Gear Gab and Lessons from The Road with Area 52 Studios Gig Gab - The Working Musicians' Podcast

Dive deep into the essence of live music production with insights from Dave Cook and Lewis Fawcett of Area 52 Studios joining Dave Hamilton on Gig Gab. As they navigate the intricacies of creating the perfect in-ear monitor mix for artists like Natalie Merchant, they emphasize the delicate balance between clarity and ambiance. Incorporating ambient mics and reverb, while not forgetting the foundational elements of a solid mix, Dave Cook reminds us that to truly captivate an audience, one must “Always Be Performing” with an impeccable sound.

Their discussion extends beyond the technical, touching on the human elements of touring and recording, from the crucial hospitality towards artists to the mixed emotions of touring without loved ones. Lewis Fawcett, with a background enriched by family connections to Spymob and NER*D, shares some sage advice!

From road essentials like a dual-voltage collapsible kettle for that necessary coffee to favorite microphones that capture every nuance of performance, this episode is a treasure trove for those looking to refine their live sound or studio recordings, while always keeping the audience’s experience at the forefront.





00:00:00 Gig Gab 424 – Monday, April 8th, 2024



April 8th: Step Into The Spotlight Day

Guest Co-hosts: Dave Cook and Lewis Fawcett from Area 52 Studios

Last time was June, 2020 for Gig Gab 258





00:03:03 Dave on Mixing Monitors for Natalie Merchant



George Cowan was FOH

Dreamland Recording Studios

Keep Your Courage (Natalie Merchant, 2023)





00:08:55 Building an IEM Mix



Compromise and Get What You Need To Do The Gig

Ambient Mics

Add Reverb

Start with a good-sounding mix

Extra Kick-and-Snare





00:21:12 Lewis Fawcett



Logic vs. ProTools

Sophomore at Cornell College





00:24:01 The importance of hospitality

00:28:25 Lewis is part of the family



Eric Fawcett from Spymob and N*E*R*D





00:31:08 From Spymob to Pharrell



SXSW – Pat from The Black Keys: “The first  rule when you have a band is don’t break up the band. That’s the only rule.“





00:36:42 The Grinds and Benefits of Touring



The Guilt of Being in Amazing Places Without Your Family





00:43:49 Road Necessities



A bicycle

Dual-voltage collapsable kettle (for coffee)





00:45:58 Favorite Microphones



Roswell Pro Audio

Mini K47 Microphone

Royer SF-24 and 122-R

Laurie Anderson (and Lou Reed)

Sennheiser 441-U

Pyle Drum Microphones
...