In this episode of Gig Gab, you get the full story of how Kevin “KG” Glendinning cold-emailed his way from a Chicago suburb into a 25-year career mixing monitors for Alicia Keys, Maroon 5, Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus, Lorde, and more. You hear how a kid sweeping floors at dB Sound ended up on a Metallica tour bus with one piece of advice ringing in his ears: ask questions, stay late, and get a second job because you’re gonna need it. Kevin walks you through migrating artists to in-ear monitors, managing talkback culture for everyone from Eddie Vedder wanting baseball scores to Lorde’s tight production team, and what it takes to help reluctant guitar players finally ditch the wedges. If you’ve ever wondered what separates a good monitor engineer from a great one, this conversation lays it out.
You also dive deep into the art and science of making IEMs sound right in every room, every night. Kevin shares his process of minimal reduction: fixing a bad mix by figuring out what to take away, not what to add, and explains why tuning for in-ears is just as critical as tuning a PA. You learn why he flies 4,700 miles for a single gig, why the best mixes sometimes come from a throw-and-go, and how setting up dummy channels lets you experiment without wrecking the artist’s mix. He and Dave talk hearing Health, audiograms, the DPA capsule as the only open mic on the Lorde stage, and why knowing your own ears matters more than knowing your gear. Whether you’re mixing monitors at an arena or running sound at a club gig, this episode is packed with wisdom you can use tonight. Always Be Performing, folks!
- 00:00:00 Gig Gab 528 – Monday, April 6th, 2026
- 00:02:25 Hotmailing his way into a career
- Watched the credits of a Metallica documentary, realized DB Sound was near the house, emailed Harry… “Hi, I’m Kevin, and I’m interested in audio…” and the rest is history!
- 00:07:58 Got put on the road as an audio team assistant
- Trial by fire
- Advice from the team:
- Here’s what to do
- Here’s what not to do
- Ask questions, stay late, and get a second job because you’re gonna need it
- 00:11:22 Learning the personal touch parts of being on tour
- 00:12:52 Being the stage left PA tech, Kevin gravitated towards monitors
- 00:13:50 Talkback Culture
- Eddie Vedder wanted baseball scores in his talkback
- SOMBR for Coachella 2026 (Chris Rabold at FOH)
- 00:16:18 Managing multiple talkback channels
- 00:18:08 LORDE on Talkback
- 00:19:00 Talkback stories
- Jaret Reddick’s use of talkback mics in Bowling For Soup
- 00:20:51 Migrating to in-ears
- 00:25:09 Helping guitar players to IEMs
- 00:32:08 SPONSOR: Gusto. Get three months free when you run your first payroll when you start at https://gusto.com/giggab
- 00:33:44 Back to helping guitar players with IEMs
- Problem: when a vocal mic is downstage from a guitar amp
- Ian Beveridge with Foo Fighters
- Paul Simon prefers wedges
- Always be learning
- First: Learn the human being you’re going to be mixing for
- 00:41:27 The differences between mixing monitors for Miley Cyrus and Ella LORDE
- 00:42:48 Monitoring the Artists Monitors
- 00:47:50 Different rooms sound different on IEMs
- 01:04:06 Learn your own ears (not your IEMs, your human ears) first
- Take a hearing test with your phone if you can
- Kevin and Alicia Keys would go and get their hearing tested together, getting audiograms to compare
- 01:07:09 IEMs are the most personal audio interaction
- 01:09:46 Flying 4,700 miles to save the day
- Sometimes the throw-and-go results in the best mix because you’re not overthinking it
- Tip from Kevin: set up dummy channels to experiment without messing with the actual mix for the IEMs
- 01:15:57 Gig Gab 528 Outtro
- Follow Kevin Glendinning
- Contact Gig Gab!
The post Monitoring the Artists’ Monitors: IEM Wisdom from Kevin Glendinning – Gig Gab 528 appeared first on Gig Gab.
Dave Hamilton, a seasoned tech enthusiast, podcaster, and publisher, has dedicated the past three decades to aiding computer users globally. Known for his insightful advice and valuable product recommendations on the Mac Geek Gab podcast, Dave also enjoys an esteemed reputation as the founder of BackBeat Media, a network of fiercely independent publishers. His online publishing journey took off with The Mac Observer, an acclaimed Apple news site he co-founded in 1998 and led to its successful acquisition in 2021.
Beyond his tech-savvy persona, Dave embraces a vibrant life filled with music and family in the New Hampshire seacoast. He passionately performs with bands Bitter Pill and Fling, among other musical projects, creating a harmonic balance between his love for technology and music. Alongside his wife, Lisa, he raised their two children amidst this symphony of innovation, passion, and independent spirit, showcasing the power of embracing one's interests and using them to make a meaningful impact in the world.
