Skip to content

Articles

The system uses large Multi-touch screens for the user interface.

Waves eMotion LV1 Mixer

Software-based mixers have come a long way in the last five years. The release of the iPad served to solidify what a lot of us knew was an inevitable trend in digital mixing: “surfaceless” mixing consoles. While writing this review and working with the Waves eMotion LV1, I reminisced about the first time I saw someone using Lake Contour with a wireless tablet, and I also thought about discussions I had with other audio engineers about touch screen mixing in the early 2000’s.

Read More »
The 16 box/side Cohesion-12 main P.A. hang for James Taylor’s debut performance at Chicago’s Wrigley Field on June 30, 2016.

Inside the Cohesion-12, Part 2

On the road with the James Taylor tour, one learns early about the intensely personal relationship that James has established with so many of his fans. Over the decades he has been performing his songs, he has deeply connected with his audience through his writing, singing and the power of his personality. In my 40 years of touring, I have never witnessed an artist be more free with his time for interacting with the fans. During the intermission at each show, James sits on the front of the stage shaking hands, signing autographs and posing with audience members for selfies before the band pries him away to perform the second set. After the show he usually does a meet-and-greet backstage. Finally, as he leaves the venue and heads to his bus, James spends additional time with everyone who has been patiently waiting at the stage door. Never have I seen James Taylor refuse an autograph request or otherwise deny a reasonable request from a fan. His stamina, devotion and patience are truly remarkable.

Read More »
Even with its minimalist design, Dire Straits’ breakout self-titled 1978 Dire Straits LP clearly listed the producer, engineer and recording studio credits on its reverse side.

Who Did What?

As more live shows are recorded, technical credits become more important for careers…

Who engineered Dire Straits’ hugely successful, self-titled 1978 Dire Straits LP, and where was it recorded? That would be Rhett Davies, at London’s Basing St. Studios. It’s right there on the back of the album, or on any number of online sources. Now, who was the FOH mixer and system tech when that album became the biggest tour of the 1980s? Yeah, I thought so.

Read More »
The author’s FOH view mixing Blue Oyster Cult at Hellfest in Clisson, France. Festival coordination can be tricky enough, but even more so overseas.

Festival Survival Tips

Here comes another summer — and with it, festival season. You better get some sleep while you can, because the next stop is Labor Day. As a tour manager and FOH engineer, I figured I’d offer a few suggestions to help you survive the ordeals.

Read More »
Now in its eighth generation, Smaart (shown here in RTA and spectrograph mode) is a dual-channel, FFT-based Mac or PC software platform from Rational Acoustics that offers a host of powerful analysis tools.

RTA Realities: Advantages and Limitations

An RTA (Real Time Analyzer) is a tool that most of us have used at some point in our audio careers. The proliferation of software-style RTA’s on phones, tablets and computers have made them ubiquitous. Practically every engineer has an RTA in their pocket, or at least has one close by. Although I feel that RTA’s are an invaluable tool for any audio engineer, I’ve also spent many years listening to people knock the use of RTA’s using that old refrain of “we never had RTA’s back when I was learning sound” or “don’t use an RTA, use your ears.” In fact, a simple RTA can be a very useful tool if you understand what influences its measurements and what its limitations are.

Read More »
Illustration by Andy Au

Intangibles

Many artists are imbued with an intangible quality that makes them compelling to an audience or a viewer. For that matter, many politicians, athletes and business people maintain an intangible aura that often defines their careers as well and — while they may be analyzed, criticized and ostracized for all their quirks and idiosyncrasies — they still preserve a quality that makes them persuasive and successful in their chosen profession. If we examine the strengths and weaknesses of athletes such as Muhammad Ali, Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter, we can come up with very definitive reasons for their success, but while their records might be exemplary, there is still an unlabeled intangible quality that propelled each of them to notoriety, fame and greatness.

Read More »