Hosted by Lee Fields, Stephen “Shep” Shepherd, Tyler Kerpsack, and Brad Bramer, the BlackBox Podcast is unfiltered conversation for church production teams, worship leaders, AVL directors, and creative pastors who actually carry the weight of Sunday.

This isn’t theory. It’s field-tested leadership, live audio philosophy, system design, and the stuff nobody talks about but everyone feels.

In this episode we dig into:

• DAW vs. Console Mixing — What actually matters? Where plugins help, where they hurt, and why great gain structure still beats everything.

If you’re a church audio engineer, production director, worship leader, or executive pastor trying to build healthy systems, stronger teams, and better Sundays — this podcast is built for you.

BlackBox exists to help churches design better systems, build stronger teams, and solve problems before they ruin momentum.

Subscribe, share with your team, and let’s build something that actually lasts.

In this episode, Lee Fields, Tyler Kerpsack, Shep, and Brad Bramer are back together talking through the realities of church production during the Christmas season.

The conversation covers what it really looks like to lead production teams at scale during the busiest time of the year — from church staffing models and production budgets, to caring for volunteers, working with contractors, and making smart decisions around gear and resources. The group also reflects on Christmas gifts for church production teams, how to show appreciation without blowing budgets, and where leaders often feel the most pressure during holiday weekends.

If you serve in church production, audio, lighting, video, broadcast, or technical leadership, this episode offers honest perspective, practical insight, and shared experience from leaders navigating Christmas in real time.

Follow along, share with your team, and subscribe for more conversations around church production leadership, staffing, budgets, volunteers, and worship technology.

In this episode, Lee Fields, Tyler Kerpsack, Shep, and Brad Bramer are back together talking all things church production, worship technology, and creative leadership.

The conversation dives into creating production content that actually serves the local church, the platforms and channels currently inspiring us, and what it looks like to build meaningful voice and credibility in the church production space. Lee shares more about the launch of his new audio-focused podcast, and the group unpacks practical thoughts around designing and building worship centers, production systems, and the realities of leading technical teams in churches of all sizes.

Whether you serve in audio, lighting, video, broadcast, systems design, or production leadership, this episode offers honest conversation, real experience, and perspective from leaders actively shaping the future of church tech and worship production.

Follow along, share with your team, and subscribe for more conversations around church production, AVL systems, worship environments, and leadership behind the scenes.

In this episode, Lee Fields, Shep, Brad Bramer, and Tyler Kerpsack break down the real-world challenges production leaders face today.

We hit highlights from the ChurchFront Conference — smarter front light, LED strategy that actually serves the room, and the camera white-balance decisions that separate amateur from pro.

Shep unpacks his experience running the Charlie Kirk memorial, offering a masterclass in pressure, pacing, and leading teams through high-stakes moments.

We also dig into team dynamics, navigating ideological differences, and how strong production teams stay aligned when the room gets complicated.

And we close with a tactical deep dive on running a flawless line check — stage flow, communication order, FOH/MON/Broadcast confirmation, and the systems that remove 90% of rehearsal-day chaos.

Short, sharp, and built for people leading production at a high level.

Season 2 of the BlackBox Podcast kicks off with Brad Bramer, Tyler Kerpsack, Shep, and Lee Fields back at the table — equal parts hilarious, honest, and technically nerdy. From Lee’s wedding weekend to Shep’s restaurant reviews, this one covers everything from life updates to leadership lessons learned the hard way.

They dive into summer projects, monitor mixes, Lauten’s new kick mic, time management in the chaos of production season, and how to balance creative drive with actual rest. If you live anywhere between the world of church production and live events, you’ll feel right at home here.

Topics include:

The truth about Lee’s wedding (and who cried first)

Why the Lauten kick mic might be a game-changer

How to keep your head above water during project season

Tyler’s new dad stories and Shep’s brutally honest food reviews

Practical talk on managing time, teams, and creative energy

In Episode 6, the BlackBox crew dives deep into what it really takes to thrive in church production and creative ministry. We kick things off with a sneak peek at Service Reviews, launching this July—your chance to get honest, high-level feedback from the best in the game (sign-ups open soon!). Then Shep breaks down his time at the Army 250 event and what it teaches us about leadership, pressure, and team dynamics under real weight.

We also hit the practical stuff:

This one’s for church tech directors, FOH engineers, creatives, worship leaders, and AVL volunteers who are chasing high standards without burning out. Whether you're mixing, designing, producing, or leading—Episode 6 is packed with raw takes, real stories, and reminders that we’re all growing.

Subscribe now and share with your team. Let’s raise the bar together.

This week on BlackBox, we’re covering a lot of ground:

How to build real leadership — and what to do when you have to rebuild trust and culture from scratch.

Do you actually need two kick drum mics? Or are we all just flexing?

What the MrBeast live stream teaches us about innovation, attention, and pulling off high-pressure moments.

Plus, some Severance spoilers (you’ve been warned) and why the best leaders notice when things start to slip.

If you care about church production, creative leadership, and running live events at a high level, you’re in the right spot.

BlackBox is the #1 podcast for church production leaders, audio engineers, and worship tech teams who want real talk, real strategy, and practical ideas to lead with confidence behind the scenes.

We go full throttle through some of the biggest production moments of the season—NAB, Coachella, and Easter. From cinematic broadcast trends in church to the sheer scale and precision of Coachella, we’re breaking down what’s worth paying attention to—and what’s just noise. We talk shop on the latest gear, what inspired us, and talk about the future of church content. If you’re leading in church production, creative direction, or broadcast, this one’s a must. Don’t fall behind.

We’re coming in hot with a conversation that matters: excellence in church production and creative leadership.

Too often, mediocrity hides behind spiritual language. But let’s be real—excellence reflects the character of God. It’s not about perfection; it’s about intention, discipline, and grit. At Black Box, we don’t make excuses for half-effort. We sweat the small stuff because we believe worship deserves our best.

And we’re fired up to introduce Brian Tru—a new voice on the pod and a vital piece of the Black Box crew. Brian’s cut his teeth through every production role imaginable, from semis and stage plots to FOH and broadcast. He’s lived it all, never settled, and leads with quiet strength and clarity. On top of that, he’s rooted in the Gospel genre, bringing the heart and heritage of that sound into everything he touches.

This one’s for anyone who feels the tension between high standards and servant-hearted ministry.