Live Sound
Koba (post-metal/sludge) at The Music Room
Sworn Amongst (thrash/metalcore) at The Music Room
During my final year of university, I helped plan and deliver the technical approach for the Cambridge Music Forum, an industry-focused conference with talks from Stephen McAll of Constant Follower, Sound On Sound, JAMES, DJ Shadow Child, Hayley Kennedy PhD of KMJ Entertainment and formerly of EMI and WMG, and many more. Small musical performances were dotted throughout the conference from artists including Moleface, Stu Hanna of Megson, Dan Parry, and Scarlet Labrat.
I was one of two main sound engineers on front of house and monitors for the day, with Dave Baker additionally overseeing levels on the MixPre-6 handling the backup audio recording for the cameras, as well as helping to ring out ahead of the conference. The desk used was a Midas M32, from which we ran an AES50 cable to a DL16 behind the stage. Given there were 5 microphones for talks, 1 RF microphone for audience questions, as well as 5 inputs for a separate small musical stage, my plan included patching in in such a way that bifurcated the microphones into easily accessible subsections (i.e., spoken word vs musical acts).
Ahead of the conference, I worked alongside other members of the committee, particularly technical team lead Emily Cole, in the creation of materials such as floorplans, signal flow plots, and spec lists for various equipment sources, including Anglia Ruskin University’s internal equipment, Absolute AV, and the Cambridge Corn Exchange before the venue was later moved. Some of the final versions of my work on these can be seen below. I also organised weekly practise sessions with a simple lighting rig at the university for myself and other technical team members to help plan our visual and lighting approach, and learn a very simple lighting desk.
Testimonials
“Ben has always been our go-to guy to have along with us when gigging or recording. He’s so invested in who we are and what specifics of sound that we need, working really hard to make sure his efforts reflect that. I don’t think I’d trust anyone else to understand us right; not only is Ben really positive to be around, he is serious about sound and truly dedicated to his craft.”
“Ben has been an exceptional asset to The Music Room in Ipswich, consistently demonstrating professionalism, adaptability, and a strong work ethic. He picked up the intricacies of operating the sound desk remarkably quickly, showing both technical aptitude and a willingness to learn. Whether working collaboratively with the team or handling tasks independently, Ben delivered reliable, high-quality results every time. His calm demeanour, problem-solving skills, and commitment to creating the best possible audio experience made him a pleasure to work with and a true credit to the venue.”
“I’ve worked closely with Ben in two of my bands (Bloody Pineapples and Wraak), and it’s always been a great time. His care and attention to detail is second to none! I’ve been very impressed with his pursuit of excellence and his ability to overcome issues on the very odd occasion they arise.”
“Ben is a highly professional, patient and personable sound engineer. He used his skills and meticulous nature to ensure we sounded spot on. It was an absolute pleasure to work with Ben, book him while you can!”