FOH at Large

For a person coming from the field of live performance, the change from daily one-offs to the world of permanently installed audio systems can be a true challenge. With a traveling system, one can always make allowances for last-minute changes and additions without necessarily ruining the master plan or design of the system, whereas with an installed system one must ensure that the design is correct and the plan carefully followed. Not to say that one should be cavalier in regard to the design and installation of a road-ready system, but in the event of any needed changes, it is always less expensive to bring in the flown speakers with a traveling rig than it is to open a wall and change a speaker or cable run.

Recently I had the honor of being asked to participate as a seminar panelist at Pro Production 2005. The invitation arrived via an e-mail from Kevin Mitchell, who is a seminar coordinator, and it began:

Dear Baker,

On behalf of Pro Production 2005, I'd like to invite you to be a panelist on one of the 90-minute seminars "Bidding Strategies: How to Get the Gig," at this year's event in February. It's an incredibly important topic…

A live audio mix is very much like the music that is being played, in as much as it is subjectively assessed by whomever is listening. Music that delightfully entices one listener may just be a snorer for others, and music that rocks one soul is an abomination to another. There is no accounting for taste and those who love Maroon 5 are no more passionate about their music than the lovers of Hilary Duff, Walter "Wolfman" Washington or GWAR.