Viewpoints: Learn Before You Earn
Formal education and the tools of the trade
By
Jack Alexander
Every now and then moist of us are queried by colleagues and acquaintances
about the proper pre-college path for high school age students considering
a Performance Audio career? Unfortunately, there is no short answer to
this question.
That’s why, we asked our esteemed on-staff educators for some educational
sight in this matter That way, the next someone asks you what their nephew,
niece or neighbor needs to do, you can give them a copy of this Viewpoints
and send them on their way.
Long ago, I was ready to head to the right (east) coast for the last lap
of the academic treadmill because I thought I wanted to be a history professor.
I eventually came to my senses and blew it off for the music business.
Normally when someone runs a line like that, they follow it with a dismissive
statement to the effect that “...and I never looked back, or regretted
my decision, etc. etc.” And I assumed it was going to be that way, when
in the early 1980s I got a call from a local Chicago college (that’s right,
Columbia College) asking me to mix their graduation.
I managed to dodge this and push it off on one of my associates at the
sound company. Our guys did the show, we got the check and I thought that
was it with these people. The following year, I was cornered into doing
the gig myself.
Following the show I was approached about teaching a class in sound reinforcement
at the college. This was twelve years after I’d walked on the academic
option, and I remained wary about the school biz. Still, I figured I’d
give it a shot.
ALL DAY EDUCATION
Most experienced engineers are constantly in teaching mode anyway - either
with their own staff, or band people, local sound companies, the more
aware clients, etc. Doing this in a classroom instead of a warehouse and
sitting on a chair instead of a roadcase was not a great leap.
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At that time, in 1983, Columbia was an arts trade school with a minimum of academic debris. The model wasn’t much different from some old Greek plopped on a rock in a meadow shooting it with the acolytes. I started in the then Theatre/Music Department with fifteen students and not so much as a mic cable. We called the class Live Sound I and combined definitions with field derived practical wisdom and probably too many war stories. |
We eventually added Live Sound II, which was held at the sound company
warehouse. Live Sound II was hardware and the thinking behind its operation.
I would grab something or other, do something with it, and then make the
kids do the same.
That was it - no lab, no gear, no real plan, no shows, no tech training,
very light on the three R’s - just thirty weeks of what amounted to an
overview. I continued to do the graduations (they were actually a headache
- small orchestra, half a dozen vocal soloists, two podiums - first in
a 4K hall and eventually in a 10K room), but with absolutely no student
participation in the production - only working professionals.
Eighteen years later, we recently produced our commencement at the 10K
seat hall with a Sound Department student crew, supported by a professional
sound company run by an alumnus. This serious departure from out humble
beginnings included seventy-five house channels. (see Photo #1)
Loudspeaker coverage offered five-channel surround sound on the dais (for
the powers-that-be and their honorees), six pit monitor mixes for the
orchestra, four channels of backfill, two front fill channels, two channels
of rear fill behind the mix position, plus a flying Adamson Y-Axis rig
to bonk the bulk of the room. (see Photo #2)
OVER THE YEARS…
The students have changed, as have the program requirements. The 1983
group would not have been able to handle this gig. We didn’t know then,
what we know now, about teaching this stuff, and therefore couldn’t get
them to the same point.
The current crop of students filled every position on this relatively
complex graduation date including the second FOH desk for the choir. The
old man, me, handled the main mix.
These days, a liberal (arts) education is mandatory. It should include
a computer education, grounding in math/science, training in artistic
aesthetics, plus extensive training in live sound production, practice
and stagecraft.
Eighteen years ago, all that would have been far less relevant. In the
old days, all you needed was that last one, a strong back and a willingness
to grunt.
Nowadays it is about English, science, math, social science, humanities,
language, and a lot of computer stuff, and then oh by the way your major
studies.
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Still, while “regular” schooling really helps much of this work, it also seems often utterly irrelevant. This is especially true when we load trucks, wire stages, load racks, argue with over-medicated morons, tweak systems, install them too, listen to hype from manufacturers, rig systems, shlep feeder cable, fix multi-pins, write bids and specifications, program digital gizmos, chase deadbeats, hustle business, and maybe do a little artistic mixing here and there. |
As I graze the Internet, I’ve noticed a number of audio education vendors
make claims for programs that only teach what you really need (whatever
that is). You might want to remember that some people are rather serious
about all this, and will take all the regular college stuff, plus a hefty
sound arts major.
If you want to face them with what we will delicately describe as a minimum
sound/educational background, you will severely limit your chances to
compete. I normally make rude remarks about the opportunities in telemarketing
and fast food awaiting those who choose not to fully prepare. Still that
is so vicious, isn’t it?
JACK'S SEVEN LAWS OF LEARNING
1.) Do not blow out your hearing at shows. Let everyone
else laugh, but get some stuff in your ears so that you have some tattered
shards of hearing left to apply to your chosen profession. If you are
doing some band or club work, it’s kinda hard to mix with your ears packed,
but high isolation headphones (I’m using Beyer 831’s) plopped at least
partially on your head part of the time will reduce the burn.
I often use headphones to reference the native sound of each channel against
what I’m doing in the house. Athough I never use FOH headphones to reference
the mix, I manage to avoid some wear that way.
2.) Play an instrument. It will help your hearing perception,
and give you some commonality with the artists. It doesn’t matter if you
suck, but you need this to broaden your hearing and awareness of musical
aesthetics.
3.) Invest as much as you possibly can on an audiophile playback system
at home. Some surround sound configuration would be nice, but two-channel
is more than adequate. Run everything through this system, including.
television, radio and all playback.
You will have some wonderful aesthetic training from the best engineers
in the business. Yeah, vinyl is better, but not necessary for this training.
Be sure to keep up on all the cool Hollywood soundtracks, as you can get
all kinds of great mixing ideas from them, assuming your system is up
to it. MP3 is OK for the beach or whatever, but not for home referencing.
Remember, if the only sound you get at home is MP3 (crummy at best), you
are competing with another young engineer who is getting the full bandwidth
story with better source material and brings better ears to the party.
I could do a series of articles on affordable audiophile stuff, but my
quick take is an old Dynaco PAS tube preamp ($50-$250 depending on condition),
or Quad 33 solid state preamps ($175, and yes those DIN connectors blow,
but this is a great value).
Use the Dynaco ST70 70W stereo tube power amp, or the Quad 303 45W transistor
power amp. All this stuff is ancient, and only available used, but smokes
most of the junk available anywhere near the price these days.
Use the $300 Sound Dynamics speakers, or small Vandersteens, or whatever
the current incarnation of the Magnepan SMG series is. This is no house
party system. It is a lens you can apply to program material to increase
your hearing IQ.
Email me and we can discuss this further. But do not be seduced by rack
systems from large electronic chains. The cool old audiophile stuff looks
crummy, but has it under the hood.
4.) Learn as much about computers as possible and keep at it. Before
long all audio work will be done using soft keys addressing some kind
of CPU/drive/converter chain.
5.) Learn a second language. For North America, that means Spanish.
Elsewhere, assess the demographic of your potential employment market
and learn that other language. This will make you hugely more employable.
6.) Listen to as many different types live music of live as possible.
Always note the chosen instrumental and frequency emphasis in the performance
and mix, mentally comparing these elements to other musical forms.
In reggae, the kick is less loud and carried at a higher frequency than
the bass, whereas in big room rock the kick is louder and carried at a
lower frequency than the bass, etc. Try to get near the engineers and
soak up what they do. Offer to schelp for local bands and festivals. Volunteer
to be the AV dork at your high school or church.
7.) This is a business where many are called and few are chosen,
especially for the primo gigs. There’s plenty of bottom feeder work, but
if you have any pride of craft and want to hit the top, you must grab
as much knowledge of the science, aesthetics, and live sound standards
and practices as possible. You won’t hit the big time without advanced
communications (i.e. writing) Some public speaking chops won’t hurt either.
END OF RANT STARTS HERE
I usually close this rant out with a war story about a discussion at some
convention or other between moi and an arrogant young pup, who actually
is a close friend, and a great tech/engineer.
So Josh and I had had a few and we were measuring our, uh, appendages,
metaphorically, that is. The kid goes, well man, mano a mano, who’d win?
I think about it and reply, “Well, you’d beat me on FX and gates, I’d
probably win on limiters, we both think we’d win on system EQ and I might
have the edge on monitors. I’d win on classical and jazz, you’d win on
country, and maybe on rock.”
The kid agrees, but then I get this little gleam in my eye (well, it felt
like a gleam, anyway), and remind him that I have thirty plus years of
listening to the best mixes on the best home equipment, and have quite
the database of ideas gleaned from same.
If we are even on the rest, this is my secret weapon. I can dredge up
these experiences, apply them to mixes and achieve outcomes unavailable
to someone who hadn’t put in the time on that research. I invited Mr.
Thompson to respond, but as I recall, he shut up at that point.
You can’t listen too much, or prepare too much for this business. The
elders have a head start on you, and you will be facing young fanatics
who live and breathe audio. You might want to remember that fact when
you’re considering a “limited” audio education, because your inevitable
yield will be a “limited” career.
Jack Alexander instructs on topics allied to Performance Audio at Columbia College (Chicago) and can be reached via e-mail at fbj@interaccess.com
July/August 2001 Live Sound International