We took a trip to Japan in August for the annual Summer Sonic festival.

Amid the dual roar from hoards of fans and an eclectic blend of very loud rock acts, we found time to talk to a few veteran sound guys about their live sound engineering techniques.

Front of house (FOH) engineer Owen Hardman was working with Zebrahead at this year’s Summer Sonic. We took five with Mr. Hardman to ask him about his challenges, his triumphs and his favorite microphones to make the live mix the best it can be from the front of the house.

 Other than ridiculously hot, how did the show go for you?

It really was hot and the bands compulsory crew butler outfits didn’t help! The show went great and the response from the kids was awesome. Japan has always been good to Zebrahead and I think we all had a show deserving of the audience… despite the heat. I certainly had no issues.

Zebrahead has a lot going on onstage. What are the biggest challenges mixing this type of show?

There is a lot going on for sure and a lot of moving around, which can throw up some challenges. Keeping one eye on our rapper, Ali, is a must. He has a habit of wanting to let the crowds hear the cymbals, often ‘rocking out’ near the drums. I have only recently switched this lead vocal to the AEW-T6100A and the difference in this situation has been noticeable to say the least. Whether it’s the frequency response or the pop filter compared to what I’ve used previously, this mic has made life a lot easier.

I have all the usual challenges associated with mixing a guitar-driven rock band, a lot of which become more apparent in the club show scenarios. Everything has its place in the mix and I work closely with the guys to get the tones right at the amp end. I’m always looking for good definition; otherwise you’re in danger of just creating a wall of noise. The headroom and systems in general are often more forgiving on the outdoor festival shows.

It’s also always a challenge to get a guitar player to turn down!

Tell us a little about yourself: how you got into the pro audio industry, bands you have worked with, etc.

I’m just a guy that loves music!

I was in and around bands all the time as a youngster, playing guitar and helping out at local gigs. So after a short-lived career in the merchant navy, I decided that I wanted to make a life in music. I initially took a course in ‘Professional Sound & Video Technology’ at Salford University near Manchester. Alongside studying, I sought out some local sound companies and actually landed on my feet with a full production supplier called VME. These guys brought me into the industry at a different level from what I’d been used to previously and I was forced to learn quickly; from broadcast, theatre, television and the corporate world to the more familiar environments of clubs and festivals, they did it all. So it was my time spent there that really helped me to develop my skills and understanding of a much broader industry, and I never stopped doing the local gigs often promoting my own nights.

With all this experience came working with a variety of bands - from homegrown acts Failsafe, Feeder and Coldplay to more internationally recognized artists like The Undertones, The Fun Lovin Criminals and Cliff Richard; this is to name a very small percentage. It was a small tour support slot that landed me with Zebrahead. I went out with Failsafe as a support for A Wilhelm Scream. The headliner’s engineer did Zebrahead too, and obviously couldn’t do both bands at the same time and so as a result, I ended up covering for him with Zebrahead. We got on so well that I pretty much stayed with them in a variety of roles before finally moving from monitors to FOH and that’s where we’re at today!

Do you do anything special to maintain the health of your ears?

I don’t leave home without my ACS molded attenuators; I don’t mix with earplugs but most of my time on tour away from the board is spent with them in. You are just subjected to so much noise on the road, some good, some not so good, but gone are the days of going to bed with a ringing in my ears. I’ve learned a lot about the ear and protecting mine is a top priority. I wear ‘pro 17s’, which have a relatively flat frequency response and an attenuation of 17dB.

You have had a relationship with A-T for a while now and have a pretty full complement of A-T mics. Could you run down your mics and applications and why you choose a particular mic for a particular instrument?

Ok, well let’s start with drums - I have ATM250’s on the kick and both toms. This mic gives me such a big sound with inherent warmth. The low-end response is what drew me to this choice initially and I have not been disappointed.

The ATM650 is my snare top and an ATM450 on the bottom. The 650 just gives such a clear sound reproduction, whereas the side address nature of the 450 lets me position the mic in such a way that I can minimize spill and get a good flat response from the snare bottom.

Hi-hat and ride share the same choice, as I have an AE5100 on each; I can position this mic exactly where I want it on these cymbals and the cardioid pattern helps with the spill. For overheads, I have AE3000s, also cardioid. The 5100s seem to bring a bit more warmth to the hi-hat and ride and allow me a more specific position whereas the 3000s seem to be better suited to the overhead application with a pretty accurate audio representation.

Bass gets the SansAmp treatment and the cab is mic’d up with another ATM250 – for exactly the same reasons as I mentioned previously.

AE2500s on both guitars because they sound awesome!

Vocals are a mixture of AE4100s on BVs and 6100s on lead vocals, one of which is wireless. Both these mics are perfect for the any stage. Ali can get pretty close to the wedges, often unaware of the relative position of his mic, so the feedback rejection and low handling noise are great. The audio I get from these vocal mics is both prominent and precise. They are really hardwearing and ideally suited to life on the road - they take a beating and yet still sound as good as they did when I first got a hold of them. They give me a full high output too, great vocal mics for a rock band.

Do you have a favorite A-T mic and if so why?

Ha, yes, yes I do... the AE2500! Now I know you guys designed it as a kick drum mic, but they just work so well on guitars. The tonal representation and warmth is so well suited. Whereas with previous microphones I’ve found myself working that bit harder to hack the guitars into something useable but since using the 2500s, well if the tone is right at the amp, then its right out front! Definitely my favorite mic by far… that reminds me, I could do with another…

What would you say is the biggest challenge in your work?

Staying sober! I’m not sure whether you noticed the bar on-stage?

There are multiple challenges that come with life on the road; clean laundry, keeping in touch with home from many different time zones etc., etc.… and fixing gear! Making sure that everything works day in/day out throughout an entire tour can be one of the biggest challenges, as the gear gets hammered every day, but I do have a great team to help out. Our TM and guitar tech are both awesome at what they do and good friends. We all work well as a team and everything gets done and fixed!

What is your favorite part of the job?

The travelling and making friends worldwide is my favorite part. We are very lucky to have been well received in so many places and I honestly believe that there is no better way to learn about life than travel. I must admit, when that intro track finishes, the band kicks in and everything falls into place…well, that’s a pretty close second!

We’d like to thank Mr. Hardman again for giving us a unique perspective on the life of an FOH engineer on the road!