How We Got Loud

Chris Leonard
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Documentary
  • Every two weeks

Stories about the people, technology and passion that built the history of live sound.

Episodes

  1. 2 days ago

    Greg Carttar, 3rd St. R&D Production Services

    Greg Carttar of 3rd St. R&D Production Services joins me for a deep dive into the early days of live sound, regional sound companies, and the era when people were still building, modifying, and figuring out the tools of the trade in real time. Greg talks about getting his start in electronics, building amplifiers and mixers, and learning from Stanel Sound, where theory, field experience, and the Don Davis book all became part of his education. From there, we get into early country shows with Mel Tillis and Danny Davis & The Nashville Brass, mixing Judy Collins and full orchestra at Red Rocks, and what it was like ground-stacking PA before the venue had modern infrastructure. A big part of the conversation focuses on Greg’s work with Steve Martin during his arena comedy years. That tour pushed Greg to think deeply about articulation, coverage, and directivity because every word had to land. It was not just about getting loud. It was about making sure a whisper, a scream, a cue, or a punchline could be heard clearly in every seat. We also talk about early flying PA systems, venue baskets, Stanel’s “flying junkyard” approach, homemade rigging, Johnny Cash, the Statler Brothers, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Alcons Audio, ribbon drivers, and the practical problem-solving that defined that generation of live sound. This episode is part technical history, part road story, and part reminder that the live sound industry was built by people who were willing to learn, experiment, fail, rebuild, and keep the show moving. Check out the episode page for photos, links, and more details.

    1hr 39min

  2. 7 Jun

    Bill “Doc” Gans, The Road Behind The Load-Out

    Bill “Doc” Gans worked for Showco from 1973 to 1982, during one of the most important eras in the development of modern concert touring. Doc came into the business with no formal audio background, learned by doing, and found himself on the road with some of the biggest artists of the 1970s and early 1980s. In this long-form road conversation, he shares stories from his years in live sound, from the Showco shop to stages with Jackson Browne, James Taylor, The Who, ZZ Top, Average White Band, Uriah Heep, and more. We talk about the Running on Empty tour, “The Load-Out/Stay,” Merriweather Post Pavilion, monitor mixing before in-ears, loud wedges, feedback, recording trucks, stage volume, The Section, Jim Bornhorst, the Showco Superboard, Vari-Lite, and the constant problem-solving that came with doing large-scale shows before the modern touring playbook existed. This episode started with one song, but it became much more than that. It is a conversation about Doc’s story, Showco’s impact, and the wild, funny, difficult, unforgettable reality of life on the road in the 1970s. Some of the stories are technical. Some are hilarious. Some are from a very different era of touring. All of them are part of the history How We Got Loud is here to preserve. The history of live sound is not just about gear. It is about the people who figured it out as they went. Check out the episode page at HowWeGotLoud.com for more pictures and details.

    2h 9m

  3. 29 May

    David Dansky, Mixing Audio With Texture

    David Dansky has been mixing shows since 1970, stepping into live audio at a time when the industry was still young, raw, and being figured out in real time. With a background in electrical engineering, David was uniquely positioned for an era when sound engineers were not just mixing shows. They were solving problems, adapting gear, learning from each other, and helping shape the systems and workflows that became part of the live sound industry. “I wasn’t just mixing a band. I was mixing textures, tones, strings, horns, arrangements, and emotion. It was like having the 64-color box of Crayolas instead of the one with eight.” His career took him from Mandrill, where he learned fast while mixing a band with horns, percussion, vibes, flute, and deep musical range, into the world of showroom entertainers, orchestras, theatrical productions, Las Vegas production shows, and international work. Over the years, David worked with artists and productions connected to Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Engelbert Humperdinck, Bette Midler, Debbie Reynolds, Shirley MacLaine, Neil Sedaka, Tommy Tune, Burt Reynolds, Donna Summer, Cher, Yoshiki, and many more. A major theme in this conversation is texture. David talks about the difference between mixing a typical band and mixing a 32-piece orchestra, describing it like the difference between an artist having a box of eight crayons versus a box of sixty-four. For him, the beauty was in the tones, the arrangements, the strings, the horns, the space, and the emotional detail inside the music. We also get into his early years with Mandrill, his time with MSI and A1 Audio, working with Frank Sinatra in the round, the A1 VIP self-powered system, early in-ear monitor experiments, House of Blues Sunset Strip, Splash in Japan and Las Vegas, Broadway and theatrical work, and what it meant to be part of a generation of engineers who helped cross-pollinate ideas across the industry. David’s story is not just about the artists he worked with. It is about a period of live sound history when innovation was happening show by show, city by city, and engineer by engineer. Learn more about David Dansky and see pictures referenced on eh episode here : www.HowWeGotLoud.com

    1hr 26min

  4. 22 May

    Jim Yakabuski, From Bar Band to Van Halen

    Jim Yakabuski’s career started in Vancouver bar bands, learning live sound the hard way: small rooms, limited gear, feedback problems, and a lot of figuring it out as he went. In this episode, Jim walks through the path that took him from those early club gigs to DB Sound, Summerfest in Milwaukee, monitor gigs with Aerosmith and Poison, and eventually front of house for Van Halen. Along the way, he shares stories about learning before the internet, working with massive proprietary PA systems, mixing Van Halen, chasing Eddie’s guitar tone, and watching the industry shift from analog consoles and huge speaker walls to digital desks, measurement, and modern line arrays. Jim has mixed for Van Halen, Journey, Peter Frampton, Avril Lavigne, Matchbox Twenty, Rob Thomas, Gwen Stefani, Luis Miguel, and many others. He is also the author of Professional Sound Reinforcement Techniques and continues to give back to the audio community through writing, teaching, podcasts, and The MIX Institute. This conversation is about more than the resume. It is about the climb, the craft, the luck, the pressure, and the lifelong pursuit of making a show feel right for the people in the room.

    1hr 17min

  5. 14 May

    David Morgan, Connecting The Artist and Audience

    David Morgan spent more than 50 years standing between artists and audiences, helping translate performances into emotional experiences night after night. As the longtime front of house engineer for James Taylor, Paul Simon, Bette Midler, Steely Dan, Whitney Houston, Fleetwood Mac, and many others, he’s mixed everything from intimate theater shows to massive outdoor performances for hundreds of thousands of people. But what drives him has never really been the résumé. It’s the people walking out smiling. In this conversation, David reflects on the path from hauling PA and carrying a spotlight in a North Hollywood country bar to mixing some of the most celebrated tours in modern music history. Along the way, he shares stories about the Doobie Brothers, Graceland, James Taylor, analog gear, mentorship, touring culture, and what it actually takes to survive in live sound for over five decades. More than anything, this episode is about service to the music, service to the artist, and the responsibility of helping audiences feel something real. "I would hope people remember me as someone who made millions of people happy. To be a clear enough window between them and the artist they came to admire — that's the best feedback I can get. It's all part of the love." — David Morgan About David Morgan David Morgan is a legendary front of house engineer whose career spans more than five decades. His touring history includes Paul Simon, James Taylor, Steely Dan, Whitney Houston, Bette Midler, Fleetwood Mac, Barry Manilow, Simon & Garfunkel, the Doobie Brothers, and many more. He has received eleven TEC Award nominations, winning for Steely Dan’s Y2K Tour in 2001, and received the Parnelli Award in 2019 for his work with Fleetwood Mac. He also wrote a long-running column for FOH Magazine and has lectured at USC Thornton School of Music and Blackbird Academy. More importantly, he remains one of the most respected and humble people in live sound. Originally released in November 2020.

    1hr 24min

  6. 8 May

    Ken Newman, In Pursuit Of Audio Nirvana

    Before digital consoles, prediction software, analyzers, plugins, and virtual soundcheck, there were engineers like Ken Newman figuring it all out in real time. Ken’s career spans more than four decades and includes artists such as Barry Manilow, Paul Anka, Shirley MacLaine, Anita Baker, Liza Minnelli, Chris Isaak, Julio Iglesias, and many more. But what makes his story fascinating is not just the list of artists. It’s the path he took to get there. Growing up around electronics and ham radio through his family’s business, Ken started building recording rigs and modifying mixers while still in high school. Long before live sound had established rules or standardized systems, he was learning through experimentation, failure, curiosity, and instinct. In this conversation, Ken reflects on the early days of regional sound companies, homemade consoles, analog outboard gear, Atlantic City showroom productions, the transition from analog to digital mixing, and the endless pursuit of what he calls “audio nirvana.”  Along the way, he shares stories about:  recording local bands with a custom-built Gately Pro Kit mixer,  discovering live sound while working with regional PA companies in the 1970s,  troubleshooting a Doobie Brothers tour console failure,  learning from legendary engineers and system techs,  navigating difficult artists and high-pressure situations,  and why honesty, consistency, and challenge matter just as much as technical ability. More than anything, this episode captures the mindset of a generation that helped build modern live sound from the ground up, often without formal training, established workflows, or even proper equipment. For Ken, the goal has always remained the same:  make it sound great, make people happy, and keep chasing the next level. You can check out more of Ken’s work here www.newmanaudio.com

    1hr 15min
  • 6 Episodes

About

Stories about the people, technology and passion that built the history of live sound.

Information

  • Creator
    Chris Leonard
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    6
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 How We Got Loud
  • Show Website
    How We Got Loud

You Might Also Like