Moderator: Good evening, and welcome to our chat with The Old Soundman.

The Old Soundman: Hey, what's up!

Moderator: Or as we lovingly call him, OSM.

Monsieur Frank: Dear OSM, you are my idol and I hope to be like you when I hit your level of experience. At what point in my career do I get to become arrogant and get away with it?

OSM: Easy there. WHEN PEOPLE LET YOU GET AWAY WITH IT! You'll know - a demonic force will whisper to you.

Ken: Why do you have to be so difficult?

OSM: Oh, check out the perfection in all things embodied in this guy! I'm the bad guy, right?

Jim G: Do you cop an attitude on all the acts and crews, or just some of them?

OSM: The ones who earn it by being lazy, mean or egomaniacal. Incompetence doesn't help, but they don't get spanked if they are humble and want to learn.

Monsieur Frank: What would be the signs that my hearing is shot, and that I should start mixing "IFR" (instruments)?

OSM: I actually knew a cat that did monitors and used an RTA because he could not hear HF feedback!! It was so weird to watch!

Chence W: Mr. Old Sound Man, Mix magazine has been running a feature called “The Grump”. Is he your brother?

OSM: Some of the LAB (live audio board) guys told me about that. I use that mag to line the cat box, so I hadn't seen it. Somebody faxed me a copy, and it was sort of a compliment. Definitely trying to steal my juju. That writer needs to eat some Wheaties or a bacon cheeseburger, I don't know. Right now he is looking so weak!

Grampa Lee: So do all of the rest of us old sound men have to keep it to lower case in deference to you, "THE Old Soundman" with caps and your Latin Lawyer "Marca Registrada"?