{"id":1209,"date":"2023-11-17T00:46:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-17T00:46:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/acloserlookmedia.com\/?p=1209"},"modified":"2024-04-12T00:48:08","modified_gmt":"2024-04-12T00:48:08","slug":"so-you-wanna-be-a-sacramento-sound-engineer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/acloserlookmedia.com\/?p=1209","title":{"rendered":"So, you wanna be a Sacramento sound engineer?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"\"Rebecca Sleeth runs sound for the Powerhouse Pub in Folsom. (Photo by Eliza Tootle)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How audio masters keep the beat for the city\u2019s live entertainment\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jeremy Ayala, an audio engineer who runs the sound boards at Hard Rock Live Sacramento, caught his first break in the industry when an audio engineer quit unexpectedly during the set-up of a blues show at Musikfest in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. That was back in 1995. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe owner [of a local sound company] hired me to mix a couple sets each afternoon so the front of house guy there could get a proper meal break,\u201d Ayala said. \u201cIt was a perfect situation to get my feet wet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While being an audio engineer can be one of the higher paying jobs in the entertainment industry<\/a>, it can also be a thankless and trying vocation \u2014 often with a steep learning curve. It\u2019s the sound engineer\u2019s job to deal with any myriad of problems that come with live shows as well as hear critiques by concertgoers who, for the most part, have little insight into handling a live mix.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting Through the Door <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Jeremy Ayala helms the sound boards at Hard Rock Live Sacramento. (Photo by Jonathan Connor Hayes)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

One important element to becoming an audio professional is where and how one learns the craft. Ayala got his start locally. Taking inspiration from a high school class taught by the late Larry Shumate \u2014 dubbed the patriarch of Sacramento State University\u2019s theater department<\/a> \u2014 Ayala said he went on to spend the next couple of years in Sacramento City College\u2019s theater arts program learning the ins and outs of stagecraft.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some sound professionals get their training through hands-on experience. Rebeca Sleeth, who has handled audio duties at the Powerhouse Pub in Folsom since 2018, recalls that her own initiation into sound engineering was much different. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy formal training was more like an immersive mentorship under the guidance of my then-boyfriend, now-husband,\u201d she said, adding that he was an audio tech for the Sacramento Kings at the time and helped coach her through an entry role at Powerhouse Pub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sleeth said the duo soon realized the demand for sound engineers \u2014 possibly in part to the return of programming after pandemic shutdowns \u2014 after getting inundated with last-minute calls from various Sacramento venues in need of sound people. Now, they are in the early stages of developing their own sound engineering business, Sacramento Sound Solutions<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

John Taylor, who keeps the shows sounding pristine at Harlow\u2019s main room in Sacramento, had a completely different point of entry: He was self-taught. He had also been a drummer for several years before turning to a sound job in 1991. \u201cBeing in these cover bands, you had to have your own PA system,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ayala notes there\u2019s an array of options to learn the trade, particularly becoming an intern in a working studio or opting to work an entry role at a sound company. \u201cYou\u2019ll learn the nuts and bolts of how the systems go together,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sleeth thinks fear about getting into the business is normal. \u201cIf you\u2019re first starting out, those huge bands with gear you\u2019ve never mic\u2019d or worked with or long input lists and stage plots can be intimidating,\u201d she admitted. \u201cYou have to take it one step at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Harlow\u2019s longtime soundman, Taylor, it\u2019s as simple as stepping forward and raising your hand. \u201cI would say go to your local club and offer yourself as an intern to start,\u201d he said. \u201cYou could also go to a band and offer yourself. Both will work. This industry always needs fill-in engineers. And I could always use a break.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sounding Off<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
John Taylor is the longtime soundman at Harlow\u2019s in Sacramento. (Photo courtesy of John Taylor) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For many sound engineers, the first time running sound in a live situation can be daunting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI do recall the fear of mixing a gig alone when the time finally came,\u201d Sleeth said of her first gig. \u201cThere\u2019s a level of behind-the-stage fright, which most people don\u2019t understand. If the engineer doesn\u2019t show up, the show doesn\u2019t happen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part of the sound engineer\u2019s job also means adapting to newer equipment, sometimes at a moment\u2019s notice. Ayala points out that \u201cdigital boards are all about learning the navigation\u201d of what a particular manufacturer has done to essentially allow the same commands. Essentially, all mixing boards require some adaptation.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sleeth agrees, though notes there are generally workarounds one learns to take advantage of. \u201cAs long as you have a wi-fi connection, the Mixing Station app will transform your phone or tablet into a user interface that stays constant across various brands,\u201d she said. Apps like one Sleeth uses help make the job easier \u2014 employing familiarity to command a sound board, regardless of the make or model.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taylor prefers doing sound the old-school way, by having simple verbal communication with the house employees. \u201cIf you are on tour and they have a house sound guy, you just pump him for as much information as you can,\u201d Taylor said. \u201cBecause many of the things at the club might not be working correctly.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most sound engineers, once they have a homebase, opt to stay local for personal and financial reasons. Ayala currently has no plans to tour until his children are out of high school, still a handful of years away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Sleeth, the negative side of touring keeps her away from the road. \u201cI see touring engineers for small bands come through constantly,\u201d she said. \u201cThey\u2019re using house gear, sometimes hating their jobs because they have to figure out different systems each night.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And there are some sound professionals who just like staying put for different reasons. In Taylor\u2019s case, an unabashed cat lover, his large feline brood keeps him local.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This story is part of the <\/em>Solving Sacramento <\/em><\/a>journalism collaborative. Solving Sacramento is supported by funding from the James Irvine Foundation and Solutions Journalism Network. Our partners include California Groundbreakers, Capital Public Radio, Outword, Russian America Media, Sacramento Business Journal, Sacramento News & Review, Sacramento Observer and Univision 19.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(SN&R)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rebecca Sleeth runs sound for the Powerhouse Pub in Folsom. (Photo by Eliza Tootle) How audio masters keep the beat for the city\u2019s live entertainment\u00a0 Jeremy Ayala, an audio engineer who runs the sound boards at Hard Rock Live Sacramento, caught his first break in the industry when an audio engineer quit unexpectedly during the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1209","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-media"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/acloserlookmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1209","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/acloserlookmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/acloserlookmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acloserlookmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acloserlookmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1209"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/acloserlookmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1209\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1210,"href":"https:\/\/acloserlookmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1209\/revisions\/1210"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/acloserlookmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1209"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acloserlookmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1209"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acloserlookmedia.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1209"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}