Music Director vs Sound designer

This sounds like a double-barrel loaded question, not gonna lie!

But for what it’s worth, neither in my opinion. At my PAC the TD or show director gets the final word. Sound designers tend to mix SFX heavy, music directors want to hear the score. Too much bias either way; when an unbiased technical decision has to be made, I ask the TD to intervene.

If you’re asking for an opinion, I will always support a sound designer over a music director with the exception of during a musical performance, when the score drives the content. Otherwise, it’s similar to a cinematic film: whatever drives the story gets the focus, and sound design usually ekes out just ahead.

IMHO <— disclaimer
 
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Ultimately, the producer's top person is the director. Regarding the mix itself, I generally think the sound designer but the MD will have more pull with the director.

Overheard a conversation between a SD, visiting a tour stop to "freshen and fix" a show that had been out for several months, the SD told the A1, "I noticed you under mixed the trombone part in bar #... of the XYZ Song." "Yeah, well he's been playing flat..." "Look, keep the part at the level I set and let him suck out loud. The MD should be dealing with that."

FWIW
 
As the previous posts indicate, it's a tough question to answer. It really depends on the level of the production too. I suspect the question might be loaded, too, from the OP.

I've always relied on the director's guidance, which sometimes as a sound person I receive from the MD anyways. If it's things specifically related to the pit mix or vocal mix, probably the MD. If it's not musical content, and we are talking about SFX vs spoken word or music, then probably the director.

In my experience, the SD can try to make those decisions until someone higher up the food chain decides they don't like whatever the SD was doing. Really depends on the relationship between parties involved and the level of the production. Anything at or below college level, probably the SD. Anything above that or getting into semi-professional paid gigs, the Director or their designee.
 
I think it's always the producer's decision. At a church or school, the most executive person there with power of the pen.

In general, any event is about compromise and those in creative coordination with each other understand that. No one truly wants to drown out the band with sound fx or vice versa.

On the radio station I listen to on my morning commute, there's one guy who plays idiotic stingers randomly which are always obnoxious, too loud and unneeded. I often text in something subtlety critical. I'm happy on his sick days because no one else sees the need for them.
No matter who tells you to do what, or what power you think you have, don't piss people off with your choices.
 

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