|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|
August 2003 Guarding Gear at the Gig - Issue: August 2003
Usually the venue owner or the promoter is responsible for providing security for the PA gear while it's on their land. You should make an agreement about where responsibility for the security of the PA is delineated – clearing up any “what if” circumstances. Small valuable items of gear, particularly microphones, are easily stolen. Mics are not only relatively easy to pocket, but there are more potential buyers than for other parts of your PA – they're attractive items in their own right and prize trophies to some artists' fans. If the stage is left unguarded before – or especially after – a performance, mics can disappear from stands very quickly, particularly if the stage is easily accessible. It's not even unknown for them to be stolen while in use – especially if the audience surge onto the stage, or a mic-wielding singer jumps into the crowd. - Make sure venue security personnel are aware of the risk to all portable items – they may not always realize, for instance, that mics need to be guarded at least as much as a guitar or a DJ's records. - Crew should remove all mics from the stage immediately after the set (or the encore) ends – giving priority to microphones near the front of the stage (usually the vocal mikes). - Especially-prized microphones can be fitted with anti-theft devices – from simple “post-coding” or “zip-coding” with ultra-violet sensitive pens, to more elaborate radio trackers – or even a remote-controlled release of coloured liquid exploding from within the mike casing to mark and identify the thief... (Are we getting a bit extreme here? It's a thought, anyway.) This article is reprinted with permission from The Live Sound Manual, published by Backbeat Books, www.backbeatbooks.com. All information is copyrighted and cannot be reprinted without the permission of the publisher. Misconceptions and Expectations of the Mastering Process - Issue: August 2003
by Marisa T. Déry Mixers Listen Up A while ago, I was in the middle of a mix session when the engineer – looking at the clocking ticking away – said those dreaded words: “You can fix it in the Mastering process,” …ah, memories! Just a few years ago, people were saying, “We’ll fix it in the mix.” First of all, not everything can be fixed in the mastering process. Granted, a lot can be done, but isn’t it better to use your mastering time to make things sound great and not just good enough? More than once I’ve had people hand me CD masters and an old normal bias cassette (distorted, of course) with the question: “Can you match these?” Mastering engineers do have a lot of toys and (hopefully) creativity. We will go a long way, using every means possible to make you sound as good as possible, but one also has to be realistic with ones expectations. Clicks, crackles and pops can be removed, but if they are too long or are on top of key words, then you have problems. I’ve had old reels given to me that speed up and/or slow down randomly at various speeds; this predicament can be fixed, but it does take time. People must be aware that although we have the tools and the skills to repair problems, we still need time to do it right. We live in an instant-gratification society where people mistakenly think that if we aim the mouse on the screen and click, everything fixes itself instantly. That is not so. Regardless of the DAW or software that you have, you need time, training, expertise and instinct to do it right. A 10-minute track just might take an hour to clean up properly, so please be aware of that when setting up your budget. What Can Mastering Engineers Do? We can add bass, highs, mids; make it sound clearer and LOUDER; clean up the fade ins and the fade outs; balance the levels of the songs; put in the appropriate silence (if required) in between tracks (“if required” because I haven’t put a single second of silence in between 2 hip-hop songs in the last year); we can also add special effects (rain anyone?) and reverb; add post-production tracks, edit, loop, reverse, chop etc. When everything is set up properly, we get that little piece of music we all know and love ... those eyes are lighting up again! Marisa T. Dery, a native of Ottawa, ON, is Chief Mastering Engineer at the Tape Complex in Boston, MA and owner of Tamar Mastering. Her clients have included the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Tugboat Annie and RUSHYA. For more info check out www.tamarmastering.com.
Professional Sound News Archives Search our News
 Gifts For
Audio Professionals at Music Books Plus
|
|
|
Norris-Whitney Communications
|
|||
