Nathan Lively's Blog, page 5

Know Your Audio Analyzer Averages

After you take several measurements and average them together, what do you expect to see? If these two measurements are averaged, what do you expect? Is zero the average of -6dB and 6dB, or something else? Here are four possible averages you may have guessed, depending on which audio analyzer you use. tl;dr Know what […]Loved this post? Try these:Are you still trying to align your subwoofers with an audio analyzer? Invasion of the Phase Invaders: An Audio Engineer’s Guide to Battle Tactics and Big Scores How to practice reading phase traces when you don’t have a PA

Be Helpful From Anywhere in the World (pandemic or not)

Interview with freelance sound engineer and audio entrepreneur Ed Kingstone about streaming events, remote mixing, and staying in business during a pandemic.Loved this post? Try these:How to Become a World Class Audio Engineer (if I had to start all over) Find a Live Sound Engineer Anywhere in the World Live Training Webinar: Gigs on Demand

You Need A Sound System Preflight Checklist

Interview with applications engineer for touring systems at L-Acoustics, Vic Wagner. Loved this post? Try these:Condenser Microphones For Live Sound Create a sound system tuning checklist and map before your next show 110 Questions about Sound System Tuning – Pt. 3

The Public Library of Loudspeaker Measurements

Imagine a library of loudspeaker measurements where you could look up the frequency, phase, and impulse response of any speaker in the world.Loved this post? Try these:Use Smaart to Easily Create Your Own Personal Database of High-quality Near-Anechoic Measurements How to practice reading phase traces when you don’t have a PA What do all of those squiggly lines mean? (a short intro to the graphs in Smaart®)

3 Biggest Takeaways from Live Sound Summit 2021

1) Immersive is not more expensive and complex. 2) Sexual harassment is a safety concern. 3) I need a backup console.Loved this post? Try these:6 things I’m looking forward to at Live Sound Summit 2019 22 Things I Learned or Overheard At Live Sound Summit 2020 Analysis: How to Tune a PA System for Live Sound

How to Settle Arguments and Get a Job Using Prediction Software

Interview with Jeremiah Karni from Adamson Systems about working with Broken Social Scene and the power of prediction software.Loved this post? Try these:Learn A Language And Get A Job 5 Times Faster For Live Sound Engineers: Surprisingly Simple Tips to Prevent Back Injury on the Job Do you want a job as a touring FOH sound engineer? You need to hear this.

What do sub alignment sound waves look like?

Have you ever wondered what the sound waves of your sub-alignment look like? Coupled, Equidistant, Aligned If your main and sub are right next to each other and phase aligned when equidistant then you can send them the exact same signal and expect the audience to be in the coupling zone. Here you can see […]Loved this post? Try these:3 Phase Alignment Hacks to Make Your Sound System Tuning Easier Should audience depth influence crossover frequency between main and sub? Phase Alignment Science Academy Handbook: Introduction

FOH Engineers: How to sneakily check your system tech’s work

If you are a FOH sound engineer then you often work on sound systems that someone else has set up for you and you need some way to make sure it was done properly. Whether it’s your best friend in the most famous venue in the world or the local AV provider in small town […]Loved this post? Try these:3 Phase Alignment Hacks to Make Your Sound System Tuning Easier Beyond FOH: Job Search Advice For Sound Engineers Mixing Monitors from FOH: 17 lessons I learned from Grealy at Soulsound

Building Virtual Mix Environments for Education

Subscribe on iTunes, SoundCloud, Google Play or Stitcher. Support Sound Design Live on Patreon. In this episode of Sound Design Live, I am joined by the founder of AudioFusion, virtual training simulations for audio education, Sam Fisher. We discuss starting out in sound design for games and the super cool virtual studio environments he is creating. Routing and gain […]Loved this post? Try these:Can you mix better on speakers with flat magnitude and phase? This iPhone App Helps Musicians Mix Themselves from Stage How to Become a World Class Audio Engineer (if I had to start all over)

How to use all-pass filters without a fancy DSP

All-pass filters can be a very helpful tool to get two speakers to work together, especially when they are from different families or brands. Unfortunately, they are normally only available on higher end output processors and amps like Meyer Sound Galileo, Lap Gruppen PLM series, or Lake. There is a free solution, though, which I’ll […]Loved this post? Try these:Do all-pass and FIR filters cause delay? The Poor Man’s Galileo Does every output in the signal chain need a high-pass filter?