Production & Environment

Sound

15 posts in this series

Reading Order
1
1 of 15 — 9 min read

Why Sound Quality Matters More Than Your Best Trick

I spent years perfecting my techniques and routines, only to discover that none of it mattered if the audience couldn't hear me properly. Sound is the invisible foundation of every live performance, and getting it wrong undermines everything you've built.

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2
2 of 15 — 9 min read

The Audience Needs to Hear Your Personality, Not Just Your Voice

Getting the volume right is only the beginning. A microphone that makes you audible but strips away the warmth, humor, and nuance of your natural voice is almost worse than no microphone at all. I learned that the hard way when a technically functional sound setup turned me into a monotone robot.

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3
3 of 15 — 9 min read

Speaker Placement: Where to Put Them So Your Voice Fills the Room

I used to assume speakers were someone else's problem. Then I realized that where the PA speakers are positioned relative to me and the audience determines whether I get clean, clear sound or a feedback nightmare. A basic understanding of speaker placement changed how I work every room.

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4
4 of 15 — 9 min read

The Detailed Sound Check Process That Saved Me from Disaster

After enough bad experiences, I developed a systematic sound check process that I now run at every venue. It takes fifteen minutes, it requires one other person, and it has saved me from audio disasters more times than I can count. Here is exactly how it works.

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5
5 of 15 — 9 min read

Why I Always Ask for a Handheld Microphone

After years of experimenting with lavaliers, headsets, and handheld microphones, I have developed a strong preference that surprises most people. The handheld mic gives me something no other option does: complete control over my sound in real time. Here is why I ask for one at every gig.

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8
8 of 15 — 9 min read

Monitor Speakers: Why Hearing Yourself Changes Your Performance

The first time I performed with a stage monitor, I realized I had been guessing what the audience heard for my entire performing career. Monitors let you hear yourself in real time, and that feedback loop changes your pacing, your volume, your confidence, and your connection to the music in your show.

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13
13 of 15 — 9 min read

Walk-On Music: The First Sound Sets the Tone for Everything

Before you say a single word, the music that plays as you walk on stage tells the audience who you are and what kind of experience they are about to have. I learned that walk-on music is not decoration -- it is the opening argument of your entire show.

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15
15 of 15 — 9 min read

The Volume Curve: When to Crank It and When to Kill It

Volume is not a fixed setting. It is a dynamic tool that shapes how your audience experiences every moment of your show. After years of getting it wrong, I learned that the volume curve -- the deliberate rise and fall of sound levels throughout a performance -- is one of the most powerful and most neglected production elements in magic.

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