Not just noise

Some student groups put together events and socials a few times each term. Portland State Professional Sound does this, and more. The group not only blasts the campus with music and sound, but will also teach a full credit class on mastering the art next term.

The history of PSPS is a history of service to the school, according to Joel Eisenhower, the program coordinator for the group. PSPS was formerly known as the Popular Music Board, initially established to bring concerts and live music to PSU.

“Over time, as PSU acquired more sound equipment, the focus of PSPS shifted from putting on concerts to more of a support group for other student group on campus where we not only provide the sound system for free, but also the sound technician,” Eisenhower said. “We come to an event, set up the sound system, and take down everything afterward.”

Currently, PSPS is the only student group that has the capability of providing sound support to large campus events, including the recent Party Near the Park at the beginning of winter term. Eisenhower and Reed McCarger, a PSU senior majoring in chemistry, oversee a team of eight part time student-technicians.

McCarger explained that PSPS student-technicians not only get paid for their work, but they also gain valuable experience before getting into the competitive sound industry.

“It’s a very hard industry to work for, you kind of need to have a strong technical background. In a real industry, students don’t get the opportunity to mess up because they’re dealing with expensive sound equipment,” McCarger said. “With us, we allow them to do that where they can work in a low pressure environment.”

McCarger said his first experience working with sound was during high school when he interned for a radio station. He recalled how he would go straight to the radio station after school to learn the basics of sound engineering. His interest in technology and sound equipment led to his job as an electronic repairman with Geek Squad.

Before McCarger and Eisenhower became coordinators for the group, Eisenhower said PSPS provided little training to its technicians and the group relied on hiring only those who had strong technical skills.

Right around the time that Eisenhower became coordinator, PSU cut the recording art and music production program, of which Eisenhower was one of the program’s last graduating class.

“Reed and I, at that point, saw ourselves and saw the group as the only training ground in sound at Portland State,” Eisenhower said. “Not only are we a service group, we’re also an outlet for people to learn about sound.”

McCarger, as the production coordinator for the group, provides all student-technicians basic training in sound equipment and also supervised 60 percent of the events PSPS has worked for. He also fixed and serviced all equipment used by the group and used it as an opportunity to teach other technicians to help them gain more skills.

Sitting in his office, he explained the difference between a good sound technician and a bad one.

“A bad sound guy is a guy that does this,” he said, motioning his hand as if holding a knob and turn it rapidly, “where as a good sound guy is someone that turns it lightly and listens to the sound.”

During spring term, McCarger and Eisenhower will further share their expertise in sound to students by teaching a 4-credit course through Chiron Studies called “Fundamentals of Sound Engineering.”

“The course basically will be getting people ready to be a sound engineer either in a studio or in a live environment,” Eisenhower said, “We’re going to cover the basics of audio physics, cycle acoustics, as well as setting up sound systems, microphones, speakers and teach about equalization. We will also be getting into more advanced sound system design.”