Allsorts Audio

Allsorts Audio is the trading name of Dave Liquorice MIBS, a freelance Broadcast Sound Engineer with over 30 years of experience in the industry and a full member of the Institute of Broadcast Sound.

Curriculum Vitae

Web Page

CV_Dave_Liquorice.pdf (156.7KB)

Bookings

This list only shows actual broadcast related work.
It does not show private or other commitments.

Updated: 28 Feb 2010

Date	Company	Programme	Location	Role
28 Feb	NEP Visions	Sky Sports (Football)	Sunderland	Sound Assistant (Commentary Position)
17 Feb	NEP Visions	Sky Sports (Football)	Wigan	Sound Assistant (Commentary Position)
6 Feb	NEP Visions	Sky Sports (Football)	Sunderland	Sound Assistant (Pitch Side)

Previous 12 bookings

Recent Clients

The Leeds Studios, the resources arm ITV Yorkshire (formerly Yorkshire Televison) have used my services extensively since 1999 mainly as a Fisher boom or fish pole operator.

Programmes include Question Time, Heartbeat, We Can Work It Out, Bruce's The Price is Right, Countdown, Win My Wage, Emmerdale and the Emmerdale video Don't Look Now, Dingles in Venice.

I worked on several series of My Parents Are Aliens from 1999 to 2001 as a Fisher boom operator. This programme won the best Children's Programme at the Banff Rockie Awards 2001 and earlier the Royal Television Society's programme awards 2000 for best Children's Drama.

Emmerdale has also won a few BAFTAs in recent years.

021 Television - Many of Sky's Football First recorded Premiership matches since the 2004/5 season. Along with Champions League coverage for ITV Sport and a few Question Time's for the BBC.

Arena Television - Various football outside broadcasts from recorded Coca-Cola Championship matches for SKY to live Premiership coverage for Setanta.

Visions Outside Broadcasting - More Football First for Sky.

Arqiva Outside Broadcasts - Question Time for Mentorn/BBC.

A varied diet from what was the Outside Broadcast section of BBC Resources but is now SiS Live. Spring Watch 2005, Match of the Day, Children In Need, Lenny Henry Goes to Town, Racing from Ascot and Weetabix Ladies Golf.

Late in 2005 I had a very enjoyable 7 day shoot with The Mob Film Company; Boom Operating on commercials for PC World.

Being shot on 35mm film I now have another picture taking format under my belt. Of course the format of the pictures doesn't matter a great deal to a Boom Operator. If the mic is in shot, it is in shot no matter how the pictures are stored.

Background

Broadcasting

I started work in the broadcast industry in 1978 as a Trainee Audio Assistant at BBC Bristol. Being based in an English Region I worked for network radio and network television both in studios and on outside broadcasts, with some forays into dubbing. Programmes covered almost every genre from drama to sport via religion and children's. I progressed through the BBC training structure to become an Audio Supervisor in 1982. As the result of cut backs I was made redundant in late 1992.

The BBC training gave me considerable expertise and knowledge in broadcast sound operations. Although that was a good number of years ago now, the fundamentals haven't changed a great deal. My thorough understanding of the basic principles allows me to achieve the desired result from the majority of equipment without detailed instruction.

Redundancy gave me the opportunity to back-pack around the world. I spent most time in China, Thailand, Malaysia and Bali and quickly came back through Sydney, Hawaii and San Francisco. Since returning I have been working as a freelance Broadcast Sound Engineer.

I spent a few seasons doing the main match coverage for HTV Wales' Soccer Sunday. This was a 4 camera OB with single commentator and minimum crew. I was the sole sound and communications person on the unit. I'd rig the pitch microphones and the commentary position, test with the assistance of the cameramen and produce a mix and clean FX track during the match.

From the start of my career I have operated a Fisher Boom or swung a pole. At the BBC one of the earliest shows was Animal Magic, later Casualty from its beginning way back in 1985 until I moved to the North Pennines in 1998. More recently programmes such as Emmerdale, Question Time, My Parents Are Aliens and Heartbeat have benefited from my skill and experience as a boom or pole operator.

Swinging a pole or boom is not only about getting the microphone in the right place at the right time for the right sound. There has to be an understanding of the visual side as well. Camera angles, shot sizes and lighting all influence where the microphone, the pole and their operator can be. Working with the Camera Operator, Grips, Director of Photography and the Gaffer to reach the best solution for all involved is part and parcel of a Boom Operator's job.

To illustrate the range of programming I have worked on here are some of the many programme titles.

Outside Interests

Since 1989 I have run a computer bulletin board, part of the international GT-Power network. This has given me a good grounding in personal computers, modems, data communication standards and protocols. I have also written and released a number of utility programs for the bulletin board. The internet with the World Wide Web and nearly instant global e-mail has effectively killed the old BBS networks but they survive and my BBS is still up and running on 01434 382689. Why not give it a call, with a terminal program, and see how things were done just 15 years ago.

I've been on the internet for many years. In a small way I contributed to the initial provision of cheap internet access in the UK as a founder member of Demon Internet. Early in 1992 Cliff Stanford floated an idea on the Compulink Information Exchange of providing internet access for "a tenner a month". Around 120 other people put their first year's subscription up front and Demon Internet was born.

As the internet has expanded so has my use of it and the use I make of computers. I now maintain a small home network based around a Linux server with OS/2 and Windows work stations. The server logs the data from the Automatic Weather Station, plots the graphs and uploads the results to the Howhill Weather pages. All this is automatically controlled by various PERL scripts written or adapted by me. These web pages are written by myself using a combination of HTML and PHP.

I am a director of Cybermoor Ltd, a non-profit community enterprise. Cybermoor provides a wireless based broadband network across Alston Moor, with over 300 customers, as well as offering consultancy to other similar groups.

As a licensed Radio Amateur, callsign G6ILE, I have an interest in radio frequency communications and electronics. I have built many projects including a microwave audio transmitter/receiver operating in the 10GHz band as well as various units for sending and receiving Radio Teletype signals.

Finally Howhill. An ongoing project to refurbish and decorate with the idea of running a B&B or holiday lets. I'm doing most of the work myself, so the skills of tiling, plumbing, electrics, wallpapering and painting are all being well exercised. Things are progressing, slowly...

Institute of Broadcast Sound
Dave is a member of the Institute of Broadcast Sound.

The IBS was formed in 1977 when Sound Balancers in radio and televison from both the BBC and independent sectors of broadcasting came together to foster an awareness of the importance of broadcast audio. The Institute was formed to meet the need for better interchange of ideas and techniques between practitioners in the various areas of broadcast sound.

More information about the IBS can be found on their web site: