Gear

Often times during a show I will snap a pic with my iPhone from the back of the house where my mixing desk(mixing console) is located. Just for a keep sake. I try to get as much of board as I can in the shot, so that one day I can say, "Hey here I am working." In this picture you can see a bit of my desk. It is a Sound Craft Spirit Series 32 Channel *8 Buss analog audio mixing console. I forget, at this moment, what show I was mixing. I know it was one of the Big Bands we have come through here several times a year.

Photo by: JAG

Most of the time during a show I am mixing at the Front of House (FOH) mix position. There are times where my services is needing at the monitor mixing console(Monitor World). Which depending on how many channels we are using could be located in the wings off stage right or left. Most of the time it is off of stage left (House Right). Our monitor console is the sister board for our FOH mixing console, the Sound Craft Spirit Monitor 2.

Photo by: JAG

I really like these consoles because they are extremely logical and instinctual to use. When you look at them they make sense. Part of my job here is facilitating other sound engineers when they come through while on tour and having a board that any engineer can hope on a go without taking tons of time explaining how it works is of great importance when the curtain rises at 8 no matter what. The old saying is true, no matter what happens or goes wrong the show must go on.

I think that is one of the best aspects of being a sound engineer on a live gig or even being in the band on stage, an Lighting Director (LD), or stage hand. We all work together to produce a show and we all have just one chance to get right. There aren't any second takes. Every show is different. Even if it is the same show.

I really love that aspect of music too. When I am playing or just watching from the audience. To be there in the moment and share in that experience is quite an amazing feeling. It takes everyone in the room to create the full experience. Well enough for now. There is much more to come.

Peace, ~JAG