Exec's post about old Teac reel-to-reel tape decks got me nostalgic, and I dug through my photo archive for the only photo I know was ever taken of me when I used to be a stage hand/sound engineer/audio visual technician in the 80's, hoping that one of those decks might be in the photo because we used those decks a lot to play canned music between live performances.
Sadly, there is no Teac deck visible in this photo, and it is LITERALLY the only photo from that era in my life (taken by a girlfriend at the time). I never was into keeping mementos or photos of my work, and I also NEVER asked performers for autographs, otherwise I'd probably have a lot of nice ones. It was an unbreakable rule for me. I figured a performer didn't need the staff nagging them for autographs back stage. They had to deal with that crap the rest of the time. I never asked, they never offered, and I think they appreciated it.
On this day there was no one famous playing (unless they became famous later). It was a bunch of local bands playing on an outdoor stage on Lincoln Road mall (an outdoor shopping plaza in Miami Beach). I remember it being hot as hell.
I was VERY skinny back then (I was 24) because I had an, as yet, un-diagnosed thyroid condition. Despite eating like a horse and consuming WAY too much soda and beer, I couldn't gain weight to save my life. It was actually a battle to keep weight on. It also made it hard to maintain muscle mass, despite the fact that I had to do a lot of physical exertion in that job. It wasn't unusual for me to have to load a 22 foot truck full of sound and stage lighting equipment by myself. I was very lean, but deceptively strong.
And yes, that's a stack of CDs next to the mixing console. I think that was right after my company bought it's first CD player, so I was playing those for filler music instead of the tracks we had on reel to reel.
Me, mixing sound on Miami Beach in 1984
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Me, mixing sound on Miami Beach in 1984
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Re: Me, mixing sound on Miami Beach in 1984
Wow you were really thin back then. I was going to suggest to eat more hamburgers, but noticed you stated you had a thyroid condition. I think most of us were thin back then, but after getting married, weight gain and old age (>30 yrs) you start to gain about 4-5 lbs. per year.
Re: Me, mixing sound on Miami Beach in 1984
That's really cool that you got to experience that job. Mixing audio is a dying or dead art.
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Re: Me, mixing sound on Miami Beach in 1984
EXEC: I stayed that skinny until I got my thyroid nuked in my early 30s. I do kinda miss being able to burn off 500 calories just sitting around and doing nothing, but the side effects were starting to get pretty bad. Insanely high pulse rate at rest, insomnia, difficulty putting on muscle, I was ALWAYS hot.
ERR: What I REALLY enjoyed was running the monitor mix console. Very challenging. Unlike the house mix, there is no way for you, as the operator, to hear the monitor mix. I would just set it up for each band member as best I could during a rehearsal, and then watch for hand signals from them.
Most people who mix monitors make the mistake of constantly tweaking. I dunno, maybe they think they need to look busy. Performers hate it when you fuss with the monitor mix unless they want you to. I made a habit of setting up the mix during the first three songs, and then putting my feet up on the table and reading a book, with my eyes line of sight with the stage so I could glance up occasionally to see the performers. Most of them would thank me for that after the show. Sarah Vaughn was so pleased with me, she offered me a job traveling with her. Just as well I turned her down - she passed away not long after.
ERR: What I REALLY enjoyed was running the monitor mix console. Very challenging. Unlike the house mix, there is no way for you, as the operator, to hear the monitor mix. I would just set it up for each band member as best I could during a rehearsal, and then watch for hand signals from them.
Most people who mix monitors make the mistake of constantly tweaking. I dunno, maybe they think they need to look busy. Performers hate it when you fuss with the monitor mix unless they want you to. I made a habit of setting up the mix during the first three songs, and then putting my feet up on the table and reading a book, with my eyes line of sight with the stage so I could glance up occasionally to see the performers. Most of them would thank me for that after the show. Sarah Vaughn was so pleased with me, she offered me a job traveling with her. Just as well I turned her down - she passed away not long after.
Christians warn us about the anti-christ for 2,000 years, and when he shows up, they buy a bible from him.
Re: Me, mixing sound on Miami Beach in 1984
Cool!
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Lily, 1995 - 2009 ~ < Forever In Our Hearts >
The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched.
They must be felt with the heart. ~ Helen Keller.
Re: Me, mixing sound on Miami Beach in 1984
Very cool, old man.
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