Dave Unger - Live Sound Engineer

Tesla v. Edison

2011-12-07T12:23:00.001-06:00

Hoyle Brothers at Old Town School 9/17/10

2011-11-26T13:17:00.001-06:00

I just found this video of the Chicago honky tonk country group The Hoyle Brothers playing at Old Town School on 9/17/10. They were opening for the Texas Tornadoes. I did sound for this. They kick ass.

Here is another video from that night:

Live Sound For Salsa Music

2011-09-05T12:56:00.000-05:00

Salsa music is a genre of latin music with many sub-genres. I have run sound for many traditional salsa bands from quite a few of these sub-genres. I will be discussing how to make it sound good in a general way.

First off, as an engineer you must be well prepared. Very very seldom do salsa bands show up for sound checks, at least from my experience here in Chicago. I'm not sure why this is. Everything would be much easier for the band and the engineers if they did show up to a sound check, but as it is, you must have everything set up, and the monitors rung out in preparation for the musicians to show up at the last minute.

The most common set-up for a salsa band is:

1. A percussion section consisting of congas, timbales, and bongos, cowbell, (or whatever instrument is playing the clave rhythm.) They usually set up dead center stage.
2. A horn section of anywhere from 2 trombones to a full selection of bones, trumpets and saxes. They usually are upstage left.
3. Bass (usually electric stand-up these days.) Usually upstage right.
4. Keyboard or piano often are down stage right.
5. Lead vocals get down stage center.
6. With some bands many of the musicians sing back up.
7. I've run into a few salsa bands that have other instruments such as electric guitars, trap kits, or even strings.

Percussion:

1. Congas should be the loudest thing in the mix, and loud in the monitors as well. I like to use EV 408s (what they now call the 468) on congas, or Sennheiser 421s. I definitely prefer dynamic mics, so a 57 is preferable to clip-on condenser drum mics. There are three types of congas, the tumba is the lowest, then there is the conga, which is the mid range instrument, and the highest toned one is the quinto. If they have all three (many people only use a tumba and a conga) I prefer one mic on each drum, but often I am forced by lack of channels to use two mics on the three drums.

2. Timbales are very loud acoustically. They are played very dynamically. Indoors they often don't need to be miced, however you should always put at least one mic of them, just in case. I prefer two mics on a set of timbales. One (a dynamic mic) is placed underneath in between the two drums. The other mic (usually a condenser) is placed over the various cowbells and percussion toys that are mounted over the drums. If you have enough channels then you can use one mic under each timbal and two over heads. You might have to put the bottom mics out of polarity. Usually there is no need to put them through the monitors. In general the timbal is lower than the congas in the mix.

3. Bongos Are pretty quiet acoustically, yet need to be nearly as loud as the congas in the mix. They are played sitting down, and the best way to mic them is from behind. The mic goes on a short stand, placed under the player's chair with the mic ending up underneath the drum. Any dynamic mic will work for this, I prefer the EV 408 but a 57 works fine.

4. The Clave Rhythm is played by different instruments in different varieties of the music. Often it is played with wood blocks. In Puerto Rican salsa it is played with a cowbell. I use a 57 to mic it. Often it is played by the bongo player. It needs to be nearly as loud as the congas in both the FOH mix and monitors. Yes, they will ask for more cowbell in the monitor, and they are not making an allusion to the Saturday Night Live Skit.

The mix:

If you are familiar with the genre, then you will know the how the mix should sound. If you are not, and are setting out to mix salsa for the first time, do some research. Listen to as much of the music as you can. You Tube is free, folks, use it to study any type of music you are going to mix. This is not an option, it is your job. Buy music - You can write it off. I'm working on a blog post about this subject alone, keep an eye out for it.

As I've said the congas should be the loudest thing in the mix. This idea, that any percussion could be louder than vocals, seemed very strange to me when I first mixed this genre. After some study, it became clear to me though that this is the right way to do it. After the congas generally the vocals are little louder than the other percussion. The next loudest thing will be the piano, bass and the horns, all at about the same level. All that said, you need to make sure that when there is a piano or horn solo that they are the loudest thing at that moment. Usually the band takes care of dynamics themselves, with non-soloing instruments playing quieter when others are soloing. You shouldn't have to actively turn up solos all the time. I usually don't compress anything too much, allowing room in the mix for the band to mix themselves through their arrangements.

I use very little reverb, just a touch on the vocals and horns, however many sound people use quite a lot of reverb in salsa music. This is a matter of personal taste I'd say. My mentor always said, "if you can hear the reverb, you are using too much," a sentiment that I agree with.

All in all, salsa (especially in it's traditional forms) can be a lot of fun to mix. Once you get the mix to sit right, you should be able to sit back and watch the show. Usually salsa fans like it loud, so bring ear plugs and crank it up.

If There Is No Quiet, There Can Be No Loud

2011-04-07T11:12:00.002-05:00

This video is a great explanation of the loudness wars. Essential viewing for all engineers.

Sennheiser headphone hack

2011-03-20T13:08:00.000-05:00

Cheaper Sennheiser headphones use same driver as more expensive ones.

http://mikebeauchamp.com/misc/sennheiser-hd-555-to-hd-595-mod/

Yemen Blues show 2/27/11 at Old Town School

2011-03-20T13:04:00.000-05:00

I was lucky enough to work this show at Old Town School a few weeks ago. I didn't mix, but their engineer did a great job!

10 Technical Concepts Every Sound Person Should Understand From Karl Winkler

2010-10-05T12:55:00.005-05:00

This is a great list of basic concepts any sound person should know, via Karl Winkler on Pro Sound Web.

Danny Barnes on How to Make a Living as a Musician

2010-09-25T13:57:00.002-05:00

Danny Barnes, the brilliant banjo player has some great advice for musicians. I have been lucky enough to do sound for him a few times. Once he and Robbie Fulks played a live soundtrack to a silent film. That was cool.

How to Make a Living as a Musician.

Also from Danny, Why the Music Industry is Not Fucked. (My title, not his)

Here is a killer video I found of him playing at Martyr's here in Chicago with Robbie Fulks and Casey Driessen.

Mixing Indian Music

2010-06-22T02:14:00.005-05:00

I have worked with quite a few Indian Classical and folk groups. In general I prefer dynamic mics on percussion and condensers on anything with strings. Harmoniums will get a condenser as well, usually.

I will ask them politely to let me mic them up the way I want if they are requesting 57s and 58s for the following reasons...

Tablas:

Although most classical guys like one or two 57s, I have found that two EV 408s sound fantastic on tablas. I have had quite a few tabla players ask me at the end of the gig what the mics I used were called and where can they get them. Just because they mostly get 57s in India doesn't mean that they are the right mic for the job. There are a lot of tones going on with tablas, and while you can make a 57 work, they pale in comparison to a good mic and necessitate a lot of EQ work, especially to get the top end ring to sound right (as well as the low end whump.) The absolute best tabla sound I ever got was with a single 441. 421s, M88s and RE 20s also sound great.

Sitar, Sarod, Veenas, or other stringed instruments:

I don't think a 57 or 58 could possibly have the frequency range to adequately mic these instruments. I have never had a sitar player turn down a condenser. I use the best one I have handy, small or large diaphragm. I prefer a Neumann km184 , but have made an 81 work. Have the musician play and put your ear close to it. Find the sweet spot.

I have never gone direct from a tambura box. I have always just laid a 57 near it. It is not supposed to be very loud. For the real instruments I prefer a condenser.

I once miced an Indian flute with a ribbon mic from above. Quite nice.

A few general tips:

Do not over EQ the system.

Once a rug is put on the stage remove your shoes before walking on it. When in Rome. I have a long and very funny story about not doing this that I will not go into here.

Don't mix too much. Don't compress ANYTHING. Give them all the dynamic range you can. They will handle their own mix.

If they want monitors, they will want sidefills only, most likely.

If you are unfamiliar with the music, educate yourself. Buy some Cds of Ravi Shankar, Zakir Hussein, and some other great players so you have an idea of what the balance is supposed to be like. Listen to them play together acoustically before you amplify them. Their instruments should sound exactly the same, but louder. Also, remember that India is a huge place, with many kinds of music. I have run across every type of Indian music from the more folky stuff to Classical, to fusion. Classical guys can be VERY intense to work with. They are picky, as all people who care about their art should be.

Here is a blog post I wrote about mixing Debashish Bhattacharya:

This post comes from a discussion on Pro Sound Web

Post Script:
I recently received an email from a musicology student in Pakistan asking about microphone placement in Indian recordings. I responded to him from my perspective as a live sound engineer. Here is my response to his questions:

Hello Sir,

Thank you for writing to me with you questions. I hope that the recent flooding in Pakistan hasn't affected you or you family and that you are well.

I am actually not a recording engineer. I am a live concert engineer with many years of experience in mixing acoustic shows of all sorts. This has included many Indian shows. Techniques used in live concert production and recording differ greatly, I can only respond to your questions from the perspective of concert sound.

Q1. What basic difference is in recording western and eastern instruments? Which is more difficult to record eastern or western instruments? (To achieve best sound quality)

I believe that the complexity of Indian and Pakistani music makes it far more difficult to work with. In the west we only have a 12 tone scale. Eastern music contains far more tones that need to be represented clearly.

Q2.What is the basic rule for recording an acoustic instrument?

My basic rule for mixing acoustic instruments it to attempt to represent that instrument as perfectly, and naturally as possible.

Q3. Did you apply western techniques on eastern instruments, or find a sweetspot for the recording?

This is one major way that recording and live techniques differ. In a recording I would be tempted to use a single ribbon mic or a pair of condensers to record an entire ensemble, especially if recording in a nice room. It seems to me that "tracking" a recording of ragas (for instance) would be very hard.

In the live setting however, I close mic everything, finding a sweetspot on each and every instrument.

Q4. How many eastern instruments you have recorded?

I have worked with many instruments from all over the world.

Q5.How crucial role does “microphone placement plays in recording an acoustic instrument?

In the live setting where I work microphone placement is very very important. Every instrument has a sweet spot. I have found that most Indian musicians (especially classical ones and fusion players) are very particular about microphone placement and know exactly where to place the mics for best effect.

Q6. How do u choose between different polar pattern microphone i.e. ( cardioid, omni, bi-direct, hyper/super cardioid) for different instruments.

In my world, I choose mostly different types of cardioid mics, as I have to deal with feedback from monitors are the main speakers systems if I use omnis or bi-directional mics. In a studio I would use the best mics available.

Q7. What are the basic factors which are responsible for a good recording?

These factors are important in both recording and live mixing, in order of importance:

1. Good quality musicians, instruments.

2. Good quality mics and pre-amps

3. Microphone placement

4. A good room to record/mix in.

Q8.Which technique suits the best for eastern instruments: close miking or distant miking, if individual instruments are recorded?

For a recording I think I would prefer distance miking, or a combination of close and distance miking. For my world of live concerts I only use close micing.

Q9. Microphone choice/brand

Microphone placement

Polar pattern/ Dynamic range

Above three which plays the major role in getting good quality recording?

Microphone placement is the most important of these, but microphone quality is a close second. Brand names are just an indication of quality. Polar pattern/ Dynamic range is also extremely important.

Q10. Is it necessary to put dual microphone in recording an instrument? For instrument such as tabla which has two drums, and sitar which has a long neck and sometimes two drones.

In my blog I go in depth into mixing tablas. I prefer two mics on tabla, but many classical tabla players prefer one. I have used two mics on sitar but have also used one to good effect. I used two mics on Debashish Bhattacharya's guitars and Ronu Majumdar's flute.

I hope that these answers help you. I would be interested to read your thesis upon it's completion.

-Dave

Here is a photo from a recent concert I did sound for as part of India Calling, a festival of Indian music that is a part of Chicago World Music Festival. At this festival I mixed flute player Ronu Majumdar for a second time using an SM81 with a windscreen and a Beta 87 on his flute. I used EV 408s on tablas all weekend.

What you perceive is not necessarily what you hear

2010-03-05T12:56:00.005-06:00

Thanks to Dave Rat for linking to this video from AES:

This discussion is mostly geared towards recording, however much of what is discussed, e.g. the placebo effect, relates to live audio. The first quarter of the talk is especially interesting, regarding how the human brain perceives sound. For my thoughts regarding how our perception effects live mixing see this post.

Uncle Earl - Recording of my live mix from New Years Eve 2010

2010-02-15T15:50:00.005-06:00

On New Years Eve this year I was lucky enough to work the Uncle Earl/ Infamous Stringdusters show at the Old Town School of Folk Music. They are both excellent bands, the Stringduster's engineer did a great job with their sound. My mix of Uncle Earl was recorded by a taper, here is a link to the recordings:

Set 1
Set 2

Chicago DCA programmers recognized for all their great work!

2009-12-28T13:15:00.003-06:00

In the new year, I'm reminded how great it is to work with people who truly love music. The public programming folks at the DCA just got this great write-up in the Trib. Here's to more great music in the next decade!

Mixing Bluegrass and Old Time string band music (Reinforcing Folk Instruments)

2009-08-28T12:33:00.016-05:00

Hey folks,

In the world of ensemble folk music, here in America, the most common genre is bluegrass music. The instrumentation is most often some combination of: bass, guitar, fiddle, mandolin, dobro, banjo, and vocals. I will go over the best way to mic up these instruments. Once again the use of direct inputs is discouraged unless you have truly amazing pick-ups and pre-amps. Even in this case the sound can still sound really fake and plugged in. Some people actually like that modern sound. There is no accounting for taste. I have heard a few pick-ups that sound great, but on average I don't care for them.

Firstly, the most natural way to mix this type of music can be to use one large diaphragm condenser. In many situations it is far preferable to close mic all instruments and vocals, especially in cases where gain before feedback is an issue, and or the band wants monitors to be loud. This method requires that the musician know how to do the the dance required to mix themselves. If you are a newbie band, DO NOT run out and start doing this with out first practicing the dance. You could set-up a PA in your rehearsal space, and preferably choreograph your mix, until the mix is second nature. Watch videos of good bands working their mic. The "mix" is put in the hands of the musicians. This can be quite scary for an engineer. I generally high pass the mic up to 100hz or so, dial down the subs (or turn them off, or run them on an aux,) and reinforce the bass separately to deal with any potential low end feedback. Very little monitor is possible for the single LDC method. Any high quality large diaphragm condenser mic will work for this. The Audio-Techinica 4033 seems to be the industry standard, though I have had good luck with the Shure KSM32 and the AKG 414. Del McCoury uses what might be described as "exploded area micing, " a method using four mics. Here is a link to my blog post regarding his set-up.

If you want to close mic each instrument, here are my suggestions. I have already covered bass and fiddle in previous posts. My preference for close micing an instrument is to use a small diaphragm condenser. My favorite is the Neumann KM184. Any high quality SDC will do the trick however. In all cases you should allow that the musicians can "work" their mics, moving in for solos and back for rhythm playing.

Guitar:

The mic should be aimed between the sound hole and the neck joint. The sound AT the sound hole can be very woofy. I find that the key to a good guitar sound is reconciling 200hz. Too much of it and the guitar will sound too boomy, not enough and it will sound too thin.

Mandolin:

The best place to mic a mando is between the f-hole and the strings. The sound of the mando can easily be quite strong in the high-mids. You should EQ is such a way that the sound isn't brittle, yet you can hear every string clearly.

Banjos:

Some banjos are really loud especially the ones with resonators. For the most part these are the types of banjos used for bluegrass. The best place for the mic is right about in the middle between the edge of the drum head and the strings. They can sound kind of tinny if you aren't careful. Sometimes a dynamic mic works better, depending on how they play.

Dobros (or other resonator guitars):

Dobros may well be the hardest instrument in the bluegrass sound to get right. They have a lot of weird overtones, some of which sound a little wrong, or a bit like feedback. Dobros are the only instrument in bluegrass where I prefer a large diaphragm condenser. I recently put a Beyer M160 ribbon mic on one, and really like the results.

The Mix:

So now you've got all the instruments miced up, line checked, and EQed. The most important part of the mix for traditional bluegrass is the vocals. They should reside slightly on top of everything else. Harmonies are a very important part of the sound of bluegrass. The songs also tell stories, so make sure that everything is intelligible.

The instruments should all be heard equally, except when they step in for solos and move up on top. If you set everything up properly, you shouldn't have to be chasing solos. If you have never mixed bluegrass before, do yourself a favor, go out and buy some CDs by the greats. Bill Monroe, Lester Flat, Del McCoury, etc. Study the dynamics, tone and feel of the music. There are also many regional differences if you really want to dive into it. North Carolina music sounds different than Tennessee. What is the band going for stylistically? Do they want to sound like Bill Monroe from the 40s or Allison Krauss from the 90s? As with all music, the more YOU as the engineer listen to, the more educated you are.

With Old Time music (and most bluegrass), the key is to make them sound like they are playing in their living room. They are looking for the most realistic sound possible. Don't mix too much, give the musicians space in the mix. Don't use compressors, very much reverb, or turn it up too loud.

This post is being discussed on PSW: here.

A Metaphysics of Sound Engineering: YOU are in the Signal Path

2009-08-04T13:49:00.014-05:00

One of the most basic concepts that any sound engineer needs to understand is that of the signal path. For this example let us assume the use of an analog console used just for FOH. From the source, a small amount of information is created for every input, it flows through the snake, to the console, where it can be tweaked, amplified, and sent on through outboard gear, to the crossover or DSP, and then to amps and finally to the speakers. You have probably seen this charted.

When the audio leaves the speakers, or rather INFORMATION leaves the speakers, where does it go? How does it effect our model of a sound system? What happens when we add the human element to our signal path?

Humans create the information, such as music, at the source. Unfortunately, humans are by their nature not perfect. Because of this very basic fact, the information they create is in a state of flux. As the real-time flow of info passes through the musicians they adapt and change it according to need. The first of many informational feedback loops happens here. Their music flows through the PA system and after is is amplified creates the next set of nested info feedback loops.

When the sound leaves the speakers, it is then perceived by the engineer. The amplified sound is also mixed with the sound from the stage and any room artifacts (reverb, reflexions, noise floor, etc.) This constant flow of information goes into his/her brain filters both through the engineer's technical knowledge, as well as their aesthetic senses, and is communicated to the hands, which tweak EQ, level of emphasis, etc. The signal is then changed (or not.)

This critical listening and decision making process goes on for as long as there is signal to feed the system. Even the decision to stop making changes is a constant and fluid one. Anywhere in the physical signal path where decisions can be made or variables weighed, one of these informational loops is created. So every decision made, from the placement of mics, to changes in delay at the DSP, creates nested possibilities for informational feedback loops.

What every engineer does on a subconscious level is to constantly explore these loops. What we do involves critical listening on an epic scale. For each and every variable in the system (each channel, each effect, dynamics, effects, delay, etc.) there is an individual decision to be made. We do this in microseconds. "Is the snare sounding right? What is the issue? Does it need to be EQed? Emphasized? Deemphasized? It is fine, move on. Now, how about the vocal?" Questions like these are constantly flowing through our brains. What we need to do is listen to the whole, while also paying attention to all the details. We create a triage in our heads to filter through all the variables, create hierarchies, put out fires, and eventually fine tune the mix.

So why should we care about all of this? I believe that the dynamism of systems is important to understand as it speaks to the need for true critical listening. Because all systems dependent on humans are in flux, we need to remember to always be on our toes.

OTROS AIRES " Chicago Summer Dance Fest"

2009-07-08T14:53:00.004-05:00

I am somewhere under that white EZ-UP. So this is what it sounds like from the Javier the drummer's perspective! Thanks for sending this to me Javier, you guys were great!

Reinforcing Folk Instruments - Is it a fiddle or a violin? Mics for strings.

2009-07-06T13:47:00.019-05:00

This is a continuation of a series of articles concerning my preferred methods for reinforcing, various common folk instruments. Today I'd like to discuss the fiddle or violin. I have previously covered the double bass here.

Those of you who are familiar with my blog, know that I have a preference for using mics rather than pick-ups in most folk music situations. If you haven't read this post concerning this subject in general, check it out.

So, the fiddle:

First off, what is the difference between a violin and a fiddle? In general I think those terms describe not the instrument itself, but the style of play. A violin is a classical instrument, while a fiddle is used in traditional music (or the musics that have "evolved" from folk music.)

When someone describes their instrument as a fiddle how does one reinforce it. Hopefully the musician has a nice mic installed on their instrument, such as a DPA system.

If this is not the case a decent small diaphragm condenser can be used quite effectively, if the stage volume is low enough to allow it. The microphone needs to be quite close to the bridge of the instrument, hopefully ending up between the f-holes and the bridge on the low frequency side. For folk music I want the microphone in front of the musician. The player can then "work" the mic, moving in a bit for solos, backing off for rhythm playing. The back of the mic should be pointed toward the monitor as much as possible. As Art Welter points out here, "pointing the back portion of the mic away from the monitors as much as possible will help get a cleaner instrument sound. Many players tend to point the mic down at such a steep angle that they end up picking up a lot of whatever is going through the wedges."

One issue that can arise is with singing fiddle players. A phasing problem can arrise from having a vocal mic near an instrument mic, both mics picking up the same source at the same time. Putting one of the mics out of polarity might help with this issue. Recently I worked with the Claire Lynch Band at the Old Town School of Folk Music. Her fiddle player, Jason Thomas, has come up with a fairly ingenious way to deal with this issue. He clamps a Neumann KM 184 to his mic stand, just below the vocal mic.

One other option for the singing fiddle player is to use a condenser vocal mic for both instrument and vocal.

So what if the fiddler shows up with a pick-up, and insists on using it? Sometimes they are going for that plugged in sound. They are playing through an amp, using effects, etc. This is common with louder music such as modern country, world music, Americana or Alternative rock. My favorite plugged in sound come from Andrew Bird, who I have unfortunately never worked with. He uses multiple effects, looping and plays through some beautiful rotating speakers. See the image I took at Andrews last concert at Millenium Park. In the case that the musician is playing through an amp, mic the amp like an electric guitar and move on.

If they are looking for a realistic sound, and they are plugged into a DI, you might be in for some work. IF they have a nice pick-up, and quality instrument and a decent DI or pre-amp, it shouldn't be that hard to get it to sound real. You might need to roll off some high end and or some high mids. Scott Helmke suggested to me on Facebook that I add this:

"One thing I'd mention about pickups is that oftentimes they need a very high impedance DI to sound good - a Baggs or Fishman DI will have this, or a Countryman 85. A piezo pickup that's not happy with the impedance it's feeding will have weak bottom and weird mids."

When micing a "violin" one needs to keep in mind the fact that they are looking for an EXACT representation of their sound. One of the DPA mics or a comparable system will work, but barring that they will want a high quality condenser mic. In general violin is miced from behind the seated player. They like to have some distance between the microphone and the instrument. Most classical musicians HATE microphones. The don't want to even know that the mic is even there. This image is from a concert I describe here, where I mixed both fiddles AND violins:

discussion at PSW

Update 05.03.10: I recently used a Beyer M160 ribbon mic on a fiddle and found the sound to be exquisite. My only wish was that I had an external preamp as I needed a lot of gain from the desk, which added a little more noise than I wanted. A ribbon mic gives a much smoother sound than a condenser and needs less EQ both in the mains and in the monitors.

The history of Concert Sound

2009-06-22T14:59:00.004-05:00

Posting a lot today! This page is an amazing look at the history of live sound. We have come so far, yet somehow physics has not changed.

Acoustic Radar

2009-06-22T14:42:00.006-05:00

Acoustic Radar was used to by the military before Radar to detect incoming aircraft. There used to be a great site that hosted these images, which I find fascinating. Ironically had to use the Wayback Machine to find the site again.

Art Vs. Science II

2009-06-21T23:50:00.014-05:00

This post comes from this discussion on Pro Sound Web.

It starts with this question:
How much of what you/we do is determined by science as opposed to art? At what point do you stop being a mechanic/technician and become a performer making decisions based on subjective aspects of the gig?

I sometimes feel that we spend so much time thinking about the nuts and bolts of our business (specs, meters, technical widgets) that we lose sight of the true goal, which is to make it sound "good", which is purely subjective.

Maybe it's just me getting old...

Duane Massey
Houston, Texas, USA

Every decision that you make after the system is set up properly is an aesthetic decision. This means that you are at LEAST a designer, a craftsmen. The best of us ARE artists. The decision to mix in such a way as to please the band, and sound as much like themselves as possible is an aesthetic or artistic decision. Hooking up a mic might not make you a scientist, but picking out the right mic and positioning it is a mixture between craft and technical knowledge. Choosing and placement of microphones is the first and maybe the most important artistic decision an sound engineer makes. Every other aspect of your sound is based on these things. Putting a 57 on an acoustic guitar vs. putting a high quality condenser on it is as much an aesthetic choice as it is one based on physics and your on personal experience.

Any EQ applied that isn't for feedback reduction is an aesthetic decision. It could be compared to an artist shading an image, polishing a statue.

Last night I mixed an old timey honkytonk country band. There was really only time for a line check. I'd never heard this band before. I made sure the vocals were on top, that there wasn't too much sizzle on anything and dialed in a nice "sun Records" slapback delay for the faster numbers and a spring reverb for the slower numbers. No one from the band told me to do this, they trusted me to mix them appropriately.

By stating that I am both an artist as well as a scientist, I'm not implying that I do anything that is inappropriate. To do this job successfully you need a sense of aesthetics as keen as any designer or artist.

OK, how is a sound engineer like an artist, where the other tradespeople are not? We work with a subjective creative medium. There is no aesthetic quality to what an electrician or a plumber does. There is nothing subjective about electricity. A mason or a carpenter however creates something that can be observed as beautiful, can be perceived on a subjective level. They also create things that last. Our art is more like a Buddhist sand painting. It is impermanent. If there was no subjective aesthetic quality to what we do, one that has a visceral effect on the audience, then every concert would sound perfect to everyone.

Is a graphic designer an an artist? A lot of people sure think they are. They take clip art, other people's content, fonts they didn't design, and place them together into a pleasing package. Sure they are trying to please the client, but often times they are completely independent. We are much like them. Is someone how makes collages not an artist? We make collages out of sound. How about a film editor?

James Drake posted another example in the discussion on PSW: "if a painter is commissioned to make a painting which includes "something blue", does that make him less of an artist because that decision was not made by him but by his client?" Is the Sistine Chapel a lesser artwork because it was a commissioned piece.

In Jamaica both recording and live engineers are considered to be musicians in their own right. Is this wrong? The bands I work with consider me to be part of the band, even if just for the night. We don't have a pre-show conference where they tell me how to mix them.

As far as science goes, we use science all the time. We must understand at least the basics of Physics. How sound travels, acoustics, how an opamp effects the signal, the effect of humidity on sound waves, how to set delay times etc. We use the scientific method every time we troubleshoot, every time we hunt down hums, buzzes, and any other technical issue we run into. Those of us that are better at these things become systems techs.

It is absolutely essential that an engineer understand signal flow, gain structure, feedback reduction, acoustics, electricity, Ohm's law, and the scientific method (troubleshooting.) Does this make us scientists? I guess it depends on your definition of "scientist."

Does anyone think that a recording producer is not an artist/ craftsmen/ scientist?

The only difference between a record producer and a live FOH engineer is they they have days or weeks to do their job, a sterile environment (anechoic or nearly so), more toys, mixing engineers at their call, and they don't need to worry about feedback. We have to work on the fly, have to work with whatever soundcheck we can negotiate, have to deal with being in a reverberant space and the possibility of feedback. We are expected to create something that is just as perfect as a record and we only get one shot at it.

I don't understand how Eno and Lanois can be artists, yet when U2's engineer replicates that mix on the fly in a different city every day, he is not equal to them. I would guess he also gets a decent paycheck. Quincy Jones gets more money because of his name, which carries with a perceived level of quality and experience. I'll bet Big Mick, Dave Rat and other well known band engineers get a decent day rate comparable to many record producers.

I am not a studio guy. I like the fact I only have to hear any song once a night, rather than listening to it over and over. Although we don't pick the songs, or arrange the tunes, we do take what the musicians give us and create a mix. To me a mix is more than a sum of it's parts. It is something above and beyond the individual parts. This is really where we are similar to a record producer. We work to create that greater big picture mix out of the disparate parts that are the individual inputs.

We are very much like an arranger or conductor, taking the source material through the filter that is our aesthetic sense, and presenting it in such a way as to keep everyone happy. We arrange the sound all the time. It is called mixing. We decide to mix the vocals higher or to boost that guitar solo. No one is whispering in my ear that they really want that gated tom sound, or that the predelay on the verb needs to be tweeked a bit. Just by emphasizing a specific instrument we are "arranging." I have heard sound guys who are musos as well subconsciously mixing their own instrument louder than it "should be."

I mostly work one-offs. I don't have a band member standing over me while I mix (other than a few Indian Classical acts that work without monitors and call out every level and EQ change.) I am essentially producing a record every night. Then it disappears the second I zero the console. All that is left is a board dub which is just a shadow of the work that is my mix.

If we are doing our job no one knows that we are there. Except other engineers, musicians and industry types. I am not a Red Hot Chili Peppers fan, but I would attend one of their shows just to hear what Dave Rat does with their sound. When I am at a show I might as well be working because, unless the sound is perfect to my ears (one show in ten, at best) I am constantly analyzing it. I might be there to hear the band, but I am hyper aware of the mix.

If you haven't read it this is Art Vs. Science I.

Robbie Fulks' keen observations

2009-06-18T10:56:00.008-05:00

I've been lucky to work a few times with Robbie Fulks. He is one funny, smart and quality musician. I just read this list and felt the need to post a link.

how to be miserable as a professional musician: a ten-step guide

Free Music Archive

2009-06-02T14:31:00.007-05:00

This site is really cool. It is a curated collection of free music.

This is my favorite collection on the site. It includes a bunch of old 78s of old time music, from all over the world. Very cool!

5 Ideas for Saving The Music Industry from Gibson

2009-06-02T14:14:00.003-05:00

In this day and age of whining about the music industry, here are some great ideas for fixing it from the Gibson Guitar company.

Del Fest Weather this year - Glad I wasn't Working This One

2009-05-30T12:56:00.002-05:00

Blog With More Videos

Summer season ahead

2009-05-28T09:29:00.005-05:00

Summer is right around the corner. I will once again be working the Chicago Summerdance program. I am hoping to post here soon some of my strategies for mixing big band and Latin orchestras. Stay tuned!

Steppin' In It!

2009-03-01T12:37:00.005-06:00

Many years back an amazing band showed up at the club where I was mixing. I was pretty much a newbie. I hadn't worked with much folkish music. At that point they were a playing a lot of cajun, bluegrass, and some cool originals. They had a drummer and a fiddler, dobro, lap steel, acordion There were six of them. They plugged in. What a revelation for a folky like me who had really only worked with Rock music at that point.
One day they showed and had trimmed down to four guys: Josh Davis playing flat top and arch top guitars, and singing songs he'd written. Joe Wilson on the dobro, steel guitar and bone. Joe's brother Andy playing all manner of harmonicas, including a few toasters masquerading as harps, trumpet, and accordion. Dominic Suchyta holds down the low end with his dog-house bass. They were playing a lot of western swing, and other old timey stuff at this point, as well as their original material. These four guys could rock our little bar out, packing the room. I had to learn how to mix this stuff fast!
One day they showed with SM81s. This may well be the first time I tried putting condensers on acoustic instruments. It was Cherry Festival, Traverse City's crazy hometown fest. The bar was packed to the gills, and I had a heck of a time getting the show loud enough for the overflowing room. Union Street has a limited system and is a tough space (wood floors, tin ceilings, a whole wall of windows.) Over time I got the hang of making quiet music louder. Mixing these guys is a big part of that education.
Last night they played the Old Town School. I was able to put a KM184 on the guitar, an M88 on the bass, and a 421 on the accordion. The room and PA are designed around acoustic music. The console has variable high passes, not the Mackie I had to work with before. I wished I could go back in time and remix all those Union Street shows with the tools I had last night. It was a great show!

Tangleweed opening for for Jerry Douglas at OTSFM

2009-01-31T19:08:00.006-06:00

Here is a link to Tangleweed's sets opening for Jerry Douglas on 1-17-09 at Old Town School of Folk Music. I had the pleasure of mixing them that night. I used km184s on the guitar and mandolin, a KM 185 on the banjo, and a Beyer M88 on the bass. The fiddle had it's own clip-on mic. I used Beta 87s for the vocals.

Tangleweed Show I mixed a few years back

2009-01-29T02:55:00.003-06:00

This is a show that I mixed for the Chicago bluegrass band Tangleweed back in November of '06. It was a First Friday performance at the Old Town School. I just discovered that it is on line at archive.org. While you are there check out some of the killer shows available for free and legal download. I recommend all the Calexico shows!

Hopefully they will post the sets I mixed of them opening for Jerry Douglas the other day. They were smokin'!

Del McCoury show tonight

2008-11-09T02:24:00.007-06:00

I had the pleasure of mixing Del McCoury tonight at the Old Town School of Folk Music. I had such a blast with the show I felt the need to post about it right away.

These days Del is using a four mic set-up. The two main mics are Neumann BCM 104s, which are designed for broadcast. The bass player told me that the Opry switched to using them awhile ago. These mics are mostly for fiddle, mando, and vocals. These mics sound excellent for this purpose. Very clean, clear and present. They are a little crispy above 3k, so watch out if you are going to try these mics out.

The other two mics are AT 4033s, which seem to be the standard mic used for the one mic method. They were used for banjo and guitar. They work quite well, but there was a bit of a phasing issue between the main vox mic and the banjo mic. If I work with them again, I would prefer small diaphram condensers as close instrument mics. KM 184s if I had my choice.

The bass ran direct through a preamp, that sounded quite nice. I didn't catch the brand.

The nice thing about this setup with these monster players is that for the most part the band could mix themselves. By the middle of the second set I didn't touch a thing and was able to relax quite a bit, turn off the Littlelites on the board and just enjoy the music! I sure hope to work with them again.

On 09/10/11 I got to work with Del and the boys again. Above is a picture. This time I used Neumann KM184s for the banjo mic and for Del's guitar mic. It was a real pleasure to work with them again.

Trad music and the stand-up bass.

2008-07-20T23:10:00.005-05:00

Here is the thing about traditional music:

I try to reinforce trad music so it is as if there is no PA. That said, double bass with a pick-up, clip-on mic, or a 57 in a blanket does not meet this requirement. It is too consistent, thus not real. You almost have to insert a compressor, thus taking the dynamism away even more. I refuse to use compressors for miced acoustic music. It is an imposition of my will upon the musicians. This is part of why I HATE pick-ups with a passion. That and their sterility.

The next time you have a blue-grass group listen to them acoustically. Is the sound dynamic, ever changing as to the whims of the musicians? Sure it is. I try to mix so that it feels to the audience that they are sitting on a porch somewhere, relaxing with their friends, the musicians do the mixing, I create an acoustic space in which they can play. This is true for traditional music. Neo-trad, new-grass, or that wacky classical-grass stuff is a different animal entirely. Often times with them a combination of direct and miced sound is called for.

Really good acoustic musicians play with an incredible dynamic range. It is our job to give them that freedom. Otherwise you are not reinforcing the music, you are making something new, remixing them into some modern idea of what bluegrass is supposed to be. God forbid you do that to oldtime or 20s swing! It's like revisionist history. A bass with a large diaphragm dynamic mic in front of it pointing between the f-hole and the bridge is THE most natural sound you will get. Hey, I love the way the DPA mics sound on a bass, but will always choose a Beyer M88, RE20 or 421 for traditional bluegrass (or any other trad music that uses a stand-up bass such as jazz.)

R.E. the one mic method: It only works with musicians that can do the dance that is required to mix themselves. I always mic the bass separately too.

Part of this discussion on PSW.

Too busy to Blog

2008-07-08T20:36:00.002-05:00

It's been a long time since I've posted here. Summer is a crazy time for sound folks. I've been mixing Chicago Summerdance regularly along with other gigs. It runs Thursday through Sunday throughout the summer. It's a pretty sweet gig, Thursdays, which is my usual night, features world music. A dance lesson is followed every night by live music and dancing.

This weekend is the Folk and Roots fest, Old Town School's summer fest. I will be doing sound for the third year at the staff stage. This stage runs 8 hours per day, with a different band every half hour. There are no sound checks. 32 bands in 2 days.

Videos of Last Weekends Sones Gig with the Sinfonietta

2008-05-01T15:44:00.003-05:00

Sones de Mexico at Unity Temple

2008-04-28T13:28:00.011-05:00

Sones also played Unity Temple this weekend. What an amazing and difficult room! Good old Frank Loyd Wright, when he designed this place, sure didn't have amplified music with percussion in mind!

Sones De Mexico with the Chicago Sinfonietta at the National Museum of Mexican Art

2008-04-28T13:10:00.012-05:00

On Friday the 25th of April I had the pleasure of doing sound for Sones and the Chicago Sinfonietta. They played both original compositions and some Bach pieces. The challenge of mixing a folk group with drums and plugged in instruments with a miced chamber quartet was both difficult and satisfying. One of the tricky elements was to make enough space in the mix for an incredible dynamic range.

Watch for links to video or sound clips soon!

MORE LOUD CLASSICAL

2008-04-20T10:54:00.004-05:00

link

I'm concerned by this concept. They are enforcing laws to "protect" musicians from "excessive" SPL exposure. What could this lead to? They are making the musicians wear SPL meters. This piece was stopped because it averaged over 97.4db. Can you imagine mixing monitors and keeping stage volume for ROCK music below 97db. Hell, I got out of rock and mix folk music so I could keep my hearing, and the monitors at my shows often are above 97db!!!

They are using the same arguments (Save The Worker) here that they did with the smoking ban. Where does this crap end?

Debashish Bhattacharya

2008-04-13T19:21:00.007-05:00

At The Old Town School of Folk Music you can hear a pin drop during quiet bits. People who make noises during the performances get glared at. Every so often you get people who think they are at a club. They get politely asked to shut up. Last night's show by Debashish Bhattacharya had the most dynamic range I've ever experience I think. Not a whisper in the crowd while they were playing.

I wish I could mix at the Old Town School every day, but there's a whole crew of us...

As long as people don't try to overplay the room it CAN be truly spectacular. It is what you might call an "intimate space."

I can almost do anything in this space. It's like mixing in a studio. Last night I had two km184s on the Indian slide guitar. One for lows and one for highs. It was crystal clear and ranged between about 45db and about 100db. There were times when the audience had to lean in a little, maybe hold their breath to hear the phrasing. Other times when it was thunderously loud. We Westerners just aren't used to that kind of dynamics. The dynamics of the tabla was even more extreme. Of course, being Indian, the mix wasn't totally "mine." The artist made many firm aesthetic choices during sound check. They were the right choices though.

We are also used to music that fits into the twelve tone scale. I have become slightly complacent in just needing to make my PA work in those terms. With Indian Music they play so many more notes. The PA needs to be much flatter than I'm used to. Tones that I might ordinarily find objectionable need to be present. Fidelity takes on a new meaning.

I do wish there were more "listening" rooms. This concept seems to be held to only in the genres of folk, classical, high end world music, etc. Maybe it is seen as being kind of hoity-toity. Respect or Elitism? I don't care, but I would be really pissed to have to mix over people talking these days

discussion.

I had a nice discussion with the tabla player last night about the parallels between ragas and good jazz. Not just the dynamics, but also the improvisational and thematic nature of the two styles.

Express theme, improvise upon theme, return to theme a few times between some tasty fills, upon satisfaction return to theme. Maybe a nice surprise ending. Like a well crafted story. Interesting to me that most modern "free jazz" has abandoned this entertaining structure along with harmony and rhythm.

I did mix a bit last night, I have to admit. only because of changes of instrument with the same microphones required a bit of tweeking. I almost feel though, that if I'd a bit more time to soundcheck I could've reached the magic place where I'd never have to touch a fader all night!

-d

Here is a post about mixing Indian music.

Classical Music is too Loud

2008-04-11T07:33:00.004-05:00

"I had to protect the orchestra," its manager, Trygve Nordwall, said. "I can't just say we'll play it anyway, for it to then cause health problems. The piece starts with machine-gun shots ... and that's the quietest part of it."

Nordwall was guided by new EU rules that forbid more than 85 decibels in the workplace. He said readings were taken during rehearsals and even when toned down, Halat Hisar measured about 130 decibels, equivalent to hearing a jet aircraft taking off.

Feiler, 56, said that his work was "no louder than anything by Shostakovich or Wagner". He told the Munich Abendzeitung that he was willing to compromise but "there was no will there".

Nordwall said the musicians had considered wearing headphones but would not have been able to hear each other. The composer also rejected the idea, he said.

Critics have weighed in, saying that if taken literally, the rules would effectively mean a ban on louder pieces by composers including Strauss and Wagner.

Kate Connolly in Berlin
The Guardian, Wednesday 9 April 2008

Steve Earle at the Vic

2008-03-08T14:35:00.005-06:00

Last night I went to see Steve Earle play at the Vic Theater here in Chicago. I seldom go see concerts as what the Brits call a "punter." This was a great show, but where I was sitting the sound was awful. There was way too much 6.3k hitting me right in the forehead. It was mostly in the guitars. I sitting right in front of FOH. What I discovered later, after I stood up, is that the sound was great at the same level as the sound board. Engineers, please walk the venue! Just because it sounds good where you are, a few feet away it can sound awful. The Vic's soundboard is in the shadow of the balcony so perhaps that is why he couldn't hear the nastiness in the high-mids.

The music itself was pretty good. His wife Allison Moorer opened for him. She has a sweet voice. I like her a lot better solo acoustic than on her records with a band. She has a new record out of cover songs.

Steve started out playing old favorites. Other than the brittle stringy sound of the instruments, it was great. The the D.J. came out for the songs off the new record. The DJ was way too loud and the subs could've been turned down by a third. Once again this could've been my location rather than a decision by the sound guy. I did notice that with the way too loud DJ, the painfully sharp guitar sound did cut through the mix. Maybe that was the sound guys thinking.

After the third encore I really needed a smoke. The Vic doesn't let you leave for a smoke, then come back in. How shitty is that. I'm more or less OK with going out side to smoke, but this is ridiculous. So I made my way to the back of the theater. This is when I noticed that the sound was far better a few feet above where I had been sitting. I stayed for the last encore, Christmas in Washington. "Come back Woodie Guthrie" indeed!

All in all I'm a huge fan of Steve's music and politics and the show was great.

The Monsters Of Folk

2008-02-12T11:11:00.002-06:00

I had the pleasure last Saturday to work with The Monsters of Folk. This show consisted of Chris Smither, the Boston based bluesman, Dave Alvin of The Knitters, The Blasters and X and Tim O'Brian the amazing multi-instrumentalist.

This was one of the nicest nights of music I've experienced in quite awhile. The played separately together, taking turns doing each others songs, and old standards as well.

sound geekery:

I am always learning in this business. Those of you who are familiar with my other posts, may know that I have a serious preference for microphones on acoustic instruments vs. pickups. Then I ran into Tim O'Brian. The exception to the rule is that if you have the highest quality instruments and pick-ups, going through nice sounding pre-amps, that a "real" sound can be found through going direct. I need to learn not to be so dogmatic about sound. Tim's instruments sounded incredible and there wasn't a microphone near him.

One problem that can be found with micing instruments is phasing caused by two mics picking up the same source. This is lessened by going direct. The best thing, I still fervently believe is to do both. Use the pick-up mostly in the monitors and the mic mostly in the house. It really depends on the sound you are going for.

Del McCoury doing '52 Vincent Black Lightning

2008-02-05T13:34:00.000-06:00

Folk-copyright

2008-02-01T13:34:00.003-06:00

Two posts in one day!

The folk tradition as copyright law.

The Smoking Ban

2008-02-01T12:16:00.001-06:00

I'm tempted to move to Eastern Europe or China so I can still smoke and drink at the same time. I was born in the wrong time. I'm still mourning that you can't smoke in movie theaters, on buses, trains and airplanes. The studies they use for second hand smoke are all old and flawed. Just living in a city is like smoking a pack per day.

Whatever happened to capitalism? I say, let the market decide. Leave it up to individual bar/restaurant owners. If this was really a matter of "the majority," then business owners would go non-smoking on their own. There were plenty of Yuppie-ass bars that were non-smoking here before the ban. People could choose to go/work at those place.

It is so sad to go to a diner or neighborhood bar where people have smoked for GENERATIONS and not be a ble to light up. When most of the patrons are out on the street, not drinking, bothering the neighbors, how is this even remotely good for the bar in question, the neighborhood? Here in Chitown you have to be 15 feet away from the entrance to the bar. Try doing that on Rush St. (not that I frequent this area), where there is a bar every 5 feet! I live across the street from a bar and it is obnoxious that at 1:30 am there are loud assholes smoking!!

I used to say, if you don't like the smoke get down on the floor.

If you don't like that you can choose not to go to a smokey bar!!!!

All of my gigs pre-ban (except for one bar) were non-smoking. I stand by small capitalism, let the market decide.

Yes, 20 years ago, when I was 15, I made a "choice" to start smoking. Yes, I am addicted and make a "choice" not to quit.

Where does government regulation end? 95db sound caps?

There are many compelling arguments for smoking bans. Smoking can be seen as a public health hazard.

However, car exhaust and industrial pollution are far worse health hazards than smoking. If the issue was REALLY public health, then a carbon monoxide ordinance would be passed.

In Illinois at least, the smoking ban was passed by the state government. Why was it not put up to a referendum? Maybe the fear was that it wouldn't pass. Michigan recently had a referendum on smoking that didn't pass.

My old neighborhood was near a coal plant. It has some of the worst air in the city. Huge rate of asthma. I hear no calls for regulation of this very huge public health issue. Could it be because that neighborhood is low income? Smokers are mostly poor these days. I think this is a CLASS issue. It is also the kind of divisive issue that comes up during war so people will have something to argue about rather than actually important thing like the war and the economy.

Discussion on PSW

Handy Chart

2008-01-31T22:49:00.001-06:00

I don't remember where I found this. It can be handy.

How YOU as a folk musician can sound better

2008-01-29T12:25:00.001-06:00

So, you are a folk musician. You aren't very happy with your sound. How can you make it better?

1.Before the show.

The first step towards having the best sound is preparation. Send out a tech rider to everyone that needs one. Here is Iggy Pop's rider. It's the best one I've ever seen! Make sure that everyone involved has your stage plot and input list. This includes your own engineer (if you have one,) the house sound guy, or sound company. If you are playing a festival, stop by the stage well before your set to make sure that your plot made it to the house guys. Often times this information never makes it to them. Generally you want to make sure the monitor guy gets this info.

Test all of your cables, batteries and make sure your string are fresh. Tune your instruments BEFORE you get to stage. There is nothing that slows down a sound check more than these things popping up DURING you check. Be ready when you step on the stage. Sometimes complicated set ups (like drum kits) can be preset to save time. Listen to the stage manager. A decent sound check is all important to sounding good during the show. Communicate clearly about what you want in your monitors.

Live sound is a perfect example of the concept of GIGO. What this means is that we can only represent what you give us. Music is "point source." You as a musician are responsible to provide us with good sounding gear, or there is nothing we can do to make that sound better. Said a different way, "You can't make chicken salad out of chicken shit!" The tone of your amps, the tuning of your drums, the sound of your acoustic guitar are all examples of things YOU have control over.

STAGE VOLUME should be kept as low as possible. This is especially true in small rooms. The lower the volume, the better you will sound. You don't need to sacrifice tone for lower volume. Electric guitar players who claim they can't get tone without being turned up to 11 need to get smaller amps or power brakes. Drummers can use lighter sticks.

2. During the Gig.

One of THE most important things for you to do is to learn proper mic technique. For the most part your lips should be glued to the vocal mic. This cuts down on feedback issues because it gives the engineer a stronger and more consistent level to deal with. It also adds proximity effect (an increase in low end which tends to make most vocals sound richer and fuller.) On quieter stages, or in situations where compressors are not in use, then you can (and should) "work the mic." This means you move in on the mic when you sing quieter and move out when singing louder. This is a very subtle thing. Unless you are and opera singer, do not move more than a few inches away.

Mic placement is also REALLY important. Your engineer will place the mics on your backline, but it is your responsibility to make sure your instrument mics end up in the right place. You can experiment, but the best spot for a mic on an acoustic guitar is in between the neck joint and the sound hole. The best spot on a mando is between the f-hole and the strings. Experiment. Watch videos of your favorite musicians and study their technique. I know you move around, but you need to try to keep this approximate relationship between instrument and mic. You can also "work" this mic, moving in for solos and back a bit for rhythm playing.

Stay in tune.

3. After the Gig

Get off the stage quickly, you can talk to your groupies after you leave the stage.

For rockers read this. Now.

Folkies I have worked with and like a lot!

2008-01-27T13:40:00.002-06:00

In no particular order, here are some people and groups I have worked with and dig. Some of them are from back home in Michigan. Believe it or not, but Michigan is a hotbed of folk music. It has the worst unemployment rate in the country, so they have something to sing about. They should all be rich and famous. Buy their records. Book them for shows.

1. Steppin' In It

I worked with this killer band from Lansing, Mi many times at Union Street Station before moving here, and last year got to work with them again at the Old Town School. When I listen to these guys I get homesick, as much of their work is about Michigan. They used to work at Elderly Instruments, so they have lots of cool old amps and instruments.

2. Daisy May

Daisy May (May Erlewine) has the sweetest voice ever. I got to work with her a few times before moving here. I love her records and they also make me really homesick. She's from Big Rapids, Mi. Check her out:

3. Harry Manx

I had the pleasure of mixing Harry twice back when I lived up north. He used to be Rush's soundguy so his set-up was easy and sounded fantastic. He plays a Mohan Veena and studied with V.M. Bhatt. He's from Canada, which is cool.

4. Mike and Amy Finders

These folks, from Iowa, play the nicest bluegrass around. I got to work with them twice at Old Town, using the single large diaphragm condenser mic method. They danced around that mic really well and mixed themselves to a great degree. I had a separate input for the bass. I really like their songs, especially the song "These Roots Run Deep."

5. Martha Scanlan

Steppin In It played a show with Martha at Old Town last year and I discovered a new favorite. She plays really really tasty and slightly spooky old time music. "Up on the Divide" is a particularly powerful song.

OK, I'm sooo not cool

2008-01-26T22:59:00.000-06:00

I just now saw The Devil and Daniel Johnston for the first time. I feel very very weird. I may well be the very last folky artsy person to see this.

I wish that all the outsiders I've known, the ones that play brilliant music in basements and on porches, could somehow suddenly be known.

The lack of insane musicians in my life is palpable. Crazy late night conversations fueled by caffeine and desperation.

Frogs calling ufos..

Orange World

It's a Mad Mad Mad Festival

Borgon Attacks

Sones de Mexico gig tonight

2008-01-25T00:47:00.000-06:00

I did a gig tonight with Sones de Mexico. Here are some pics from my world at sidestage.

http://www.sonesdemexico.com/index2.html

Art v. Science

2008-01-23T12:49:00.002-06:00

This is reposted from a 2006 post I made on prosoundweb:

Art vs. Science?

I think that a good engineer just mixes the sounds from stage so that they reproduce the bands sound. I think a great engineer will put that sound through the filter of their own aesthetics to create something even better. This artistic impression can come from FX, panning, EQ, dynamics, and emphasis. Some genres call out for extreme artistic tweaking (dub reggae, jam bands, etc.) Other genres call for a more straight-forward space, within the context of the music itself. For most music I'm trying to create a space that is exactly what the band is looking for. If they are playing low-fi punk then they don't want reverb on the drums period. Or massive stereo separation.

A lot of it depends on the venue. I find that in smaller venues I can get away with a more stereo sound. I like to pan the instruments according to their placement on stage, partly to get them away from the vocals. Generally I like to run kick, snare, bass, and vocals center, then pan the rest of the drums, guitars, keys, horns etc a bit. I find that I can get the vocals clearer and mix quieter if the instruments aren't competing with the vocals for space in the mix.

If I'm being payed to engineer then the band is putting their sound in my hands. If they don't trust you, then you need to earn their trust. On monitors you do exactly what the artist want. At FOH you do what you want. Just do it right. I think that we all need to LISTEN to as much music as possible, so that we can mix everything we run into. I mix MANY different genres of music, and feel I have a decent grasp of what is needed.

Use your ears, use your brains, and trust your aesthetics. Otherwise you are a "technician." I believe that we are the fifth Beatle, with the power at our fingertips to make good sounding bands sound great, and great sounding bands sound incredible. That said, you can't make chicken salad out of chicken shit.

After the system is EQed and set up properly then every decision you make is an aesthetic one. Microphone choice and placement is and aesthetic choice. Mixing the awful harp player lower is a choice. EQing out the harsh 2k from the vocal. There is really nothing scientific about any of these kind of choices.

Dynamics are often an aesthetic choice. I don't automatically insert gates on the drums for instance just because I have them available. I use them because I HAVE to to get rid of a nasty ring (if I can't move the mic or change the mic to get rid of it or EQ it out) or I use them as an aesthetic choice to get THAT gated sound. Same with comps. Lately I've been into creating a space where the musicians can do much of their own dynamics. Good musicians really appreciate not being limited by our toys, and fit themselves into the space I create.

Remember choosing NOT to use aesthetics is in itself an aesthetic choice. Are your vocals always on top of the mix. Sure they are. Why? Because this is an artistic choice that has been agreed upon by the music world after years of records and shows. There is not technical reason for it. It's craft. Craft is just art that has been agreed upon by culture to be the right way to do things.

Obviously all of these decisions come AFTER the system teching.

d

For responses to this post, see here.

A new discussion has popped up on PSW on this subject.

Direct Injection...

2008-01-22T13:33:00.003-06:00

When doing sound for acoustic music I am always trying to make instruments sound exactly like they sound. This sounds obvious, but what with modern techniques e.g. compression, effects, and the all too prevalent use of pick-ups, I find most acoustic instruments end up sounding nothing like the instruments themselves.

There are only a few reasons I ever want to plug in an acoustic instrument:

The musicians insist on it (they paid good money for that pre-amp, and dammit they are going to use it.)
Competition with loud stage volumes. (I just can't hear the uke over the drums.)
The musicians are deaf and insist on insanely high monitor levels.
The sound that the musicians is going for is a plugged in one.

Other than those reasons I nearly always prefer to mic any instrument. Because of the freedom to work the mic this gives any decent musician the chance do much of his/her own dynamics thus making compression unnecessary. The signal path is also much cleaner cutting down on the possibility of noise from d.i., tuner, fx, etc. If you spend any time critically listening to unamplified sources one thing you will notice is the sound of the instrument come neither from inside it, nor from the bridge, but instead it comes from the resonance of the whole and has to do with our perspective to that resonance. Thus putting a high quality condenser mic in front of the instrument is far more likely to result in a realistic sound.

Every instrument has a sweet spot. A place where all the resonances come together in just the right way. For instance the best place to mic a flat top guitar is between the sound hole and the neck joint. Many people erroneously mic an acoustic guitar at the hole, which the sounds far too rumbley. When running into an new instrument I will often walk around and listen it unamplified first, then make a decision where to place the mic. When the mic is properly placed then far less e.q. is needed as well as far less phasing issues.

My preference is for a high quality small diaphragm condenser such as a Neumann km184 for each instrument. I have had good luck with the oldtime/bluegrass method of one large diaphragm condenser that the musicians group around as long as the musicians are really good at the dance that it takes to mix themselves.

Life of the Freelance sound guy

2008-01-21T14:51:00.000-06:00

So, a new blog...

I am a freelance sound engineer based in Chicago. I work mostly for non-profits doing sound for folk music. Thus the name of this blog. The month of January is quite slow in my world, so there won't be too much to talk about until February. I enjoy my local work, but I am looking to do more touring.