We were pretty stoked to sit down with Kevin “Tater”McCarthy at the 2013 Summer Sonic Festival in Japan! Tater is a monitor engineer (MON) for Linkin Park, which means it’s his job to make sure the monitor mix is just right onstage for the band. We sat down with Tater to talk about his history, his preferred equipment and the work dynamic involved in perfecting the monitor mix.

Wow. It was blisteringly hot out today. I must say after watching you break down gear after the performance, you may truly be one of the hardest working men in show business. How did the show go for you?

It was the hottest day I have ever worked outside in my career. I remember the console holding me up and Chester coming over a couple of times to get out of the sun. It felt like someone had a hair dryer in your mouth on low. We had to break down and go to another stage and load in again because Mike and Chester did a performance with DJ Steve Aoki and they wanted their entire monitor rig there for that. A day to remember for sure!! But I love Summer Sonic. It really is a great festival. Tell us a little about yourself…how you got into the pro audio industry, bands you have worked with, etc. I started out with Showco in 1987 and was there until 1997 when I went freelance. I have worked with so many great bands – I have been very fortunate. When I look back, it really was a great time to go freelance. When I first started and I would say up until about 1994 or 1995, bands hired the sound company because their engineers worked there. Freelance engineers were very, very rare. The tide seemed to turn right about then and now it is the complete opposite. The list of bands is long, so I will give you the last few years. Linkin Park is really my main account, along with Slash, Stone Temple Pilots, who I am working with now, and Judas Priest. You have worked with Pooch (Ken Van Druten) for quite some time and it seems like you guys get along pretty well! How important is it to have a good working relationship between FOH (Front of House) and MON engineers? A good working relationship is really needed with everyone on the crew, not just between FOH and MONs. But saying that, I guess really Pooch and I do a lot of stuff that is unsaid, as we know each other’s work habits so well. I think his mix really complements me on stage. Do you do anything special to maintain the health of your ears? Not really. At a festival, I make sure I have earplugs in and gun muffs on whenever I can. I always carry earplugs with me when I go out just in case I need them. Just being aware of the surrounding noise and taking precautions. Loading the truck is one place where people do not realize how loud it is. What Audio-Technica mics are you currently using and for what applications? Feel free to elaborate on why you choose a particular A-T mic. We use lots of A-T mics. I use a BP4029 stereo shotgun for the audience mic, AE2500 for the kick drum, AE3000’s on all the drum kit toms, ATM350’s on the extra toms and AT4047MP on guitars. They are all great sounding mics and hold up to what we put them through on the road. Do you have a favorite A-T mic and if so why? Really, all the mics listed above are my favorites for those applications. I know those microphones very well and know what to expect out of them. What are the unique challenges of mixing monitors for a band like Linkin Park? WOW, I could write a book on that question. I would say giving each band member’s mix the same amount of attention during the show. I do not just have one or two artists and a band – I have six equal members that deserve my attention. Also, lots of cues, cues and more cues. But it is so much fun to mix them and it keeps me busy during the show. What would you say is the biggest challenge in your work? I really would just say the hours of the workday, then the travel. I do the shows for free; they just pay me to stay up long hours and travel. Some people get into this job because of the travel and to me that is the wrong reason. Those people are easy to spot. What is your favorite part of the job? Really, when the time comes for the show and actually mixing the show is the best part. That is the end result of a hard day’s work and when it goes good, it gives you a feeling of real accomplishment. Also, getting to work with so many talented musicians is great. We’d like to thank Mr. McCarthy for his insights into the process. Keep checking the A-T blog for more professional information!