Erik Matlock: Easily the best advice I ever received involved getting paid. In my early years, a few clients took advantage of my ignorance. After another AV crew owner showed me how to avoid that, it didn’t happen again. The routine for live shows was half up front to book the gig, and the balance was due as soon as the system was fully functional – not afterwards, when we were sometimes offered only excuses.
We usually got paid before the artists, venue, and sometimes even the promoters themselves. I spent a lot of time on smaller festivals guarding the distro while some hack promoter scrambled to fulfill their contract and get us our money.
As far as advice I give: Only take problems to solutions. Griping and blaming solves nothing. A positive and diplomatic attitude is your most important asset. Develop your skills as much as possible, but maintain a teachable mind. Hold the complaining until it can be presented intelligently, and only to someone who can resolve the issue.
Phil Garfinkel: “Compromise where it doesn’t count.” – Country Joe McDonald, November 11, 1984. This is something I’ve held close throughout my career.
My advice to younger techs? Teach yourself about sales. You are in sales. Whether you’re selling your client on some aspect of the show, or you’re selling the house tech on using some of your own gear, you’re always selling, specifically selling yourself as an engineer/tech/hand, etc. “Sales” is not a dirty word, it’s the fuel that drives the engine of our economy. Learn how to use it to your (and your clients’) benefit.
Craig Leerman: When I was in high school I worked on a lot of community theater shows. A wise old tech told me to always plan on changes. He said to anticipate that things will change on a daily basis until the curtain opens on the first night of the show, then more changes will happen before the second night. The secret, he added, was to not let the changes bother you, as they are a part of theater. I have found this advice to be spot-on for any event.
I tell new techs getting into production that they need to be able to go with the flow and not get bothered or flustered when someone tells them that things are being changed. Being able to remain calm, think through a problem and come up with a solution is the reason why many technicians get ahead in our business.
Michelle Sabolchick Pettinato: Two of the most important things a sound engineer should know are signal flow and proper gain structure. You may be a whiz on Pro Tools, have every plugin under the sun, and know your way around every digital console on the market, but if you don’t understand these two concepts, it won’t matter. Your mix will suffer, and when something goes wrong, you won’t have a clue where to begin to fix it.
It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the wide variety of digital platforms available. Knowing signal flow will give you more confidence in operating an unfamiliar console. If you have access to an analog console, it makes the concept of signal flow a lot easier to grasp as the linear nature of an analog channel strip presents it very clearly.
Proper gain structure will allow you to achieve optimum signal to noise ratio and minimum distortion. It also lets you operate faders and other bus sends at useable levels. Gain staging occurs at many places in the sound system – between the console, signal processing, amplifiers, inside the console itself and from the various sources coming from the stage. Both are essential for getting the most out of your system, optimal headroom, and clean, undistorted sound.
Best professional advice I’ve received? Never stop learning!
Nicholas Radina: Take what you do seriously. I’ve always interpreted this as putting time into your craft regardless of short-term financial or time loss. Be responsible, respectful, kind and professional, and always strive to do your best work – the respect and gigs will follow.
Andy Coules: You can’t polish a turd. Even if you’re a highly skilled and widely experienced engineer operating the latest and greatest equipment, it makes no difference if the source material is fundamentally flawed. It might be that the band is using sub-standard equipment or that they’re operating it incorrectly, or simply that the music is poorly arranged or shoddily executed. No amount of neat mix tricks or artfully deployed effects can make up for these intrinsic deficiencies. The best you can hope for is that the audience realizes it’s not your fault.
A related concept is that of “garbage in/garbage out” (GIGO), which states that the output of a system is determined by the quality of the input. If you think of this concept in sonic terms, it underlines the importance of getting the sound right at source. The right mic in the right position will make it much easier to get the sound you want.
Check Out More Roundtable Articles On PSW:
— Name That Tune: A Cornucopia Of System Test Track Selections
— Bang On The Drum All Day: Tips For Optimizing The Kit In The Mix
— All Wrapped Up: A Treasure Trove Of Advice About Cable & Interconnect
In addition, a tidy stage is a happy stage. The live stage is a minefield of instruments, amplifiers, microphone stands and cables, so the very least we can do is try to keep it tidy. Aside from the obvious health and safety implications, it looks better and makes performance easier. All you have to do is take a little time to arrange things neatly, ensuring that cable runs stay out of high traffic areas and that they’re taped down or covered where necessary.
Finally, a happy band plays better. If a band goes on stage having absolute faith in the engineer to deliver their sound, they will always perform better. Nowhere is this more important then when you’re a house engineer working with bands you’ve never met before. Good communication and solid leadership put the bands at ease and ensure a rewarding night for all involved.