What’s it like going from drum tech to mixing stadium shows for legends? In this week’s Gig Gab, you join Scottie Baldwin and Dave Hamilton as they dive into the artistry behind live sound. From getting the call from Prince’s drummer to Sheila E nudging him toward sound, Scottie shares tricks like frequency gating and translating wild artist requests—think Gaga’s “lavender knife”—into killer mixes. You’ll get insight into how musicality trumps technicality, why mixing is more like managing real estate, and how to blend audience energy with screen-streaming perfection. Always Be Performing isn’t just a catchphrase—it’s a mindset Scottie lives onstage and behind the board.
You’ll walk away with tactical takeaways: define your audience avatar, teach your engineer with clarity, and keep a Dropbox of reference tracks. Whether you’re prepping a show for JJ Lin in Asia or working FOH like Scottie did for Prince, this episode is packed with practical wisdom. Learn why adding song titles to count-offs matters, why great gear relationships matter even more, and how timecode and iPads are redefining tour precision. There’s even a sharp take on Phish’s mixes and the culture gap in musicianship. Get in, geek out, and level up your live game.
- 00:00:00 Gig Gab 479 – Monday, April 28th, 2025
- April 28th: National Blueberry Pie Day
- Guest co-host: Scottie Baldwin
- 00:01:39 Eddie Van Halen’s Jump guitar solo started it all…
- 00:02:38 Michael Bland, Prince’s drummer brings on a non-drummer as his drum tech
- 00:03:29 Sheila E says Scottie should do sound!
- 00:06:54 Scottie’s Trick for Drums: Frequency Gating
- Always Be Musical
- 00:08:37 Gaga said make me sound like a lavender knife
- Being a live sound producer
- The value of the musicality
- Understanding the purpose
- 00:12:07 Dissecting mix collision
- Mixing is a real-estate game
- 00:16:18 Engineers mixing for a screen vs being an audience member
- 00:18:05 Working as a team with an artist
- 00:19:58 Prince wanted to make sure fans’ kids heard the lyrics
- 00:21:36 Not reading music was…a feature!
- 00:24:09 Learning the culture of the music you’re creating
- Mixing the show for JJ Lin
- 00:27:05 Find an avatar that represents your audience
- 00:30:11 “Today, it’s my building”
- 00:32:49 Speaking Mandarin
- 00:35:10 Learning how to teach an engineer what you’re doing/wanting
- Make three, easily-digestible bullet points
- Name artists that you want to sound “like”
- Use a Dropbox to share songs
- 00:41:25 Adding the name of the song to your count-offs
- The Fray
- Or just add the song
- 00:47:19 Have good relationships with your gear, the artist, and the material
- 00:48:36 Engaging with the crowd
- Dave Hampton, Scottie’s Mentor
- 00:54:03 Being a Live Sound Engineer AND a Recording Engineer at the Same Time
- Dave’s concerns about Phish being mixed for the stream and not for the room
- One Night Alone…Live! – Scottie’s FOH mix
- 00:58:58 Cutting a record every night
- 01:03:43 Mixing Monitors
- 01:10:01 Prince’s monitors and his producer-brain
- 01:16:51 Everyone on JJ Lin’s tour is on timecode and iPads
- Level of musicianship in Asia is higher than here in the US — Scottie Baldwin
- Jolin Tsai
- 01:20:36 Gig Gab 479 Outtro
- Follow Scottie Baldwin
- Contact Gig Gab!
- @GigGabPodcast on Instagram
- [email protected]
- Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List
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