Herd Mentality: What Do Cats Have To Do With IEM Mixing?

ProSoundWeb

Speed & Efficiency

The third lovely furball is called Timing. A true signifier of experienced and well-versed IEM engineers is the speed of their responses to the demands of clients. You hear this from just about every successful engineer when talking about their craft – requested changes have to be made the moment someone asks for them.

This is why monitor engineers spend so much time developing a console layout that is consistent no matter what console it happens to be. It’s also the reason why engineers are more reluctant to change their console for another model or brand. If you want to achieve that level of speed, you have to know where your most crucial channels are laid out, how your sources are divided amongst layers, how to press that shortcut you’ve programmed to do three moves with one switch, and so on.

The goal is to get there faster. It has to become muscle memory, which is even more important when you consider monitor engineers are sometimes located on the actual stage and must have the console lights dimmed in order to not detract from the visual experience for the audience.

There’s actually another Jedi level of this timing game that can be attained when working with an artist for a long time – anticipating their needs and meeting them before they become expressed. The best engineers become extremely familiar with not only the sound of a mix but also with all the minute mannerisms an artist might have. They can deduce something needs to be changed by the way someone is standing or what they’re looking at.

When that change is done, they can immediately notice the effect of it, even when no cues or words have been exchanged. Again, this can only happen when working with an artist for a longer period of time and it’s definitely not wise to try making guesses if you don’t know the artist that well.

Overriding Everything

The last cat is the alpha – the biggest, baddest, most important member of the herd. Her name is Safety. She is the mother of all cats. It’s the single most important concept that should never leave an engineer’s mind when working with IEM users.

Here’s what I think about every time I mix IEMs: the fact that there are devices, capable of extremely high sound pressure levels, placed mere fractions of an inch next to highly sensitive vital organs of the human body. As the operator of those devices, I’m the sole person responsible for making sure that these human beings don’t experience permanent damage to one of their senses.

Call yourself “The Gatekeeper” or “The Protector.” Shout “You Shall Not Pass!” to the rafters. In other words, go full Gandalf mode. The point is that engineers must do all that is possible to insure that even if everything else goes south, the last stand is the safety of the artists.

This means having complete control over the IEM systems and the users. The engineer must know exactly what will happen when those packs get turned on and those earphones are plugged in, and must stay on top of it every single moment of the gig. Not just the show, but the line check, sound check, changeover, you name it – from the moment a signal could potentially pass through the system until the gear is turned off and put away.

Those seeking a successful and long-lasting career as an IEM engineer should be aware of these four key concepts at all times. They sum up everything we do, and when you bring them into your approach, you’ll have a shot of working with and for the best. Lose sight of just one of them, and your path can quickly lead astray.

Now that I think of it – maybe it does have something to do with herding cats after all.

(Editor’s Note: I looked it up, and the official name for a herd of cats is a “clowder.”)