Life has once again gotten in the way of regularly contributing to this blog and I sure do miss it! Hopefully I’m only days away from being able to share more about the journey of the past few months.

Until then, I ran across a blog post from Dave Rat, who I’ve shared from in the past, about breaking into the industry and building a career in professional production. It is great insight from a great engineer and well known company owner.

If you aren’t following him already, you can find Dave’s blog here…

“Rat gets about 2 to 3 inquiries a day from humans looking to work for Rat. That equates to about a 1000 a year. I must say it is one of the most difficult things I deal with and though I try to respond to all the ones that come to me personally, I must admit that when I get busy and I have 20 or so backed up in my in box, more than a few get lost in the mix, for that I apologize. I am truly honored and appreciate the interest in working for Rat. I also fully support the concept of following your dream and doing all you can to get there. So it is really tough to respond to these requests. While I do not want to disregard the inquiries, Rat rarely hires new people except if we meet them and are impressed by their work ethic, skills and we also are in need of adding someone and the person comes highly recommended by someone that already works with us.”

“So I have been pondering the answer to the question “How do I get in to the pro sound business and get to work for a company such as Rat?” And what I am realizing is that if your plan is to try and get hired by a sound company supplying systems to highly desirable bands and tours, you will first need a stellar skill set, reputation, work ethic and have some highly respected people that are willing to recommend you.”

“But the quandary is “How do I develop that skill set if I cannot get hired to prove myself?” Excellent point and one that I face myself over and over with each new level not only as a tech and an engineer but also as a sound rental business as well. I did not get here by walking into a killer gig. I did not reach this point by expecting someone to hire me based on my potential. I did not look for ‘getting lucky’ and in general I avoid the whole lottery success concept.”

“While those rolling the dice for a shortcut to happiness are plentiful, it is the ones willing to build their happiness that are desirable.”

“I chose to work very hard for a very long time and definitely grueling beyond anything I would ever expect from someone else. So the answer is simple. “Do your time, earn your credibility, establish yourself as one of the best at what you decide to do.” Whether that means digging the trenches in audio boot camp of misery or studying software and specifications and mastering the mental side of in this highly competitive industry, it is those that are most willing to push the hardest that are most likely to come out on top. And by pushing the hardest I am talking about pushing to the point of obsession, borderline insanity and when everyone else throws in the towel for the day, you just getting warmed up. Being willing to forgo the luxuries like nights off and sleep and all the other stuff that so many normal people enjoy. Most people will not gravitate to the top, most people will settle for mediocrity and that’s why it is called mediocrity, because that is the realm that the majority reach, and there is nothing wrong with that, it just is not the path that will most likely get to traveling the world with rock bands as a successful sound human.”

“So when you can answer the questions with confidence and credibility: “what makes you exceptional?” “What have you done that is above and beyond to develop your skills?” “Can you truly say that no matter how bad it gets, that you’ve already voluntarily been through worse?” It is then that you are at the point where you should be able to pull the gigs that you dream of pulling. Until then, get in those trenches and have a blast kicking ass on the most grueling gigs you can get your hands on. Trust me, it builds character and if nothing else it will make for some great road stories when reach the next level.”

Audiovend is a wireless rental specialist – Shure & Sennheiser, Lectrosonics, wired & wireless IEM, Comm – if its wireless, they deal with it.  They also have a very large inventory of specialized mics and wireless capsules.  I first learned about Greg Stevens and Audiovend a few years ago when I needed to rent 12 string mics (DPA 4061s).  One of my friends suggested talking to Greg due to a recommendation from DPA.  They were very easy to work with and provided exactly what I needed for the weekend.  On top of that, rental rates for such specialized mics were fair and reasonable.  It was a win/win for everyone.

Since that time, we’ve done a couple of other similar rentals for special service elements.  A few months ago, however, a unique opportunity came along for us to partner on a higher profile and that event’s success is the inspiration for this post.

Every summer, Kensington does an outdoor baptism event at a local park/beachfront.  Hundreds of people participate to declare their love for Jesus, with several thousand spectators lining the beach to picnic, celebrate, and support.  This event is always one of the highlights of the year.  As a part of the production needs, we have utilized waterproof microphones in the water so that the pastors can make things more personal for each participant and lead everyone through the event.  The concept is REALLY cool and the event hinges on these mics’ success, but for the past several years of attempting this, the execution has been marginal due to poor support from our previous vendor – a large national rental company.

After last year’s experience, I suggested that we seek out a new direction this year and approached Greg for his help.  He designed a Lectrosonics 6 channel system with waterproof transmitters and headsets, helical antennas, and the needed distribution and cabling to remote the antennas 100 feet from the receivers.  Everything was shipped to us to arrive the day before the event.  It was sent in such a way I could unpack, make the necessary RF and audio connections, and be good to go.  Greg did a frequency coordination plan prior to shipping so when the system arrived, it was ready to rock.

Below is an excerpt of the email I sent Greg following the successful evening…

“…Everything worked as it should for the entire event.  This event hinges on these wireless working and your system delivered for the first time in several years of trying!  The headsets sounded really good with little channel EQ, lithium batteries saved the day – we powered transmitters on at the beginning of event and made it all the way to the end with no battery swaps, helicals were great – no RF issues at all.  It was so great to be able to turn the transmitters on and go because the frequencies were all taken care of from the start.  In the past the team has always had to guess and tune with mixed results.  Everyone on our team was very impressed.

You have a raving fan in Kensington – we’ll certainly be making this an annual thing   You made me look very good today but I know you and your team are the real heros.  Thanks again for all you do!”

What is most ironic is that Audiovend provided a similar set of actual gear as our previous vendor – I think the biggest difference was their proper planning, implementation, and improved RF distribution.  Greg and the team are obvious experts at the art form of wireless audio systems.

If you’re also placed in situations where you need to deliver wireless solutions for high-profile events, I HIGHLY recommend Greg Stevens and his team at Audiovend Wireless.  His expertise is vast, his prices fair, and the service and support is excellent.  He’ll make you look very good as well!  Let him know I sent you…

We’ve all experienced it: there were problems with load in or set-up, time is short, the system is set-up with only a few minutes to spare and of course, something works improperly or not at all. Although the first instinct might be to take a “shotgun” approach and start checking plugs, connections, cables, etc. in a random fashion (i.e. “panic”), a tried-and-true troubleshooting method will almost always find the problem with less effort and in a shorter amount of time.

The most basic troubleshooting technique (after “is it plugged in?”) is the “Divide and Conquer” method. This involves identifying the good parts of the system as well as figuring out which parts have failed. Not only can these working sections be eliminated as the cause of the problem, but they can also be used to test other parts of the system.

Let’s consider an example: a mic channel at a mixer is dead while others are operating properly. The good news here is that you can use one of the working channels to isolate the problem.

First, unplug an input connector from a working channel on the console and plug it into the dead channel. If the bad channel on the console now works, the problem must exist before the console, back toward the mic.
If it’s still dead, the problem has to be after that channel’s input (bad channel, dirty insert jack, wrong assignment, etc.) Either way, about half of the system is eliminated.

Let’s assume the first condition above – the console is OK. The remaining part of the system can be divided in half again by doing same thing at the stage end of the snake. That is, after switching the cables back to where they were on the console, plug a cable from a known working mic into the offending channel on the stage box. If the channel stays dead, the problem has to be in the snake. But if the channel comes to life, the snake is eliminated and the problem must be between the stage box and the mic (the cable and/or the mic itself). In this case, substituting either the mic cable or the mic will identify the problem.

The same technique can be used after the the console too.

One amp not responding? Take the input cable from another amp that is working (AND handling the same frequency range if its a bi-amp or tri-amp situation – DON’T TAKE A BASS FREQUENCY line and plug it in to the offending amp that’s feeding horns!). If it starts working, put things back and move back toward the console – maybe to the crossover. Try reversing the left and right signals starting at the console and moving toward the amps. When the problem switches from one side to the other, you’ve found the problem point in the line.

As said before, the tendency, especially under pressure, is to start substituting cables or wiggling connections in a random manner. Although you might just get lucky and hit on the defective component, it’s very easy to put yourself into an endless circle, trying this and that, without really getting a handle on where the problem lies. This is especially true if a section has more than one defective component.

Practice an organized troubleshooting method and you’ll “Divide and Conquer” your problem every time.

3/16″ Clear Plexiglas

90 degree brackets:  http://www.abctarget.com/product1~P~P174.htm

Total Cost:  $240

The shell is made by Slam Grand Pianos.  It is a 7ft 4″ model based off of the Yamaha C7 shape.  Gary Raffanelli at Slam Grand did amazing craftsmanship and was so easy to work with.  His company builds piano shells for practically everyone who’s anybody – TV shows, touring, casinos, etc.

Inside the shell is a Yamaha CP33 Stage Piano that we use as a MIDI controller.  We chose this board based on the recommendation of some of our keys players for its realistic feel.  Even though we don’t use the internal sounds in the CP33 as a part of this setup, its great to know that its built in piano tones are still pretty strong and a good option to have available in a pinch.  But for realistic feel when playing, the CP33 is pretty awesome.  The Graded Hammer Effect action gives all keys an authentic resistance that increases from the top register to the lower – just as on an actual acoustic piano. Which means that you can naturally pound out thunderous low notes with your left hand and let the fingers on your right dance and fly with the high notes.

Then the electronics are based around a Muse Research Receptor and Synthogy’s Ivory.  When we were planning to go the digital grand route, I felt strongly that a sampled library with a few choices of pianos and tones would be the most flexible option and a great investment rather than just using a digital stage piano.  The best one we’d heard was a Yamaha CP250 but even then, it was missing realism to me.  It still sounded digital.

The challenge was how to execute a software library in a consistent, reliable, and simple package on stage.  No one was very excited about relying on a tradition computer setup – even if it were a Mac based solution.  Enter the Receptor.  The RECEPTOR was designed to do just one thing: run virtual instruments and effects in a live context.  It utilizes a highly optimized, super-efficient OS and kernel that runs on a dedicated 64-bit processor-based hardware to make VST plug ins available without needing ProTools or Logic and a traditional computer setup.  The best part is that you can operate Receptor from the front panel (which is what we do on a week to week basis to load from our patch library), connect a monitor, mouse, and keyboard to the back of the unit and see the plug-in GUIs, or remote control the unit via Ethernet (allowing the ability to change settings from a computer at FOH during rehearsal).

Synthogy Ivory sounds great. The creators sampled three different pianos – Yamaha C7 Grand, Steinway D Concert Grand, and Bosendorfer 290 Imperial Grand. Each key is sampled at 10 different velocities with several pages of customization options for how the piano responds, dynamic range, effects, tuning, how it is mic’d, etc.

Kudos to my friends at Willow Creek for putting us on to the Receptor & Ivory.  The result is a natural sounding solution that sounds like the real thing. Now we are able to use the grand on our stage almost every week.  Its become a staple just like our drum kit, which adds a lot to the look of the band.  Best of all, there’s no feedback, piano tuners, or inconsistent results.  The piano always sounds great and can be placed in the mix in ways that were never achievable with our acoustic one.  Most importantly, this package has been rock-solid reliable.  I highly recommend Slam Grand, Receptor, and Ivory.

Below is a video from a prelude a couple weeks ago with a traditional jazz quartet. Check it out to see for yourself…

What is Timecode? 
Timecode is simply a way of recording a “time” along with either a visual or audio event. This allows you to say, “The beginning of the song is at 0 and the cymbal crash happened at 2 minutes and 53 seconds.” The information is then stored along with the audio or video medium so that, as it is moved from device to device, the time information stays the same.

The most commonly used timecode format was developed by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers. Referred to as SMPTE (pronounced Simp-Tee), it was originally developed to synchronize sound for film but has since been adapted for video as well as audio-only use.

The other commonly used timecode format is Midi Time Code (MTC), which was developed by Chris Meyer and Evan Brooks for Digidesign.

How does Synchronization work? 
Imagine that you and a friend have the only two watches in the world, so that you have no time reference other than your own watches. You need to meet at an exact time later that day. No watch is exactly accurate – maybe yours is a bit slow and your friend’s is a bit fast. Over the day the result is that there is a 10-second difference between your two watches. While it may be okay with your friend that you’re 10 seconds late because he likes you, it would be very bad for a cymbal crash. In audio, even delays of a fraction of a second with doubled vocals can be noticeable.

The next day, in order to circumvent the 10-second time difference, you and your friend work out a system. You pick one person as the Master and one person as the Slave (it’s that kind of friendship). The Master calls the Slave on his cell phone and tells him what time it is every few seconds, and the Slave resets his watch to match the Master’s. While this system may be an annoying prospect for human beings, it works quite well for machines. Similarly, in every timecode set-up you must determine which machine is the master (there can be only one) and which are the slaves. Usually the constraints of the machine will define who is master and who is slave. 

How would I use Timecode? 
Sync-to-Video - The simplest video sync scenario works much like this: a VHS tape has LTC on one of its audio tracks (it is the Master). The device to be synced (the Slave) reads that timecode and chases it. The tricky part is determining which type of SMPTE frame rate to use.

When using SMPTE at 30 frames-per-second (fps), one second equals one second. Unfortunately, NTSC color video does not run at 30fps — it runs at 29.97fps. Why in blazes does it do that, you ask? Well, let’s just say that video, like life, was simpler when it was in black-and-white. But when color was introduced, they decided to cram that little bit of color information in the space left by .03 frames.

At 29.97fps, a second of material is no longer a second, but just a hair longer. While a few hairs may not matter to you and me, they matter a lot to people in television who make their living selling seconds, so these people came up with a solution called “drop-frame”. This means a few frames are dropped so that SMPTE time matches with real time.

So we have SMPTE at rates of 30fps, 29.97 “drop” and 29.97 “non-drop”. All that really matters on a basic level is that you need a tool that can handle all these different frame rates, and you must know exactly what frame rate the video you are syncing with is using.

In the next post on SMPTE, I’ll go over our setup and implementation, along with some learnings from an intense production process.