London Branch Hybrid Evening Meeting: The evolving role of acousticians in live audio design

Abstract

As the live audio industry becomes increasingly professionalised, there is a growing overlap and interface with more traditional fields of acoustics. The role of acoustic consultants in the design, specification and commissioning of audio systems is expanding and the interaction between the sound system, room acoustics and architectural design is ever more critical. Acousticians are often able to bring a much higher level of theoretical understanding to projects, but cannot always match the practical experience and hands-on technical knowledge attained through more traditional career pathways in live audio, introducing both opportunities and challenges in a continually developing field.

In this presentation we will discuss the evolving nature of the professional audio industry, the role of acoustic consultants in audio system design and specification, and lessons learned from Patrick's varied career in both live audio and building acoustics.

The talk will be followed by a short Q&A session.

Bio

Patrick Smith is an Associate at Sandy Brown, where he specialises in building acoustics and audio system design. Through an eclectic and varied career, Patrick has accrued over two decades’ experience designing, implementing and operating audio systems for live sound reinforcement, and has worked in virtually every field of live audio. After graduating from the ISVR, Patrick worked his way through the industry from stagehand, through mix engineer and system technician roles, then went on to work as a designer and installation project manager before turning his hand to consultancy. He has worked on tours and festivals with a range of household name artists and has led major installation projects, including the award-winning 2018 loudspeaker system installation at the Royal Albert Hall.

Details

As usual, we will be heading to the pub after the talk to catch up and continue the conversation. It would be great to see as many people in person as possible.

Those planning to attend in person MUST register for security access. The link to register for in person attendance can be found below:

https://www.cpdtag.com/app.php?event=9BB273B743AE5F36EBCA97FECDA77D7

Registration for in person attendance closes on Tuesday 10^th March at 17:00.

Please arrive at 5.45pm for prompt 6pm start. The nearest Tube stations are Aldgate East and Aldgate.