Audio jargon

[brubart]

Can anyone explain these abbreviations?
LD (Lighting Director?)
SM (Sound Mixer?)


Thanks,
Bruce Bartlett

[rochem]

It really depends a lot on the context - what venue, what kind of show, what part of the country. But in general:

LD - usually means Lighting Designer, although it could be Lighting Director depending on the situation.

SM - almost always means Stage Manager. I can't imagine why someone would abbreviate Sound Mixer to be SM, because there would be mass confusion from doing that.

[DaveySimps]

I agree it has much to do with context. However, when found on this site or in theatre in general, SM should refer to the Stage Manager, and LD should refer to Lighting Designer.

~Dave

[brubart]

Thanks for the explanations. Is there an abbreviation for the sound mixer person? Is there an abbreviation SD for Sound Designer?

Bruce Bartlett
Bartlett Microphones in Elkhart, Indiana - home page

[rochem]

I dont know if there's an actual acronym for the person who actually mixes the show. I've heard that position called Sound Engineer, Sound Mixer, Sound Operator, and other similar titles. I think if you were to abbreviate Sound Designer as SD, most people (in a theatre setting) would know what you mean, but it's not as easily recognized as LD or SM.

[Eboy87]

Originally Posted by brubart

Thanks for the explanations. Is there an abbreviation for the sound mixer person? Is there an abbreviation SD for Sound Designer

Yes. The person who mixes the show is generally referred to as the A1. Keeping in kind, his assistant is the A2. I've heard the wireless wranglers referred to as RF before, but I've never really had a dedicated RF person on any of my shows, that job always falls to the A2 here (if we even have one). I've never come across an abbreviatation for sound designer, I guess SD would work, you just have to make sure people don't think you're talking about the set designer. (That was funnier in my head).

[epimetheus]

In my personal experience the person in charge of sound is generally referred to as "the sound guy" or ***hole. I respond to both.

[AlexD]

Originally Posted by epimetheus

In my personal experience the person in charge of sound is generally referred to as "the sound guy" or ***hole. I respond to both.

How kind of them! I know the Sound operator as SO (the guy who is on the mixer in a show) and LO as lighting operator. And some one who dose both has Han! as in Han Solo! hehe

[Dionysus]

The person who mixes the show is sometimes also called the "front of house audio" person. I've also heard "House Engineer", and countless others. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a 100% standard there.

[Lotos]

It's important to remember that this varies from house to house, region to region, and country to country...

F.O.H. Audio is fairly common here in Ontario.

P.S. Dionysus... Hey Steve, how's it going? Drop me a P.M. sometime.