Tuning In with Michael Curtis

►► Get over 20 free audio tools: https://www.producedbymkc.com/audiotoolkit

Once we wrangle all our sources (audio coming IN to our console) we need to figure out where to SEND them. Auxes and groups and indispensable tools in learning how to route audio.

We'll cover:

- Pre vs Post Fader sends

- Common use cases for mixes

- a group vs a mix/aux

🔗 Links:

🏗️ System Tuning Workshop For Beginners - https://www.producedbymkc.com/systemtuningworkshop

⚒️ Audio Toolkit - https://www.producedbymkc.com/audiotoolkit

🆕 New To Sound System Design? Start Here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqLfCybtxh0HTXmXl4nKZO64yHmQP0lRi

💼 Hire Me To Design & Tune Your System - https://www.producedbymkc.com/workwithme

🔊 Subwoofer Videos - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqLfCybtxh0H7gaGak2Gfe3ogiyogc6bX

►► Get over 20 free audio tools: https://www.producedbymkc.com/audiotoolkit

You see DI boxes everywhere, but do you really know how and when they're supposed to be used?

Today we unpack the two main jobs of a DI box which unlocks the key uses behind where we need to use them. We'll cover:

- Why are some DI boxes more expensive than others?
- What's a good "middle of the road" product?
- What exactly does happens to my audio when it goes through a DI box?

🔗 Links:

🏗️ System Tuning Workshop For Beginners - https://www.producedbymkc.com/systemtuningworkshop

⚒️ Audio Toolkit - https://www.producedbymkc.com/audiotoolkit

🆕 New To Sound System Design? Start Here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqLfCybtxh0HTXmXl4nKZO64yHmQP0lRi

💼 Hire Me To Design & Tune Your System - https://www.producedbymkc.com/workwithme

🔊 Subwoofer Videos - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqLfCybtxh0H7gaGak2Gfe3ogiyogc6bX

►► Get over 20 free audio tools: https://www.producedbymkc.com/audiotoolkit

Get gain right and everything else falls into place. Really!

Even though managing levels is one of the core concepts in live audio its still widely misunderstood. Today I hope to unpack exactly what the gain knob does (and how it affects the device its attached to) and how to use it properly.

We'll cover:

- Is it "bad" if your gain is super high?

- What levels should you be shooting for?

- Should you use a pad?

- And much more!

🔗 Links:

🏗️ System Tuning Workshop For Beginners - https://www.producedbymkc.com/systemtuningworkshop

⚒️ Audio Toolkit - https://www.producedbymkc.com/audiotoolkit

🆕 New To Sound System Design? Start Here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqLfCybtxh0HTXmXl4nKZO64yHmQP0lRi

💼 Hire Me To Design & Tune Your System - https://www.producedbymkc.com/workwithme

🔊 Subwoofer Videos - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqLfCybtxh0H7gaGak2Gfe3ogiyogc6bX

►► Get over 20 free audio tools: https://www.producedbymkc.com/audiotoolkit

You might know "in general" that they're responsible for the sound at a gig and probably behind a mixer of some sort, but what are they actually doing?

Today I break down:

- key expectations and responsibilities in live audio

- 10 different common jobs on a show

- what skillsets you should be developing if you want to grow in live sound

🔗 Links:

🏗️ System Tuning Workshop For Beginners - https://www.producedbymkc.com/systemtuningworkshop

⚒️ Audio Toolkit - https://www.producedbymkc.com/audiotoolkit

🆕 New To Sound System Design? Start Here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqLfCybtxh0HTXmXl4nKZO64yHmQP0lRi

💼 Hire Me To Design & Tune Your System - https://www.producedbymkc.com/workwithme

🔊 Subwoofer Videos - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqLfCybtxh0H7gaGak2Gfe3ogiyogc6bX

►► Get over 20 free audio tools: https://www.producedbymkc.com/audiotoolkit

Master these seven skillsets you will become bulletproof. This is true even if you aren’t a pro (weekend warrior, church audio volunteer). And here’s the fun spoiler alert - Mixing is just one of them! **Unfortunately, the barrier to entry is only getting steeper.**

The number of expected skillsets is great and their complexity is growing exponentially. Audio technology is moving from concrete to abstraction (less analog, more digital), which is harder for humans in general to grasp, especially when learning something new. Having something tactile helps a ton (which I always like brand new audio engineers to learn on an analog rig). If you’re watching this video, you’re probably wanting to do something about that! You’re hungry to learn and passionate about getting better at your craft.

I’ve built a career from the ground up over a decade and come to these seven core skillsets as the bulletproof foundation for a modern audio technician, and I’m happy to unpack these with you today.

🔗 Links: 🏗️ System Tuning Workshop For Beginners - https://www.producedbymkc.com/systemtuningworkshop

⚒️ Audio Toolkit - https://www.producedbymkc.com/audiotoolkit

🆕 New To Sound System Design? Start Here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqLfCybtxh0HTXmXl4nKZO64yHmQP0lRi

💼 Hire Me To Design & Tune Your System - https://www.producedbymkc.com/workwithme

🔊 Subwoofer Videos - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqLfCybtxh0H7gaGak2Gfe3ogiyogc6bX

📕 Chapters:

00:00 - Intro

01:16 - Rock Solid Fundamentals

04:03 - Musical Mixing Abilities

06:39 - Sound System Sense

08:47 - Ninja RF, Comm, and Stage Tech

11:42 - Stellar Soft Skills

12:41 - Sharp Production Intuition

16:09 - Disciplined, Patient Business Mind

19:10 - What is your weakest trait you'd like to develop?

Getting crystal clear dialog in a live environment is notoriously hard (not to mention getting it right on broadcast and records as well).

►► Ask a question for future podcasts: https://www.producedbymkc.com/question

We search for the perfect balance between intelligibility, stability, and naturalness. Sometimes with minimal work we have headroom for days, while others we paint ourselves into a corner with filter after filter and hang on the edge of feedback the entire show.

Should we err on the side of “less is more” or hack away clinging to the mantra “if it sounds good it is good”? Will the phase gremlins cause my console to spontaneously combust if I use too much EQ?

Today we can find some middle ground in a three part method I’ve been using for almost a decade in high pressure corporate environments like Fortune 500 earnings broadcasts, presidential campaign announcements, and the Capitol Building proceedings.

We’ll learn:

- Why phase isn’t nearly as scary as you think
- Where you should use EQ first (and it’s not on your channel strip)
- What starting point EQ settings I use on every dialog channel

⚒️ Get over 20 free audio tools: https://www.producedbymkc.com/audiotoolkit

🏗️ System Tuning Workshop For Beginners - https://www.producedbymkc.com/systemtuningworkshop

🆕 New To Sound System Design? Start Here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqLfCybtxh0HTXmXl4nKZO64yHmQP0lRi

💼 Hire Me To Design & Tune Your System - https://www.producedbymkc.com/workwithme

🔊 Subwoofer Videos - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqLfCybtxh0H7gaGak2Gfe3ogiyogc6bX

“How can I find a spouse?” - BAD QUESTION

“How can I make myself the most dateable person ever?” - Better Question : )

We can draw the same analogy in the question, “How can I get better gigs?” How about a better question - “How can I make myself the *best* engineer for the gig?”

I’ve distilled the top characteristics of the very best in the field down to three core characteristics.

Do you have them?

►► Ask a question for future podcasts: https://www.producedbymkc.com/question

⚒️ Get over 20 free audio tools: https://www.producedbymkc.com/audiotoolkit

🏗️ System Tuning Workshop For Beginners - https://www.producedbymkc.com/systemtuningworkshop

🆕 New To Sound System Design? Start Here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqLfCybtxh0HTXmXl4nKZO64yHmQP0lRi

💼 Hire Me To Design & Tune Your System - https://www.producedbymkc.com/workwithme

🔊 Subwoofer Videos - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqLfCybtxh0H7gaGak2Gfe3ogiyogc6bX

►► Ask a question for future podcasts: https://www.producedbymkc.com/question

This is the exact 90 game plan I would hand to any new live audio engineer starting in the industry. It’s not near as scary as you think.

I posted this poll last week and the results disheartened me:

Out of almost 500 votes 60% of you wonderful people doubt you could make a reasonable living in the live event industry!

You might be telling yourself:

1. There’s not enough gigs to go around where I live
2. I’m simply not talented or skilled enough to get enough gigs
3. The market is oversaturated
4. I’ll probably screw up and lose all my opportunities
5. How could I possibly “jump” from this nice, stable job to such a volatile industry?

Nothing could be further from the truth.

No matter if you’re fresh out of high school or nearing retirement I want to tell that *there’s room for you. The industry desperately needs more talented, generous, and dependable engineers.

To be clear, I’m not asking you to do anything drastic. In fact, I want you to do the opposite.

Don’t jump, take one small step. Then another. Then another.

Today I want to share with step-by-step a 90 day experiment you can run to move towards the freedom and opportunity you’re craving with a live audio freelance career. To be fair, there’s plenty of upsides working for an employer, but if you’ve been wanting to test the freelance waters, here’s your chance.

We’ll cover:

- How to creatively assess your local and national gig opportunities and start generating income fast (there’s more out there than you think)
- Why you should start small and build up momentum vs taking a giant leap of faith (but
- How to keep your business lean so you’re not sweating about making ends meet
- What new business bank accounts you should open and exactly how to manage the money you bring

⚒️ Get over 20 free audio tools: https://www.producedbymkc.com/audiotoolkit

🏗️ System Tuning Workshop For Beginners - https://www.producedbymkc.com/systemtuningworkshop

🆕 New To Sound System Design? Start Here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqLfCybtxh0HTXmXl4nKZO64yHmQP0lRi

💼 Hire Me To Design & Tune Your System - https://www.producedbymkc.com/workwithme

🔊 Subwoofer Videos - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqLfCybtxh0H7gaGak2Gfe3ogiyogc6bX

►► Ask A Question To Be Featured On The Podcast: https://www.producedbymkc.com/question

It’s hard to think of a worse feeling than knowing the value of what you’ve purchased doesn’t live up to the dollars you traded for it.

Most of us simply want a quality, reliable, and pleasing sounding set of speakers that get the job we’re asking them to do done well. That job may be your Kindergartner’s school play, your weekend warrior country band, or a packed out arena.

We’re bombarded in all directions with sly marketing promises and pseudoscience - how can we sift through the noise and make decisions using pertinent, foundational metrics?

Today I unpack 10 key categories that help you make informed, conscientoius decisions when selecting the right speaker for *your* gig (regardless of budget).

We’ll cover:

1. What speaker specs and features *actually* matter?
2. Do expensive speakers really sound better?
3. How do I know this product will serve me and my clients well?

🔗 Links:

🏗️ System Tuning Workshop For Beginners - https://www.producedbymkc.com/systemtuningworkshop

⚒️ Audio Toolkit - https://www.producedbymkc.com/audiotoolkit

🆕 New To Sound System Design? Start Here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqLfCybtxh0HTXmXl4nKZO64yHmQP0lRi

💼 Hire Me To Design & Tune Your System - https://www.producedbymkc.com/workwithme

🔊 Subwoofer Videos - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqLfCybtxh0H7gaGak2Gfe3ogiyogc6bX

In this episode we walk through seven key things that change as you move throughout your audience and how to listen and evaluate them.

►► Ask a question for future podcasts: https://www.producedbymkc.com/question

⚒️ Get over 20 free audio tools: https://www.producedbymkc.com/audiotoolkit

🏗️ System Tuning Workshop For Beginners - https://www.producedbymkc.com/systemtuningworkshop

🆕 New To Sound System Design? Start Here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqLfCybtxh0HTXmXl4nKZO64yHmQP0lRi

💼 Hire Me To Design & Tune Your System - https://www.producedbymkc.com/workwithme

🔊 Subwoofer Videos - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqLfCybtxh0H7gaGak2Gfe3ogiyogc6bX