This week we discuss redundancy (one of our favorites) and a very closely related topic, division of labor. What are they? Which is more important? Is one more expensive than the other? Take your first step towards becoming a world-class Playback Engineer, download our free Playback Template! Download for Free https://fromstudiotostage.com/template Send us a question on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/fromstudiotostageig/ Links & Resources Mentioned in this Video https://pages.fromstudio...
Jul 28, 2025•27 min•Season 2Ep. 15
We're back with a 2nd episode with our friend, Tyler Prange. Tyler shares some wisdom about getting gigs, meeting people in the industry, and some advice for people trying to get started in the world of playback. Take your first step towards becoming a world-class Playback Engineer, download our free Playback Template! Download for Free https://fromstudiotostage.com/template Send us a question on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/fromstudiotostageig/ Links & Resources Mentioned in this Vid...
Jul 21, 2025•37 min•Season 2Ep. 14
This week we're joined by Will's long time friend, former student, and coworker, Tyler Prange. Tyler is a professional, world traveling, playback engineer with a wealth of experience and knowledge to share. Take your first step towards becoming a world-class Playback Engineer, download our free Playback Template! Download for Free https://fromstudiotostage.com/template Send us a question on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/fromstudiotostageig/ Links & Resources Mentioned in this Video htt...
Jul 14, 2025•41 min•Season 2Ep. 13
Join Will for the final solo episode in the All By Myself series as he answers some rapid-fire IG questions. Check below for links mentioned during the episode. YouTube - Part 1 YouTube - Part 2 Take your first step towards becoming a world-class Playback Engineer, download our free Playback Template! Download for Free https://fromstudiotostage.com/template Send us a question on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/fromstudiotostageig/ Links & Resources Mentioned in this Video https://pages.f...
Jul 08, 2025•23 min•Season 2Ep. 12
Will is back with another solo episode from the road. Will is back with another solo episode from the road. In this rapid fire style episode, Will answers X questions about Dante, redundancy when using Timecode, using the Radial BackTrack, and managing CPU usage with Ableton. YouTube - Part 1 Take your first step towards becoming a world-class Playback Engineer, download our free Playback Template! Download for Free https://fromstudiotostage.com/template Send us a question on Instagram https://w...
Jun 30, 2025•15 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Will is on the road for a run of three shows and decides to take some time out for some rapid fire IG questions. Topics include redundancy, stem leveling, and more! Take your first step towards becoming a world-class Playback Engineer, download our free Playback Template! Download for Free https://fromstudiotostage.com/template Send us a question on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/fromstudiotostageig/ Links & Resources Mentioned in this Video https://pages.fromstudiotostage.com/backline ...
Jun 23, 2025•17 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Will hits the brakes on this week's episode to drop some serious motivation. While we don't specifically get into discussing playback, check out these four tips for success that can apply to anything! Take your first step towards becoming a world-class Playback Engineer, download our free Playback Template! Download for Free https://fromstudiotostage.com/template Send us a question on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/fromstudiotostageig/ Links & Resources Mentioned in this Video https://p...
Jun 16, 2025•35 min•Season 2Ep. 9
This week's episode is short and sweet as we revisit a very popular topic at From Studio to Stage: Timecode! Will answers a question about how to use Timecode with the PlayAUDIO1U and we break down exactly what is Timecode is and how to use it. Take your first step towards becoming a world-class Playback Engineer, download our free Playback Template! Download for Free https://fromstudiotostage.com/template Send us a question on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/fromstudiotostageig/ Links &...
Jun 09, 2025•12 min•Season 2Ep. 8
This week, we take a break from answering your questions as Will takes us behind the scenes of a recent show at the world famous Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado. Key Takeaways: 1. Have a bias towards change 2. Stay in the moment (Stay engaged) 3. Read the room Take your first step towards becoming a world-class Playback Engineer, download our free Playback Template! Download for Free https://fromstudiotostage.com/template Send us a question on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/fromstudiotos...
Jun 02, 2025•23 min•Season 2Ep. 7
On this week's episode of Behind the Space Bar, we're talking about buts. No, not the kind that Sir Mix-a-Lot likes. We're discussing reasons why Ableton might be drifting out of sync while using the PlayAUDIO1U and all the "buts" that Will has heard about why these things tend to happen. Take your first step towards becoming a world-class Playback Engineer, download our free Playback Template! Download for Free https://fromstudiotostage.com/template Send us a question on Instagram https://www.i...
May 26, 2025•21 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Join us on Behind The Space Bar as we discuss using Dante with Ableton Live and the different ways to achieve redundancy for live performance! Take your first step towards becoming a world-class Playback Engineer, download our free Playback Template! Download for Free https://fromstudiotostage.com/template Send us a question on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/fromstudiotostageig/ Links & Resources Mentioned in this Video https://pages.fromstudiotostage.com/backline https://www.getdante.c...
May 19, 2025•25 min•Season 2Ep. 5
On this week's episode of Behind the Space Bar, we're answering your questions about redundant light setups and dip our toes into pyro automation. Take your first step towards becoming a world-class Playback Engineer, download our free Playback Template! Download for Free https://fromstudiotostage.com/template Send us a question on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/fromstudiotostageig/ Links & Resources Mentioned in this Video https://pages.fromstudiotostage.com/backline iConnectivity - Pl...
May 12, 2025•20 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Today on the show we tackle timecode vs. MIDI for ProPresenter control; and walkthrough how to use ProPresenter to trigger Ableton! Take your first step towards becoming a world-class Playback Engineer, download our free Playback Template! Download for Free https://fromstudiotostage.com/template Send us a question on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/fromstudiotostageig/ Links & Resources Mentioned in this Video How to Trigger Ableton Live from ProP... Controlling ProPresenter with Ableton...
May 05, 2025•24 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Welcome to the first episode of the new Behind the Space Bar podcast! We're answering our first two questions in the new format today, and providing some tips on two of the most important topics related to creating and building a playback rig. Take your first step towards becoming a world-class Playback Engineer, download our free Playback Template! Download for Free https://fromstudiotostage.com/template Send us a question on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/fromstudiotostageig/ ★ Support th...
Apr 28, 2025•27 min•Season 2Ep. 2
The long national nightmare is now over, Behind the Space Bar is back! We're back with a new format, and an opportunity to get your questions answered live on the show! Take your first step towards becoming a world-class Playback Engineer, download our free Playback Template! Download for Free https://fromstudiotostage.com/template Send us a question on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/fromstudiotostageig/ ★ Support this podcast ★...
Apr 21, 2025•8 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Imagine it's the first night of a an international tour. You're hired as tech to help with playback and drums, and suddenly the MD and keys player gets sick. You've got to step up and run playback and play keys. COULD YOU DO IT? That's exactly what my student David Dombrowski had to do. You'll hear how it went, and why he had the confidence he could make it happen. David is a touring drummer, playback tech, and all around great guy. He was one of the first people to go through my coaching cohort...
Oct 30, 2023•58 min•Season 1Ep. 75
Get Access to my weekly group coaching calls 👇 https://fromstudiotostage.com/subscribe In this episode of "Behind the Space Bar," Will shares tips and tricks for successfully upgrading the operating system (OS) on a computer used for live performances. He emphasizes the importance of waiting for bugs to be fixed and being intentional about the timing of the upgrade. Key Takeaways: -Wait for bugs to be fixed and choose the right timing for the OS upgrade. -Back up files and the entire computer s...
Oct 23, 2023•18 min•Season 1Ep. 74
In this episode of "Behind the Spacebar," Will discusses the essential skills needed to become a successful playback engineer. He emphasizes the importance of service, the ability to say "yes" instead of "no," effective file management, quick edits, working quickly, handling multiple tasks, and staying calm under pressure. Key Takeaways: Playback engineering is all about service and making the artist or band feel comfortable. Saying "yes" instead of "no" is crucial for success as a playback engi...
Oct 16, 2023•13 min•Season 1Ep. 73
Building a Playback rig? Don't make this mistake that I see all too often in new Playback Techs. The Playback and Playback Tech community is a wonderful community. I love the trend of sharing rig builds and learning what others are doing. Seeing the gear others rely on, and what they use to craft their sound is inspiring. But... I'm noticing an alarming trend with these Beautiful, Instagram worthy rigs... I share my thoughts in todays episode of Behind the Space Bar. #uglyrigsarebeautiful ★ Supp...
Sep 18, 2023•13 min•Season 1Ep. 72
If you're just starting out with Ableton or using tracks, you're not a burden-we're glad you're here! Every month, I hold a call just for From Studio to Stage students. [Want access? Join me here: https://fromstudiotostage.com/subscribe ] This past month, I noticed an alarming trend. There were multiple people asking questions, and apologizing for how "basic" they were. They were apologizing for "being in the way" because they're just starting out. I quickly let them know: -you don't need to apo...
Sep 04, 2023•8 min•Season 1Ep. 71
I’m no swifty… but T-Swift got it right… I’m the problem.. it’s me. Do you believe that the next piece of gear will unlock your potential? We'll debunk the myth of external factors and shed light on the internal drive that genuinely propels us forward. 🚀 Understanding the difference between internal vs. external motivators. Personal experiences from years of coaching students on stage performance with Ableton Live. Three invaluable tips to help you make real progress in your musical journey. Wh...
Aug 21, 2023•20 min•Season 1Ep. 70
Are you trying to convince your band to use tracks? Here’s a difference approach you can take. I get it. You’ve seen the light. You want your band to use tracks. It’s going to improve your sound, make it easier to perform on stage, but you can’t get the rest of your band on board. I’ve been there. I’ve coached students that are there (or have been there). We can address every objection your bandmates may have…but sometimes you’ve got to take a different approach. In today’s episode of Behind the...
Aug 14, 2023•16 min•Season 1Ep. 69
Sure — anybody can learn how to use Ableton as a software program. But the ones who master using Ableton on stage don’t think of it like that. What’s the difference between knowing how to use Ableton and using it on stage to put on a killer performance? It’s pretty simple, really. It’s your mindset in how you approach it. If you only view Ableton as just software, you limit it to being utilitarian. It’s just there to do a job. But I’m going to teach you a different way to approach it — one you’r...
Jul 31, 2023•22 min•Season 1Ep. 68
Martin Roberts has had a successful career bringing artists’ records to life on stage (including Shawn Mendes, M83, and others). He’s a playback engineer, music director, system designer, and just an all-around pro. Watch the interview to hear Martin’s thoughts on live performance, playback, gear & music tech, and what it was like working with Shawn Mendes. ★ Support this podcast ★
Jul 24, 2023•55 min•Season 1Ep. 67
The bands that use backing tracks the best are the ones that do it without anyone noticing. But how do they do it? Context is everything. EDM, cover bands, acoustic bands — all different types of bands use tracks. But they don’t all put the same stuff in the tracks because, well, it would be ludicrous for an 808 drop to happen in an acoustic set (or would it be awesome, actually?). Watch for some tips to think through your context and examples of potential types of sounds to put in your tracks. ...
Jun 19, 2023•19 min•Season 1Ep. 66
Brian (Not Brain) Funk teaches a class at Berklee Online Online, hosts the The Music Production Podcast, and creates sample packs for Ableton Live (and is also an Ableton Live Certified Trainer). How in the world does he do it all? I got to sit down with Brian to discuss his crazy schedule and how he stays productive and creative with so many things to juggle. This conversation was pure gold, and I learned a ton from chatting with Brian. Not just about Ableton Live, but about creativity, product...
Jun 12, 2023•1 hr 16 min•Season 1Ep. 65
There’s a lot that goes into a redundant playback rig, and it can feel pretty complex to figure out. So, the natural question is…is it really worth all that time and money? I break it all down for you in this video so you can know whether or not you really should invest in one or if you can get by without it. ★ Support this podcast ★
Jun 05, 2023•16 min•Season 1Ep. 64
I’ve helped thousands of people get more out of Ableton. But you shouldn’t trust me. Apparently the best way to trigger anyone who uses Ableton is to show them another way to do things. I’ve spent years creating hundreds of videos and tutorials about using Ableton on stage, and most people have found them helpful (over 4,000 people have now downloaded my free tracks template: http://fromstudiotostage.com/template ). But a lot of people are pretty resistant to it. Some ask thoughtful questions or...
May 29, 2023•12 min•Season 1Ep. 63
If you’re stepping on stage to do anything, embarrassing mistakes are part of the job. I share some of mine and some of my favorites that you all shared with me. If you’ve ever experienced a major on-stage fail, you know what it’s like to want to just crawl into a hole…forever. But you gotta laugh at yourself and just take it on the chin. Especially because you’re not alone! Everyone has been there. Check out some of these stories of major on-stage fails to give yourself a little encouragement a...
May 22, 2023•20 min•Season 1Ep. 62
Jeff is the creator of one of my favorite MIDI controllers ever made: the Oakboard Mini. In this interview, Jeff talks about how he came up with the idea for the Oakboard Mini, and how that eventually grew into a fully-fledged music software and hardware company. I love Jeff’s story because he never set out to start a company. He just started solving his own problems by learning to code. He built a small MIDI controller to do exactly what he needed it to do. Turns out he wasn’t the only one expe...
May 15, 2023•47 min•Season 1Ep. 61
