Live Sound Bootcamp
57 episodes - English - Latest episode: 6 months ago -Hosted by a trio of touring engineers, Live Sound Bootcamp (LSBC) is meant to help new engineers to learn live sound from the ground up, and also maybe provide some insight and humor to seasoned professionals. It is a primer on all topics in live sound.
Ryan O John is a musician turned engineer, turned product designer, turned podcast host. He was playing instruments by 5 years old, with his first shows at age 12, recording his own albums by 13, and touring by 16 -- he leans heavily toward the geeky side of sound. From small local clubs to international stadiums, metal to pop, Ryan's career in live sound mixing has covered a lot of ground traveling the world with a ton of artists including Jessie J, Andy Grammer, Tove Lo, Banks, Liam Payne, Capital Cities and many more. Beyond just touring with pop and rock acts, he also designs audio consoles and software, mix records, and race cars.
After Brendan Dreaper picked up the drums in middle school, live music became an important part of his life. With a number of diversions under his belt, which included studying economics and working as a professional glassblower, he returned to music and found his footing behind the mixing console. Working from bar gigs to local festivals and eventually to touring with Magic! and Snoh Aalegra, Brendan has had the pleasure of making live music happen. Outside of geeking out about live sound on a podcast, he likes to play drums with the band vverevvolf, produce music and get real nerdy about anything Lord of the Rings related.
The third member of the trio, Joe Santarpia, is a live sound and recording/mixing engineer of 15 years, Tour Manager, Musician and Producer. His touring resume includes Mac Demarco, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Connan Mockasin, Best Coast, Surfer Blood, Inner Circle and others. Joe was a former staff engineer at Circle House Studios in Miami, FL and Faultline Studios (RIP) in San Francisco. during his free time he is an electronics hobbyist and recreational ice hockey player.
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Episodes
Ep3 Dialogue, Talking Heads, the "Simple Stuff"
October 24, 2023 16:00 - 53 minutes - 37.1 MBSo finally we fall into the concept of Season 3, answering listener questions. In this episode we answer a question that digs into dialogue, corporate events, house of worship, expectations, auto mixing, noise reduction, how to make a talking human sound like what the audience expects. One would think this would be a short and simple episode, but nope, as usual, we go on and on.
Ep2 Being Efficient When Doing Shows
September 12, 2023 16:00 - 1 hour - 58.7 MBLies and lies, we told you that we would have shorter episodes, and we told you that Season three would be dedicated to digging directly into listener questions, but this episode ended up being the very long answer to some in-person questions that we had run into recently. In this episode we talk about how to start your day when arriving at a new venue, all the way through how to get through your load out. There are quite a few interesting tidbits on how to move through your daily checklist...
Ep1 Troubleshooting
August 08, 2023 13:00 - 48 minutes - 33.6 MBAs we enter season three of this podcast, we've decided it makes sense to finally really dig directly into listener questions. We also had realized that while we had touched on this in many other episodes, we didn't actually ever make an episode dedicated to one of the most important skills in live audio: Troubleshooting. We knock on a few of the most common issues one may come across, and some of the most likely fixes!
Ep14 Strings
July 25, 2023 13:00 - 45 minutes - 31.6 MBSticking to the "wall of sound" instruments we chat about strings and some of the various methods for getting them to sound cohesive, or stick out as solo instruments. While this may not be the most common input an average live sound engineer may come across, the methods for achieving natural sounds with unnatural micing are somewhat easy to transfer to other similar instrument types. We chat about how to best capture strings, and we dig into monitoring, equalization, dynamics processing, ...
Ep13 Choirs
July 13, 2023 13:00 - 1 hour - 54.4 MBWe gave up on the idea that we would cover multiple topics in this one episode, but in this extra-long episode we knock out one! Choirs and background vocalists, why did we even think that this was similar to horns and strings? Because the goal is often a "wall of sound." We chat about how to best capture groups of singers, and we dig into monitoring, equalization, dynamics processing, and more!
Ep12 Horns and Brass
April 06, 2023 13:00 - 57 minutes - 39.3 MBWe really really did think that we would cover multiple topics in this one episode, but in this extra-long episode we barely covered one! Not the most common input but brass instruments can be challenging to get right. We chat about how to best capture live various brass instruments, and we dig into equalization, dynamics processing, isolation, effects and a lot more.
Ep11 Pianos, Keyboards and Synths
March 17, 2023 14:00 - 59 minutes - 41 MBSince it's been ages since we've done an episode, in this extra-long episode we try to make up for lost time! Continuing down the path of the channel by channel season, we spend a lot of time chatting about how to best capture live pianos, how to set up patches in pianos and synths, and we dig into equalization, dynamics processing, saturation, effects and a lot more.
Ep10 Vocals
June 20, 2022 16:00 - 1 hour - 62.8 MBIn this extra-long episode we skip ahead a bit, and dig into arguably the most important input, vocals. Like all of the previous episodes we spend a lot of time chatting about how to best capture the sound, and we dig into equalization, dynamics processing, saturation, effects and a lot more, but we also talk a lot about goals and intent with vocal sounds. This episode also features a special guest host, studio owner, producer, and touring musician Greg Karas.
Ep9 Playback
February 21, 2022 17:00 - 53 minutes - 36.8 MBCovering anywhere from one to a sixty inputs this episode, we dig into playback. We chat about how to setup the outputs in the rig, how to prioritize the sounds, the difference between monitors and FOH in this regard, how to manage these lines during your line check, and of course we dive into some of the things you can do to make it work for you.
Ep8 Acoustics and Stringed Instruments
February 07, 2022 14:00 - 1 hour - 50.8 MBA whole family of inputs in the channel list, this episode we dig into an assortment of instruments that come up in many genres. Acoustic guitars and other stringed instruments can be a pain. A pain to get cleanly into wedges for monitoring, and a pain to make sound good given how dynamic they can be, but they're such commonly played instruments. Like the previous episodes we spend a lot of time chatting about how to best capture the sound, and we dig into equalization, dynamics processin...
Ep7 Group Bussing and Master Bus Processing
January 03, 2022 19:00 - 46 minutes - 32.3 MBThrowing the hosts for a loop, this episode is an off-the-cuff dive into how routing affects your line check. We dig into the idea of using grouping for drums, bass, and other instruments, talk about when to get this routing going, and what the benefits can be. We really dig into idea of when and why to use group bussing, and also the processing that an engineer might use on a group versus a channel.
Ep6 Bass Guitar
December 20, 2021 14:00 - 48 minutes - 33.2 MBThe next input in the channel list: Bass Guitar. Weirdly, we don't actually talk much about basses pedals and amps, but man we really dig into the processing that an engineer can use to get the most out of this instrument. Like the previous episodes we dig into equalization, dynamics processing, saturation and a lot more. I'd also like to call out, that your subwoofer to mains to room relationship has a lot to do with how your bass instruments will sound in your space, be sure to go back ...
Ep6 Guitars
December 20, 2021 13:00 - 49 minutes - 34.3 MBGuitars, often the next input in the list, can be quite complicated to manage. This episode dives into how to capture the tones, how to process them, and even how to approach conversations with the players themselves to achieve tones that are best fit for the mix. We touch on microphones, placement, and some options on what to do when you have one guitar player, versus two, versus three!
Ep5 Bass Guitar
December 06, 2021 14:00 - 48 minutes - 33.2 MBThe next input in the channel list: Bass Guitar. Weirdly, we don't actually talk much about basses pedals and amps, but man we really dig into the processing that an engineer can use to get the most out of this instrument. Like the previous episodes we dig into equalization, dynamics processing, saturation and a lot more. I'd also like to call out, that your subwoofer to mains to room relationship has a lot to do with how your bass instruments will sound in your space, be sure to go back ...
Ep5 Guitars
December 06, 2021 13:00 - 49 minutes - 34.3 MBGuitars, often the next input in the list, can be quite complicated to manage. This episode dives into how to capture the tones, how to process them, and even how to approach conversations with the players themselves to achieve tones that are best fit for the mix. We touch on microphones, placement, and some options on what to do when you have one guitar player, versus two, versus three!
Ep4 Hi Hats, Rides, and Overheads
November 23, 2021 03:00 - 1 hour - 46.7 MBWe honestly thought this might be a boring episode, but it turned out to be one of the most interesting discussions. In this episode we chat about cymbal selection, microphones, mic positions, processing, and a heck of a lot more. This is a set of inputs that honestly took the three of us years to figure out how to use effectively and creatively.
Ep3 Toms and the Relationship Between the Drums
October 18, 2021 13:00 - 1 hour - 48.8 MBIn this episode we bring in a guest-expert Emmanuel “E-MAN” Cervantes (this guy literally started playing drums at age 3!), and hit the next set of inputs in the channel list: Toms. Like the previous episodes we talk about drums types, tuning, microphones, mic positions, and a heck of a lot more. In fact we probably overshare in this 70+ minute episode getting seriously detailed about how to make toms sound good in a mix.
Ep2 The Snare Drum
September 27, 2021 19:00 - 57 minutes - 39.9 MBAs we continue through the line-check, we hit input number 2, commonly the loudest thing on stage, the snare drum. Much like the first episode in the line-check, we dig into the drum sizes, the heads, the tuning, mics positions and processing.
Ep1 The Kick Drum
August 30, 2021 16:00 - 46 minutes - 32.3 MBSeason 2 is here! In this season we dig into each input, one at a time. It's like the podcast of a line check. Input 1, the infamous kick drum. We deep dive into the drum sizes, heads, tuning, mics, eq, dynamics and more, an entire episode dedicated to the biggest drum.
Ep27 Mixing Big Shows on Small Systems
July 26, 2021 16:00 - 1 hour - 42.5 MBHow many times have you walked into a venue or event space and found a system that's severely underpowered for the gig? Sometimes that scenario is a PA thats just too small, speakers on sticks for a big rock show, sometimes it's a system that doesn't even cover the whole audience.... In this episode we talk through some of the options and tools you have as an engineer to get the most out of a system thats 'too small for the gig.'
Interview: Sean "Sully" Sullivan (Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Justin Timberlake, Norah Jones)
July 13, 2021 11:00 - 1 hour - 50 MBWhen you've got a resume this long and this varied, everyone wants to know the secrets to your success. Sully chats with us on this episode about perspective, what to pay attention to in the show and your carreer, and the path that has led him to mixing some of the biggest acts in the world.
Ep26 Loudness and Impact
June 21, 2021 20:00 - 1 hour - 48.6 MBWe ask the age-old question, What can I do to make my mix feel loud without actually just turning it up? And what about streaming, how do I make a livestream seem loud? What defines impact, and what are some tools we can use to maximize the feeling of impact without having to simply make the show push more SPL?
Ep25 Snapshots and Automation
June 07, 2021 15:00 - 57 minutes - 39.9 MBSo we've talked a lot about what each of the mixing tools do, but what happens when you simply don't have enough hands to make the changes from song-to song quickly enough? In this episode we break down 'Snapshots,' what they are, when to use them, and even why they're absolutely terrifying!
Ep24 Feedback Part 2
May 24, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 41.9 MBAs we continue the conversation about feedback, we dive into solutions for managing the ringy mess. Some things you can do in advance to avoid the problem before it starts, and some common scenarios where you may find yourself ripping out your hair trying to clean up the stage.
Ep23 Feedback Part 1
May 10, 2021 16:00 - 53 minutes - 36.7 MBEveryone's favorite topic, we delve into the causes of feedback, the most likely sources, and how to tell where it's coming from. Additionally we chat about the things we can do that affect it, the of course tools to combat it.
Ep22 Using the Available Tools to Create a Mix
April 26, 2021 13:00 - 51 minutes - 35.2 MBSo we've talked a lot about what each of these tools do, and a lot about specific processes, but this episode dives into when to use which tools that are available to you. When do you use your fader versus when do you compress? When do I boost versus cut on an EQ? And is there an order to follow?
Ep21 Balance and Space in the Mix
April 19, 2021 13:00 - 1 hour - 42 MBIn this episode of Live Sound Bootcamp, we get into a discussion about building up a mix. We argue about how to make space for each element in the mix, how to get your balance right, and it all leads to the ultimate question: When is the mix done?
Interview: Michael Lawrence (Systems Engineer, Rational Acoustics, Technical Editor)
February 23, 2021 18:00 - 1 hour - 51.2 MBIn this episode we enjoy the pleasure of chatting with Michael Lawrence a freelance audio engineer well known for his own podcast Signal to Noise, his incredibly geeky articles in Live Sound International, his Rational Acoustics Smaart webinars, and of course his work as a systems engineer. We discuss how his career path, some great tips on reading material, and a lot of hints and suggestions for people looking to get into systems engineering and design, but also how to communicate effectiv...
Ep20 Building a FOH Mix Pt 5: Groups, VCAs and Stems
February 09, 2021 18:49 - 50 minutes - 34.7 MBIn the last episode for Building a FOH Mix, we chat about groups and VCAs, how they're different, and when we might use each of them. We get into some of how we personally decide when it's right to use a group versus a VCA, as well as some of the differences in workflows between using these on an analog or digital desk.
Interview: Brendan Dreaper (Snoh Aalegra, The Independent, Zoo Labs, Podcast Host)
February 01, 2021 18:56 - 53 minutes - 37 MBIn this episode we interview one of our hosts Brendan Dreaper, best known for his touring work with Snoh Aalegra, his work in bay area venues including The Independent, and huge amounts of studio work including the non-profit Zoo Labs. We discuss how he started his career in live sound, his experience, and what he's planning for the future.--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/livesoundbootcamp/support
Ep19 Building a FOH Mix Pt 4: Reverbs, Delays and other FX
November 16, 2020 18:00 - 58 minutes - 40.4 MBYet another continuation of the previous episode, in part four we deep dive into effects. We chat about the multiple reverb types, how they're different, and when we might use each of them. We also jump into some of how we may process the sends and returns. We also jump into delays and the ways that we use those in a mix. We even touch on some of the lesser used effects such as phasers, flangers, and choruses. This episode could have gone on for weeks too!--- Support this podcast: htt...
Ep18 Building a FOH Mix Pt 3: Gates and Compressors
October 19, 2020 17:00 - 1 hour - 45.1 MBYet another continuation of the previous episode, in part three we jump into dynamics. Not just the basics of how gates and compressors work, but some of the many ways to use them, and even how we all differ on our uses of each. Compression in mixing is one of those dark arts that can be understood but somehow we all use it differently. Enjoy this one, we could have gone for hours.--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/livesoundbootcamp/support
Ep18 Building a FOH Mix Pt 3
October 19, 2020 17:00 - 1 hour - 150 MBYet another continuation of the previous episode, in part three we jump into dynamics. Not just the basics of how gates and compressors work, but some of the many ways to use them, and even how we all differ on our uses of each. Compression in mixing is one of those dark arts that can be understood but somehow we all use it differently. Enjoy this one, we could have gone for hours. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/livesoundbootcamp/support
Ep17 Building a FOH Mix Pt 2: Equalization
August 07, 2020 23:25 - 1 hour - 41.4 MBAs a continuation of the previous episode, in part two we jump into concepts about the process including order of operations, setting your filters, making EQ changes. Although it sounds like this isn't a lot to talk about, somehow we talked about it for an hour, going over all the reasons for every move, breaking down corrective versus creative changes, boosts vs cuts, and even understanding what you can and can't EQ.--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/livesoundbootcamp/support
Ep17 Building a FOH Mix Pt 2
August 07, 2020 23:25 - 1 hour - 138 MBAs a continuation of the previous episode, in part two we jump into concepts about the process including order of operations, setting your filters, making EQ changes. Although it sounds like this isn't a lot to talk about, somehow we talked about it for an hour, going over all the reasons for every move, breaking down corrective versus creative changes, boosts vs cuts, and even understanding what you can and can't EQ. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/livesoundbootcamp/support
Ep16 Building a FOH Mix Pt 1
August 07, 2020 23:24 - 1 hour - 175 MBUp front, it's time to figure out how to actually put together the mix. In this episode we cover how to start at FOH, from getting talkbacks up, routing your outputs, the order of your channels and fader positions, and of course the biggest one: Gain Staging. This episode has a lot of different ideas and opinions in it. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/livesoundbootcamp/support
Ep16 Building a FOH Mix Pt 1: Gain Staging and Routing
August 07, 2020 23:24 - 1 hour - 52.6 MBUp front, it's time to figure out how to actually put together the mix. In this episode we cover how to start at FOH, from getting talkbacks up, routing your outputs, the order of your channels and fader positions, and of course the biggest one: Gain Staging. This episode has a lot of different ideas and opinions in it. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/livesoundbootcamp/support
Ep15 Tuning A PA
June 23, 2020 17:00 - 53 minutes - 36.6 MBRather than getting ultra-technical, in this episode, we go over how we address issues in PA systems. Much like the last episode on PA system design, this process is complicated and learning about it can span your entire career, so do take our basic information here with a grain of salt. We review the goals of a PA system, the difference in perspective for tuning for a system designer and a band engineer, as well as some methods for measuring, and the things you can apply to a system to ac...
Ep15 Tuning a PA
June 23, 2020 17:00 - 53 minutes - 36.6 MBRather than getting ultra-technical, in this episode, we go over how we address issues in PA systems. Much like the last episode on PA system design, this process is complicated and learning about it can span your entire career, so do take our basic information here with a grain of salt. We review the goals of a PA system, the difference in perspective for tuning for a system designer and a band engineer, as well as some methods for measuring, and the things you can apply to a system to ac...
Ep14 FOH System Design
June 12, 2020 20:00 - 51 minutes - 35.6 MBIn this episode, we dove into the basics of the FOH speaker system design. This topic as a whole spans entire careers, so do take our basic information here with a grain of salt. We talk through speaker types, coverage goals, placement, and how to integrate subs, front fills and other PA into your setup. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/livesoundbootcamp/support
Ep13 FOH Signal Flow
June 10, 2020 20:00 - 43 minutes - 30.3 MBIn this episode, we jump into the first steps of understanding the signal flow of a FOH system. Covering the physical wiring, and the patching inside of desks. We jump through things like festival patches, methods for managing your patch, and how get out of the desk to PA systems. It's a quick overview on the basics, to be continued in the next episode on system design.--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/livesoundbootcamp/support
Ep12 Getting the Job
June 08, 2020 19:50 - 1 hour - 53.3 MBWe figured it was time to get away from technical topics for an episode, and talk about something personal. The three of us have all reached where we are in our careers in different ways along different routes, and we had some fun with our different perspectives on the idea of how to get the job. This episode covers the various audio jobs that exist, and some of the common paths to those various positions. We talk about networking, and even cover some odd things like how to say no to a gi...
Ep11 Building a Monitor Mix Pt3: Sends on Faders and The PAs Affect on the Mix
May 15, 2020 17:00 - 27 minutes - 18.8 MBThis episode is the remainder of the conversation from the previous episode, and is the third in the series on building a monitor mix. Here we get into some of the details Sends on Fader workflows, where to keep your output masters, how the room changes once it fills up, how the PA affects your mix, and of course effects in monitors. This episode also gets pretty deep in methods for how to approach actually putting the mix together for Wedges, Side Fills, Subs, versus In Ear Monitor setups...
Ep11 Building a Monitor Mix Pt3
May 15, 2020 17:00 - 27 minutes - 62.5 MBThis episode is the remainder of the conversation from the previous episode, and is the third in the series on building a monitor mix. Here we get into some of the details Sends on Fader workflows, where to keep your output masters, how the room changes once it fills up, how the PA affects your mix, and of course effects in monitors. This episode also gets pretty deep in methods for how to approach actually putting the mix together for Wedges, Side Fills, Subs, versus In Ear Monitor setups...
Ep10 Building a Monitor Mix Pt2: Wedges vs In Ears
May 14, 2020 17:00 - 43 minutes - 29.7 MBAs a continuation of the previous episode, we jump into concepts for which channels to use for various methods of monitoring. This episode also gets pretty deep in methods for how to approach actually putting the mix together for Wedges, Side Fills, Subs, versus In Ear Monitor setups. This episode gets pretty technical, and hits on specific workflows.--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/livesoundbootcamp/support
Ep10 Building a Monitor Mix Pt2
May 14, 2020 17:00 - 43 minutes - 98.6 MBAs a continuation of the previous episode, we jump into concepts for which channels to use for various methods of monitoring. This episode also gets pretty deep in methods for how to approach actually putting the mix together for Wedges, Side Fills, Subs, versus In Ear Monitor setups. This episode gets pretty technical, and hits on specific workflows. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/livesoundbootcamp/support
Ep9 Building a Monitor Mix Pt1: How to Build the Mix
May 07, 2020 00:40 - 42 minutes - 29.4 MBWe've gone through how it's all wired up, we've gone through ringing out wedges, now it's time to hit on how to actually put together the mix. Of course we all have different approaches, but in addition to that, we jump into how the approach for In Ear Monitoring may be different than that of wedges, sidefills, or even drum subs.--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/livesoundbootcamp/support
Ep9 Building a Monitor Mix Pt1
May 07, 2020 00:40 - 42 minutes - 97.9 MBWe've gone through how it's all wired up, we've gone through ringing out wedges, now it's time to hit on how to actually put together the mix. Of course we all have different approaches, but in addition to that, we jump into how the approach for In Ear Monitoring may be different than that of wedges, sidefills, or even drum subs. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/livesoundbootcamp/support
Ep8 Tuning Wedges
May 01, 2020 18:00 - 39 minutes - 27.2 MBThe scariest part of doing sound: ringing out wedges. In this episode we spend some time going over quite a few methods for how to ring out wedges and eliminate feedback the best you can. We also jump into some workflows for checking your work.--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/livesoundbootcamp/support
Ep7 Monitor System Design
April 29, 2020 22:06 - 32 minutes - 22.6 MBOnce you've gotten down the basics of the signal flow, the next step is designing how your monitor system is setup. In this episode we run an in-depth overview for common setups for wedges, side fills, subs and in-ear-monitor setups. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/livesoundbootcamp/support