This weekend has been an affirmation of the notion that is drilled into every sound student's head—in every audio discipline—that what we do is all about what we hear. As simple as that sounds, we sometimes forget that. Our ears are the best tools that we own. I've always been really interested in the connection between what we hear and what we see, and that has also been a huge focus this weekend. We do not live and work in a bubble, we are part of a whole, and the better we can understand and communicate with other disciplines the more successful we will be.
Getting to be around these brilliant professionals is a unique, fun, energizing experience. Everyone is so warm and welcoming, including the Live Design staff who have just asked me not to let people know that they're totally insane. This has been a weekend of good-natured, geeky fun, awful sound humor, and informative sessions. I feel like I've gained a totally new perspective on sound design, on the industry, and on our use of technology, from Bob McCarthy's raving about system optimization to Scott Lehrer and his delay matrix to Darron L. West and his communication revolution (f*** rendering!). But the most striking aspect of these classes for me is found in the details. The big picture of each class has been fascinating unto itself, but getting to hear the presenters get progressively more excited and energized as their sessions went on and as they drifted away from their initial point, and listening to them talk about their tricks and techniques, was magical.
—Ben Truppin-Brown, sound designer