Signal To Noise Podcast ProSoundWeb

In Episode 252, the hosts are joined by Elliot Carroll, director of audio services for Show Imaging, who talks about the business side of audio — deciding what gear to buy (or, more importantly, not buy), when to say yes or no to a proposed project, training staff, keeping staff happy and healthy on job sites, and much more. Elliot’s spent the past 20 years specializing primarily in corporate audio, with stops along the way doing festivals in below freezing weather in Denver, and even running away with the circus for a stretch. This episode is sponsored by Allen & Heath and RCF.

Episode Links:
Show Imaging
Elliot Carroll on LinkedIn
Episode 252 Transcript

Be sure to check out the Signal To Noise Facebook Group and Discord Server. Both are spaces for listeners to create to generate conversations around the people and topics covered in the podcast — we want your questions and comments!

Also please check out and support The Roadie Clinic, Their mission is simple. “We exist to empower & heal roadies and their families by providing resources & services tailored to the struggles of the touring lifestyle.”

The Signal To Noise Podcast on ProSoundWeb is co-hosted by pro audio veterans Andy Leviss and Sean Walker.

Want to be a part of the show? If you have a quick tip to share, or a question for the hosts, past or future guests, or listeners at home, we’d love to include it in a future episode. You can send it to us one of two ways:

1) If you want to send it in as text and have us read it, or record your own short audio file, send it to signal2noise@prosoundweb.com with the subject “Tips” or “Questions”

2) If you want a quick easy way to do a short (90s or less) audio recording, go to https://www.speakpipe.com/S2N and leave us a voicemail there

Episode 252 Transcript

In Episode 251, Tony-award sound designer Jessica Paz joins the show and talks about all things Broadway and touring sound design, including how to make a theatre sound like a stadium or an intimate office as well as the trials and tribulations of doing live theatre outdoors at New York’s iconic Delacorte Theatre for Shakespeare in the Park, and more. This episode is sponsored by Allen & Heath and RCF.

Jessica’s the first, and to date only, non-male Tony-winning sound designer. She’s collaborated on Broadway productions that include Hadestown (Tony and Drama Desk Award, Best Sound Design of a Musical), A Beautiful Noise, Dear Evan Hansen, Bandstand, Disaster!, The Assembled Parties, and Fela! (Tony Award, Best Sound Design of a Musical).

Episode Links:
Jessica Paz Designs
Meyer Sound Profile Of Jessica Paz
Jessica Paz Tony Acceptance Speech
Theatre Avenue: Problem Solving in Sound Design
Theatre Avenue: Sound Design of Little Shop of Horrors
Krotos Interview With Jessica Paz
Episode 251 Transcript

Be sure to check out the Signal To Noise Facebook Group and Discord Server. Both are spaces for listeners to create to generate conversations around the people and topics covered in the podcast — we want your questions and comments!

Also please check out and support The Roadie Clinic, Their mission is simple. “We exist to empower & heal roadies and their families by providing resources & services tailored to the struggles of the touring lifestyle.”

The Signal To Noise Podcast on ProSoundWeb is co-hosted by pro audio veterans Andy Leviss and Sean Walker.

Want to be a part of the show? If you have a quick tip to share, or a question for the hosts, past or future guests, or listeners at home, we’d love to include it in a future episode. You can send it to us one of two ways:

1) If you want to send it in as text and have us read it, or record your own short audio file, send it to signal2noise@prosoundweb.com with the subject “Tips” or “Questions”

2) If you want a quick easy way to do a short (90s or less) audio recording, go to https://www.speakpipe.com/S2N and leave us a voicemail there

In Episode 250, Sean and Andy take it back to the early days of grunge when they talk to Craig Montgomery, the front of house engineer for Nirvana. He details mixing and managing small tours and festivals in a van with Kurt, Dave, and Krist from 1989 to 1993 as well as going on to tour manage for Hole, and mix and tour manage other well-known artists including TAD, Mudhoney, Weezer, and The Presidents of the United States. This episode is sponsored by Allen & Heath and RCF.

After getting off the road, Craig settled back home in Seattle, where he had a nearly 15-year tenure as the house sound engineer for famed venue The Triple Door, which he’s only recently retired from. And, as always, there are lots of useful tips and tricks scattered in with all the amazing history Craig has to share, so you’ll definitely want to give this one a listen!

Episode Links:
Craig Montgomery Reddit AMA
Photos From The Nirvana Days
99 Percent Invisible: “Whomst Amongst Us Let The Dogs Out”
American Songwriter: Nirvana Sound Engineer Craig Montgomery Shares Stories About the Band
Episode 250 Transcript

Be sure to check out the Signal To Noise Facebook Group and Discord Server. Both are spaces for listeners to create to generate conversations around the people and topics covered in the podcast — we want your questions and comments!

Also please check out and support The Roadie Clinic, Their mission is simple. “We exist to empower & heal roadies and their families by providing resources & services tailored to the struggles of the touring lifestyle.”

The Signal To Noise Podcast on ProSoundWeb is co-hosted by pro audio veterans Andy Leviss and Sean Walker.

Want to be a part of the show? If you have a quick tip to share, or a question for the hosts, past or future guests, or listeners at home, we’d love to include it in a future episode. You can send it to us one of two ways:

1) If you want to send it in as text and have us read it, or record your own short audio file, send it to signal2noise@prosoundweb.com with the subject “Tips” or “Questions”

2) If you want a quick easy way to do a short (90s or less) audio recording, go to https://www.speakpipe.com/S2N and leave us a voicemail there

In Episode 249, Sean and Andy gather around the microphones with Sam Kusnetz, education and training manager for Figure 53’s QLab and founder of Team Sound, maker of MIDI hardware and testers specifically designed for live audio playback users. Sam talks about growing up and falling into theatre in New York, working on smaller tours and regional theatres across the country, and then eventually settling into a dual role as a NY-based associate sound designer and, for the last decade and change, a core member of the QLab support and development team.

Sam and the hosts focus on using QLab across all aspects of live sound, from theatre to corporate audio, and even employing it for more exotic things like calling followspot cues in concerts. Sam also discusses some lesser known features and tips and tricks that QLab 5 allows, shares the power of the free and daily rental licenses for QLab as well as the more standard perpetual licenses, and talks about QLab’s free sibling iPhone/iPad app, Go Button.

They also spend some time talking about some of the biggest changes that came in QLab 5, such as fully chasing timecode, multi-computer client/server collaboration functions, and much more, and get a brief overview of Team Sound’s hardware, which is showing up in more and more sound engineers’ tool boxes every day!

Episode Links:
Figure 53
QLab App
Go Button App
Team Sound
Episode 249 Transcript

Be sure to check out the Signal To Noise Facebook Group and Discord Server. Both are spaces for listeners to create to generate conversations around the people and topics covered in the podcast — we want your questions and comments!

Also please check out and support The Roadie Clinic, Their mission is simple. “We exist to empower & heal roadies and their families by providing resources & services tailored to the struggles of the touring lifestyle.”

The Signal To Noise Podcast on ProSoundWeb is co-hosted by pro audio veterans Andy Leviss and Sean Walker.

Want to be a part of the show? If you have a quick tip to share, or a question for the hosts, past or future guests, or listeners at home, we’d love to include it in a future episode. You can send it to us one of two ways:

1) If you want to send it in as text and have us read it, or record your own short audio file, send it to signal2noise@prosoundweb.com with the subject “Tips” or “Questions”

2) If you want a quick easy way to do a short (90s or less) audio recording, go to https://www.speakpipe.com/S2N and leave us a voicemail there

In Episode 248, the hosts visit with front of house engineer Burton Ishmael, who is currently mixing Madonna’s global Celebration tour, and learn about how the artist sought him out after hearing him mix Post Malone, the latest in a list of A-List hip-hop and R&B acts on his resume that also includes Lil Baby, Nas, Big Sean, Miguel, and H.E.R., and others. This episode is sponsored by Allen & Heath and RCF.

They also talk about what it takes to make a concert spanning a 40-year career sound coherent and contemporary while still remaining true to the individual eras of the artist’s career, as well as the unique collaborative process involved in mixing the vocals and effects for Madonna. And, they spend some time digging into Burton’s outboard signal chains for both Madonna and Post Malone.

Episode Links:
Burton Ishmael On YouTube
Rig Tour: Post Malone Front Of House Engineer Burton Ishmael (YouTube)
This is DeLaCruz! — Running Sound For Madonna — Burton Ishmael (YouTube)
Episode 248 Transcript

Be sure to check out the Signal To Noise Facebook Group and Discord Server. Both are spaces for listeners to create to generate conversations around the people and topics covered in the podcast — we want your questions and comments!

Also please check out and support The Roadie Clinic, Their mission is simple. “We exist to empower & heal roadies and their families by providing resources & services tailored to the struggles of the touring lifestyle.”

The Signal To Noise Podcast on ProSoundWeb is co-hosted by pro audio veterans Andy Leviss and Sean Walker.

Want to be a part of the show? If you have a quick tip to share, or a question for the hosts, past or future guests, or listeners at home, we’d love to include it in a future episode. You can send it to us one of two ways:

1) If you want to send it in as text and have us read it, or record your own short audio file, send it to signal2noise@prosoundweb.com with the subject “Tips” or “Questions”

2) If you want a quick easy way to do a short (90s or less) audio recording, go to https://www.speakpipe.com/S2N and leave us a voicemail there

In Episode 247, the co-hosts catch up after Sean returns from his first vacation since starting his company. Sean fills Andy in on turning a trip to visit the RCF factory into a vacation for his entire family. He gives a recap of his awesome time visiting the factory and seeing how the loudspeakers he’s bought for his company are made and tested, plus an obligatory stop for fantastic Neapolitan pizza and other Italy must-sees. The discussion turns to acknowledging how important time off is, and how hard it is to realize that you’re overworking or burning out until you do finally take a break, intentionally or otherwise. This episode is sponsored by Allen & Heath and RCF.

Be sure to check out the Signal To Noise Facebook Group and Discord Server. Both are spaces for listeners to create to generate conversations around the people and topics covered in the podcast — we want your questions and comments!

Also please check out and support The Roadie Clinic, Their mission is simple. “We exist to empower & heal roadies and their families by providing resources & services tailored to the struggles of the touring lifestyle.”

The Signal To Noise Podcast on ProSoundWeb is co-hosted by pro audio veterans Andy Leviss and Sean Walker.

Want to be a part of the show? If you have a quick tip to share, or a question for the hosts, past or future guests, or listeners at home, we’d love to include it in a future episode. You can send it to us one of two ways:

1) If you want to send it in as text and have us read it, or record your own short audio file, send it to signal2noise@prosoundweb.com with the subject “Tips” or “Questions”

2) If you want a quick easy way to do a short (90s or less) audio recording, go to https://www.speakpipe.com/S2N and leave us a voicemail there

Episode 247 Transcript