LDI2017 is just weeks away, and we’ve assembled some of the greatest minds in live sound to steer our Sound Tracks panel series. Here’s an overview of what you can expect to learn. Sign up now to take your audio skills to the next level!
From virtual soundcheck to virtual reality, revolutionary digital technology has impacted the way mixers, engineers, and fans create and experience live sound. Multi-award-winning engineer Robert Scovill, who has worked at the forefront of touring sound and pro audio manufacturing for four decades mixing artists like Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Rush, and Def Leppard, will provide insight on the future of the technology and craft of touring.
A FIRESIDE CHAT WITH ABE AND JONATHAN
Theatre sound design gurus Jonathan Deans and Abe Jacob have decades of experience (and armloads of awards) between them. Join them for an informal and interactive conversation as they share insights from their experiences in live entertainment sound, and thoughts on where they think the future of technology will take us.
TOM PETTY: 40 YEARS ON THE ROAD
The music world lost a true icon when Tom Petty passed away this year. Join longtime front-of-house engineer Robert Scovill, along with fellow crew members Bernie Broderick, Vic Wagner, and Matt McQuaid, as they look back at the day-to-day audio challenges, technical accomplishments, and magic moments from their time on the road with one of America’s most beloved artists.
The digital console is the control center of any sound engineer’s working environment. But don’t let complex workflow become a roadblock to getting great sounds fast. Veteran engineer Rick Camp (Earth, Wind & Fire, Destiny's Child and Beyoncé, Natalie Cole, Burt Bacharach, Kelly Clarkson, Fantasia, Jennifer Lopez) will show you how to focus less on operating your console and more on getting a great mix.
CLUB SOUND: DOS AND DON’TS IN THE AGE OF DIGITAL
Clubs are ideal venues to advance your mixing skills. But with the evolution of digital technology, it’s easy to lose sight of fundamental concepts like gain structure and signal-to-noise ratios. Engineer Deanne Franklin (The Fillmore Theatre, Tom Waits, Pink, David Byrne, Sonic Youth, The Breeders) will share tips for mastering “analog” concepts in a digital world.
Today’s audio technology gives you the power to create studio-quality mixes in a live sound environment. Conquer your creative tools with tips from David Frangioni (technical consultant, engineer, and programmer for The Rolling Stones, Ringo Starr, Elton John, Sting, Bryan Adams, Journey, Styx, Shakira, Rascal Flatts, Ozzy Osbourne, Cher) and Jon Graves (Eddie Money, Motörhead, Quiet Riot, Mötley Crüe, Ratt, Dangerous Toys).
WIRELESS SYSTEMS: BUILD BULLETPROOF AUDIO
Managing wireless audio in a theatre setting can be complex, but the payoff is a next-level production that will wow your audience. Moderator Kelly Fair (Lectrosonics), along with Jim Van Bergen (Dave Brubeck, Miley Cyrus, The Goo Goo Dolls, Hall and Oates), Mark Dennis, Bill Mansfield (Cirque du Soleil’s O, Siegfried and Roy), and Jason Waufles, will discuss band planning and frequency coordination, tricks for hiding wireless units, and ways to optimize sound quality through gain structure, wireless platform, and microphone choice.
SYSTEM TUNING: OPTIMIZE YOUR P.A. FAST!
Touring the club circuit means dealing with a new room, and a new P.A., every night. Rational Acoustics CEO Jamie Anderson (Montreux Jazz Festival, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Grateful Dead, Anita Baker) will show you ways to roll with the sonic variables, identify problems, smooth out audio anomalies, optimize processing, and hone in on getting a great mix, fast.
Sarah Jones is a writer, editor, and content producer with more than 20 years' experience in pro audio, including as editor-in-chief of three leading audio magazines: Mix, EQ, and Electronic Musician. She is a lifelong musician and committed to arts advocacy and learning, including acting as education chair of the San Francisco chapter of the Recording Academy, where she helps develop event programming that cultivates the careers of Bay Area music makers.