i recently met a guy like you
who remembers the day monitors were turned around
did sound for elvis in hawaii
and bitches all day long about how everything is overpriced
and underdesigned

let me just say thanks for being old school
it's guys like you i would like to learn from the old man style
who fix the problem
not the symptoms


peace
bryan roberts

ps-what boxes do you like and use


PEACE TO YOU, BRYAN MY BOY! BUT WHY THE POETICS? WHAT'S WITH THE LOWER-CASE ACTION? THIS IS NOT A CHAT ROOM, AND YOU ARE NOT K.D. LANG OR E.E. CUMMINGS!

I NEVER DID SOUND FOR THE KING, AND I AM NOT SURE WHICH DAY IN HISTORY THE MONITORS WERE TURNED AROUND. ARE YOU SURE YOU DIDN'T KILL BING CROSBY?

I HAVE TURNED A LOT OF MONITORS OVER SO THAT THE GRILLS ARE DOWN ON THE STAGE, WHEN SHUTTING DOWN A MULTI-DAY FESTIVAL FOR THE NIGHT. YES, I KNOW OF THE GAFF TAPE AND YE OLDE SPACE BLANKETS, WRAPPING THE CONSOLES FOR THE EVENING. THEN BACK TO THE MOTEL, AND THE PAIN PILLS.

WHAT BOXES DO I LIKE TO USE? WELL, THERE ARE MARLBORO MEDIUMS IN THE BOX, THOSE ARE GOOD. I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT I AM NOT INSISTING ANY SOUND CHILDREN START SMOKING. UNLESS, TO QUOTE PENN AND TELLER'S SHOW-ENDING BIT, "YOU WANT TO LOOK REALLY, REALLY COOL!"

I ALSO ENDORSE THE PURCHASE OF BOX DRINKS, TO SAVE GLASS AND PLASTIC. SOY MILK, FRUIT JUICES, EURO-MILK, GATORADE, THEY'RE ALL GOOD. I MAY NOT DRINK WINES AS EXPENSIVE AS THOSE WHICH KEN BERGER CONSUMES, BUT ADMITTEDLY I DO DRAW THE LINE AT BUYING WINE IN A BOX. RAVENSWOOD LODI ZINFANDEL AND BUENA VISTA SAUVIGNON BLANC ARE MAINSTAYS WITH MYSELF AND THE OLD SOUNDWOMAN.

I ALSO LIKE THOSE PLASTIC STORAGE BOXES, ABOUT YAY BIG, WITH EITHER FLAP CLOSURES OR LIDS. THOSE ARE ONE OF THE GREATEST INVENTIONS OF MY LIFETIME. YOU SEE PEOPLE ALL OVER (CAN YOU SAY "BAND IN A VAN," THREE TIMES QUICKLY?) USING THEM FOR XLR CABLE, CLAWS, D.I.'S, HEADPHONES, CONSOLE CHARTS, SPIKE TAPE, SHARPIES, FLEX CUFFS, I MEAN CABLE TIES, YOU NAME IT, AM I RIGHT? OF COURSE I'M RIGHT!

I DO BITCH ALL DAY, YOU'VE GOT ME THERE. ONE OF THE WORST PARTS OF MY BEHAVIOR IS WHEN AN INNOCENT NEW FRIEND ATTEMPTS TO WATCH A HOME THEATRE PRESENTATION WITH ME. I AM THE GREATEST FILM DIRECTOR IN THE ENTIRE U.S., WHO HAS NEVER MADE A FILM. BUT THAT IS A MERE TECHNICALITY. IT IS I WHO AM THE FINAL JUDGE OF SOUND FOR FILM, AS WELL AS THE CINEMATOGRAPHY, ACTING, EDITING, OVERDUBBING AND SOCIO-POLITICAL AND CULTURAL ASSESSMENTS AND ANALYSIS. AND, I DO NOT HESITATE TO VERBALIZE MY OPINIONS AT ALL TIMES.

OTHERS CLAIM THAT THIS SOMEHOW "RUINS" THE VIEWING EXPERIENCE FOR THEM!

I TELL THEM THE LAST TIME I CHECKED THIS IS AMERICA AND I AM FREE TO SAY WHAT I THINK! NOT TO MENTION THAT IT'S MY HOUSE AND A MAN'S HOUSE IS SUPPOSED TO BE HIS CASTLE. OF COURSE, IF THE OLD SOUNDWOMAN IS AROUND, I GO KIND OF LIGHT ON THAT ANGLE. BUT HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT'S GREAT ABOUT THIS COLUMN, COMPARED TO THE ANIMAL-EXPERIMENTATION RESEARCH PROJECT GONE HAYWIRE KNOWN AS THE LIVE AUDIO BOARD, IS THERE IS NO DAVE STEVENS OR DOUG FOWLER AROUND TO TELL ME I'M "OFF-TOPIC!"

I'VE GOT YOUR OFF-TOPIC SWINGING WILD AND FREE IN THE SUMMER BREEZE, OK?

WELL, TECHNICALLY IT'S NOT SUMMER ANYMORE.

IT'S JUST A FIGURE OF SPEECH.

DON'T TRY TO BOX ME IN!

LUV - THE OLD SOUNDMAN

P.S. BRYAN, I CAN'T START ENDORSING BRANDS HERE! THINK ABOUT IT. AND DON'T GO AWAY MAD - JUST GO AWAY! FIND A NICE POETRY SLAM NIGHT SOMEWHERE …