Dave Unger

Current

Freelance Sound Engineer at Sones De Mexico Ensemble
Live Sound Technician at Chicago Cultural Center
Freelance Sound Engineer at Old Town School of Folk Music

Owner at Dave Unger Freelance Sound Engineer

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Past

Touring Front of House Engineer at Old Blind Dogs
sound guy at Wise Fools Pub, Chicago, IL
soundguy at HotHouse

Shop Worker and Tech at Db Sound Image
FOH, Monitors, Crew Chief, etc. at Wanderlust Light and Sound
Sound Guy at Union Street Station, Traverse City, MI
Audio and Lighting at Milliken Auditorium, Northwestern MI College, Traverse City, MI

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Education

Antioch University
Northwestern Michigan College

Recommended

8 people have recommended Dave

Connections

134 connections

Industry

Music

Websites

Dave Unger’s Summary

I learned my trade by working 20 hour days mixing festivals for a small but professional sound company called Wanderlust Light and Sound. My mentor was an old school engineer by the name of Bob Farmer. He taught me to love the RE20 and the 421. Meanwhile, I refined my mixing chops in a bar that featured, at the time, every regional band in the midwest. I mixed 1000 plus shows there. The last few years they started a folk music series, where I discovered my affinity for mixing this genre.

I moved to Chicago like an immigrant in order to find more work. It is a great city and has provided me with some excellent opportunities. I am a freelance FOH sound engineer. My specialty is acoustic music. I work for various venues including The Old Town School of Folk Music and the Chicago Cultural Center. I also work for bands including Sones de Mexico and did a tour with Old Blind Dogs

Dave Unger’s Specialties:

I’m proficient with all analogue mixing consoles for FOH as well as monitors. I’m well versed in gain structure, signal flow, feedback reduction, etc. I have specific experience with: Midas, Yamaha, etc. I have also worked with digital boards. I’ve worked with all major out-board gear: dynamics, e.q.s, effects etc.

I’m truly anal about stagecraft including keeping my cables runs neat and dressed and properly wrapping cables and zeroing consoles at the end of the gig.

Dave Unger’s Experience

Freelance Sound Engineer

Sones De Mexico Ensemble

(Music industry)

April 2006 — Present (3 years 8 months)

I mix sound for Sones De Mexico Ensemble here in Chicago whenever I can. They are a six piece traditional Mexican folk group. I have worked with them at such venues as Old Town School of Folk Music, Harris Theater, Hothouse, Martyrs, The Sheridan Correctional Center, and best of all the magnificent Auditorium Theater.

They were nominated for a Latin Grammy for their newest record, "Esta Tierra es Tuya (This Land Is Your Land)". They were also nominated for a Grammy for Best Mexican/Mexican American Album for the same release.

In October and November of 2009 I toured with Sones as FOH engineer on their IMPACT tour, sponsored by the Ohio Arts Council. We also did two shows playing classical compositions with the graduate brass quintet of the Michigan State University Music School.

http://www.sonesdemexico.com/index2.html
Live Sound Technician

Chicago Cultural Center

(Entertainment industry)

March 2006 — Present (3 years 9 months)

I’m an employee responsible for many duties including live concert sound, live recording, LCD video projection, AV for meetings, and some lights. We do public as well as private events. We do many dance, theater, and performance art events. We also do many events for the city outside of the Cultural Center including Summerdance, World Music Festival, Great Performers of Illinois Festival, Sondheim in the Park, and numerous events in Millennium Park. I have done sound for Mayor Daley and many foreign dignitaries here as well. This job also features a very flexible schedule allowing me to work freelance gigs like…

http://egov.cityofchicago.org/
Freelance Sound Engineer

Old Town School of Folk Music

(Non-Profit; Music industry)

October 2005 — Present (4 years 2 months)

I do freelance FOH and monitor engineering here for national as well as regional acts. The room is spectacular and I love the P.A. I have had the pleasure of mixing some fine acts here, from country and folk, to world and jazz. I have worked quite a few of Robbie Fulks' Secret Country radio shows for XM.

Artists I have mixed here include: Abrigail Washburn with Bela Fleck, Tim O'brian, Chris Smither, Tom Paxton, Graham Parker, Fairport Convention, Del McCoury, Robyn Hitchcock, etc.

I have been the in house system tech or monitor engineer for many well known artists here including The Flatlanders, Jerry Douglas, Allen Tousaint, etc.

I also worked their Folk and Roots Festival the last two years mixing the staff stage which consists of 32 acts in two days!

http://www.oldtownschool.org/concerts/
Owner

Dave Unger Freelance Sound Engineer

(Music industry)

1999 — Present (10 years )

I work often as a freelance sound engineer. I can work both FOH and Monitors equally well. I have a number of steady clients I have listed here as seperate positions.
Touring Front of House Engineer

Old Blind Dogs

(Music industry)

September 2007 — October 2007 (2 months)

I was the touring engineer for OBD, a Scottish folk group. September of '07 was my first excursion with them, touring many venues from festivals to folk clubs. I may tour with them again. They are a great bunch of guys, and their music is very cool.

http://www.oldblinddogs.co.uk/tour.asp
sound guy

Wise Fools Pub, Chicago, IL

(Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Hospitality industry)

October 2005 — March 2007 (1 year 6 months)

I used to do freelance FOH engineering here occasionally. They have a decent little bar PA in a small room. This was my token rock gig. After awhile $100 and free beer couldn’t get me to leave the house anymore. My ears couldn’t take the rock anymore either!

http://www.myspace.com/wisefoolspub
soundguy

HotHouse

(Non-Profit; 11-50 employees; Entertainment industry)

May 2006 — July 2006 (3 months)

I ran sound for a short while here. I became too busy with other commitments to continue.
Shop Worker and Tech

Db Sound Image

(Events Services industry)

October 2005 — January 2006 (4 months)

Employee. Monitor engineering. Speaker repair. Truck packing. Cable repair. Tour support. Laid off and chose not to return. Maybe if they paid me more than $8.50/hr I might have gone back. They were bought by Claire Bro.s last year, but here is their old web site.

http://www.dbsound.com/main.htm
FOH, Monitors, Crew Chief, etc.

Wanderlust Light and Sound

(Entertainment industry)

March 1998 — October 2005 (7 years 8 months)

This job is where I learned my craft. Bob Farmer was my mentor and taught me much of what I know. I was a subcontractor responsible for: FOH, Monitors, System Teching, Lighting Design and Operation, Crew Chief, Warehouse Management, Rigging of a 60k ETC flown lighting truss, Case and Stage Building, Maintenance of gear, Truck Driving (24’ Straight Truck), Pack calling, Electrical, Stage and Roof, some backline. Wanderlust mostly does one offs and festivals, and has worked with
national acts from the Dixie Chicks to Three Doors Down, many regional bands, as well as corporate events and weddings. We also did quite a few ice shows. I left to come to Chicago

http://www.rosewander.com/
Sound Guy

Union Street Station, Traverse City, MI

(Privately Held; 11-50 employees; Entertainment industry)

1998 — 2005 (7 years )

This bar is where I refined my sound chops. I was head engineer for about five of the seven years I worked here. I got to do sound for national acts including Kid Rock, Kenny Olsen (Kid Rock’s guitar player until recently), Verucka Salt, The Young Dubliners, Drew Abbott, The Red Elvises, Mem Shannon, Larry McCray. Selected regional acts include: The Ghettobillies, Steppin In It, Sista Otis and Bumpus. National folk acts included Chris Smither, Peter Ostroushko, The Mammals. This gig was my bread and butter for years. I probably mixed 1000+ shows here over the years. Left to come to Chicago.

http://www.unionstreetstation.net/
Audio and Lighting

Milliken Auditorium, Northwestern MI College, Traverse City, MI

(Non-Profit; 501-1000 employees; Entertainment industry)

1998 — 2005 (7 years )

This auditorium is host to many national acts every year. Here I mostly did lighting design and operation for national jazz, blues, and world beat acts, I also did museum exhibit lighting, maintenance of lighting instruments (Mostly Altman ellipsoids and par cans). I also worked with visiting L.D.s for touring theater companies, designed for local theater and dance productions, and did some rigging. I did some FOH sound. Left to come to Chicago.

http://www.dennosmuseum.org/milliken/