Hey Friend,

Have you ever played in a band in front of a live audience? 

The experience is unlike any other I’ve had. I spoke briefly once in front of 10000 people, but it was nothing compared to strapping on a guitar and putting all you’ve practiced and learned to the test.

I was reading an article in Mix Magazine about Tom Petty and his "front of house” (FOH) sound engineer, Robert Scovill. 

I was looking at the photos of the rigs and band members on stage and it got me thinking about the experience. It’s something I miss…

There are memories indelibly printed on your brain, and no matter how long ago some events happened, they still pack a serious punch when you reminisce about them.

Back then I didn’t have any idea about live sound design or creating the best audio experience for the audience. When you’re battling all the butterflies in your stomach for control, let’s just say there’s some distraction…

In the end, it really is about how your sound reaches the listener. If they don’t get a good performance, you didn’t really have a good show.

Fortunately, teenage people aren’t overly discriminant when it comes to audio quality. As long as there’s energy and they like the tunes, you’re usually okay. 

But as you move into clubs and bigger venues, it becomes increasingly important to make sure not only the stage presence is mastered (for the live show energy and performance), but your sound people better have their proverbial shit together.

I’m sure if I had continued playing in bands back then I would have become a lot more attuned to better sound for the shows.

My daughter and I have been to a number of concerts in large auditoriums where the acoustics were horrible. This one in particular was a college sports arena, a huge concrete box.

A good sound guy would have recognized that before the show and come up with some way to help improve the quality. Of course, I’m armchair quarterbacking it, so what do I know?

These guys are the unsung heroes and have been known to work magic in bad sound situations, so props to them. I’m sure there are some venues where you can’t escape a lower sound quality.

Anyway, time to go see what the office has in store for the day. Happy Friday, and wish me luck!

Peace~

Dave