Signal To Noise Podcast

In Episode 229 — and just in time for the holidays — the hosts put on their coziest pajamas and grab a virtual cup of hot cocoa with Joe Palermo to talk about his nearly decade-long tenure as the sound designer for the Polar Express Ride Experience, a theatrical production that takes place on fully functional (and moving!) Amtrak trains in the U.S. every year throughout the holiday season. This ep...

Long-time professional touring musician and Live Sound International/ProSoundWeb writer Kevin Young joins the show in Episode 228 and talks about a range of subjects, including building and maintaining the artist-tech relationship, concert production in the middle of an active war zone in Ukraine, and more. This episode is sponsored by Allen & Heath , RCF , and Rational Acoustics . Episode Lin...

Mix engineer, sound designer and technical manager Pete Wiejaczka joins the show in Episode 227 and talks all things corporate/special events, including the importance of client and vendor relationships, putting together the right team for each show, varying responsibilities with different scales of events, transitioning to freelance work after more than a decade and a half at the same AV company,...

In Episode 226, David Scorteccia, the founder of Sonnect and a veteran sound engineer, joins the show to talk about how his work as a mixer, patch/backline tech, and system designer/SE led him to create the successful Sound Bullet audio tester, including the journey from an on-the-job idea to creating a viable commercial product. He also provides details of Sonnect’s new SoundWire transformer-bala...

David Stanton, currently serving as the front of house engineer for country music icon Tanya Tucker, joins the show in Episode 225 and talks the benefits of being a “weekend warrior” as well as why he continues to work at a small blues bar despite co-owning a production company in addition to touring with a top artist. This episode is sponsored by Allen & Heath , RCF , and Rational Acoustics ....

In Episode 224, theatrical sound designer and composer Lindsay Jones joins the show along with guest host, sound designer and foley artist ien DeNio. They discuss Lindsay’s long history in the theatre world, his role in co-founding the Theatrical Sound Designers and Composers Association (TSDCA), the loss and restoration of Best Sound Design honors at the Tony Awards, and how to get the most out o...

In Episode 223, Sean and Andy turn the mic on Katie Karch, who talks about her journey in the audio world from a start in theatre and local bands to large festivals, theatre tours, and now rocking out of her new home in Nashville. They cover an eclectic range of topics, from working for the historic Dallas-based sound company Crossroads Audio to the surprisingly interesting history of road cases,...

Touring mix engineer Josh Penner (Phantogram, Run The Jewels, and more) joins the show in Episode 222 to talk about what it takes to be successful on the road and off, what he enjoys about each end of the snake, and how different it is to mix in clubs versus arenas. This episode is sponsored by Allen & Heath , RCF , and Rational Acoustics . Be sure to check out the Signal To Noise Facebook Gro...

In Episode 221, co-hosts Katie Karch and Sean Walker talk with Evan Turunen, a bright rising star in the AV world. Evan shares his journey from middle school student with a single loudspeaker to recent high school graduate with a production company that does 100 events a year as Turunen Audio Visual, based in Southern California. The co-hosts caught up with Evan on his first tour to hear his story...

In Episode 220, co-hosts Katie Karch and Andy Leviss are joined by guest co-host Ryan O John to interview Andy Peters, front of house engineer for New Jersey-based indie rock band The Feelies in addition to being an astronomy instrumentation developer and long-time ProSoundWeb Live Audio Board denizen. This episode is sponsored by Allen & Heath , RCF , and Rational Acoustics . As the house mix...

In Episode 219, new co-hosts Andy Leviss and Katie Karch talk with Sean Walker about his journey from being a mortgage broker to owning Audio Engineers Northwest, his own regional sound production company based outside of Seattle, as well as what it takes to run a small business, why he made a loudspeaker transition with his main PA system, and more. This episode is sponsored by Allen & Heath...

Ryan O John returns in episode 218. They discuss how to approach mixing a festival or "throw and go" type of situation, especially when the console may not be your regular choice. They also talk about networking for potential jobs with manufacturers, a new possible path Ryan has found to give back and collaborate with other mix engineers, and more.  This episode is sponsored by Rational...

In episode 217, John Huntington returns, sharing his latest work, "Introduction to Show Control." This episode delves into the delicate balance between technology and art in entertainment—an enduring relationship that has shaped John's journey over the past 30 years. He reflects on the genesis of his first book, "Control Systems for Live Entertainment," and how it paved th...

Ryan O John returns on episode 216 to talk with the hosts about his experiment comparing "in the box" mixing versus using analog outboard gear, and which one is "better" or which one is more exciting to listen to. They discuss how it's important to know the functions within a signal chain versus what specific gear you use in the chain and more. Ryan also gives a recap of t...

In episode 215 we chat with Barbara Adams, a seasoned audio engineer and educator with 30 years of music industry experience. Discover her journey through the Philly music club scene, and how she grew both technically and personally to excel in her career. We also explore her 13-year tenure as an audio educator, uncovering her approach to preparing students for success in the industry. This episod...

UK-Based freelancer audio engineer Kim Watson joins the hosts on episode 214. They talk about how Kim has made a 23-year career so far by being well-rounded in all areas of sound and with a "never stop learning" mindset. She has started to turn that into a mission of giving back to the next generation which led to recently teaching a Rational Acoustics Smaart class. Kim talks about battl...

Mike Dias the executive director for the In-Ear Monitor International Trade Organization ( IEMITO) and the vice president of sales for Earthworks Audio joins us on episode 213 to talk about the story and history of in-ear monitors. While this is not a complete breakdown of the full history of IEM's, Mike sets the table for the plotline of the documentary he is working on. Weaving together the...

In Episode 212, we are joined by David Loy , the talented FOH engineer for Country Music artist Kane Brown. David shares his methodical approach to his work, emphasizing how it contributes to delivering the art in the show whether it's live in concerts or in post-production. We delve into his affinity for analog outboard gear, the invaluable impact of mentors on his journey, and the pivotal r...

Kenny Barnwell of Crew Coach joins the hosts on episode 211. He talks about going from being homeless to a successful career in the touring industry.  They discuss some of the avenues of getting into the touring industry along with the key to relationships and how integral that is to continuing to get work and more. They discuss the balance of understanding our identity is not in our career, and h...

Sound Designer and Engineer Andy Leviss joins the hosts on episode 210. They talk about his time as a Support Specialist and Product Trainer for the playback program QLab, along with suggestions on how to get the most out of tech support. Andy discusses some of the cultural differences between Broadway and Corporate audio work, balancing relationships with a partner who is also in the industry, as...

In Episode 209, Jess Jacobs joins Sam and Kyle to discuss her work as a monitor engineer, backline, and playback tech for artists such as Missy Elliot, Sylvan Esso, Ella Mai, and more. She delves into what it means to be a playback tech and how she has utilized the capabilities of technology such as Ableton Live in. She also discusses the importance of self-education and how that impacted her jour...

Dan Dugan joins the hosts on episode 208.  With over 55 years in the industry, he is the first person in theater to be called a Sound Designer,  developed the first effective automatic microphone mixer , and a nature sound recordist . They discuss his process of recording nature sounds, and how it is a mix of art and science. Dan tells the journey of how the auto-mixer was invented and perfected t...

Theatrical sound designer Kyle Jensen returns to the show to talk with Michael about their work co-designing a recent production of the musical RENT for Hamilton College in Clinton NY. They are joined in the discussion by Jess Buttery, Production Manager for the college's theater department. They talk about the sound system design philosophy and implementation used for the production, some of...

On episode 206 the hosts are joined by Bennett Prescott , the Sales & Operations Director, North America at B&C Speakers . They discuss a wide range of topics like the innovations of speaker transducers, misconceptions on components vs full speaker encolure design, how to catch a speaker on fire, and more. Bennett talks about what it's like to be manufacturing the foundational element...

Jess McCloughan joins the hosts in episode 205, to discuss her work providing RF Consultation, Products, and Services to Theatre & Entertainment venues, Production & Event suppliers Australia-wide & beyond. She has been in the industry for over a decade but recently launched her brand and company RF Queens . They talk about her path into the world of RF, how she identified a need in th...