Ozpeter hits the airwaves

After a lifetime of dead recording, I'm doing my first live radio engineering job in about 11 hours from the time of this post (it starts 10.00am on Saturday, Melbourne time).  It's a outside broadcast from a bookshop (would you believe), involving interviews with local musicians who then get up and play - which is where I come in, doing the balance for the live music segments.  Two stereo pairs and four spot mics will capture the action, and I'm just hoping (as there will be no balance test opportunity so I've just got to wing it) that I don't make a complete mess of it....  Acts include piano four hands, piano and violin, singers, folk ensemble - all sorts.  Even "The Stilleto Sisters".

Anyone with a serious problem with using their time constructively might fall over themselves to hear a bit of it at http://www.3mbs.org.au/ (select the "listen live" option under the tram).

I may regret this....

I may regret this....

 I doubt it - sounds like a good time - STRESSFUL, but rewarding.  Hope you have some good, CLOSED cans (or other means of isolation) for the gig.  

I recently did sound a "Star Search" event for a spot on stage at the National Women's Music Festival this summer.  15 acts changing out every 15 minutes.  I did have a chance to sound check all the acts before hand and at least get EQ settings logged.  Ran the gamut from 10 drummers to 1 poet.

By the end of a show like that I'm wiped out.  It's draining!  At least the audience at this show seemed to have an appreciation for what I was doing - and they were satisfied with the results.  I got lots of praise.

I'm doing another open mic night in a week.  Then it will be back to the normal stuff - the same act for a whole show.

Anyway - ENJOY the show, and knock-em dead!

(select the "listen live" option under the tram).

I may regret this....

I was going to say something about our local tram service not have an internet connection, causing some potential difficulties, but I shall restrict myself to wishing you good luck. The only thing to keep in the back of your mind is that this is effectively a transient event, and that what you might think of as awful cock-ups actually go virtually unnoticed.

Mind you, it's quite good fun when four musicians turn up in a studio about as big as my office, with every intention of performing live into two guest presenter mics! No setup time at all - it was all done in a live studio where I was trying to do all of the program and engineering ops on a live programme. And although I was rather less than impressed with what I could hear in the cans, eveybody else thought it was wonderful!

These things always set your heart racing to start with, and it's only afterwards that you realise what a high you've actually been on...

So, good luck! I'm sure that it will be fine - and I might listen if only I can figure out what time it will be here...

...and I might listen if only I can figure out what time it will be here...

I think that this will be 10pm this evening, UK time, unless I've got the time saving wrong, which would make it 11pm (or is it 9?) Maybe I'll just stay 'tuned'...

According to a world time program on my PDA,
10:00AM (Saturday) Melbourne =
Friday 11:00 PM London
Friday 6:00 PM NYC
Friday 3:00 PM LA

Streaming at 20kbs you'll have to be bloody awful before we'll hear any problems.  I'll try to listen - at least for a little of it - it will be a busy time around my house.

ozpeter Posted:
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After a lifetime of dead recording, I'm doing my first live radio engineering job in about 11 hours from the time of this post. ....I'm just hoping (as there will be no balance test opportunity so I've just got to wing it) that I don't make a complete mess of it....

No worries Ozzie.  Good luck and have fun.

zemlin Posted:
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I recently did sound a "Star Search" event for a spot.... 15 acts changing out every 15 minutes. I did have a chance to sound check all the acts before hand and at least get EQ settings logged.

FWIW, I worked a couple of gigs "Superbowl" week here in downtown.  One of the events was very similiar in nature.  7 acts, performing 30-45 mins apiece.  While I didn't get a "soundcheck", I did have plenty of opportunity to "dial in" while the acts were performing.  I had fun and got paid!!

 

It'll be 11pm onwards UK time, SteveG - runs for four hours (fortunately there's a toilet very close!).  Thanks for your advice & encouragement, gentlemen...  I'll have the DT770 cans well up as I'm sited about 6 feet from the performers.... the space is not large!   Had a bit of a struggle with my mic cables as they are mostly of cathedral length.  

Forecast is 42C, so the gusts of wind from the airconditioning should set the mics rattling nicely....  It should, as you say, be fun, anyway.

And so to bed.

Just pulled up the site and am listening live... i may have a chance tonight (Atlanta) to check out your work.

Good luck.

[radio!]

I had a quick listen - now I need some sleep! It streams in mono, of course, and distorts somewhat, but at least something got out. Love the traffic noise...

And hey, this is radio! - so guess what...

hmmm....  a little "Puttin' on the Ritz," some excellent Mozart...  too bad it's quittin' time and I have to leave work.  It was nice to listen whilst wrapping up the day!

Here's wishing for you a happy valentine's day!

Damn - had folks show up early and I missed all of it.  

Cool Oz !  

Thanks guys!  It went reasonably well - traffic noise may have been airconditioning which was doing its best to cope (but the shop does front a busy suburban shopping street).  Fortunately a couple of acts turned up early and a few minutes' soundcheck was possible in order to get a ballpark sound.  

I guess most of the things that went amiss were not strictly audio - like coffee being delivered to me during a peformance in a polystyrene cup which split, the guy had to stand there like a dutch boy with his finger over the hole, trying not to yelp with the heat of it....  no way did I want it in my mixer.  One singer forgot his words bigtime, started again, but not in the same place as the pianist.... (just bad luck, these things can happen to anyone).... another performer started making an announcement into a muted mic, and instead of unmuting it I found myself wildly waving him towards a live one (then thought, did I really do that?!)....

But having had little previous experience with radio, I now have a great respect for those who do it all the time, on whatever side of the glass they work.

Thanks guys!  It went reasonably well - traffic noise may have been airconditioning which was doing its best to cope (but the shop does front a busy suburban shopping street).  Fortunately a couple of acts turned up early and a few minutes' soundcheck was possible in order to get a ballpark sound.

Most of what I heard was a really low frequency rumble, which came and went. Didn't sound like aircon... did sound like LF traffic rumble!

I guess most of the things that went amiss were not strictly audio - like coffee being delivered to me during a peformance in a polystyrene cup which split, the guy had to stand there like a dutch boy with his finger over the hole, trying not to yelp with the heat of it....  no way did I want it in my mixer.  One singer forgot his words bigtime, started again, but not in the same place as the pianist.... (just bad luck, these things can happen to anyone).... another performer started making an announcement into a muted mic, and instead of unmuting it I found myself wildly waving him towards a live one (then thought, did I really do that?!)....

We banned hot drinks from live radio environments ages ago - it's in all the training notes, I think. Or it damn well should be - I'll have to check. The only thing we are happy with is bottled water, because it's about the only thing that you stand any chance of recovering from technicallly, and is one of the few good things to drink as far as your voice is concerned.

As for the rest of the mishaps - well, they're what makes it all interesting! I think that secretly, most people would rather hear cock-ups than the real thing anyway - and strangely enough, it usually endears the broadcasters to them, somehow... at least that's what I've been telling myself for years!

But having had little previous experience with radio, I now have a great respect for those who do it all the time, on whatever side of the glass they work.

So you had the adrenalin rush, then?

Of course the trams do go past regularly.  After a couple of years here one tends to filter them out at the ear, if you see what I mean.

And yes, my adrenalin rushed nicely.  Didn't know it still would.

Oh, and happy Valentines Day to MC and one and all!