Bruce Beacom: overcoming hearing impairment as a sound mixer with Lectrosonics

Who’d let something as minor as hearing issues prevent them from pursuing a career in…professional audio? Certainly not Bruce Beacom, an inspiration to us all. To be precise, he is 95% hearing impaired, and yet, he has led a 20-year career in location sound. He’s even picked up Emmy nominations for his troubles as a production sound mixer. Headliner learns about his fascinating career so far and how Lectrosonics hardware fits into his remarkable story.

Beacom is responsible for audio on programmes such as The Amazing Race and Top Chef, and credits his professional success to radical adaptation and the use of digital wireless tools, specifically Lectrosonics UCR411a and IFBR1a receivers alongside SMQV and UM400a transmitters.

Beacom transitioned from post-production in New York to location sound in 2001. His credits include 16 seasons of Top Chef and 15 consecutive seasons of The Amazing Race, earning him three honorary Emmy certificates. He also received an Emmy nomination for his work on HBO's Project Greenlight.

Since 2003, Beacom has relied on Lectrosonics hardware, maintaining a kit that includes legacy gear such as the SRb, M2R, and UM200. He continues to use older blocks for overseas assignments where they remain compliant with local regulations.

“Lectrosonics products are so well-made and reliable. I take care of my equipment, but Lectrosonics also takes care of me. I buy it, read the manual, put it to use and I’ve never had a problem. It’s impressive that I am still using gear I bought over a decade ago,” he shares.

“Their rugged build quality is so important, but so is their exceptional range. Both were the reasons why I used the UM400a and UCR411a for years on Amazing Race.”

In his late 20s, Beacom began experiencing severe tinnitus, eventually leading to a diagnosis of otosclerosis. This rare genetic disorder causes bone overgrowth in the middle ear, which prevents sound transmission. By age 33, Beacom’s hearing was nearly gone.

To explain the condition, Beacom compares the ear to a professional PA system: “The eardrum is the microphone and the middle ear bones are the crucial XLR cable connecting the signal to the cochlea, the amplifier,” He explains. “Otosclerosis is like taking wire cutters to that XLR cable, disrupting the conductive path.”

To continue working during the period of near-total deafness, Beacom adopted unconventional monitoring techniques: “When I was almost completely deaf, I set the headphones to mono and turned them up so they would vibrate against my skull, and I could feel it.”

He also transitioned to a visual workflow. “I developed a visual sense for sound, specifically by focusing on VU meters – always paying attention to make sure that the meters are bouncing, not erratically, over modulating, or too low, but balanced and healthy. I mixed a few years purely that way, and surprisingly, this made me a better engineer, even after regaining my hearing, because I take into account more dimensions of the sounds I’m capturing, it’s almost like having a sixth sense.”

Between 2004 and 2022, Beacom underwent six surgeries to install titanium prosthetic bones. Coupled with custom Oticon hearing aids, his hearing is now restored to 80%. He notes that having reliable equipment was essential during his recovery and the most difficult stages of his impairment.

“Lectrosonics has been with me throughout it all, and I wouldn’t be able to do my job as a sound engineer without it. Even when I was struggling through the worst stages of my hearing loss, I never doubted I would capture what I needed with Lectrosonics,” he confides.

“And that carries through to today. I know when I’m miking somebody up with Lectro, I’m going to capture great content. When you walk onto a set with confidence like that, it affects the way you collaborate with other people, and their confidence in you as well. I’m still working, I’m lucky to be doing it, and I’m thankful every day.”