The Power Of Why: On The Value Of Not Knowing (And Saying So) In Pro Audio

ProSoundWeb: I’ve found that when you introduce yourself as an audio engineer, people expect you to know things. The word “engineer” seems to impress them. Their eyebrows raise, and they immediately assume you’re good at math. (I’m passable.) Even if you use the less impressive and more user-friendly title of “sound person,” the standard response – one so common it’s become a running joke amongst sound people – still indicates the expectation of knowledge: “So you know what all those knobs do?” (No, I only adjust the red ones.)

How Theater Programs Are Adjusting to Online Learning

Teen Vogue: As schools reopen amid the COVID-19 pandemic, students are facing challenges they've never imagined. Teen Vogue's Fear and Learning in America series is exploring what back to school means for students this year, and what they think about learning during the coronavirus crisis.

Hannah Baity, 18, and her ensemble were nearly performance ready for their next play in a year-long theater program when things took a turn at the end of March.

Learning in lockdown - a training roundup

www.avinteractive.com: At a time when many people in the industry have more time on their hands than before, as events and project are cancelled, industry companies have turned to online learning to offer opportunities to develop and refine skills during the downtime. A selection of these online training opportunities are listed alphabetically.

7 Fun Drawing Games That'll Flex Your Creative Imagination

mymodernmet.com: It’s no secret that the best way to improve your drawing skills is with a lot of practice. The same goes for flexing your creative muscles. Drawing games offer a fun opportunity to enhance your talents while challenging your imagination. Nowadays, you can play a variety of them on paper, your computer, or on a smartphone.

TheShop.Build Open in San Jose One Year After TechShop Closure

makezine.com: I’ve been following the TechShop post-apocalypse makerspace landscape. A year after TechShop’s sudden closing, there’s a wave of good news to be found. By now, new organizers have stepped forward to create for-profit and nonprofit makerspaces, motivated to serve the makers who were displaced by the closure. Also, many of those who gained experience working at TechShop have found new jobs in other spaces. It’s a good sign that the maker community is able to rebound from such an unexpected failure.

How Many Tools? Putting The Ear Ahead Of The Gear

ProSoundWeb: My first experience with digital consoles came during a large New Year’s event many years ago, where I and another engineer were hired as freelancers for the show. I worked monitors, he handled front of house.

My monitor rig took up nearly the entirety of stage left with a double rack full of EQs, a multitude of additional amplifier racks and processors, and an analog console the size of a queen mattress – all to cover a whopping dozen stage mixes.

10 Watercolor Techniques Every Painter Should Know

mymodernmet.com: Watercolor painting has long been a favorite medium of expression for enthusiasts and professional artists alike. Although you only need a brush and pigments to get started, watercolor is a material with many creative possibilities.

Can’t Miss Video: What’s New in AutoCAD 2019

AutoCAD Blog | Autodesk: It shouldn’t be too much of a surprise by now that AutoCAD 2019 is available. But do you want a deeper tour of the new features and functionalities?

12 Sampling Instruments That Morph and Layer Multiple Sources

Pro Audio Files: The term Vector Synthesis refers to a synthesis technique which creates, “…movement in a sound by providing dynamic cross-fading between (usually) four sound sources. The four sound sources are conceptually arranged as the extreme points of X and Y axes and typically labeled A, B, C and D. A given mix of the four sound sources can be represented by a single point in this ‘vector plane’ (source). In Synthesizers like the Prophet by Sequential Circuits, the sources are digital wavetable oscillators.

Study: Allowing smartphones in class lowers grades–even for students who don’t use them

Big Think: Students who use smartphones during lectures are less able to retain course material over the long term, new research suggests.

The study, published in the journal Educational Psychology, also showed that students performed worse on exams even when they didn’t use smartphones or laptops during class but attended lectures in which they were allowed.

5 Interesting Ways to Use Delay Effects in a Mix

Pro Audio Files: I love the “sound design” element of mixing records. Crafting interesting tones and textures is kind of like my version of being a playing musician. One of my favorite tools for doing this is the Delay — a repetition of the sound it’s applied to. It’s amazing what you can create with something as simple as a repeat of a sound.

How To: Edit DWGs in the AutoCAD Web App

AutoCAD Blog | Autodesk: Now that you have some ideas on when to use the AutoCAD web app, have you tried using it to edit DWGs online? Let’s explore some of your favorite desktop features now available in the app.

Want success? Be prepared to fail

LinkedIn: “No pain, no gain” is a mantra for many people who exercise, motivating them to lose weight or get in shape.

Yet in other facets of our lives, we reflexively avoid pain, adversity and even uncertainty. A potential entrepreneur may hesitate to launch a startup because it could fail. A student may avoid law school for fear of the bar exam. Or a leader not open to new ideas could hinder a company’s ability to capitalize on opportunities.

How to Calibrate Your Computer Speakers Without a Fancy Microphone

lifehacker.com: Most audio receivers worth their salt come with a tiny microphone that you can use to automatically calibrate your speakers to your room’s specific setup. Easy.

How an Impact Driver Works: Training the Apprentice

Pro Tool Reviews: Impact drivers are an essential tool for any Pro. They give you the ability to apply more forceful power than a drill. Used in tandem, a cordless drill will handle hole making and an impact driver will set the fasteners. For basic screwdriving, an impact driver is the only tool you need.

How to Link Spreadsheets & Share Data in Google Sheets

business.tutsplus.com: Spreadsheets are one of the best ways to log and organize data. Frequently, I use them to organize projects or take notes on something new I'm learning. It's easy to use a spreadsheet like a blank canvas, and then order the data into a structured format later.

Better Brainstorming

hbr.org: About 20 years ago I was leading a brainstorming session in one of my MBA classes, and it was like wading through oatmeal. We were talking about something that many organizations struggle with: how to build a culture of equality in a male-dominated environment. Though it was an issue the students cared about, they clearly felt uninspired by the ideas they were generating. After a lot of discussion, the energy level in the room was approaching nil. Glancing at the clock, I resolved to at least give us a starting point for the next session.

Theatre's missing accents

Exeunt Magazine: In ‘I bet Nicholas Hynter doesn’t have to do this’, a brilliantly titled chapter of Glory and the Garden (eds. Ros Merkin & Kate Dorney) , Gwenda Hughes chronicles the complaint letters she received as artistic director of The New Vic, then The Victoria Theatre in North Staffordshire. Amongst these are a series of moans directed at Northern Broadsides’ Shakespeare, including one outraged-of-Cheshire writer who felt horrified at the bard’s words being so unsuitably intoned by those with (gasp) regional accents.

Coming Soon! New Yankee Workshop

This Old House: This Old House is partnering with New Yankee Workshop to make all 21 seasons of Norm Abram's classic fine-woodworking program available again! Soon you'll be able to stream every episode of NYW, with the option to purchase the plans for each project Norm makes on the show.

Audio Engineering From A Musical Perspective

ProSoundWeb: Musical instruments are the product of engineering, each one an expression of the level of technological sophistication achieved by the era and culture in which they were conceived. Many are also works of craftsmanship, of artistry, even works of art in their own right. Over time the musical instrument can become a visible representation of the technique and physical interaction provided by the musician, as wear patterns emerge from playing.