Signal To Noise Podcast

In Episode 336, Sean, Andy and Steph Farina get together again to pick up where their last conversation left off (here), diving deeper into the art and methodology of troubleshooting audio systems. This episode is sponsored by Allen & Heath and RCF.Steph is a Chicago-based theatrical sound designer, mixer, and educator who heads the sound design program at DePaul University and teaches a dedicated troubleshooting course there. The trio covers systematic troubleshooting methods — working input to output, swapping known-good for suspect components, and changing one thing at a time — before taking a deep dive into managed vs. unmanaged network switches, VLANs, Dante networking best practices, and why backplane bandwidth matters more than port speed.They wrap up with a candid discussion on troubleshooting the humans around you: managing crews, communicating with actors and clients, and why the golden rule of live audio might just be “don’t be a jerk.”Episode Links:Steph Farina, Faculty At DePaul UniversityEpisode 335: Musical Theater Sound Designer, Mixer & Educator Steph FarinaEpisode 325: Chris Lapp Of Cisco On ‘Anything & Everything’ With AV Networking (Part 1)Episode 326: Anything & Everything’ On AV Networking With Chris Lapp (Part 2)The Art of Troubleshooting By Jason MaxhamDante Information For Network AdministratorsYamaha Dante Network Design GuideConfiguring A Network Switch For Shure Devices & Dante/AES67Episode 336 TranscriptConnect with the community on the Signal To Noise Facebook Group and Discord Server. Both are spaces for listeners to create to generate conversations around the people and topics covered in the podcast — we want your questions and comments!Also please check out and support The Roadie Clinic, Their mission is simple. “We exist to empower & heal roadies and their families by providing resources & services tailored to the struggles of the touring lifestyle.”The Signal To Noise Podcast on ProSoundWeb is co-hosted by pro audio veterans Andy Leviss and Sean Walker.Want to be a part of the show? If you have a quick tip to share, or a question for the hosts, past or future guests, or listeners at home, we’d love to include it in a future episode. You can send it to us one of two ways:1) If you want to send it in as text and have us read it, or record your own short audio file, send it to [email protected] with the subject “Tips” or “Questions”2) If you want a quick easy way to do a short (90s or less) audio recording, go to https://www.speakpipe.com/S2N and leave us a voicemail there

In Episode 335, Sean and Andy are joined by Steph Farina, a Chicago-based musical theater sound designer, mixer, and educator who heads the sound design program at DePaul University. The conversation covers Steph’s journey from intern at the Goodman Theatre to in-demand regional designer, the art of transitioning from mixer to designer, and her collaborative approach to communicating with mixers without overprescribing. This episode is sponsored by Allen & Heath and RCF.The trio dives deep into theater sound system tuning, exploring tricks for naturally sourcing vocals from the performer, delay setting techniques using reference loudspeakers and click tracks, and how even fairly basic auditorium systems can be dramatically improved with some delay work. Along the way, they compare notes between theater and corporate audio worlds, share hard-won lessons about crew collaboration, and tease future episodes on troubleshooting and more theater nerdery.Episode Links:Steph Farina, Faculty At DePaul UniversitySteph’s TSDCA Meyer Galaxy & System Tuning Workshop With Costa DarosAndy’s TSDCA Workshop On Yamaha DM7 For TheatreEpisode 335 TranscriptConnect with the community on the Signal To Noise Facebook Group and Discord Server. Both are spaces for listeners to create to generate conversations around the people and topics covered in the podcast — we want your questions and comments!Also please check out and support The Roadie Clinic, Their mission is simple. “We exist to empower & heal roadies and their families by providing resources & services tailored to the struggles of the touring lifestyle.”The Signal To Noise Podcast on ProSoundWeb is co-hosted by pro audio veterans Andy Leviss and Sean Walker.Want to be a part of the show? If you have a quick tip to share, or a question for the hosts, past or future guests, or listeners at home, we’d love to include it in a future episode. You can send it to us one of two ways:1) If you want to send it in as text and have us read it, or record your own short audio file, send it to [email protected] with the subject “Tips” or “Questions”2) If you want a quick easy way to do a short (90s or less) audio recording, go to https://www.speakpipe.com/S2N and leave us a voicemail there

In Episode 335, Andy welcomes Russ Long, a Nashville-based recording and live sound engineer with a wide-ranging career working with artists including Sixpence None the Richer, Dolly Parton, Wilco, Amy Grant, Miley Cyrus, and more, as well as Grammy and CMA Awards broadcasts, films, and much more. This episode is sponsored by Allen & Heath and RCF.Russ is also currently part of the field marketing and R&D team for Yamaha Pro Audio and can regularly be found showing folks the “ins and outs” of the company’s large-format consoles at the Rock Nashville facility. He talks about his journey from being a “big drummer in a small pond” to recording and front of house engineer to working a steady day job with a manufacturer, and everything in between, including engineering two of the hottest singles of the late 90s, and more.Episode Links:“There She Goes” by Sixpence None the Richer“Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the RicherRock NashvilleConnect with the community on the Signal To Noise Facebook Group and Discord Server. Both are spaces for listeners to create to generate conversations around the people and topics covered in the podcast — we want your questions and comments!Also please check out and support The Roadie Clinic, Their mission is simple. “We exist to empower & heal roadies and their families by providing resources & services tailored to the struggles of the touring lifestyle.”The Signal To Noise Podcast on ProSoundWeb is co-hosted by pro audio veterans Andy Leviss and Sean Walker.Want to be a part of the show? If you have a quick tip to share, or a question for the hosts, past or future guests, or listeners at home, we’d love to include it in a future episode. You can send it to us one of two ways:1) If you want to send it in as text and have us read it, or record your own short audio file, send it to [email protected] with the subject “Tips” or “Questions”2) If you want a quick easy way to do a short (90s or less) audio recording, go to https://www.speakpipe.com/S2N and leave us a voicemail there

By popular demand, in Episode 333 we’re bringing back a cleaned up and remastered version of a past episode, originally released as Episode 323, where Sean and Andy huddled up with Joe Allan Muharsky for a wide-ranging conversation about the state of AI in the audio field–where it is and where it’s going, what it’s good at and what it’s not, and more. This episode is sponsored by Allen & Heath and RCF.Joe is a software engineer, AI practitioner, and generalist with 30 years of technical experience spanning Microsoft, Google, and a suite of small-to-medium sized companies building line-of-business applications. He’s also the creator of the TODD Framework — a proprietary meta-framework for AI-assisted development built on the philosophy “agents in a system that they can evolve to accomplish their goals” — and has contributed to academic content for a textbook on AI adoption in the events industry.Alongside his technical work, Joe serves on the board of directors of the Washington Festivals & Events Association (WFEA) and is a part owner and partner at Teamatorium, where he helped scale a six-person team to more than 20. Music runs through everything he does: from audio engineering at venues and festivals to producing Band Together, a site at bandtogether.com for hyper-inclusive collaborative music.Episode Links:Joe Allan Muharsky On LinkedIniCitadelBand TogetherJoe Allen Muharsky WebsiteEpisode 333 TranscriptConnect with the community on the Signal To Noise Facebook Group and Discord Server. Both are spaces for listeners to create to generate conversations around the people and topics covered in the podcast — we want your questions and comments!Also please check out and support The Roadie Clinic, Their mission is simple. “We exist to empower & heal roadies and their families by providing resources & services tailored to the struggles of the touring lifestyle.”The Signal To Noise Podcast on ProSoundWeb is co-hosted by pro audio veterans Andy Leviss and Sean Walker.Want to be a part of the show? If you have a quick tip to share, or a question for the hosts, past or future guests, or listeners at home, we’d love to include it in a future episode. You can send it to us one of two ways:1) If you want to send it in as text and have us read it, or record your own short audio file, send it to [email protected] with the subject “Tips” or “Questions”2) If you want a quick easy way to do a short (90s or less) audio recording, go to https://www.speakpipe.com/S2N and leave us a voicemail there.

In Episode 332, it’s time for a further dive into the freelance life and how to make yourself as valuable as possible in the live audio industry. Sean and Andy talk about some of the big mistakes folks at any point in their career when “batting out of their league,” how to balance that with growing your skills and abilities, and more. This episode is sponsored by Allen & Heath and RCF.Episode Links:Episode 332 TranscriptConnect with the community on the Signal To Noise Facebook Group and Discord Server. Both are spaces for listeners to create to generate conversations around the people and topics covered in the podcast — we want your questions and comments!Also please check out and support The Roadie Clinic, Their mission is simple. “We exist to empower & heal roadies and their families by providing resources & services tailored to the struggles of the touring lifestyle.”The Signal To Noise Podcast on ProSoundWeb is co-hosted by pro audio veterans Andy Leviss and Sean Walker.Want to be a part of the show? If you have a quick tip to share, or a question for the hosts, past or future guests, or listeners at home, we’d love to include it in a future episode. You can send it to us one of two ways:1) If you want to send it in as text and have us read it, or record your own short audio file, send it to [email protected] with the subject “Tips” or “Questions”2) If you want a quick easy way to do a short (90s or less) audio recording, go to https://www.speakpipe.com/S2N and leave us a voicemail there.

Inspired by a couple trips Andy took recently that included visits with some past guests, and the folks over at Twenty Thousand Hertz doing a similar video episode, Episode 331 revisits a unique conversation from a few years back that a lot of newer listeners may have missed, based on recent discussions on the Signal to Noise Discord server. This episode is sponsored by Allen & Heath and RCF.So, after a quick catchup with Sean and Andy, here’s a newly re-mastered listen to Andy’s chat with four members of the Carolina Crown drum corps audio team — Jonathan Yoo, Rosa Westfall, Tyler Hanson, and Cole O’Malley. Get ready for a look at the ins and outs of a true “battleground” audio situation, with 90 seconds or less to set up line arrays, wired mics, and dozens of channels of wireless in some of the largest stadiums in the world. (Originally featured as Episode 237.)Episode Links:Carolina Crown Drum CorpsCarolina Crown 2026 ShowDallas Taylor (Twenty Thousand Hertz) Visits The Bluecoats, Part 1 & Part 2Cole’s Favorite Show (2012)Andy’s High School Band (1998)Episode 331 TranscriptConnect with the community on the Signal To Noise Facebook Group and Discord Server. Both are spaces for listeners to create to generate conversations around the people and topics covered in the podcast — we want your questions and comments!Also please check out and support The Roadie Clinic, Their mission is simple. “We exist to empower & heal roadies and their families by providing resources & services tailored to the struggles of the touring lifestyle.”The Signal To Noise Podcast on ProSoundWeb is co-hosted by pro audio veterans Andy Leviss and Sean Walker.Want to be a part of the show? If you have a quick tip to share, or a question for the hosts, past or future guests, or listeners at home, we’d love to include it in a future episode. You can send it to us one of two ways:1) If you want to send it in as text and have us read it, or record your own short audio file, send it to [email protected] with the subject “Tips” or “Questions”2) If you want a quick easy way to do a short (90s or less) audio recording, go to https://www.speakpipe.com/S2N and leave us a voicemail there.

It’s time for a summer check-in, as Sean and Andy catch up on festival season and take a look at what’s new in live audio technology, from Sennheiser HD 480 PRO headphones to L-Acoustics Source Intelligence, Alpha Labs De-Feedback for Mac to AuviTran’s HY AVB/Milan card, and more! This episode is sponsored by Allen & Heath and RCF.Episode Links:Attend Andy’s “DM7 for Theatre” Workshop On Saturday, July 25 In Person In Chicago Or OnlineStudio Technologies Model 762 Stereo Level ControlSennheiser HD 480 PRO Closed Back HeadphonesLALAL.AI Lynx Neural NetworkL-Acoustics Source IntelligenceCohesion Canvas Simulation SoftwareAuviTran AV-HY64-AVB Card For Yamaha RIVAGESignal To Noise, Episode 315: Devin Sheets On De-FeedbackEpisode 330 TranscriptConnect with the community on the Signal To Noise Facebook Group and Discord Server. Both are spaces for listeners to create to generate conversations around the people and topics covered in the podcast — we want your questions and comments!Also please check out and support The Roadie Clinic, Their mission is simple. “We exist to empower & heal roadies and their families by providing resources & services tailored to the struggles of the touring lifestyle.”The Signal To Noise Podcast on ProSoundWeb is co-hosted by pro audio veterans Andy Leviss and Sean Walker.Want to be a part of the show? If you have a quick tip to share, or a question for the hosts, past or future guests, or listeners at home, we’d love to include it in a future episode. You can send it to us one of two ways:1) If you want to send it in as text and have us read it, or record your own short audio file, send it to [email protected] with the subject “Tips” or “Questions”2) If you want a quick easy way to do a short (90s or less) audio recording, go to https://www.speakpipe.com/S2N and leave us a voicemail there.

Veteran audio professional Michael Curtis joins the show in Episode 329 to catch up on what he’s been up to lately as well as when his YouTube educational channel will return and his new journey into audio plugin development. This episode is sponsored by Allen & Heath and RCF.Michael talks about the process of building his soon-to-be-released Live Stream Leveler plugin/stand-alone app designed for front of house mixers in applications such as corporate events, houses of worship and more who are tasked with managing a feed to a live stream of an event while simultaneously mixing the in-room audio at front of house.Episode Links:Michael Curtis (MKC) WebsiteMichael Curtis YouTube ChannelEpisode 329 TranscriptNOTE: Mike Green, the artist who performs “Break Free” that opens every episode, has released a new album — Hang The Moon: Part One — available on all streaming platforms as well as DSPs that support spatial audio. Mikegreenmusic.com will direct folks to the vinyl release or allow them to purchase digitally. And, Mike is hitting the road with Whitney Tai for “The Record Store Tour” starting May 23 in New Orleans. Find out more here.Connect with the community on the Signal To Noise Facebook Group and Discord Server. Both are spaces for listeners to create to generate conversations around the people and topics covered in the podcast — we want your questions and comments!Also please check out and support The Roadie Clinic, Their mission is simple. “We exist to empower & heal roadies and their families by providing resources & services tailored to the struggles of the touring lifestyle.”The Signal To Noise Podcast on ProSoundWeb is co-hosted by pro audio veterans Andy Leviss and Sean Walker.Want to be a part of the show? If you have a quick tip to share, or a question for the hosts, past or future guests, or listeners at home, we’d love to include it in a future episode. You can send it to us one of two ways:1) If you want to send it in as text and have us read it, or record your own short audio file, send it to [email protected] with the subject “Tips” or “Questions”2) If you want a quick easy way to do a short (90s or less) audio recording, go to https://www.speakpipe.com/S2N and leave us a voicemail there.

If you’ve been around the live sound industry for more than a few years, you’ve almost certainly heard of legendary sound company Showco. And if you’ve been active at all on LinkedIn or other social media lately, you’ve very likely seen a lot of activity from the Showco Archive Project. This online catalog of all sorts of amazing bits of Showco history caught our eyes, and we knew we had to get the rest of the story! This episode is sponsored by Allen & Heath and RCF.This week, Sean and Andy are joined by Indigo Kretzschmar-May, founder and curator of Showco Archives, an ongoing preservation project dedicated to documenting the people, stories, artifacts, and backstage culture behind one of the most influential live sound companies in music history. Indigo grew up in and around Showco alongside her father, Showco sound engineer (and Lynrd Skyndyrd plane crash survivor) Donnie “DK” Kretzschmar to share a look at Showco’s history, the archives, and more!Joining Indigo is Mike “Dr. Funk” Ponczek, also of Showco, whose career in live audio spans nearly five decades (and counting!), including mixing for The Who, The Kinks, Eric Claptop, and Paul McCartney, and continues today working at Dallas’s Kessler Theater.Episode Links:Showco Archives (here and here)Showco Swag ShopEpisode 328 TranscriptNOTE: Mike Green, the artist who performs “Break Free” that opens every episode, has released a new album — Hang The Moon: Part One — available on all streaming platforms as well as DSPs that support spatial audio. Mikegreenmusic.com will direct folks to the vinyl release or allow them to purchase digitally. And, Mike is hitting the road with Whitney Tai for “The Record Store Tour” starting May 23 in New Orleans. Find out more here.Connect with the community on the Signal To Noise Facebook Group and Discord Server. Both are spaces for listeners to create to generate conversations around the people and topics covered in the podcast — we want your questions and comments!Also please check out and support The Roadie Clinic, Their mission is simple. “We exist to empower & heal roadies and their families by providing resources & services tailored to the struggles of the touring lifestyle.”The Signal To Noise Podcast on ProSoundWeb is co-hosted by pro audio veterans Andy Leviss and Sean Walker.Want to be a part of the show? If you have a quick tip to share, or a question for the hosts, past or future guests, or listeners at home, we’d love to include it in a future episode. You can send it to us one of two ways:1) If you want to send it in as text and have us read it, or record your own short audio file, send it to [email protected] with the subject “Tips” or “Questions”2) If you want a quick easy way to do a short (90s or less) audio recording, go to https://www.speakpipe.com/S2N and leave us a voicemail there.

In Episode 327, the hosts welcome Brian Frost, a Salt Lake City-based/nationally working sound engineer specializing in executive keynotes, product launches, press events, and conferences, to discuss front of house vs streaming mixes, why corporate events today end up needing so many mixes to run smoothly, and much more. This episode is sponsored by Allen & Heath and RCF.A recent contributor to Live Sound International magazine/ProSoundWeb, Brian has been sharing some killer insights into the world of high-end corporate audio on his blog and the magazine lately, and, along with Sean and Andy, he dug into those topics in this conversation. Particularly if you work corporate events of any scale, this is an episode not to miss — there’s so much great, hard-learned info that Brian has to share!Episode Links:Brian Frost’s Blog“The Quiet Signs: A Look At How To Determine When It’s Time To Upgrade Your Console,” by Brian FrostEpisode 327 TranscriptNOTE: Mike Green, the artist who performs “Break Free” that opens every episode, has released a new album — Hang The Moon: Part One — available on all streaming platforms as well as DSPs that support spatial audio. Mikegreenmusic.com will direct folks to the vinyl release or allow them to purchase digitally. And, Mike is hitting the road with Whitney Tai for “The Record Store Tour” starting May 23 in New Orleans. Find out more here.Connect with the community on the Signal To Noise Facebook Group and Discord Server. Both are spaces for listeners to create to generate conversations around the people and topics covered in the podcast — we want your questions and comments!Also please check out and support The Roadie Clinic, Their mission is simple. “We exist to empower & heal roadies and their families by providing resources & services tailored to the struggles of the touring lifestyle.”The Signal To Noise Podcast on ProSoundWeb is co-hosted by pro audio veterans Andy Leviss and Sean Walker.Want to be a part of the show? If you have a quick tip to share, or a question for the hosts, past or future guests, or listeners at home, we’d love to include it in a future episode. You can send it to us one of two ways:1) If you want to send it in as text and have us read it, or record your own short audio file, send it to [email protected] with the subject “Tips” or “Questions”2) If you want a quick easy way to do a short (90s or less) audio recording, go to https://www.speakpipe.com/S2N and leave us a voicemail there.