The Engineer Is in the Band: Instinct, Ears, and Live Sound with Mike deAlmeida
Gig Gab - The Working Musician's PodcastShow Notes
You’ve done gigs where nothing goes according to plan, but this episode reminds you that chaos is often the classroom. From sleeping on road cases at the Puerto Rican Day Parade to riding a flatbed packed with servo-driven subs that overwhelmed even earplugs and shooting cans, you hear how real-world pressure forges real skills. Mike deAlmeida walks you through learning to roll with it, figuring out systems on the fly before tools like Smaart were common, and walking into unknown gigs where the unknown singer/songwriter turns out to be Shawn Colvin. The lesson is clear: when you don’t know the band, communication is everything. Ask how they sound, listen closely, and remember that for that moment, you are part of the band. You’re playing the “mixing keyboard” today, so Always Be Performing.
As the night wears on, the room changes and so must you. Heat, humidity, and ear fatigue quietly shift the mix, especially in the highs and high-mids, and Mike explains why gradual adjustments beat drastic moves every time. You’re reminded to watch the show, not just the meters, and to listen first before using tools like Smaart to confirm what your ears already know. From sweating out microphones and treating them like EQ devices to protecting your hearing with custom molds, active earplugs, and smart exposure management, this episode ties craft, tech, and longevity together. Layer in legendary Celebrity Week stories, the Van Halen M&Ms lesson, and Beach Boys theatrics, and you’re left with one guiding principle: mix a good show, every time, because that’s how careers last.
00:00:00 Gig Gab 517 – Monday, January 19th, 2026
January 19th: Tin Can Day
Guest co-host: Mike deAlmeida, Program Director, Audio Engineering at University of Hartford
NAMM coming up!
GG Coverage Sponsor: Ultimate Ears Pro!
00:01:50 Puerto Rican Day Parade
Sleeping on road cases overnight
An insane number of speakers
Earplugs + Shooting cans STILL were too loud
Servo drives – highly efficient, but not fast. They have motors in them.
Security wouldn’t let us off the truck.
00:06:43 Gig learning vs. classroom learning
Learning to roll with it
00:08:52 When you don’t know the band
A little jazz band…as wallpaper
Sussed out the system manually (before the Smaart Live days!)
And a singer/songwriter… who turned out to be Shawn Colvin
00:12:52 Communicating with a band you’ve never seen
Very helpful tips:
“Here’s how our band sounds.”
Guitar players who manage their levels between rhythm and solos
As an engineer, you are a member of the band (for that moment)
“You play mixing keyboard today”
00:20:37 Teaching the foundation in class, students often seek practical experience on their own
Finding practical applications WHILE you’re in class is gold. You learn so much.
It all comes back to communication skills
For FOH engineers, watch the show! Pay attention to the band members
00:24:30 Sound changes throughout the night
Heat and humidity will cause ebbs and flows (especially outdoors, but even inside)
Watch the highs and high-mids
Sound travels faster through a thick medium
Gradual adjustments so it sounds better
Increasing the mains throughout the show to keep the perceived level due to ear fatigue
Smaart Live for tweaking live sound
Listen first, then use the gear to confirm what you’re hearing
00:31:35 When I mix, I want to hear a good show
So I tell the sound guy (me) to mix a good show
00:32:57 Using the tech to isolate live to find (and fix) problems
Beyerdynamic MM1 – a measurement mic AND a podcast mic
00:33:48 Learning the nuances of problems
00:35:24 Hot lights to add to the sun!
Sweating out microphones… heat shrink tubing plus medical tape solves it
Microphones are EQ devices – Matt from Roswell Audio
00:39:38 Mixing with earplugs?
Westone custom mold earplugs with 15dB Etymotic filters
Hearing protection vs. exposure time
US Navy study on hearing health with submarine crew
Huberman Lab episode on hearing health
00:4
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