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 Deans, designer of countless Cirque du Soleil Vegas spectaculars including Mystere, Love, Ka, and many others, as well as a long list of Broadway credits including last year’s Tony Award-winning sound design for Buena Vista Social Club, Waitress, and Pippin, to name just a few.Episode Links: <a href='http://20k.org/'>Twenty Thousand Hertz</a> <a href='https://www.youtube.com/@dallastaylor.mp3'>Inside Sound With Dallas Taylor</a> <a href='https://www.designingsound.com/'>Jonathan Deans Online</a> <a href='https://www.prosoundweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Signal-To-Noise-Episode-322-Twenty-Thousand-Hertz-On-The-Evolution-Of-Theatre-Sound.rtf'>Episode 322 Transcript</a>Connect with the community on the <a href='https://www.facebook.com/groups/243833546641306'>Signal To Noise Facebook Group</a> and <a href='https://discord.gg/tut9c5Ghs6'>Discord Server</a>. Both are spaces for listeners to create to generate conversations around the people and topics covered in the podcast — we want your questions and comments!Also please check out and support <a href='http://www.theroadieclinic.com/'>The Roadie Clinic</a>, Their mission is simple. “We exist to empower &amp; heal roadies and their families by providing resources &amp; services tailored to the struggles of the touring lifestyle.”The Signal To Noise Podcast on <a href='https://www.prosoundweb.com/'>ProSoundWeb</a> is co-hosted by pro audio veterans Andy Leviss and Sean Walker.Want to be a part of the show? If you have a quick tip to share, or a question for the hosts, past or future guests, or listeners at home, we’d love to include it in a future episode. You can send it to us one of two ways:1) If you want to send it in as text and have us read it, or record your own short audio file, send it to <a href='mailto:signal2noise@prosoundweb.com'>signal2noise@prosoundweb.com</a> with the subject “Tips” or “Questions”2) If you want a quick easy way to do a short (90s or less) audio recording, go to <a href='https://www.speakpipe.com/S2N'>https://www.speakpipe.com/S2N</a> and leave us a voicemail there.

<description>&lt;p&gt;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 &lt;em&gt;Jesus Christ Superstar, Hair, Evita, A Chorus Line&lt;/em&gt;, and so many more, joined by Jonathan Deans, designer of countless Cirque du Soleil Vegas spectaculars including &lt;em&gt;Mystere, Love, Ka,&lt;/em&gt; and many others, as well as a long list of Broadway credits including last year’s Tony Award-winning sound design for &lt;em&gt;Buena Vista Social Club, Waitress, &lt;/em&gt;and &lt;em&gt;Pippin&lt;/em&gt;, to name just a few.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Episode Links:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='http://20k.org/'&gt;Twenty Thousand Hertz&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.youtube.com/@dallastaylor.mp3'&gt;Inside Sound With Dallas Taylor&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.designingsound.com/'&gt;Jonathan Deans Online&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.prosoundweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Signal-To-Noise-Episode-322-Twenty-Thousand-Hertz-On-The-Evolution-Of-Theatre-Sound.rtf'&gt;Episode 322 Transcript&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Connect with the community on the &lt;a href='https://www.facebook.com/groups/243833546641306'&gt;Signal To Noise Facebook Group&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href='https://discord.gg/tut9c5Ghs6'&gt;Discord Server&lt;/a&gt;. Both are spaces for listeners to create to generate conversations around the people and topics covered in the podcast — we want your questions and comments!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Also please check out and support &lt;a href='http://www.theroadieclinic.com/'&gt;&lt;b&gt;The Roadie Clinic&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Their mission is simple. “We exist to &lt;b&gt;&lt;em&gt;empower &amp;amp; heal&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/b&gt; roadies and their families by providing &lt;b&gt;&lt;em&gt;resources &amp;amp; services &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/b&gt;tailored to the struggles of the touring lifestyle.”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Signal To Noise Podcast on &lt;a href='https://www.prosoundweb.com/'&gt;ProSoundWeb&lt;/a&gt; is co-hosted by pro audio veterans Andy Leviss and Sean Walker.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;em&gt;Want to be a part of the show? If you have a quick tip to share, or a question for the hosts, past or future guests, or listeners at home, we’d love to include it in a future episode. You can send it to us one of two ways:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;1) If you want to send it in as text and have us read it, or record your own short audio file, send it to &lt;/em&gt;&lt;a href='mailto:signal2noise@prosoundweb.com'&gt;&lt;em&gt;signal2noise@prosoundweb.com&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt; with the subject “Tips” or “Questions”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;2) If you want a quick easy way to do a short (90s or less) audio recording, go to &lt;/em&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.speakpipe.com/S2N'&gt;&lt;em&gt;https://www.speakpipe.com/S2N&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt; and leave us a voicemail there&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

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...

322. Twenty Thousand Hertz On The Evolution Of Theatre Sound

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 event world to build better relationships with clients and customers!Episode Links: <a href='https://amzn.to/3O2UAq4'>Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect, by Will Guidara</a> <a href='https://www.prosoundweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Signal-To-Noise-Episode-321-QA-With-The-Audience-The-Finale-For-Now.rtf'>Episode 321 Transcript</a>Connect with the community on the <a href='https://www.facebook.com/groups/243833546641306'>Signal To Noise Facebook Group</a> and <a href='https://discord.gg/tut9c5Ghs6'>Discord Server</a>. Both are spaces for listeners to create to generate conversations around the people and topics covered in the podcast — we want your questions and comments!Also please check out and support <a href='http://www.theroadieclinic.com/'>The Roadie Clinic</a>, Their mission is simple. “We exist to empower &amp; heal roadies and their families by providing resources &amp; services tailored to the struggles of the touring lifestyle.”The Signal To Noise Podcast on <a href='https://www.prosoundweb.com/'>ProSoundWeb</a> is co-hosted by pro audio veterans Andy Leviss and Sean Walker.Want to be a part of the show? If you have a quick tip to share, or a question for the hosts, past or future guests, or listeners at home, we’d love to include it in a future episode. You can send it to us one of two ways:1) If you want to send it in as text and have us read it, or record your own short audio file, send it to <a href='mailto:signal2noise@prosoundweb.com'>signal2noise@prosoundweb.com</a> with the subject “Tips” or “Questions”2) If you want a quick easy way to do a short (90s or less) audio recording, go to <a href='https://www.speakpipe.com/S2N'>https://www.speakpipe.com/S2N</a> and leave us a voicemail there.

<description>&lt;p&gt;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 &lt;em&gt;Unreasonable Hospitality&lt;/em&gt;, and how both business owners and freelancers can take the lessons from that book to heart in the live audio and event world to build better relationships with clients and customers!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Episode Links:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://amzn.to/3O2UAq4'&gt;&lt;em&gt;Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect, by Will Guidara&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.prosoundweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Signal-To-Noise-Episode-321-QA-With-The-Audience-The-Finale-For-Now.rtf'&gt;Episode 321 Transcript&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Connect with the community on the &lt;a href='https://www.facebook.com/groups/243833546641306'&gt;Signal To Noise Facebook Group&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href='https://discord.gg/tut9c5Ghs6'&gt;Discord Server&lt;/a&gt;. Both are spaces for listeners to create to generate conversations around the people and topics covered in the podcast — we want your questions and comments!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Also please check out and support &lt;a href='http://www.theroadieclinic.com/'&gt;&lt;b&gt;The Roadie Clinic&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Their mission is simple. “We exist to &lt;b&gt;&lt;em&gt;empower &amp;amp; heal&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/b&gt; roadies and their families by providing &lt;b&gt;&lt;em&gt;resources &amp;amp; services &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/b&gt;tailored to the struggles of the touring lifestyle.”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Signal To Noise Podcast on &lt;a href='https://www.prosoundweb.com/'&gt;ProSoundWeb&lt;/a&gt; is co-hosted by pro audio veterans Andy Leviss and Sean Walker.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;em&gt;Want to be a part of the show? If you have a quick tip to share, or a question for the hosts, past or future guests, or listeners at home, we’d love to include it in a future episode. You can send it to us one of two ways:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;1) If you want to send it in as text and have us read it, or record your own short audio file, send it to &lt;/em&gt;&lt;a href='mailto:signal2noise@prosoundweb.com'&gt;&lt;em&gt;signal2noise@prosoundweb.com&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt; with the subject “Tips” or “Questions”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;2) If you want a quick easy way to do a short (90s or less) audio recording, go to &lt;/em&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.speakpipe.com/S2N'&gt;&lt;em&gt;https://www.speakpipe.com/S2N&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt; and leave us a voicemail there&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

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...

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

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!Sage is a freelance touring FOH engineer and classically trained flautist. In December 2018, she graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with a B.M in Music Industry and a B.S. in Audio Production. While in school, she began working at a major local rehearsal studio, which she continued to pursue following graduation. She started touring as a FOH engineer in the fall of 2021 with country artist Riley Green.Episode Links: <a href='https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyC_4jvPzLiSkJkLIkA7B8g?feature=gws_kp_artist&amp;feature=gws_kp_artist'>Lindsey Sterling On YouTube</a> <a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzIGjwA49nw'>“Cadillacin&apos;” by The Cadillac Three</a> <a href='https://soundgirls.org/sage-tichenor-independent-foh-engineer/'>Profile: Sage Tichenor</a> <a href='https://soundgirls.org/category/blog/sage-tichenor/'>Sage’s SoundGirls Blog</a> <a href='https://www.prosoundweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Signal-To-Noise-Episode-320-Front-Of-House-Engineer-Sage-Tichenor.rtf'>Episode 320 Transcript</a>Connect with the community on the <a href='https://www.facebook.com/groups/243833546641306'>Signal To Noise Facebook Group</a> and <a href='https://discord.gg/tut9c5Ghs6'>Discord Server</a>. Both are spaces for listeners to create to generate conversations around the people and topics covered in the podcast — we want your questions and comments!Also please check out and support <a href='http://www.theroadieclinic.com/'>The Roadie Clinic</a>, Their mission is simple. “We exist to empower &amp; heal roadies and their families by providing resources &amp; services tailored to the struggles of the touring lifestyle.”The Signal To Noise Podcast on <a href='https://www.prosoundweb.com/'>ProSoundWeb</a> is co-hosted by pro audio veterans Andy Leviss and Sean Walker.Want to be a part of the show? If you have a quick tip to share, or a question for the hosts, past or future guests, or listeners at home, we’d love to include it in a future episode. You can send it to us one of two ways:1) If you want to send it in as text and have us read it, or record your own short audio file, send it to <a href='mailto:signal2noise@prosoundweb.com'>signal2noise@prosoundweb.com</a> with the subject “Tips” or “Questions”2) If you want a quick easy way to do a short (90s or less) audio recording, go to <a href='https://www.speakpipe.com/S2N'>https://www.speakpipe.com/S2N</a> and leave us a voicemail there.

<description>&lt;p&gt;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!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Sage is a freelance touring FOH engineer and classically trained flautist. In December 2018, she graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with a B.M in Music Industry and a B.S. in Audio Production. While in school, she began working at a major local rehearsal studio, which she continued to pursue following graduation. She started touring as a FOH engineer in the fall of 2021 with country artist Riley Green.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Episode Links:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyC_4jvPzLiSkJkLIkA7B8g?feature=gws_kp_artist&amp;amp;feature=gws_kp_artist'&gt;Lindsey Sterling On YouTube&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzIGjwA49nw'&gt;“Cadillacin&amp;apos;” by The Cadillac Three&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://soundgirls.org/sage-tichenor-independent-foh-engineer/'&gt;Profile: Sage Tichenor&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://soundgirls.org/category/blog/sage-tichenor/'&gt;Sage’s SoundGirls Blog&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.prosoundweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Signal-To-Noise-Episode-320-Front-Of-House-Engineer-Sage-Tichenor.rtf'&gt;Episode 320 Transcript&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Connect with the community on the &lt;a href='https://www.facebook.com/groups/243833546641306'&gt;Signal To Noise Facebook Group&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href='https://discord.gg/tut9c5Ghs6'&gt;Discord Server&lt;/a&gt;. Both are spaces for listeners to create to generate conversations around the people and topics covered in the podcast — we want your questions and comments!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Also please check out and support &lt;a href='http://www.theroadieclinic.com/'&gt;&lt;b&gt;The Roadie Clinic&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Their mission is simple. “We exist to &lt;b&gt;&lt;em&gt;empower &amp;amp; heal&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/b&gt; roadies and their families by providing &lt;b&gt;&lt;em&gt;resources &amp;amp; services &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/b&gt;tailored to the struggles of the touring lifestyle.”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Signal To Noise Podcast on &lt;a href='https://www.prosoundweb.com/'&gt;ProSoundWeb&lt;/a&gt; is co-hosted by pro audio veterans Andy Leviss and Sean Walker.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;em&gt;Want to be a part of the show? If you have a quick tip to share, or a question for the hosts, past or future guests, or listeners at home, we’d love to include it in a future episode. You can send it to us one of two ways:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;1) If you want to send it in as text and have us read it, or record your own short audio file, send it to &lt;/em&gt;&lt;a href='mailto:signal2noise@prosoundweb.com'&gt;&lt;em&gt;signal2noise@prosoundweb.com&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt; with the subject “Tips” or “Questions”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;2) If you want a quick easy way to do a short (90s or less) audio recording, go to &lt;/em&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.speakpipe.com/S2N'&gt;&lt;em&gt;https://www.speakpipe.com/S2N&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt; and leave us a voicemail there&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

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!...

320. Front Of House Engineer Sage Tichenor

The hosts sync up again with Tal Kocen and Dave Friesema of <a href='https://darkmatteraudiolabs.com/'>Dark Matter Audio Labs</a> 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 stop at earplugs, though–they also learned all about the “hows and whys” of Dark Matter’s new ambient IEM offerings (and what they have in common with earplugs), as well as an overview of what their different models sound like and who each one is best suited to, why to choose custom models over universal-fit (or why not to), and more.Dave and Tal also let us in on some late breaking news, that they’re starting to offer universal-fit versions of their custom products. Finally, they shared a special bonus offer for Signal to Noise listeners of 15 percent off any purchases from Dark Matter with discount code “S2N15”.NOTE: If you’re in the NYC area this weekend — March 7-8 — Dark Matter and sibling company Dekoni Audio are sharing a space at the CanJam headphone show, where they’ll have demo models of all their IEMs, and be taking impressions for custom models right on site! You might even catch Andy stopping by to visit on Saturday…Episode Links: <a href='https://canjamglobal.com/shows/nyc2026/'>CanJam NYC 2026</a> <a href='https://www.prosoundweb.com/signal-to-noise-episode-297-healthy-ears-limited-annoyance-initiative-hela/'>STN Episode 297: Healthy Ears, Limited Annoyance</a> <a href='https://www.prosoundweb.com/signal-to-noise-episode-285-iem-start-up-dark-matter-audio-labs/'>STN Episode 285: Dark Matter Audio Labs</a> <a href='https://www.prosoundweb.com/signal-to-noise-episode-177-hearing-health-matters/'>STN Episode 177: Hearing Health Matters</a> <a href='https://www.prosoundweb.com/signal-to-noise-episode-152-dr-heather-malyuk-soundcheck-audiology-all-ears-are-famous/'>STN Episode 152: Dr. Heather Malyuk, Soundcheck Audiology – “All Ears Are Famous”</a> <a href='https://www.prosoundweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Signal-To-Noise-Episode-319-Hearing-Protection-Safety-With-Dark-Matter-Audio-Labs.rtf'>Episode 319 Transcript</a>Connect with the community on the <a href='https://www.facebook.com/groups/243833546641306'>Signal To Noise Facebook Group</a> and <a href='https://discord.gg/tut9c5Ghs6'>Discord Server</a>. Both are spaces for listeners to create to generate conversations around the people and topics covered in the podcast.Also please check out and support <a href='http://www.theroadieclinic.com/'>The Roadie Clinic</a>, Their mission is simple. “We exist to empower &amp; heal roadies and their families by providing resources &amp; services tailored to the struggles of the touring lifestyle.”The Signal To Noise Podcast on <a href='https://www.prosoundweb.com/'>ProSoundWeb</a> is co-hosted by pro audio veterans Andy Leviss and Sean Walker.Want to be a part of the show? If you have a quick tip to share, or a question for the hosts, past or future guests, or listeners at home, we’d love to include it in a future episode. You can send it to us one of two ways:1) If you want to send it in as text and have us read it, or record your own short audio file, send it to <a href='mailto:signal2noise@prosoundweb.com'>signal2noise@prosoundweb.com</a> with the subject “Tips” or “Questions”2) If you want a quick easy way to do a short (90s or less) audio recording, go to <a href='https://www.speakpipe.com/S2N'>https://www.speakpipe.com/S2N</a> and leave us a voicemail there.

<description>&lt;p&gt;The hosts sync up again with Tal Kocen and Dave Friesema of &lt;a href='https://darkmatteraudiolabs.com/'&gt;Dark Matter Audio Labs&lt;/a&gt; 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.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The gang didn’t stop at earplugs, though–they also learned all about the “hows and whys” of Dark Matter’s new ambient IEM offerings (and what they have in common with earplugs), as well as an overview of what their different models sound like and who each one is best suited to, why to choose custom models over universal-fit (or why not to), and more.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Dave and Tal also let us in on some late breaking news, that they’re starting to offer universal-fit versions of their custom products. Finally, they shared a special bonus offer for Signal to Noise listeners of 15 percent off any purchases from Dark Matter with discount code “S2N15”.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;NOTE: If you’re in the NYC area this weekend — March 7-8 — Dark Matter and sibling company Dekoni Audio are sharing a space at the CanJam headphone show, where they’ll have demo models of all their IEMs, and be taking impressions for custom models right on site! You might even catch Andy stopping by to visit on Saturday…&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Episode Links:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://canjamglobal.com/shows/nyc2026/'&gt;CanJam NYC 2026&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.prosoundweb.com/signal-to-noise-episode-297-healthy-ears-limited-annoyance-initiative-hela/'&gt;STN Episode 297: Healthy Ears, Limited Annoyance&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.prosoundweb.com/signal-to-noise-episode-285-iem-start-up-dark-matter-audio-labs/'&gt;STN Episode 285: Dark Matter Audio Labs&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.prosoundweb.com/signal-to-noise-episode-177-hearing-health-matters/'&gt;STN Episode 177: Hearing Health Matters&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.prosoundweb.com/signal-to-noise-episode-152-dr-heather-malyuk-soundcheck-audiology-all-ears-are-famous/'&gt;STN Episode 152: Dr. Heather Malyuk, Soundcheck Audiology – “All Ears Are Famous”&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.prosoundweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Signal-To-Noise-Episode-319-Hearing-Protection-Safety-With-Dark-Matter-Audio-Labs.rtf'&gt;Episode 319 Transcript&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Connect with the community on the &lt;a href='https://www.facebook.com/groups/243833546641306'&gt;Signal To Noise Facebook Group&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href='https://discord.gg/tut9c5Ghs6'&gt;Discord Server&lt;/a&gt;. Both are spaces for listeners to create to generate conversations around the people and topics covered in the podcast.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Also please check out and support &lt;a href='http://www.theroadieclinic.com/'&gt;&lt;b&gt;The Roadie Clinic&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Their mission is simple. “We exist to &lt;b&gt;&lt;em&gt;empower &amp;amp; heal&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/b&gt; roadies and their families by providing &lt;b&gt;&lt;em&gt;resources &amp;amp; services &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/b&gt;tailored to the struggles of the touring lifestyle.”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Signal To Noise Podcast on &lt;a href='https://www.prosoundweb.com/'&gt;ProSoundWeb&lt;/a&gt; is co-hosted by pro audio veterans Andy Leviss and Sean Walker.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;em&gt;Want to be a part of the show? If you have a quick tip to share, or a question for the hosts, past or future guests, or listeners at home, we’d love to include it in a future episode. You can send it to us one of two ways:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;1) If you want to send it in as text and have us read it, or record your own short audio file, send it to &lt;/em&gt;&lt;a href='mailto:signal2noise@prosoundweb.com'&gt;&lt;em&gt;signal2noise@prosoundweb.com&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt; with the subject “Tips” or “Questions”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;2) If you want a quick easy way to do a short (90s or less) audio recording, go to &lt;/em&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.speakpipe.com/S2N'&gt;&lt;em&gt;https://www.speakpipe.com/S2N&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt; and leave us a voicemail there&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

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...

319. Hearing Protection & Safety With Dark Matter Audio Labs

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. With 10 patents spanning acoustics and system design, he has been a primary driver behind the company’s ADAPTive line and the new NTX and NT series. Leading the engineering team out of EAW’s new headquarters in Franklin, MA, he’s at the forefront of the use of DSP and physical design to solve some of the hardest problems in pro audio—basically making sure the signal is “perfect” before it leaves the box.Scovill, who serves as senior live sound market specialist for EAW, is a 45-plus year veteran of professional concert sound and recording and has mixed over 4000 live events of every scale imaginable over the course of his storied career. His engineering and production talents have been enlisted by a “Who’s Who” of music Hall of Fame acts including Kenny Chesney, Tom Petty &amp; The Heartbreakers, Matchbox Twenty, Jackson Browne, Rush, Def Leppard, Foreigner, Prince and numerous others.Scovill’s body of live sound and recording work has garnered numerous industry accolades, including six TEC Awards, three PLSN Parnelli Awards, and multiple nominations for the CMA touring award, winning his first in 2022. He’s also been a multi-year nominee for Mobile Production’s “Top Dog” Award along with being an inaugural nominee for the Pensado Award for live sound excellence. In 2018 Robert was awarded the Lindenman Award for excellence in audio presentations at the Norwegian Sound Symposium. Since 2019, he’s served as a first call FOH mixer for television events such as THON, The Latin Grammy’s POTY, The MTV Video Music Awards and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductions, in which he received his first Emmy nomination in 2023.Episode Links: <a href='https://youtu.be/SMBXxa11E48?list=PL-Q6mO0uCBgDxWmOzZVT3Iuq33RXuf1qg'>The ADAPTive Advantage: How It Works, Why It Wins Webinar</a> <a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pg8NUr50t-I'>Robert Scovill Talks ADAPTive Driver Density</a> <a href='https://eaw.com/products-series/adaptive-systems'>EAW Adaptive Series Systems</a> <a href='https://www.prosoundweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Signal-To-Noise-Episode-318-Robert-Scovill-Geoff-McKinnon-Of-EAW.rtf'>Episode 318 Transcript</a>NOTE: Mike Green, the artist who performs “Break Free” that opens every episode, has some new music hitting the market starting today, available on all streaming platforms as well as DSPs that support spatial audio. And, <a href='http://mikegreenmusic.com/'>Mikegreenmusic.com</a> will direct folks to pre-order the vinyl release, or allow them to purchase singles individually.Connect with the community on the <a href='https://www.facebook.com/groups/243833546641306'>Signal To Noise Facebook Group</a> and <a href='https://discord.gg/tut9c5Ghs6'>Discord Server</a>. Both are spaces for listeners to create to generate conversations around the people and topics covered in the podcast — we want your questions and comments!Also please check out and support <a href='http://www.theroadieclinic.com/'>The Roadie Clinic</a>, Their mission is simple. “We exist to empower &amp; heal roadies and their families by providing resources &amp; services tailored to the struggles of the touring lifestyle.”The Signal To Noise Podcast on <a href='https://www.prosoundweb.com/'>ProSoundWeb</a> is co-hosted by pro audio veterans Andy Leviss and Sean Walker.

<description>&lt;p&gt;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.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;McKinnon is the senior director of engineering at EAW. With 10 patents spanning acoustics and system design, he has been a primary driver behind the company’s ADAPTive line and the new NTX and NT series. Leading the engineering team out of EAW’s new headquarters in Franklin, MA, he’s at the forefront of the use of DSP and physical design to solve some of the hardest problems in pro audio—basically making sure the signal is “perfect” before it leaves the box.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Scovill, who serves as senior live sound market specialist for EAW, is a 45-plus year veteran of professional concert sound and recording and has mixed over 4000 live events of every scale imaginable over the course of his storied career. His engineering and production talents have been enlisted by a “Who’s Who” of music Hall of Fame acts including Kenny Chesney, Tom Petty &amp;amp; The Heartbreakers, Matchbox Twenty, Jackson Browne, Rush, Def Leppard, Foreigner, Prince and numerous others.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Scovill’s body of live sound and recording work has garnered numerous industry accolades, including six TEC Awards, three PLSN Parnelli Awards, and multiple nominations for the CMA touring award, winning his first in 2022. He’s also been a multi-year nominee for Mobile Production’s “Top Dog” Award along with being an inaugural nominee for the Pensado Award for live sound excellence. In 2018 Robert was awarded the Lindenman Award for excellence in audio presentations at the Norwegian Sound Symposium. Since 2019, he’s served as a first call FOH mixer for television events such as THON, The Latin Grammy’s POTY, The MTV Video Music Awards and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductions, in which he received his first Emmy nomination in 2023.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Episode Links:&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://youtu.be/SMBXxa11E48?list=PL-Q6mO0uCBgDxWmOzZVT3Iuq33RXuf1qg'&gt;The ADAPTive Advantage: How It Works, Why It Wins Webinar&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pg8NUr50t-I'&gt;Robert Scovill Talks ADAPTive Driver Density&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://eaw.com/products-series/adaptive-systems'&gt;EAW Adaptive Series Systems&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.prosoundweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Signal-To-Noise-Episode-318-Robert-Scovill-Geoff-McKinnon-Of-EAW.rtf'&gt;Episode 318 Transcript&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;NOTE: Mike Green, the artist who performs “Break Free” that opens every episode, has some new music hitting the market starting today, available on all streaming platforms as well as DSPs that support spatial audio. And, &lt;a href='http://mikegreenmusic.com/'&gt;Mikegreenmusic.com&lt;/a&gt; will direct folks to pre-order the vinyl release, or allow them to purchase singles individually.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Connect with the community on the &lt;a href='https://www.facebook.com/groups/243833546641306'&gt;Signal To Noise Facebook Group&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href='https://discord.gg/tut9c5Ghs6'&gt;Discord Server&lt;/a&gt;. Both are spaces for listeners to create to generate conversations around the people and topics covered in the podcast — we want your questions and comments!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Also please check out and support &lt;a href='http://www.theroadieclinic.com/'&gt;&lt;b&gt;The Roadie Clinic&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Their mission is simple. “We exist to &lt;b&gt;&lt;em&gt;empower &amp;amp; heal&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/b&gt; roadies and their families by providing &lt;b&gt;&lt;em&gt;resources &amp;amp; services &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/b&gt;tailored to the struggles of the touring lifestyle.”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Signal To Noise Podcast on &lt;a href='https://www.prosoundweb.com/'&gt;ProSoundWeb&lt;/a&gt; is co-hosted by pro audio veterans Andy Leviss and Sean Walker.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

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...

318. Robert Scovill & Geoff McKinnon Of EAW

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.&nbsp;

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