A medium-sized church based just outside of Orlando, FL hired me as an audio and production consultant and asked me to review their production situation and recommend upgrades, implement new equipment and procedures, and train their volunteers.  It is an organization that is made up of full-time staff and volunteers, all working together in different facets.

Their audio system was out-dated and not flexible.  Many complaints had been received about poor coverage, “hot spots” and “dead spots”, and just overall poor sound quality.  Not having an audio engineer on staff has forced them to rely on volunteers that may or may not have any background in audio or music.

DISCOVERY

The shortcomings and complaints could be attributed to two things.  First, lack of proper equipment based on the needs of the room and the programming needs of the organization.  Secondly, a lack of proper training for their audio team was setting them up for possible failures and no ability to troubleshoot situations effectively.

The audio cable snake was spliced into residential grade copper wiring, apparently in order to extend the snake to a different location for FOH.  This raised the concern of potential feedback loops and more in the event that these wires were to lose their twist caps and come into contact with another wire.

The analog Berhinger console was out-dated and losing functionality.  Some of the channels were experiencing drop out, and others had stopped working. This console only offered their band two monitor mixes for up to nine members on stage at one time.  These issues, combined with some other minor things, made the primary focus to start by upgrading the conosle and the snake to allow more flexibility and room for growth.

SOLUTION

Based on the size of the church (roughly 250-275 people) and their budget, the digital PreSonus StudioLive 24.2.4 console was selected to replace the Berhinger analog console.  The digital PreSonus immediately improved the value of their live production.  It offered 10 aux mixes (as opposed to two from the analog desk), gating, compression, and EQ on each individual channel, two on-board effects units, and more.  One of the biggest features, though, is the ability to save and recall scenes.  At the price point the this console sits at, being able to save scenes and even use the computer software to edit your console setup at home makes it a huge asset at a very low cost.

As for replacing the snake, we chose a 24 XLR/8 Aux send 200′ snake.  Ahead of my arrival, their team ran the snake in a manner that was out-of-sight, but accessible in the event that they needed to move it to another, larger venue.

After getting on-site, I was able to patch the new console with the new snake and begin to set it up for their needs in regards to channel layouts and updated monitor mix configuration.  We upped the number of on-stage monitor mixes from two to five, with one of the mixes being a headphone mix for the drummer, while everyone else continued to use passive stage wedges.

After getting the entire system back up and running, I brought their team in to begin the training process.  Not knowing the experience levels of the individual members, I started from the bottom, teaching them the basics of how to power up and power down the system, how to set a gate on a channel, very basic EQ, and more.  What I focused on mostly, though, was the navigation and layout of the PreSonus StudioLive console.  It has individual faders, but uses the Fat Channel to display any amount of selected data depending on what you’re doing.  It will show the channel gate, compressor, an EQ all at once, or it can show the individual monitor mixes.  It can display any of the available eight 31-band EQs (that are completely assignable to auxes, sub groups, the main fader, etc), or even something as simple, but useful, as input or output meters.

After roughly 24 hours on-site over the course of a weekend, I was able to install a new console and snake, improve their monitor mix situation, and equip their team with the knowledge and tools to effectively run a soundcheck and live service with the new console and snake.

In addition to the basics, I walked a couple members of their team through using the free iPad app to wirelessly control the conosle and do monitor EQs and mixes from onstage, as well as showing their musicians how to control their own monitor mix with the free iPhone app.  I’m still impressed with all the punch that this little console packs. (I feel an official blog post review of the PreSonus StudioLive coming!)

FOLLOW UP

Because there are more issues to be addressed, I am continuing to work with the organization on their production upgrades.  We have developed a multi-phase plan that is spread out over time to make some needed improvements to the main PA system, video and image display system, and overall lighting.

Overall, I have to say that I’m very pleased with the current progress there.  The PreSonus console is extremely easy to teach to even someone that has zero experience on an audio desk.  The Fat Channel concept makes navigation very easy and intuitive, never having to worry about layers and layers of menus.  The new snake tripled their monitor mixes and left them with room to grow their inputs and outputs down the road.  On top of all that, they could easily link another StudioLive console via Firewire for an extra few banks of inputs and faders.

Yes, I use Hostmonster.com for my hosting needs.  In the spirit of full disclosure, if you click on one of my HM links and sign up, I get a little referral bonus.  But I would be saying this even if I weren’t getting it. They’re that good.

This is a company that offers user-friendly hosting features, unlimited everything, and at a very affordable monthly/yearly cost.  By going with these guys, there is no reason that you can’t have a personalized domain and fully-featured website from start to finish within four hours. (assuming you use WordPress as your CMS platform)

However, the reason I’m writing this post isn’t because of these points.  The reason I’m writing this post is due to an experience I had recently with their Terms of Service (TOS) department.

When it comes to companies that provide a service or product, I believe that the best customer service is the customer service you never have to interact with.  But when I do have to interact with them, I pay close attention to the entire process, and ultimately the outcome.

I recently received an email from the TOS department explaining to me that they had discovered a few files in my directory that contained potentially malicious code.  Because of this, they had deactivated my entire hosting account, taking josh-walker.com down along with it.  I wasn’t very happy with this as I had just done a site-redesign and a couple new blog posts.  As soon as I got home, I got on my laptop and checked the email again.  The TOS department said to clean or remove the files, and then email them when it was finished to request that they reactivate my account.

They had been nice enough to put a .txt file in my parent directory detailing the files with the code that needed removed.  I simply went line after line, addressing each file by deleting it entirely.  I could do this because they were older files associated with domains I no longer used or owned.  Fortunately, josh-walker.com was not affected at all.  I finished this after about 45 minutes and sent them an email requesting that they reactivate my account.  This was at about 6:30pm EST.

I received another email from the TOS department at Hostmonster about one hour later thanking me for taking care of it and informing me that my account was back up and live again.  One hour!  I was honestly counting on not hearing back for 12-24 hours.  Instead, I heard back roughly 60 minutes later, and it was not an automated form email, but a personalized email from a real person.

Moral of the story?  Go check out www.HostMonster.com if you are in need of a new website and hosting account or are interested in switching hosts.  New signups do get a free domain in addition to unlimited WordPress installations, email addresses, Google Apps integration, and so much more.  I am just a big fan of Hostmonster and have always recommended them.  This latest interaction was just one more reason for me to continue to do so.

I’ve been wanting to get into video blogging for a few reasons.  First, it’s easier and quicker in some ways compared to traditional blogging.  You just talk and let the words flow, not worrying about whether you typed “it’s” or “its” in the right place.  Second, it’s always nice to change up your format for you as well as your visitors.  They may just like to see your mug once in awhile to put a face to a name.  Can’t hurt for networking at events and tweetups, either.  Recognition, whether name, face, or overall brand, is important.  Video just helps your cause, assuming you’re not video blogging in your underwear, that is.

This first post is shot while driving in my car…unfortunately, I can’t take credit for this dynamic and fun format.  Dave Woodson is an SEO and local lead generation maniac.  He is known for his video blogs in his truck (among other things) and always does a great job engaging multiple audiences.  Check him out. Now. (especially if you’re in the Chicago, Valparaiso, Michiana, or general Northwest Indiana area.)

Anyway, I’m looking forward to doing more video blogs as the weeks go by.

Cheers!

I’ve decided to remove the “professional audio” label from the primary focus, and am going to blog, podcast, and video blog on a much wider range of topics.  These might be anything from technology, entrepreneurship, iOS and OSX issues, music, culture, food, travel, photography, social media, and more.  I’m opening my doors to a wider audience and am looking forward to interacting with new readers.

I am also joining with Steve Dalton from nwism.com in being more proactive and intentional with my online interactions in the blog world and social media realms.  I’ve recently shifted my primary social media platform usage from Twitter, Facebook, and Path to just Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest.  I feel there is still a lot of relevancy and useful information and connections on these platforms, while Facebook has degraded substantially into a black hole of fabricated quotes overlaid on ridiculous memes.  And Path is nice, but it’s limited to just a mobile portal, with no online counterpart.  For a company calling itself a “live” or “digital journal”, they don’t allow for much input.  The iOS app is nice looking, but outside of that, useless.

Anyway, that’s where I’m headed personally.  I hope you’ll join me for the ride.

Encore is a local board in northern Indiana that organizes and produces music and performance events year round.  In the summer months, they produce a music series called “Music in the Park”, showcasing regional and national artists at the local outdoor amphitheater.  

In 2010, I was asked to come along side their organization as a board member to assist them with social media and marketing efforts.  In addition to this, I provided live sound and production consulting.  I worked with each band, advancing each individual show and ensuring that the artist’s technical needs were met.

NEEDS

The organization produces multiple shows each month with national artists.  The overall production quality had been lacking in previous years, leaving much room for improvement.  In addition to the  sound quality, the organization desired to reach the younger demographic in the local community.  It was apparent through various means of research that the majority of the “Music in the Park” concerts were of an older generation, leaving a large gap between age groups.

SOLUTIONS

We began by implementing a basic social media strategy consisting of a newly designed website showcasing each individual concert.  In addition to this, we developed a Facebook fan page and a Twitter account.  Using these platforms to propagate the organization’s message and concerts, we were able to reach a younger audience while maintaing the usual maketing streams consisting of the newspaper and other methods.

To improve the overall audio quality of the live shows, I was contracted to provide FOH and monitor engineering as well as the entire PA system.  Most concerts required 3-5 monitor mixes with a full band.  The PA system consisted of 18″ subs and two-way PA mains with internal crossovers powered by Crown amplifiers.  The typical console was a 32 channel Yamaha analog desk with a standard microphone package consisting of SM57′s, SM58′s, a drum mic kit, and a few other various mics.

Over the last few years, as a team, we have been able to improve the overall quality of the “Music in the Park” concert series by providing consistent and elevated social media support and high quality live production support through quality audio engineering and stage management.

FOLLOW UP

I am continuing the consulting relationship by providing advice and consultation to the Encore organization via conference/phone calls and emails.  I am continuing to work closely with the marketing team of the Encore Performing Arts Organization.  I have also committed to continuing to provide FOH engineering and PA support for their live concert events each summer.

Among pepperoni and hot wings, one thing I’ve missed since 2009 is that spicy sausage soup they serve at Olive Garden.  The one with potatoes.  Yeah, Zuppa Toscana.

Since I love to cook, being a vegetarian is a blast.  I always enjoy preparing new meals, adjusting old family recipes, and developing my own flavorful dishes.  If there’s one goal I have when I cook, it is this: make a vegetarian meal that even a non-vegetarian would request a second time.  I believe this is a winner.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb Italian sausage substitute
• 1 1/2 tp crushed red pepper (more if you’re like me)
• 1 large diced white onion
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 6 cups water
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 5 Russet potatoes, cut into small cubes
• 1/4 of a bunch of kale (or spinach)
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp parsley
• 1 tbsp basil

1. Start by adding a splash of water to a large pot and sauté the onion and garlic until the onions are soft.

2. Add vegetable stock and water, bringing to a boil.

3. Add potatoes and cook for 30 minutes, stirring.

4. Add the salt, pepper, garlic powder, nutmeg, parsley, and basil to the soup mixture.

5. While the soup is cooking, cut up or break up the sausage substitute and sauté in a skillet with half of the crushed red pepper.

6. Stir in the sausage substitute and kale.  Continue heating for another 10 minutes.

7. Serve and eat!

Feel free to adjust the crushed red pepper and other seasonings to taste.  I would recommend serving this with a large salad or artisan bread and dipping oil.  If you try the recipe, let me know what you think and leave a comment below!

I’ve been writing some pieces on my acoustic guitar, some synth stuff, and a couple lyrics here and there.  This past week, however, I’ve been on a big electronic glitch/stutter kick.  I’ve written an average of 1 song per day this week, and even did a remix for the band Fathom Blue from Chicago.  We’ll be officially releasing that track soon!

Writing music every day has been a part of my daily routine this February. Making myself sit down and create some electronic music has been a blast.  Anyway, just wanted to throw up some of the tracks for you guys here.  I’ve also included a random video.  Kind of a “behind-the-scenes”, if you will.  This is just a sample of the electronic stuff I’ve been working on.  I’ll post some of the acoustic stuff soon.

Swamp by JoshWalker

Soft Cabernet by JoshWalker

High Altitude, Low Opening (HALO MIX) by JoshWalker

Back to Square 1 by JoshWalker

I’d love to hear your comments, too!

- Josh

How many times have you edited your resume in the last six months?  How many times have you updated your LinkedIn profile?  If you’re a creative professional, freelance writer/editor, or have been laid off or lost your job, there’s a good chance you revisit your profiles and resume on a daily or at least weekly basis.  Perhaps you’re not satisfied with your current situation and want a change of scenery.  Or there’s the chance that you just had a different plan for your life.

Whatever the reason for your insatiable need to view and revise your resume and social network profiles, you just might be doing it wrong.

We think we are controlling our paths, all the while actually being controlled by our paths.

Take control of your life and career.  Instead of fumbling through the year frantically searching for a job listing that includes one of your five search terms within a 50 mile radius, flip the tables on your path.  Don’t think for another second that you need to revise your resume to fit a job description.  Create a job description that fits your resume, and then go find that job.  Regain your freedom and chase your dream.  Take back control.

You’re in a foot race as one of two people–one with a map to the finish line, and one without.  Without direction, there’s no telling where you will wind up in twenty years.  With the right direction and determination, you can finish the race first, the fastest, and the happiest.  Here’s how to make your own map:

1.  Sit down and make an inspiration board (my wife did a great example at that link).  This can be anything.  Grab some cardboard, scissors, glue.  Find a stack of magazines and start clipping.  Find things that inspire, describe, or interest you. Words, pictures, and phrases.  Glue them down.  Proceed to Step 2.

2.  Next, grab a sheet (or sheets) of paper and a pen.  Sit down in a quiet space, just you and your inspiration board.  Then, write the resume that you would like to see in 10 years.  Don’t be shy; put your dream job on the paper.  Work from the top down, listing where you eventually want to wind up, then working backward on how you’ll get there.  Don’t think that you need a resume that is vertical (all your jobs in the same industry) or horizontal (doing the same job in different industries).  There is no rule that says your resume has to show continuity from job to job.  What matters most?  Accomplishments and innovation.

3.  Make it come true.  View every new connection as an opportunity, every networking possibility as a requirement.  Every opportunity that comes your way, regardless of how remote a possibility, could be the next stepping stone to the top of your resume.  Take advantage of your current position and maximize the resources you have available, including people, training, networking, and more.  If you know where the finish line is, you can get there more quickly.

In today’s economy the security of a career is virtually non-existent. I’ve found that younger people and people vying for jobs in certain industries are more likely to leave a secure job to take another position that might be more challenging or personally satisfying.  The people that will succeed are those that are jumping ahead of the curve and beating the job place to the punch.  Don’t wait for the job to come to you.  Find the job.  Make the job.  Negotiate for the job.

By writing a resume that includes your dream jobs, accomplishments, and accolades, you have a reference point to focus on when things get blurry or you face a decision that might present logistical issues.  Having a reference point that you can fall back on helps you make that decision.  It keeps things in perspective, and helps you stay on track.  Your track to the finish line.

After you’ve created your final resume, take out your current resume and see how it lines up.  You may need to start making adjustments and plans to get to the next step, but at least you’ll be headed the right direction.  Then cross-reference your current resume against your new dream resume on a yearly basis and check your progress.  Are the accomplishments there?  How about the skills and qualifications for your next step?  Even if you’re not in your dream job right now, you can work on the qualifications that will get you there.  Review and revise your future resume once or twice a year to align it with your updated dreams and goals.

I’d love to hear your stories of landing your dream jobs down the road!

Cheers,

Josh Walker

I was brought on board to help address these issues and bring them up to speed in terms of audio, video, and lighting.

NEEDS

One of the first needs that became apparent was the lighting situation.  The lack of high-quality lighting was detracting from the overall quality of the production.  Having an image projected from nearly 75 feet away was difficult enough in a 600 seat venue with ambient lighting from the windows around the room.

Next was the audio situation.  The console they had was nearly 10 years old with a few malfunctioning channels.  With limited pre-fader aux sends hindering their monitor mix options, they were between a rock and a hard place trying to get their production team to get creative with the setup while achieving a satisfactory house mix.

SOLUTIONS

To address the stage lighting issue, I worked with their team to purchase and install some basic LED wash fixtures and program them into their existing lighting rig that consisted of a DMX controller managing an array of white pars.  This helped give the stage (and the people on it) color while remaining flexible in color choices.

The sound issue was a little more involved.  After working with their team to discover what their specific needs, budgets, and vision were, I recommended the Allen & Heath ZED-436 analog audio console.  This came in under their budget, improved their channel strips from 24 to 32, and gave them more monitor mix options as well as USB recording and other features they didn’t previously have with the old desk.

We also implemented an 8 channel Presonus ACP88 compressor unit.  I was able to bring their team up-to-speed on the console and helped train them in FOH mixing techniques, basic compression practices, EQing for vocals and instruments, and more.

FOLLOW UP

After leaving, I have been able to maintain communication with their team and walk them through some situations that called for more experience in audio engineering.  However, because of the easy-to-navigate audio console and an attentive team, they have continued to improve on their training and have drastically improved the quality of the music, spoken word, and lighting in the room.

It will be a good time to make new connections, revive old ones, and learn a thing or two from each other.  @andreacook of @midascenter will be providing pizza and there will be door prizes.  Andrea and her team at the Midas Center have really helped bring quality marketing, social media, and networking to Plymouth.  While you’re at the event, ask her about the coworking space and the benefits of moving your small business or home-based business there.  I personally work out of a great coworking space in Morgantown, WV and love it. Creatives, professionals, and moonlighters unite!

If you’re not very familiar with what a Tweetup is, here’s a couple things to be prepared to do: Have business cards?  Bring them!  Tweet while you’re there about how awesome Plymouth is, and use the #plytweetup, #michianaTM, and #michiana hashtags when promoting or talking about the event tomorrow night.  Make connections and have some snacks.

Looking forward to seeing everyone there!

Cheers,

@josh_walker