Performance Enhancement [guest post by Adrian Benavides]
[Please welcome this week's guest writer, Adrian Benavides. Adrian is a musician, producer and live and studio sound engineer from Austin, TX, now living in Orange County, CA. He's worked with my band centrozoon as a mixing engineer of our "Boner" and "Fire" albums. Adrian is currently on tour as a playback engineer and drum tech for Daughtry and has previously worked with artists such as Childish Gambino, Blue October, Stick Men, Chrysta Bell and Skrew. His wonderful solo album "Same Time Next Life" was released in 2012, along with a free companion EP. You can find his website and blog at www.adrianbenavides.com and most of his work can be heard and purchased at iapetus-store. - Tobias]
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There are many aspects of professional audio work I have had the good fortune of sustaining over the last several years. One of the least documented facets of such work is that of the audio/MIDI programmer and playback engineer for live performances. There are several audio tech schools that teach courses in running front of house and monitors for touring bands. However, being a playback tech is such a niche position that there isn't much information out there for those who would be interested in pursuing such a job. I suppose it isn't specifically addressed much because many elements of the job overlap in the skill sets of studio engineers, editors, computer techs and live production techs. Being a touring playback engineer encompasses all of these traits and is often combined with backline tech positions which require additional knowledge of instrument maintenance and repair (and usually some touring experience) to even be considered for such gigs. Because of all these variables, there are so many roads one could take to get into that particular spot in the touring business. I myself had a combination of formal training as an audio engineer with further skills developed while working in music retail and practicing several methods of live programming and playback with my own projects. Experience gained has always run congruently through my studio work and live production gigs alike.
As a playback engineer, I generally work closely with the music director and/or recording artist to put the show files together. Ableton Live has always been my weapon of choice for this task because of its versatility and stability. I have programmed shows in session view, with all songs in the set cued and ready for triggering. Other times I have made individual song session files that get opened and closed throughout the show. And yet other sessions have been programmed in arrangement view with hot keys corresponding to the beginnings of all the songs which could appear in the set. Any of these configurations usually have click tracks for the artist to hear in their in-ear monitors for time-keeping (much like in a studio recording environment) and can also contain SMPTE or MIDI signals for video/lighting sync or instrument channel change messages depending on the situation. In all of these scenarios, unless a band member on stage is remotely triggering songs on the show computer, the playback engineer is generally given the responsibility of starting a show (usually with intro music) and determining the pace of the set based on audience reactions between songs and when the band is ready to resume the performance.
In more programming-intensive instances (which often call on sound design and editing skills with a dash of creative problem-solving), I have helped taylor-fit many session files for artists using methods which allow the flexibility to use pre-recorded elements not as static phrases with predetermined playback points but as a way to procure and re-purpose the essence of a song's vibe in a live setting with a band. For example, I was once working on a set of performances which were to feature some piano lines from a few cover versions of the group's existing songs. The goal was to slice the phrases up for playback on electronic drum pads via MIDI with an external sampler program on a laptop. At the time, Celemony had just released its Melodyne DNA technology which allowed the extraction of individual notes in a polyphonic event. I used this to my advantage and pulled out some of those unique sounding piano notes to create a custom scale which the drummer could then use to riff on (physically incapable of hitting a wrong note, mind you!) with the band live when the time came to jam on that song during their set.
In any case, the goal is to create music. To capture a sonic moment. Using backing tracks, live sample triggering or other combinations of computer-aided live performances are meant (in my view) to enhance the overall experience and inspire both the performers and the audience alike. Some people seem to have an aversion to using playback at all during a live performance. It is viewed by some to be a crutch; to cheapen the performance or in some way invalidate the work of the performers and the quality of the music. I disagree with this concept. Instead, I believe the technology available with computers and playback capabilities is but one of many tools which can enhance a performance whether it is live or in the studio. Any descending views on such a topic only seem valid to me in instances where the performer in question is just not executing on a professional level and completely relying on technology to do all the work.
Overall, I strive to help others frame their music in the best light possible whether it is live or in the studio. In live work, I find that the time and effort put in on a daily basis by a whole team of engineers and technicians is instantly rewarded when the house lights go out, playback rolls, the crowd roars and the artist is secure in putting on a great show. In studio environments, this kind of gratification and energy exists but on a very quiet and intimate scale. Both are fantastic experiences which provide balance in the process of creation and expression in music. Seeing music performed live on a nightly basis while on tour allows me to witness so many variations in the performance of a single song even when playback is involved. Seeing musicians react to each other and hearing how instruments sound in different rooms are invaluable observations to keep with me when I re-enter a studio environment to mix a record. In a reciprocal way, programming session files for live performances and determining the essence of what makes a song work is much easier to decipher when looking through the lens of studio production. Working as a music producer and mixing engineer in some instances while providing live tech work in other situations informs what I feel is a well-rounded perspective on how to best serve the artists I work with and the music being presented regardless of the environment.
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[This was the third in a weekly series of guest posts by a range of exciting music makers and thinkers. Please join the discussion in the comments below, post a comment or question for Adrian and share the essay with interested people. Make sure to read last week’s essay by Ben Carey (on his interactive music software) and the previous one by Erik Schoster (on the installations of artist Khristian Weeks.]