In Episode 279, the hosts learn all about Direct Field Audio Testing, or as one of this week’s guests put it, “Blasting super loud sound at spacecraft and satellites!” This episode is sponsored by Allen & Heath and RCF.

Many listeners will be familiar with Maryland Sound International (MSI), the sound company best known for its work on large-scale events like New Year’s Eve in Times Square, the U.S. Presidential Inauguration, and many more. Fewer know of their sister company, Maryland Sound International — Direct Field Audio Testing (MSI-DFAT), which specializes in turning touring and sound reproduction expertise into creating portable, on-demand acoustic testing labs for spaceships, satellites, and other aerospace devices, replacing much more expensive reverberant chamber facility-based testing. If you thought concert PA systems were loud, wait until you hear about pummeling spaceships with 150-plus dB SPL levels to make sure they’re safe for launch and orbit!

Guest Alessandro “Alex” Carrella, VP Strategy & Growth at MSI-DFAT, has a degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Naples (Italy) and was awarded a PhD in Structural Dynamics at the ISVR (University of Southampton, UK). He’s now completing his EMBA at the Universite Louvain-la-Neuve. Alex was a lecturer in Structural Dynamic at the Dept of Aerospace at the University of Bristol. From 2011 to 2020 he worked in different roles to develop testing solutions for the aerospace industry at Siemens (formerly LMS) in Leuven (Belgium). He has become a referent point for the space industry for vibration and acoustic testing, and has been a leading figure in advancing DFAT practices is an active member of the space testing community. Alex has joined MSI-DFAT to lead its international operations and is now shaping MSI’s future as VP for Strategy & Growth.

Guest Bradley Hope, U.S. Business Development Manager at MSI-DFAT, holds a wealth of experience in acoustic and vibration test engineering and enterprise-level customer relationship management, within the global aerospace industry. Trained under the guidance of vibro-acoustic specialists at Siemens Digital Industries Software, coupled with his passion for business and intrapreneurship, Bradley brings deep commercial expertise to the MSI-DFAT team. Having collaborated closely with clients on a range of complex projects across PLM, CAD, CAE Simulation, and Test Engineering, he possesses a strong understanding of the unique requirements and consistent evolution of the space, aircraft and defense industries. Bradley is enthusiastic about supporting the customer-partners of the Maryland Sound International-Direct Field Acoustic Test (MSI-DFAT) company in its Direct Field Acoustic Noise testing campaigns.

Episode Links:
MSI-DFAT | Direct Field Acoustic Testing
MSI-DFAT on Instagram
“NASA’s Successful Quantifying of Comedy Timing” by Penn Jillette and Teller
Episode 279 Transcript

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 th

Brian Grahn, joins the show in Episode 278 to talk about all things Clear-Com. He clears up a lot of mysteries about Arcadia, HelixNet, and Freespeak, lets us in on the new cloud-based Gen-IC Virtual Intercom, and sheds some light on common problems and tricks to getting the most out of good ol’ fashioned two-wire partyline intercoms, and more.

Brian started as a musician, which quickly turned into working as a bar/club sound engineer, and then in turn to running his own company and working variously as a mixer, RF coordinator, comms tech, project manager, and technical producer. He eventually joined on with past Signal to Noise guest TC Furlong as sales and marketing manager before moving to the manufacturer side, where he’s been the Southwest US regional sales manager for Clear-Com since 2022.

Episode Links:
Clear-Com Solution Finder
Brian On Instagram
Episode 270, Justin Tyre and Stephen Bailey of ProdCom
Episode 229: Joe Palermo, The Polar Express Ride Experience
Episode 278 Transcript

Be sure to check out 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 a bonus Episode 277, the Signal To Noise community presents it’s first-ever holiday gift guide. Join hosts Sean and Andy as well as a parade of past guests, friends, and listeners with gift suggestions for your favorite sound engineer/production tech to meet every budget, from $10s to $1000s. This episode is sponsored by Allen & Heath and RCF.

Episode Links:
Article With Links: The Signal To Noise Podcast 2024 Holiday Gift Guide
Episode 277 Transcript

Be sure to check out 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

Seattle-based globe-trotting sound engineer Jason Waggoner joins the show in Episode 276 and talks about the many twists and turns of his career in live audio. From e-sport tournaments to Formula 1 racing, theatre to corporate events to concerts, mixing to systems engineering, and even helping to build the U.S. tech support and education branch of a major loudspeaker manufacturer, there’s not much in live audio Jason hasn’t done. This episode is sponsored by Allen & Heath and RCF.

Jason’s also the founder of HOBER, an entertainment production company focused on immersive technologies for live experiences to enhance storytelling and audience impact. His 25 years in the entertainment industry include extensive experience in theatre, live, corporate, private, and experiential entertainment.

Episode Links:
HOBER
Jason On LinkedIn
Episode 276 Transcript

Be sure to check out 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

Luke McRitchie and Brian Maddox join the show in Episode 275 to talk about their experience working together as mixers for the Olympic Broadcasting Service’s coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics. They share what it’s like mixing up to 16 simultaneous broadcast channels at once for one of the largest viewing audiences in the world, as well as insights into making the leap from a full-time staff position to freelance work, and how the Signal to Noise Discord community directly led to Luke flying to join the Olympics team with barely a day’s notice! This episode is sponsored by Allen & Heath and RCF.

Episode Links:
Brian On Previous STN Episodes: 151, 243 and 244
The Infamous Viral Olympic Chocolate Muffins
Brian’s video tour of the public parts of their Olympic Broadcasting Service offices
Episode 275 Transcript

Be sure to check out 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 274, Sean and Andy open it up to listeners in the Signal to Noise Discord and Facebook groups to ask them anything, who provided a lot of great questions about work/home life, gear they bring to gigs, business goals — and, of course — tacos! This episode is sponsored by Allen & Heath and RCF.

Episode Links:
Episode 274 Transcript

Be sure to check out 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

Ever wonder what it’s like to mix sound at Madison Square Garden for the first time without as much as a line check, let alone a proper sound check? In Episode 273, front of house engineer Ben Ivey shares his thrilling experience doing just that for country artist Warren Zeiders. This episode is sponsored by Allen & Heath and RCF.

Ben also talks about his journey from learning church sound alongside his sound engineer dad to balancing life on and off the road, mixing sound for top acts that include Zeiders, TI, and Killer Mike, why empathy and talent both play crucial roles in engineering, and more. In addition to his work at FOH, he’s a production manager and consultant who’s worked with a variety of artists, including country, pop, rock, hip-hop, and gospel music. He’s toured arenas, stadiums, theaters, clubs, ballrooms, TV shows, and tons of festivals over the years.

Other clients include Megan Moroney, Lily Rose, Priscilla Block, Elle King, Trace Atkins, Eli Young Band, T-Pain, Lil Baby, Maverick City Music, LANY, Jason Upton, and Simply Irresistible. Most recently, he just got off the road with the Beautifully Broken tour with Jelly Roll, where he had the opportunity to mix in venues including Madison Square Garden, the Staples Center, and TD Garden for country artist Warren Zeiders.

Episode Links:
Ben Ivey Website, on Instagram, and on LinkedIn
Warren Zeiders on Jimmy Kimmel Live
STN Episode 245: Kenny Barnwell on Maintaining Healthy Relationships When Working Away From Home
Episode 273 Transcript

Be sure to check out 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

Let’s get down to shackles and eyebolts in Episode 272, as riggers Siobhan Colleen and Katrina Puleo join the show to demystify rigging. Whether it’s a ballroom or an arena, Siobhan and Katrina share their vast experience of what to look out for and how to make life easier and safer for you, your rigging team, and the rest of the production. This episode is sponsored by Allen & Heath and RCF.

Siobhan Colleen is an entertainment and live events professional with a background in rigging, fall protection, rescue, and safety. She is formerly the national assistant director of safety and training for Rhino Staging. Currently, she is taking a sabbatical to finish earning her degrees in management information systems and cybersecurity. She also volunteers for ESTA and the Event Safety Alliance. Fun fact: Siobhan created an intro to ground rigging video series for Area Four Industries which can be viewed here.

Katrina Puleo is an entertainment production rigger who began her training in the Orlando, FL area, was based in Las Vegas since the end of 2012, and most recently relocated to Lititz, PA. A graduate of the University of Central Florida’s schools of Theatre & Film (with dual degrees), she is ETCP Arena Rigging Certified, CM Pro Tech/Road Tech Certified, Sprat Rope Access Certified & holds a current OSHA 30. She has been working in the industry professionally for the last 18 years and most recently has held head/lead rigging positions for festivals, one-offs and corporate shows. Over the years she has worked as a rigging technician/lead rigging technician for Universal Studios Florida, as an on-call house figger for the Orange County Convention Center (in Orlando, FL), as well as on two Cirque Du Soleil resident shows, Zarkanna and MJ One for 6-plus years. She also continues to work as both a head rigger/assistant head rigger in multiple areas to continue to develop more diversified skills that shw hopes to eventually transition them fully into Rigging Design & Project Management.

Katrina loves cooking, hiking, her cats, comic books, movies and snowboarding during the season. Currently she is excited to be able to give back and participate in rigging educational programs that have asked her to help instruct as well as continuing to work on her book project. She feels strongly that a solid foundation in any specialty is very important and she enjoys passing along skills to those interested and eager to become both riggers and/or more well rounded theatrical/film/festival technicians.

Episode Links:
Siobhan Colleen Area Four Industries Video Series
Entertainment Rigging By Harry Donovan
Episode 272 Transcript

Be sure to check out 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,

In Episode 271, Sean sits down with Nikki Sanz, founder and CEO of Giggs, a platform designed to revolutionize how professionals in the live event industry hire, find work, and connect — essentially a LinkedIn for our word-of-mouth, niche market. This episode is sponsored by Allen & Heath and RCF.

After working with a diverse range of clients including Live Nation, the Ryman Auditorium, CMA Fest, and touring with Eric Church, Nikki pivoted from the “gigxiety” and challenges of both finding gigs for herself and staffing other positions to taking the leap to do something proactive about it, and Giggs was the result. Since launching in April 2024, it has welcomed more that 16,000 users and 650 companies, helping them find each other across all facets of the live event industry, from concert touring to corporate.

Episode Links:
Giggs
Giggs Podcast
Giggs Blog
Giggs On Instagram
Giggs On Facebook
Episode 271 Transcript

Be sure to check out 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 270, the hosts are joined by live sound engineers and software developers Justin Tyre and Stephen Bailey, who earlier this year launched ProdCom, new software for the live event industry that provides real-time multichannel text transcriptions of talkback mics, intercom chatter, or any other audio fed into a MacOS computer. This episode is sponsored by Allen & Heath and RCF.

Stephen and Justin talk about how the idea came about as a way to make their own work as live sound engineers easier, walk Sean and Andy through how it works, and provide a sneak peek at some of what they have planned for the future of ProdCom. They are also generous enough to offer both an extended trial of ProdCom as well as a free one year subscription for a few lucky listeners, so make sure to listen all the way to the end for details on how to enter!

Justin has been creating software for live production environments for the past decade. Over the years, he’s also worked live events in multiple capacities, including audio engineering and graphics. At ProdCom, he brings together his two passions — software creation and audio engineering — merging them to improve communication in live production environments. He lives in Georgia with his wife, two kids, and their energetic Aussiedoodle.

Stephen has an extensive career as both live and post-production mix engineer for a long list of artists, including Chris Tomlin, Crowder, Daughtry, and many others, and as festival FOH engineer for main stages at Coachella, Panorama, and the Buckeye Country Superfest, among others. He’s also worked providing support and training for numerous notable pro audio brands, including DirectOut, DiGiCo, and Waves SoundGrid.

Episode Links:
ProdCom On The Web
ProdCom On Instagram
ProdCom On Facebook
Episode 270 Transcript

Be sure to check out 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 269, it’s time to break out your best dayglo shirts and leather jackets, dig out a slap bracelet or two, and get your 80s on, as Chris Pou, FOH and production manager for 80s rock cover band Electric Avenue, joins Sean and Andy to talk about what it takes to recreate those classic 80s sounds (spoiler: allllll the reverbs). Chris also digs deep into the Waves LV1 fly rig he built to tour with, how he decided on that platform, and what it takes to build it and keep it rock-solid reliable on more than 100 shows a year. This episode is sponsored by Allen & Heath and RCF.

Episode Links:
Electric Avenue
Chris Pou On Facebook
Chris Pou On Instagram
Episode 269 Transcript

Be sure to check out 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