after our holiday cheer has worn off and before the Super Bowl and Grammys get us all wound up again.