they start out nice...

The stereotypical house soundman is a grizzly, unapproachable type; inevitably either stressed or reticently upset, not that into your music and unwilling to furnish your requests.

I need you to know: they (we) don't all start out that way.

It's a disposition that gets developed after enough exposure to not enough information, too much asked and no respect given. As with anyone in the service industry, expecting too much, not helping in preparation, and then not giving credit where it's due can take the smiliest, most knowledgeable and ineffably helpful gifted technician and turn him or her into the grumbliest troll.

Save a soul! Respeck your Tech!

D112s on toms

AKG D112

I've been persistently trying different stock mics on toms. EV's N/D468s, the supercard that looks like a little black egg, isn't bad. 57s are consistently good, with a little EQ work, across many styles and competencies as far as drummers go. But I really want to push for the oft-scoffed D112s.

The AKG D112 looks like a Nerf football, with its (aqua? teal? girly green) stripe across its giant oval grill. Looking at the frequency response of this mic as compared to a 57 shows only minor differences:

• a presence peak from 2-5 kHz instead of 4-10 kHz;
• a huuuuge low end boost.

I found, with a common two-tom setup, that I trimmed a bit of the low shelf on the rack tom, left the mid-EQs largely untouched and didn't need to touch the high shelf. With 57s I find myself peeling back high frequencies, as well as seeking out what I imagine are harmonic overtones of the drums fundamental, and gating and boosting the channels like crazy. I still gated them, but didn't have to drive them as high in the mix, which I believe is a result of the drum's fundamental being so supported by the D112's boosted low end.

As a result the toms felt a lot bigger in their classic boomy sound, and weren't quite as slappy as they can be with a 57. They're not much harder to position than a 57 with its long barrel and XLR coming out the end.

However I did just buy a pair of 906s. The D112s I fear may find themselves back in the drawer pretty soon.

DBX 1066 on Mix Buss

A guest soundman recently asked me to patch a DBX 1066 stereo compressor/gate into the Mix Buss. I was hesitant, following the teaching of my master: DBX comps hate being on the mix buss.

But the guest soundman was persistent. He loved the sound, he said, and the key was in setting the ratio at 1:1.5, the threshold up high (+10 or so) and engaging the "Overeasy" button. (This triggers the compressor slightly when the signal is several dB below the threshold).

His mix sounded fine. So I experimented with it myself a few times afterward.

Ultimately, this destroys the high end of the mix. It doesn't sound bad, but it also doesn't sound very good. About the same as pulling back on the Master Fader. Would not recommend.

So that's how it is.

The other day at school:

Mark (RTech instructor): ...and where are you from?
Me: Sarnia, Ottawa, Toronto.
Mark: Ah. You look like you're from Toronto.
Me: That's not very nice!
Mark: Naw, I just mean you have that look of slick confidence about you.

Just a shout out to me at 13, to say that it's worth it, it's working, and keep at it. Believe in yourself!

Metalocalypse

I learned something in class today. Metalocalypse is an animation on Adult Swim about the metal band Dethklok. It's from the dude who brought you Home Movies and uses a Beavis and Butthead style of animation. Actually it's a lot like B & B. But "blacker than the blackest black, times infinity!"

Intro song is here. The rest is on youtube.

RIX WLLZ

I remember recently saying that the only way I would ever own a car is if I won one, or if one was given to me. Well about two weeks ago the latter came true, and now I'm the owner of a flashy, sporty, chicks-dig-it, guys-get-jealous 1992 Mercury Topaz.

My grandmother gave it to me as a gift, and since it was a grandmother's car, it's nearly in mint condition. It's fifteen years old and I drove it past the 17,000 km mark. Me da and I have been fixing and tweaking, having fun working on this little project. You might be surprised that I can fit in it. We might take out the driver's seat and move the bracings further back... then add some hydraulics, lower it down, put on some spinners and a 120w sub in the trunk... maybe not.

We'll see.

Kickass red wipers though, eh?

Windahmeah Manah

Now I'm a parttime porter and server at the Windermere Manor, a conference and banquet (primarily weddings) hall, restaurant and hotel in London. It's part of Research Park and is connected to the UWO, just north of UH on campus. I get to dress up, which something that I secretly enjoy doing. The people I work with are pretty great. Ought to be a good PT position while I'm at school.

We'll see.