Thursday, November 19, 2009

Busy Season

This fall has been the busiest season of my audio career. Since audio is not my full-time job (yet) four gigs may not seem that busy to some, but it has kept me busy. It kicked off in September with a introductory seminar for a church. I'm hoping that will turn into some further training opportunities. In October I mixed an outdoor acoustic show for my friends in Long Walk Home.

The next weekend was a 5-band festival that was off the chain in all sorts of ways. The gear was mostly borrowed. There were five acts and five completely different vibes. The first act was a folk band that was all-acoustic (except the bass) and I had to keep pushing the system hard to get it loud enough for the venue. There was also a 2-piece punk band, a classic rock cover band that was LOUD. The most unique was a 2-piece band with a drummer and bassist. The bassist had a switcher and 2 amps. He'd lay down a rhythm with a looper on one amp. Then he'd switch to the other amp and play melody on top of it -- with a bass. The last band was an all-girl (except the drummer) punk band. The whole evening was quite a lot lot of fun. I recorded this show and the Long Walk Home show. The LWH mix is signed, sealed, and delivered, but life has gotten in the way of the other one. Life includes lots of work, other stuff, and a crashed hard drive (gotta love the backups).

Monday will mark something of a milestone for me. I get to mix for Andrew Peterson on a real PA rig.  I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. First comes the setup. I have no idea what kind of gear it is, only that it is professional kit. I'm pretty sure the desk is a Yamaha PM3000 (which I've mixed on before) and the loudspeakers are some kind of JBL. Once the system is set up and voiced I have to make sure the professional musicians are comfy and happy. I'm really praying this night goes well and nobody ever notices I'm there.

It's been a joy to help some good people make music this fall. I hope this trend is not just a blip on the radar but a turning point.