Mastering Live Sound: Lessons from Top Monitor Engineer Paul Klimson

Episode #356 Paul Klimson has spent more than two decades behind the scenes helping some of the biggest artists in the world sound their best. As a world-class monitor engineer and audio professional, he has worked with an extraordinary roster that includes Justin Timberlake, Drake, Madonna, John Legend, The Roots, Kelly Clarkson, Eric Clapton, and countless others. His career has taken him from international tours and major festivals to iconic television productions, including more than 900 episodes of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where he helped build and manage the show's audio infrastructure and worked alongside musical guests ranging from Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen to Kendrick Lamar and U2. Known throughout the industry for his technical expertise, calm demeanor, and relentless work ethic, Paul has earned the trust of artists performing on the world's biggest stages. His credits span Saturday Night Live, Eurovision, the Cannes Film Festival, the Super Bowl, and multiple record-breaking world tours, including Justin Timberlake's 20/20 Experience Tour and Madonna's Celebration Tour. After what he jokingly calls his "retirement" from touring, Paul shifted his focus to building something even bigger. Alongside his wife Courtney, he founded Theory One Studios in Niles, Michigan, a state-of-the-art Dolby Atmos recording and production facility that combines vintage analog character with cutting-edge technology. The studio serves artists from around the world while also supporting the couple's broader vision for independent music creation and distribution. That vision now includes Brass Alley Live, an immersive live music venue and broadcast space currently under development, and SoulSeed.tv, a subscription-based music platform designed to put more money back into the hands of independent artists. Together, these ventures are creating a new ecosystem where musicians, crews, and creators can thrive outside traditional industry models. Paul is also the co-founder of The Roadie Clinic, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of touring professionals and their families. Much of what he is building today is designed to create sustainable funding and long-term support for the people who make live entertainment possible. Whether discussing life on the road, mixing for some of music's biggest names, building a next-generation recording studio, launching new media platforms, or reimagining how artists and crews are supported, Paul brings a rare combination of technical mastery, entrepreneurial vision, and hard-earned perspective. His motto? "Keep going, don't suck." This episode is brought to you by ETC and Pangolin