Sound Mixer Larry Williams, Jr. Balances a Fast-Paced Career with Lectrosonics

Sound mixer Larry Williams, Jr. is currently working on the Lifetime TV show Military Makeover with Montel Williams. With ten years of in-house audio experience at Paradise Video in South Florida coupled with his freelance work, Williams, Jr. has worked on commercials, documentaries, and TV productions with networks including ABC, ESPN, Food Network, HGTV, NBC, PBS, Univision, and WE tv. His credits include the Cooking Channel reality show Cake Hunters, American cooking-themed talk show The Chew, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, TV show Renting Miami, one-hour TV special Taste the Florida Keys with Chef Michelle Bernstein, and home renovation TV show Weekends with Luis. For each project, Williams, Jr. is prepared with a full lineup of Lectrosonics Digital Hybrid Wireless equipment, including the SMWB Wideband Transmitter, SRc Receiver, and the IFB system.

Williams, Jr. started sound mixing in 2007 after earning a degree in Telecommunication with an emphasis in production from the University of Florida in 2004. "I originally wanted to be a Director of Photography after I finished school," says Williams, Jr. "But then I was offered a full-time job at Paradise Video. They handed me a 4-channel mixer, a couple Lectrosonics wireless mics, a Lectro UM200B Transmitter, and UCR205D Receiver and said we need you to do sound. I jumped in excited for the opportunity and more than 12 years of sound credits later, here I am, in love with the path my career took."

For sound mixing, Williams, Jr. created his own sound kit with the help of Eric Toline from Lectrosonics dealer Production Sound Solutions. "The first product I bought for my kit was the Lectrosonics SRc Receiver and a couple of the SMWB Transmitters. What's great about the new Widebands is they cover three of the older frequency blocks. This means everywhere I go, I have triple the chance of finding a clear frequency. This helps tremendously because I'm usually by myself. When I saw the wideband available, I jumped on it and was one of the first people to place an order."

Williams, Jr. is happy to bring Lectrosonics on set in Florida. "It's hot and humid with 100% humidity in the summer. And even in cold weather, Lectro fires up."

"I sometimes do three or four projects a week, which keeps me on my toes. With Lectrosonics I never have to worry. I know the equipment is always going to work."

When it comes to reality shows or commercials Williams, Jr. uses the Lectrosonics IFB system. "Producers love when I give them the Lectro IFBR1a. It's small, they can clip it to their belt, and they know everything's good to go when they want to hear program audio. I don't have to worry about it because once I've checked my frequencies, it's all locked in."

While most people look at someone and acknowledge their clothes from an aesthetic perspective, Williams, Jr. immediately assesses what type of equipment he'll use in order to get the best sound. "Most people will compliment someone on their clothes, while what comes to mind as my first response is to try and figure out how to conceal wireless gear and mitigate the unnecessary noise some clothes can make. Also, some clothes are form-fitting. That's why I prefer using the single AA battery transmitters like the SMWB. They're smaller and easier to fit on talent."

Besides Lectrosonics equipment, Williams, Jr. is a big fan of the Lectro RM App. "The app is really cool. It allows me to change frequencies without touching the mic and with just a tap of a button. It makes me look professional and people always ask me how I do it."

As Williams, Jr. gets ready for two more projects, filming for the Oscar Mike Foundation in Illinois and the TV show Monster Jam in Michigan, he looks to the future in terms of his equipment arsenal.

"I would love to add another SRc Receiver with a couple of transmitters to my cart along with the DCHT Portable Digital Stereo Transmitter. The DCHT would allow me to send audio to the camera wirelessly and would be a great addition to my kit. I would also love to work on a feature film someday."

Williams, Jr. wants aspiring sound mixers to know, "you can be really good at what you do and not be on a movie set or long-time television show. Stick with your passion and continue to do good work and word of mouth will build your career."