Pantera Engineer Eddie Mapp Gives Back

Phoenix, AZ (September 30, 2025)—In the hard rock and metal world, longtime touring sound pro Eddie Mapp is a familiar sight behind the FOH desk, having mixed some of the genre’s top acts over the years. He got his start, however, at Arizona’s Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences (CRAS) and recently invited students to sit in before and during a Pantera show at Talking Stick Resort Amphitheater in Phoenix.

“Getting to show them the potential and possibilities in this industry is what it’s all about,” said Mapp. “CRAS provides you with all the audio fundamentals to achieve your goals…then it’s up to you.”

The Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences is composed of two nearby campuses in Gilbert and Tempe, and live sound is only part of the curriculum, as the school offers broadcast audio, film and TV audio, music and video game audio as well across an 11-month program.

Eddie Mapp Behind The Desk With Papa Roach

The outing to the Pantera show, however, underlined much of what the students had picked up in class. “Our students had the opportunity to visit with Eddie’s entire crew, learning on-the-job tips, tricks and techniques from his systems engineer, monitor engineer and more,” said Jason Losett, CRAS IT Director. “They were able to and encouraged to tour the stage to examine Eddie’s microphone setup and placement while he talked wireless frequencies, and got a master class in speaker alignment and phase. Additionally, students had the opportunity to spend time with FOH engineer Weston Blaha, who mixes Amon Amarth (Pantera’s opening act). Everyone on the crew was exceedingly gracious with their time and knowledge.”

While a classroom setting is ideal for education, a real-world site visit provides learning experiences that can’t happen in a traditional educational format—like how to deal with a monsoon when you’re mixing a show for thousands of screaming fans.

Discover more great stories—get a free Mix SmartBrief subscription!

“As the rains poured into the Front of House pit, it soaked cables, causing everyone to jump into action with tarps covering gear,” Losett shared. “Eddie’s calm demeanor truly demonstrated why he is at the top level of this industry. The rains turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because students got to witness the head engineer of this event show zero panic or stress. While the wind and rain continued for more than half an hour, under the tarp, students got a one-on-one mixing tutorial from Eddie. His calm resonated to everyone else in the crew and it was one of those moments that our students will never forget. Hopefully Eddie’s calm, happy, and kind attitude in that moment of adversity will inspire them to conduct themselves similarly in stressful situations.”