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Articles by Becky Pell
A Different View: Mixing Monitors Without Line Of Sight
How do you mix monitors when you can’t see the band — and they can’t see you? This was the conundrum to overcome on a couple of my recent tours. The practicalities of staging the very largest live productions means that sometimes conventional practices must be put aside and creative alternatives found.
Hear At Last: A History Of Stage Monitoring
It’s inconceivable nowadays that a band would perform a live show without stage monitors, but in the early days of rock ‘n’ roll, that’s exactly what used to happen. In the early 1960s, sound systems were very basic and used primarily to amplify the vocals, and monitors had not yet been invented.
Greatest Of Times: Common Factors Of Truly Terrific Touring Experiences
When I sat down to write about the gigs I’ve most enjoyed over the years and what made them great, I had expected specific shows to spring to mind. But as I reflected on my personal “greatest hits” of 25 years in the live music industry, what came was not so much specific shows, as whole legs of tours. What’s more, they shared some prominent common factors. I wanted to be a live sound engineer since I was 12 years old.
The Original Analog Interface: Caring For Our Nervous Systems While On Tour
It’s been said that we never actually experience the world, only the inside of our own nervous system. Both command center and the original analog interface, the nervous system is where inner and outer worlds meet, a complex network via which we receive data about our surroundings, communicate, and take action. Our nervous systems have three parts: • The central nervous system (CNS) consisting of the brain and spinal cord.
Expose, Encourage & Empower: Inspiring The Next Generation To A Career In Live Production
There’s an expression: “If I can’t see it, I can’t be it.” If you have no idea that something exists, you can’t engage with it. That was certainly my experience when I went to my first gig at age 12 – up until then I loved music and was exploring different bands, but I had no idea of what went on behind the album cover, no idea of the army of people who make live shows happen. That first gig changed my life trajectory in an instant.
Versatile Variations: An Approach To Downscaling To A Smaller Console Format
I recently did a very compact gig with one of my regular bands that usually plays the largest format shows. This wasn’t going from 40 production semi-trailers to four, as we have for festivals in the past, where I can keep the same control package – this was scaling down to a small van carrying eight flight-cases for an exclusive performance in a small space. There was a limited footprint for my equipment, and my usual set-up was neither appropriate nor necessary.
The End Of The Road: What Happens When We Come To The End Of Our Touring Days?
To spend life as a touring professional is to step out of societal norms. No 9-to-5 here, no suits, no commute to and from the same place each day. We have a lot more freedom than a more “normal” lifestyle allows, but with great freedom comes great vulnerability: what feels like a wild, exciting ride in our youth can morph, seemingly without warning, into a life of insecurity, depression, poverty and loneliness in later life. How do we guard against such pitfalls?
The Road Ahead: Dealing With Stress & Burnout On Tour
Stress (noun): The physical force exerted on one thing by another. Physical, mental, or emotional strain or tension. Or: More is being asked of you than you feel confident you have the resources to deliver. Touring means working long-term in a demanding environment with a requirement to perform to the best of your abilities at all times. You’re away from the comforts and supports of home, constantly traveling, and exposed to high levels of sensory stimulation and public expectation.
#4: Virtual Reality: Reasons To Consider A Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) At Monitors
Until relatively recently, I considered the use of multi-track recording software on tour as the domain of front of house engineers. I’ve heard them refining their work with a “virtual soundcheck” since the early 2000s, but didn’t see its relevance to my work as a monitor engineer. My logic (excuse the pun) was that my work centers around a live soundcheck – after all, I’m in service to the performers so I’m hardly going to change somebody’s mix without them being involved.
#15: Back To Basics: Seven Strategies For Better Monitor Mixes
I was recently contacted by a young engineer who was struggling with his monitor mixes, finding that they often sounded overcrowded and unpleasant. He asked if I could suggest some “top tips” for improvement. It struck me as an interesting request, not least because in a world of ever increasing complexity and access to exciting technology it’s easy to over-complicate matters. Certainly the tools we now have available solve many problems, open up creative possibilities, and save time.
One Step At A Time: A Monitor Engineer Documents A Typical Day On Tour
Recently a reader requested a step-by-step walk through of my typical tour day schedule. What is the workflow, and how do I share work and responsibilities with the rest of the audio crew? Of course, every tour is different, but here’s how my workday usually unfolds. The audio crew chief and techs have been on site for a couple of hours when I arrive, so first I check in with my monitor tech and fetch water or coffees for the team.
The Right Formula: A Veteran Engineer's Strategies For Better House Mixes
In my previous article (here), following a request from a reader, I shared some simple strategies to keep monitor mixes sounding clean and tidy as well as foundational guidelines that are equally relevant in a tiny club using tired in-house gear and an outdoor stadium event with a top-level system.
Back To Basics: Seven Strategies For Better Monitor Mixes
I was recently contacted by a young engineer who was struggling with his monitor mixes, finding that they often sounded overcrowded and unpleasant. He asked if I could suggest some “top tips” for improvement. It struck me as an interesting request, not least because in a world of ever increasing complexity and access to exciting technology it’s easy to over-complicate matters. Certainly the tools we now have available solve many problems, open up creative possibilities, and save time.
Over And Out: The Epic Career Of Front Of House Engineer Gary Bradshaw
Since the 1980s, if a show was being mixed by a gentleman from Birmingham, England named Gary Bradshaw, you knew you were in for a treat. Universally acknowledged in the live music industry as audio royalty, Gary has been the FOH engineer for artists such as Pink Floyd, Eurythmics, Simply Red, George Michael and Diana Ross, as well as fellow Birmingham luminaries ELO.
Virtual Reality: Reasons To Consider A Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) At Monitors
Until relatively recently, I considered the use of multi-track recording software on tour as the domain of front of house engineers. I’ve heard them refining their work with a “virtual soundcheck” since the early 2000s, but didn’t see its relevance to my work as a monitor engineer. My logic (excuse the pun) was that my work centers around a live soundcheck – after all, I’m in service to the performers so I’m hardly going to change somebody’s mix without them being involved.
Working The Airwaves: A Conversation With RF Technicians Lucy Mackinnon & Emma-Jane Lee
Radio technology is a huge part of many live shows, and has been used to give performers freedom to move around on stage for more than 75 years, starting with the first radio microphone designed for use in a performance invented in 1947 by British Royal Air Force flight engineer Reg Moores. The design illegally used the radio frequency 76 MHz and was deployed for a 1949 Christmas season of “Aladdin on Ice” in Brighton, England. Shure picked up the baton in 1953 with the Vagabond 88 system.
The Right Track: The Journey Of Apprentice Live Audio Technician Catherine Bowdidge
I recently had the pleasure of welcoming Catherine Bowdidge to join me on the road with British music royalty Take That for her first ever tour. Our equipment and crew were supplied by Skan, who are now part of Clair Global, along with Britannia Row. As part of her training with the Brit Row apprenticeship scheme, Bowdidge was among the apprentices who came to our shows at London’s O2 arena to experience a ‘day in the life’ of a large scale, 40 truck, 144 crew tour.
Healthy Is The New Rock 'n' Roll: A Host Of Guidelines For Staying Well On Tour
As we move into busier touring season, are there changes you’d like to make this year to how you tour? Maybe you got healthier during the quieter months and want to keep up the good work, but we all know how easily good intentions can fall by the wayside on the road. If this sounds familiar, I’d like to share some tactics that work for me in staying truly well on tour. Full disclosure: in my earlier years my body was more mosh-pit than temple.
Different Strokes: Mixing Monitors For Disparate Personality Types
I was recently asked how I manage mixing monitors for different personality types on stage. Do I have different approaches for each “type”? Experienced monitor engineers will tell you that our technical work is only half of the job – the role is 50 percent technology, 50 percent relationship and psychology. What we each like to hear in a mix is highly subjective, but we all have in common the desire to feel seen, heard, respected, valued and welcomed.
Do & Don't: Insights Into Success With Console Gain Sharing
No matter whether you’re at front of house or monitors, in a broadcast truck or recording studio, setting gain correctly is a critical part of creating a great mix, akin to laying the foundations of a house before building the walls.
Hunting High And Low: An Incredible Journey In Professional Audio
March 29, 1988, Manchester Apollo, England. “Band are walking.” The voice crackles through the radio, and the slim gray-haired guy in the long-sleeved t-shirt gives his colleague the thumbs up and turns to face the mixing desk in front of him and the stage beyond. The energy in the sectioned-off area around him has changed – there are five men in there, and they’ve switched from chatting and joking to concentration.
Invaluable Assets: A Monitor Engineer’s Guide To Looking After Your Ears
Yes, I get the joke – monitor engineers are all deaf thanks to the job, right? I made the decision early in my career that I didn’t want to fall into that trap, and I’ve been consistently meticulous about looking after my hearing. It seems to be paying off – a recent test showed that I have the hearing of someone 20 years younger, so I hope what I share helps you to take care of your ears too.
The Proper Fit: Selecting The Right In-Ear Monitors – For You - ProSoundWeb
With many bands and artists now opting for in-ear monitoring over wedges, the variety of makes and models of in-ears available is at an all-time high. While such a wide selection means there’s surely something for everyone out there, deciding what’s right for you can be a confusing task. During my two decades of mixing IEMs on arena and stadium tours, I’ve picked up some pointers that I hope will shed a little light on the selection process. First, what’s your budget?
Keeping It Real: Psychoacoustics In IEM Mixing
Monitor engineers know that there are many soft skills required in their job. For example, building trusting relationships with bands and artists is vital for them to feel supported so that they can forget about monitoring and concentrate on their job of giving a great performance. But what do we know about how the brain and ears work together to create the auditory response, and how can we make use of it in our mixes?
Tandem Touring: Mixing Monitors As A Dual-Engineer Team
For the majority of bands, one monitor engineer is all they need. We’re skilled at juggling many different mixes and fielding several requests at once – after all, that’s the job. Even when we find ourselves on a tour where we would welcome another engineer and console to share the load, the realities of logistics and budgets mean that it’s not practical for most touring acts. There are some bands, though, for whom one engineer is simply not sufficient.
Rock Steady: Building Onstage Relationships With Popular Artists
It’s a milestone moment in an engineer’s career when the call comes to work with an artist whose music means something to them personally. Working with emerging artists is great fun and it can be inspiring to hear new music, perhaps introduce a band to working with monitors, and play a part in them learning their stagecraft.
#3: Ready To Rock? Effective Audio Pre-Production Planning Before Going On Tour
It’s the opening night of the tour. The lights go down, the crowd starts screaming with excitement and the first chords ring out – this is the moment we’ve been working towards. We all know that a lot of the work to bring this show to life has already happened earlier the same day, starting many hours ago when the production team and riggers arrived before sunrise for mark-out.
Illuminating The Dark Art: A Practical Step-By-Step Guide To Success With Wireless/RF
On larger, complex shows and festivals, there’s usually a dedicated RF tech setting up and managing wireless systems, but on many tours it falls to the monitor engineer.
Ready To Rock? Effective Audio Pre-Production Planning Before Going On Tour
It’s the opening night of the tour. The lights go down, the crowd starts screaming with excitement and the first chords ring out – this is the moment we’ve been working towards. We all know that a lot of the work to bring this show to life has already happened earlier the same day, starting many hours ago when the production team and riggers arrived before sunrise for mark-out.
Stage Left Harmony, Part 2: “What Do You Like — And Dislike — In An Engineer When You’re The Tech?” - ProSoundWeb
Recently I had the pleasure of chatting with a handful of touring friends with whom I’ve worked closely in both the monitor engineer and monitor technician roles. Previously (here), I shared the first part of our conversation, where we discussed the attitudes and behaviors we appreciate from our tech when we’re mixing. This time the boot’s on the other foot: what makes an engineer a pleasure – or a pain – to work with when you’re the tech? What advice would we give to engineers?
Stage Left Harmony, Part 1: “What Do You Like — And Dislike — In A Tech When You're The Engineer?” - ProSoundWeb
A veteran panel talks about the key relationship that make or break the live audio experience – the one between engineer and technician. The show ended, last call came and went, and the burning question from the sound company – “Are we striking this and loading out, ...read more → A presentation of acoustical concepts and terminology relating directly to the design and construction of a built environment. Low-tech descriptions, explanations, and examples.
From Clubs To Stadiums: Highlights & Challenges Of Different-Scale Venues
Upsides, downsides and advice when working venues ranging from tiny clubs to stadiums – perhaps on the same tour... Taking time to appreciate where you are and taking advantage of the situation as much as you can.
Up Close & Personal: Keys To Successful Monitor Engineering For Smaller Groups
Mixing monitors for a solo artist and supporting band requires a specific set of skills that often have more to do with rehearsals and ...read more → A method to get up and running at a gig as quickly as possible, catch potential problems early, and dial in a good mix, ...read more → A case study in breaking the "golden rules" of recording – and getting away with it...
#3: Stage Left Leanings: What Leads Someone Down The Path Of Mixing Monitors?
Building simple, clear show files will help your show run more smoothly and provide a solid foundation to build more complex ones when you ...read more → Have “best practices” changed?
#18: Bumps In The Road: While Touring Is Back, New Challenges Have Presented Themselves
When we said we were going to come back to touring better than ever, I really believed it. During the pandemic we saw many people from our industry pulling together, as a good crew does, to get through the unprecedented loss of our livelihoods and purpose. We talked at length on Zoom calls about how we could make touring a better place for all of us. We talked about mental health and physical health, and sustainability and diversity.
Bumps In The Road: While Touring Is Back, New Challenges Have Presented Themselves
We knew there would be new challenges in the post-pandemic era, and many more unforeseen challenges have arisen. So, what can we do? We’re ...read more → Ruminations on what makes people, gear and procedures stand above in professional audio.
Hybrid Monitor Mixing: Approaches When Using IEMs & Wedges Together
How bands want to hear their performance is a highly personal and subjective choice. Many people now opt for in-ear monitors, enjoying the clarity, immediacy, and relative isolation from venue acoustics, as well as the freedom to be anywhere on the stage and retain a consistent mix.
On The Road Again: Reflections Upon Finishing Up “That First Tour Back"
Would it be as I remembered it? Would anything have changed, for better or worse? Would it take me long to get back up ...read more → Additional lessons from a series of outdoor chamber music concerts, this time working at a not-so-normal site requiring creative microphone approaches, loudspeaker placement on ...read more → Summarizing the results of a comparison between simulated and measured data via a field test.
Stage Left Leanings: What Leads Someone Down The Path Of Mixing Monitors?
The thrill of the performance, the privilege of working with music, the potential to not only travel the world but to get paid for it – there are many attractive aspects to being a live sound engineer. But what leads someone down the path of mixing monitors, and what are the benefits – and pitfalls – of that role. Like most of us, it was a love of music which birthed my desire to be a sound engineer and being close to the energy of a live performance was – and still is – a joy.
Rise Of The Tech: The Elevation Of The Role Of Audio Technician
The Oxford English Dictionary definition of an engineer – “a person who designs, builds, or maintains engines, machines or structures” – conjures up someone extremely technically minded, with a head full of physics and data. Someone highly schooled in the intricate inner workings of the technology they operate. Dear readers: I am not that person. I’m a monitor engineer with more than 20 years of experience.
#5: My Touring Inspiration: Motivation In A Life On The Road
Life has moments that change everything. A chance encounter, an opportunity taken, a door opened, and suddenly life pivots and nothing is ever the same again. An evening in 1988 was such a moment for me. As a very excited 12-year-old I went to my first gig, and as luck would have it I sat behind the front of house engineer. As the lights went down and it dawned on me what he was doing, my world shifted on its axis – this was a job?
A Natural Experience: The Upsides Of Immersive In-Ear Monitoring For Performers & Engineers
As many territories begin to open up again after an enforced absence from live productions, it’s interesting to hear what everyone has been up to during the downtime. There’s definitely a period of adjustment while we get back up to gig-fitness – I know my own mental processes felt severely rusty for the first few weeks back behind a mixing console.
Our Homecoming: Gearing Up To Make A Triumphant Return To The Road
Can you feel it? There’s something in the air. It feels to me a lot like optimism. As the vaccination program rolls out and gigs start to be tentatively rescheduled, it feels like there’s a countdown on to the day when I’ll finally be back behind a mixing desk. It simultaneously feels like freedom and homecoming. I’ve been lucky to have an alternative skillset of teaching yoga to fall back on during the last year, and that’s been my main focus.
My Touring Inspiration: Motivation In A Life On The Road
Life has moments that change everything. A chance encounter, an opportunity taken, a door opened, and suddenly life pivots and nothing is ever the same again. An evening in 1988 was such a moment for me. As a very excited 12-year-old I went to my first gig, and as luck would have it I sat behind the front of house engineer. As the lights went down and it dawned on me what he was doing, my world shifted on its axis – this was a job?
Monitor Transitions: Helping Artists Make The Change From Wedges To IEMs
If you’ve ever helped long-time stage wedge users make the transition to in-ear monitors, you know it can be a delicate and potentially frustrating process for all concerned. If they’ve had a bad experience – a distressingly common story – it can be hard to persuade them to try again. But with skilful handling it can be done successfully. Here are some tactics that I deploy to make it a positive experience all round.
#9: Bold Directions: The Future Of Stage Monitoring
Recently, I explored the history of stage monitoring (here) – from the very first incidences of loudspeakers being spun around for a performer to hear themselves, to the crystal-clear quality offered by monitor wedges and in-ear monitoring (IEM) technology today. So where to next? What will be the future of monitors?
Binaural Beats What are they, and how can they help you to feel good? Article By Becky Pell
Home|Audio Reviews|Audiophile Shows| Partner Mags | News November 2020 Binaural Beats What are they, and how can they help you to feel good? Article By Becky Pell We humans have a range of different brain wave states and speeds, each relating to a different state of consciousness, be it waking, sleeping, or somewhere in between. Binaural beats are a phenomenon whereby we can voluntarily create different brain waves using external sound sources, thereby inducing the associated mental state.
The Art Of Listening: Refining A Vital Pro Audio Skillset
How often do you listen to music? I don’t mean throw some tunes on in the car or play the radio in the background, I mean really listen; the kind of listening where you give the music your full attention, focusing on the qualities of individual sounds and noticing things which are not immediately obvious. That distant layered guitar chord; the faint timbale in the background; the different harmonies of the violins.
Binaural Beats: What Are They & Can They Help You Feel Better?
We humans have a range of different brain wave states and speeds, each relating to a different state of consciousness, be it waking, sleeping, or somewhere in between. Binaural beats are a phenomenon whereby we can voluntarily create different brain waves using external sound sources, thereby inducing the associated mental state. First, let’s take a look at the different states of consciousness which we most commonly experience. Beta wave state: 12–30 cycles per second/Hertz (Hz).
Clearing The Air: Defining A Host Of Commonly Used Audio Terms
Pink noise, white noise, sine waves, square waves, A-weighting, C-weighting… anyone with an interest in sound has come across these terms, but what do they actually mean? Pink & White Noise Mixing consoles generally have an onboard pink noise generator that can be used to test signal flow to outputs. But white noise exists as well, so why choose pink, and what’s the difference?
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