2. Texting, surfing the web, chatting with the hotties (you know, those hotties that hit on sound guys? I don’t either) and such are great before load-in, after the show on the bus, or on break.

Wait, there’s never a real break, is there?

No matter what’s going on, we must keep our eyes and ears perked for problems as well as colleagues and clients trying to get our attention, and in general, just being a good crew member by offering to help wherever and whenever possible.

In many ways, the quickest way to advance a career is to be “on the ball” - anticipating problems and solutions before they happen and doing the right thing even if no one’s watching.

Slacking with an “I’m done connecting my stuff so I can just sit here and sip my half-caf non-fat mochaccino” attitude doesn’t cut it in the long term.

1. Never take your eyes off the stage during a show. Well, O.K., glance at the effects rack every now and again to make sure you’re not clipping your compressors, but keep it to a minimum.

Remember that rule about glancing in your mirrors a couple of times each minute while driving? It’s like that. The stage is the road, and you might need to glance at your surroundings a bit here and there.

The reason is that the people on the stage, otherwise known as “talent,” might be trying to signal you. Or maybe they’re grimacing because something is wrong.

It doesn’t look too good to have a bunch of people on stage trying to get your attention while you’re enjoying the latest funny bit on ProSoundWeb’s LAB Basement forum during the middle of a set. Plus, by watching what’s happening up there, you can be better at anticipating your next moves.

Maybe the set is pretty much the same every night. But what if something does change? What if the lead guitar player comes out with a Les Paul instead of a Strat for the second to last number?

What if the bass player finally gets over his stage fright and decides to sing that high harmony vocal part on that one song.

With eyes glued to the stage, you’ll see it coming and be ready to open a channel, ride a fader, insert a compressor, change an EQ setting or whatever. There’s no worse feeling that leaving a channel muted when someone walks up to a mic to take a solo. I know. I’ve been there and it’s no fun.

So that’s it. My list. You may have your own. There are plenty of good things to keep in mind as we go about being better at our work. And this year, we’ll probably all learn another thing or two to never do while behind the console. Happy mixing!

 
Karl Winkler is Director of Business Development at Lectrosonics and has worked in professional audio for more than 15 years..

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