Pooch's Path: From Recording Rooms to Rocking Arenas

Gig Gab - The Working Musician's Podcast

Struggling to make your mark in the music industry? This episode of Gig Gab is your backstage pass to the world of live sound engineering with the legendary Pooch, a seasoned pro who’s mixed for icons like Iron Maiden and Whitney Houston.

Join host Dave Hamilton as he chats with Pooch, a recording engineer turned live sound maestro. With a career spanning decades, Pooch shares his journey from the studio to the stage, offering insights into the evolution of sound technology and the art of mixing live performances.

In this episode, Pooch delves into the challenges and triumphs of live sound, from the adrenaline rush of mixing for thousands to the technical intricacies of ensuring vocal clarity. He also discusses the importance of people skills in the industry and how saying “yes” to unexpected opportunities can change your career trajectory.

Whether you’re a budding sound engineer or a musician looking to understand the tech side of performances, this episode is packed with valuable lessons. Tune in to discover why the mantra “Always Be Performing” is key to success in the music world. Don’t miss out—click to listen now!

• 00:00:00 Gig Gab 457 – Monday, November 25th, 2024
  • November 25th: National Parfait Day
  • Guest Co-Host: Pooch
• 00:01:33 Started at Berkeley, then went into recording engineering
  • Nominated for a few Grammys
• 00:03:29 Warrant asked Pooch to do FOH
• 00:06:38 Live sound has a short memory
• 00:09:03 Live sound today: record quality with impact
• 00:10:40 Feedback Elimination
  • Waves PSE Plugin
  • Neve 5045
• 00:15:43 Let’s Talk Latency
  • For IEMs Max Latency is 4ms
  • Dave’s Presonus Quantum 2626 vs. HD 8
  • Pooch’s Six Mac Mini’s from 2012
• 00:19:48 Pooch’s Live Setup
• 00:21:18 Show starts and … silence!
• 00:23:01 Press the wrong button during a show and … silence!
• 00:25:53 Back to Pooch’s Live Setup
  • More creative with digital than analog now… in the last five years
  • Mackie DL1608 was (essentially?) the first
  • DiGiCo Quantum 7
  • SuperRack by Waves
• 00:30:00 Up to 20% harmonic distortion is pleasing to a human ear
  • Sonic Farm’s Creamliner
• 00:33:08 It’s time to nerd out about digital vs. analog
• 00:36:28 It pays to have average ears!
• 00:37:49 Interpreting Rock Star Speak
  • Study Psychology 101
• 00:40:50 How did you know to do that?
• 00:48:18 Don’t ever say no!
  • Stage patcher to monitor engineer for Whitney Houston
  • The entrepreneurs’ curse
• 00:51:47 Everybody Gets One
• 00:57:02 Be careful when arming tracks!
• 00:57:52 Gig Gab 457 Outtro
  • Follow Pooch
    • Pooch and Rabold’s YouTube
    • Pooch’s Master Classes
    • Pooch’s Berkeley Online Course: Live Microphone Techniques
    • Pooch on Instagram
  • Follow Gig Gab!
    • @GigGabPodcast on Instagram
    • [email protected]
    • Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List
    • Review Gig Gab

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