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PODCAST

Signal To Noise Podcast

The Signal to Noise podcast features conversations with people from all corners of the live sound industry, from FOH and monitor engineers, tour managers, Broadway sound designers, broadcast mixers, system engineers, and more.

technology performing arts

All Episodes

31:10

322. Twenty Thousand Hertz On The Evolution Of...

Signal To Noise Podcast ·

2026/04/03

Episode 322 shares a look at the history and evolution of sound design for theatre, from Broadway to Cirque du Soleil, from the folks at the Twenty Thousand Hertz podcast. This early episode features two of the biggest names in Broadway sound, Abe “The Godfather of Sound Design” Jacobs, whose career ranged from mixing the Mamas and the Papas and Jimi Hendrix to designing such iconic Broadway shows as Jesus Christ Superstar, Hair, Evita, A Chorus Line, and so many more, joined by Jonathan Dean...

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45:41

321. Q&A With The Audience, The Finale (For Now)

Signal To Noise Podcast ·

2026/03/27

In Episode 321, Sean and Andy wrap up a last handful (for now!) of listener questions, touching on routines for decompressing after a show and re-entering “civilian” life, balancing long work days and/or travel with coming home, talk a little bit about day rates, and then dig into one of Sean’s long-standing business book recommendations, Will Guidara’s Unreasonable Hospitality, and how both business owners and freelancers can take the lessons from that book to heart in the live audio and eve...

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63:11

320. Front Of House Engineer Sage Tichenor

Signal To Noise Podcast ·

2026/03/13

In Episode 320, Sean and Andy talk with Sage Tichenor, best known as front of house engineer for violinist and songwriter Lindsey Stirling, for a wide-ranging chat about all things live audio. Sage talks about migrating and selecting a console platform for her shows, what it’s like mixing a NAMM showcase for a manufacturer, working with a wide range of artists from bluegrass to pop-classical/EDM crossover, and more. Plus plugins, snare sounds that don’t suck, and more…nothing’s off the table!...

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58:33

319. Hearing Protection & Safety With Dark Matter...

Signal To Noise Podcast ·

2026/03/06

The hosts sync up again with Tal Kocen and Dave Friesema of Dark Matter Audio Labs in Episode 319 to see what they’ve been up to as they start off their second year as Dark Matter with a bang — albeit a safe and quiet one, thanks to their new hearing protection offerings. Hearing protection and safety is a subject we come back to semi-regularly on Signal to Noise because it’s so important, so we’re excited to see another great option, and hear about what makes these different. The gang didn’t...

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69:45

318. Robert Scovill & Geoff McKinnon Of EAW

Signal To Noise Podcast ·

2026/02/20

In Episode 318, audio engineering veterans Robert Scovill and Geoff McKinnon of EAW join the hosts to . discuss the evolution of adaptive sound systems, the unique aspects of EAW loudspeakers like Anya, and the real-world applications of adaptive technology in live sound. The conversation also touches on the challenges and misconceptions surrounding adaptive audio and the importance of technology training and education in the industry. McKinnon is the senior director of engineering at EAW. Wi...

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56:33

317. Q&A With The Audience, Part 2

Signal To Noise Podcast ·

2026/02/13

In Episode 317, Sean and Andy go back to the mailbox for more listener questions, picking up where they left off in Episode 309. This time, the focus is on the business side of freelancing — rates, non-competes/NDAs, W2 vs 1099 work, unions, taxes… Plus some thoughts on choosing which compromises to make when time is short on a load-in, and much more! This episode is sponsored by Allen & Heath and RCF. Episode Links: Episode 309 – Listener Q&A, Part 1 Episode 317 Transcript NOTE: Mike...

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58:57

316. The 2026 NAMM Show Recap

Signal To Noise Podcast ·

2026/02/06

In Episode 316, it’s time for a post-NAMM recap of all the cool people, places, and things Sean and Andy got to catch up with and check out at the 2026 NAMM Show at the Anaheim Convention Center. Loudspeakers big and small, useful gadgets, new mixers, earplugs, new IEM models… there was something for everybody this year, and we’re here to tell you all about it! This episode is sponsored by Allen & Heath and RCF. Episode Links: TT+ AUDIO GTX 7C Dark Matter Audio Labs DMA7 BA 7 Violet Audio...

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52:41

315. Devin Sheets On De-Feedback

Signal To Noise Podcast ·

2026/01/30

In Episode 315, Sean and Andy get the lowdown on a relatively new live audio tool that took both NAMM and the online live audio community by storm over the last year as they talk with Devin Sheets, founder and owner of Alpha Labs, to learn all about De-Feedback. This episode is sponsored by Allen & Heath and RCF. A much-talked-about plugin in live audio of 2025, there are lots of myths and misunderstandings, rave reviews and reticence about this new tool for fighting feedback, handling ov...

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71:51

314. Veteran Event Production Professional Jessica...

Signal To Noise Podcast ·

2026/01/23

In Episode 314, Jessica Isenhour, AKA the one and only “AV Barbie,” joins the show to talk all things event production, social media networking in the event industry, helping younger technicians grow in the industry, and more. This episode is sponsored by Allen & Heath and RCF. Jessica is a freelance audio visual technician for corporate and live events and mentor to the next generation of AV leaders. As co-owner of the Growth and Development Network, she’s passionate about entrepreneuria...

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59:25

313. NAMM CEO & President John Mlynczak

Signal To Noise Podcast ·

2026/01/16

It’s NAMM Show season, with Sean and Andy kicking it off with a bang in Episode 313 by getting the scoop on everything NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) from CEO and president John Mlynczak. He provides a crash course on NAMM, what he’s looking forward to at the show in Anaheim this year, the NAMM Foundation educational program, and more. This episode is sponsored by Allen & Heath and RCF. Prior to NAMM, John served as president of Music Education & Technology at Hal Leon...

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69:10

312. Live Sound “Renaissance Man” Danny Abelson

Signal To Noise Podcast ·

2026/01/09

Sean and Andy start off 2026 with a bang, as live sound “renaissance man” Danny Abelson joins the show to discuss a wide range of bold positions, from how to prepare for a career in live audio to whether or not the quality of sound at shows today has kept up with the quality of the gear available to us to use at them. This episode is sponsored by Allen & Heath and RCF. With a 50-plus-year career that started as a teenager working in New York City in the middle of “anything and everything”...

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51:36

311. New York-Based Mixer & Sound Designer Jason Crystal

Signal To Noise Podcast ·

2025/12/19

New York-based mixer and sound designer Jason Crystal joins the show in Episode 311 for a tour through his wide-ranging career, spanning from Broadway — where his resume includes working as the associate sound designer and audio supervisor for every production of Hamilton around the world, as well as sound designing the Broadway and touring productions of Suffs — to mixing front of house for major broadcast events such as the Tony Awards and the Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Homecoming...

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57:05

310. Tyler “Ty the Sound Guy” Davis

Signal To Noise Podcast ·

2025/12/05

In Episode 310, the hosts welcome guest Tyler “Ty the Sound Guy” Davis, an experienced audio engineer with two decades in the industry. Born and raised in LA, Tyler started his audio journey two decades ago playing in bands, doing sound at DIY shows, recording bands in his garage, and mostly failing miserably at all the above! Through sheer unwillingness to accept that he wasn’t very good, he honed his skillset to come to the place where, 20 years later, he’s failing much less miserably! This...

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66:42

309. Q&A With The Audience

Signal To Noise Podcast ·

2025/11/18

In Episode 309, the hosts turn over the reigns for a round of listener questions. They reached out to the Signal to Noise Community on Facebook and Discord to invite listeners to submit questions that they’re afraid to ask, or were afraid to ask when they were starting out in their career, and this week the hosts set out to answer the first handful of them. This episode is sponsored by Allen & Heath and RCF. No topic was off-limits, from technical to interpersonal… Questions include strat...

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79:19

308. Orchestras & Classical Instruments In Bigger Mixes

Signal To Noise Podcast ·

2025/11/07

This week, the hosts turn over the feed to feature a new episode from our sister podcast, Live Sound Bootcamp, to welcome them back after a very long hiatus! In this episode, Ryan John and guest host Aram Piligian answer a question about how best to go about capturing and mixing orchestral instruments in classical environments, and also in the context of adding strings to pop and rock acts. This episode is sponsored by Allen & Heath and RCF. There’s some incredible advice and experience t...

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62:00

307. Dave Hatmaker On His Versatile Career In Pro Audio

Signal To Noise Podcast ·

2025/10/24

Dave Hatmaker joins Sean and Andy in Episode 307 for a wide-ranging conversation about working in theme parks, helping test and develop new audio products, and some hard-hitting practical tips and tricks for mixing corporate events. Dave has mixed astronauts to vice presidents, and almost everything in between. He’s also been a sound designer for the Walt Disney Company, helping to create many memorable in-park entertainment shows, spectaculars and guest experiences, including Beauty and the ...

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39:51

306. Sonic Secrets Of “Hamilton”

Signal To Noise Podcast ·

2025/10/10

In Episode 306: it’s time for something a bit different, as Andy introduces Sean and the listeners to another of his favorite sound-related podcasts, Twenty Thousand Hertz, produced by the sound design team at Defacto Sound. Twenty Thousand Hertz is focused on all things related to sound, from the sound design and scores of TV shows like Bluey to the sound design of all the alerts and notifications on an iPhone to dives into Broadway and arena touring, and so much more. This episode is sponso...

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59:56

305. End Of The Summer Wrap-Up

Signal To Noise Podcast ·

2025/09/26

In Episode 305, Andy and Sean present an end of summer wrap-up, touching on a wide variety of subjects as concert season for a lot of small to mid-size sound companies wind down and corporate season picks up! Andy shares some big news on his new “day gig,” having left the freelance life to work full time doing tech support for a major manufacturer, and he also talks about visiting with Tal from Dark Matter and hearing their DMA-8 in-ear monitors for the first time. This episode is sponsored b...

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51:54

304. A Conversation With Daniel & Andreas Sennheiser

Signal To Noise Podcast ·

2025/09/12

Daniel and Andreas Sennheiser, the third-generation CEOs of Sennheiser Electronics, join the show in Episode 304 to celebrate and look back on Sennheiser’s 80th anniversary. In a wide-ranging conversation, they talk about the history of Sennheiser, and how it’s remained a family-run company through all of its 80-year history, the hits (and even a couple misses!) of those first eight decades, and what to look forward to in the next few years. They share how the company got started, discuss the...

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57:51

303. Robert Kuijpers On “Guerrilla Audio” For Festivals

Signal To Noise Podcast ·

2025/09/03

In Episode 303, Sean and Andy are joined by Robert Kuijpers, coming to us straight from the Netherlands to share stories and tips from his extensive experience in the “guerrilla audio” world of fast-moving music festivals. Robert has been immersed in the live music industry since age 10, starting playing guitar and working in a guitar local shop where he developed a passion for electronics and signal flow. Over the years, he played in various bands while honing his technical skills to make hi...

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351 results

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