Jim Yakabuski Author Profile


Jim Yakabuski
Jim Yakabuski has spent more than 35 years as a live sound engineer, working with artists such Van Halen, Journey, Avril Lavigne, Peter Frampton, and many others. He's also by author of "Professional Sound Reinforcement Techniques," which provides a collection of tips and techniques for mix engineers. It's available via Amazon.

Latest Posts by Jim

Problem Solver Or Troublemaker? A Wide-Ranging Discussion About Plugins

 The use of audio processing plugins in the live sound world is most certainly on the rise. Talking with friends and colleagues, I’m finding that… Read More

FOH First Aid Kit: Being Prepared For Anything As The Height Of Summer Concert Season Kicks In

 With the summer touring season upon us once again, there’s no time like the present to review the contents of our front of house first… Read More

It’s Your Move: Console Layout & Workflow Suggestions For Quick Access

 Allowing for quick access to often-used controls on my mixing console is something I think about a lot when creating and developing a show file,… Read More

360-Degree Tuning: Cleaning Things Up On Stage & Behind The PA

 When you’re all finished tuning a PA system, how does it sound out front? Fantastic I hope! But maybe we should also ask ourselves a… Read More

Danger In The Data: Words To The Wise About The Audio Measurement Process

 I’m a huge fan and longtime user of Rational Acoustics Smaart audio measurement software. In the 1980s through the early 90s,… Read More

Fake It ‘Til You Make It? Sage Counsel For “Newbies” Beginning The Audio Journey

 I was recently chatting with my old friend Shane Smith, the audio manager at LMG in Orlando, and he used the phrase “fake it ‘til… Read More

Caution: Channels Merging – Thoughts & Approaches When Combining Like (Or Similar) Inputs

 When I first started mixing club bands back in the early 1980s, I thought I was pretty cool behind my 16-channel analog mixing board. Most… Read More

Bringing The Boom: Main/Sub Array Configurations & Implementation

 Whether designing a sound system for a tour, festival or installation, the audio mixer and system engineer have many options when it comes to main… Read More

Mixed Blessings: Knowing When To Say “No” When Work Offers Flood In

 For anyone just starting a career as a live sound engineer, I offer my congratulations and a warm welcome to the club. You may discover… Read More

Mixing For The Boss: Dealing With Unsolicited (And Usually Unhelpful) Advice At FOH

 I’ve had an amazing career in professional audio and have been fortunate to mix some of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll bands ever, but I’ve… Read More

Retro Mixing: Can The 10-Channel Challenge Improve Your Live Mixes?

 Anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that I mix with a very straightforward style, using very few bells and whistles. It’s probably… Read More

A Classic Summer Sequel: An Engineer Takes Us Behind The Scenes On The Steve Miller Band-Peter Frampton Tour

 In the summer of 2017, two rock ‘n’ roll legends put into action a long-discussed plan to tour together. Steve Miller and Peter… Read More

Backstage Class: A Tuning “Standard”?

 As audio mixers and engineers, we live in a world of standards. With the oversight of the Audio Engineering Society (AES) and many other vital… Read More

Dueling Guitars: Options For Blending One Or More Players Into The Mix

 In the summer of 2017, I had the honor of mixing front of house for Matchbox 20 once again. It was the first time they’d… Read More