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George Petersen, editor, Front of House Magazine

Theater Sound: The Ultimate Challenge?

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but if you’re looking for an easy gig in audio, theater sound is no picnic. In fact, it’s probably the toughest job in audio. On a large musical production, the FOH engineer may have to deal with a 20-piece orchestra/band, another 20 (or more) performers and chorus members on wireless headworn mics, plus dozens of cue playbacks of ambiences, sound effects, etc. That’s a whole lotta input sources, all requiring precision timing.

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Greg Price mixing Black Sabbath. Photo by Steve Jennings

Black Sabbath’s Swan Song

FOH engineer Greg Price states that “The End” tour is “incredible for all Sabbath fans. In my judgment, this is the best the band has ever played on tour. Start to finish, it’s a great show.” Good thing, too, because for the band that exemplifies the heavy-metal aesthetic and sold 75 million albums worldwide, these Rock and Roll Hall of Famers are going out one last time.

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Pyramid Audio Productions provided a Martin Audio MLA system for the venue, which reopened in Aug. 2015. Photo by Jamey Shaw

Recent Theater and Performing Arts Center Projects

Years ago, the question of whether theater was dead was constantly brought up by detractors on every front. And if live theater remained trapped in the genre of stodgy parlor dramas, any predictions of its demise would have seemed credible. However, today, quite the opposite is true, and the application of advanced technologies in staging, lighting, visual effects and high performance sound systems have done much to keep theater not only alive but growing.

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A 1993 commemorative stamp had Elvis singing into a Shure Model 55.

Classic Looks, Modern Sounds – New Microphones with Vintage Appeal

When recreating a vintage vibe, looks are everything. A Beatles cover band loses a lot of the visual impact if the Ringo portrayer is playing a Simmons hexagonal electronic kit, John has a Flying V, Paul plays a Steinberger headless bass and George is shredding on a B.C. Rich Warlock with demon graphics. The same applies to theater, where even the smallest anachronisms can spoil the scene, shattering the illusion that the director is trying to project, especially in a period piece.

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Royer R-101 in shockmount

Royer Labs R-101 Live Ribbon Microphone

Way back in 1998, I reviewed the R-121, the first microphone from a startup company called Royer Labs. This mic sparked a revival in ribbon mics that continues to this day, not only from Royer, but other manufacturers as well. But the R-121, and its patented (U.S. #6,434,252) proprietary offset ribbon technology with a pure aluminum ribbon and neodymium magnet structure proved to be a hit even to this day (and earning a Technical Grammy Award in 2013), offering a warm, smooth sound from a transducer that was more compact and rugged than previous ribbon designs.

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XIRIUM PRO units with Dante and analog output modules

Neutrik XIRIUM PRO Cable Replacement System

A lot of what we do in sound reinforcement involves attempting to do what amounts to a seemingly impossible task. This may come in the form of mixing in some acoustically horrible environment with glass walls and marble floors. Another vexing issue comes when you need a long cable run of up to a half mile across rough terrain, crowds, a body of water, a stadium, an alligator pit or other obstacles — or simply do a gig in a museum, theme park, convention center or historic building/site, where extended cable runs are either impractical or simply prohibited.

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Blast from the Past - A huge FOH outboard collection from the pre-plug-in days.

Experiencing Audio History Firsthand

This past January, my good friend and legendary acoustic designer, Sam Berkow, contacted me about an interview he had just completed for a podcast website called Sonic Garage. After the interview was concluded, Sam had provided Troy, Sonic Garage’s interview host, with a list of people in the audio field whom Sam believed would be interesting interviewees. Sam let me know that my name was on that list and wanted to know if I would participate. He gave me the website address and contact information for Troy at Sonic Garage.

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If only it was this easy...

The Affordable Care Act: Confusing, Maybe, but Here to Stay

It may seem hard to believe that the Affordable Care Act has been a thing for five years now, but it has. It’s managed to survive more political assassination attempts than Rasputin, and it’s become to healthcare insurance what Winston Churchill said democracy was to government: the worst of all possibilities, “except for all the others.” By that I mean that the ACA is the ultimate legislative platypus, a creature created by committee, one made up of people trying to scratch each other’s eyes out at the time. Had there been consensus, we could have wound up with something far less confusing and far more efficient. But we didn’t, so we have to make the best of what we have. And that’s important because most of those who man the touring consoles and rigs get 1099s around this time of year, not W-2s.

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DPA's d:vote 4099 mics are available with a magnetic mount that simplifies placement inside pianos for live applications.

How to Mic a Piano – in 5,000 Easy Steps

Miking a piano on stage is a deceptively simple task. Open the lid, throw a couple of mics inside, and off you go, right? Um, no. Unfortunately, there’s more to it than that. An acoustic piano is a complex instrument capable of a wide range of dynamics and frequencies, arguably making it the most difficult instrument to capture on stage (or in the studio). There’s a million different ways to do it, but here are some proven techniques to get you started.

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Fig. 1: A basic sheet listing inputes and channel assignments can simplify setups and make the mix process smoother.

Documenting Your System

When it comes to creating show paperwork and documentation, there are two types of people. First, there are those who view paperwork as the bane of their existence. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, some people’s brains just aren’t wired for doing tedious, repetitive tasks like creating diagrams or spreadsheets. Then, there are people like me — people who see creating paperwork as a labor of love. Some sick part of me really enjoys creating documentation like input lists and stage plots, and personally, I especially love creating wiring diagrams. I know, call me crazy, but it’s something that I’ve grown to really enjoy.

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Illustration by Andy Au

That Nashville Magic

In the past, I have had the pleasure of working with, and mixing, many great country artists, including icons such as Willie Nelson, George Jones and Merle Haggard. I enjoy mixing “country” shows because they have it all: exceptional songs, prodigious playing, outstanding harmonies and nuance. When mixing a show such as these, the former three components are somewhat easy to capture. It’s the nuance that becomes the challenge, but when captured correctly, it makes all the difference in the mix.

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