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13 Things to Know About Sound Mixing in 2015

Things to know for 2015:

1. Continual learning is still your best bet.

I placed this at number one because people don’t do it. I have shaken my head more times at the words spoken by know-it-alls who stopped learning about audio in the 1980s.

This isn’t limited to technical topics. Yes, you could spend all of your time trying to become the best at mixing contemporary Christian music or Gospel or whatever your church has. You could, but if you don’t know squat about working with people, leading a team or fixing equipment problems, then I’d rather not have you on my team.

If you’re new to audio, then don’t think you need to buy books like The Design of Active Crossovers. While I do have a copy, it’s a very niche book and not one most church techs need.

Look to magazines to start, with easy-to-digest articles, available online or via print. They also include articles on new gear, and that’s another topic I’ll cover later in this post.

2. The fundamentals of audio production are still the most important thing.

Talking with other experienced techs, we found digital mixers were not the best for training new audio techs. The reason is the student would get so focused on what they could do with a specific software plug-in or advanced setting that foundational mixing techniques were ignored or viewed as “the old way.” It’s like they could throw up three-pointers into a basketball hoop but didn’t know how to dribble the ball.

Audio production is the worst job if the person doesn’t know the fundamentals of stage setup, microphone usage, cabling and building a mix. And like I mentioned in number 1, it’s way more than just technical.

Pardon the promotion, but this is exactly why I wrote a guide on this very subject. It’s been purchased in over 50 countries and often recommended by other techs for a reason—it outlines everything you need to know surrounding those fundamentals and a good bit more:

3. It’s time to reconsider your stage setup.

In 1994, I took a drastic step. I pushed the stacks of paper on my desk to the ground. After four weeks of pulling out papers only when I needed them, I tossed the remaining papers in the garbage, reasoning if I didn’t need it after four weeks, I didn’t need it at all.

Do the same thing with your stage. Clear everything off. Just because equipment has been in the same place for years, it doesn’t mean that was the best place for it, or that it is still needed. Make a stage plot so whatever is on the stage is there for a reason and it’s set up the best way possible. Seriously, when was the last time you checked the drum mikes?

And for all that is good in the world, dust off the equipment. I see the dust on your amps and organs. Dust be gone!

OK, so being the new person, you aren’t likely able to say “clear the stage,” but you can clean it up and talk with others about good placement of instruments and other things. See the link below to see what I mean.

4. Know how to mix personal monitors.

That’s right, the personal mixers the musicians use. You need to know how to mix those. It’s come to this: Musicians can now mix their own monitors, BUT THEY AREN’T AUDIO ENGINEERS, THEY ARE MUSICIANS. They need to learn what goes into their monitor mix. By using a headphone splitter, you can dial in their mix so both of you hear it.

The other part of personal monitors is the audio isolation caused when they use the in-ear headphones. They will complain and may even refuse to use the personal mixers just for this reason. This is where you have to have a plan. By adding a channel with an ambience microphone or using the unique tools on the personal mixers (like the reverb controls on some systems), they can have the feeling they are hearing live music instead of that isolated sound.

Check out this article on Church Production Magazine: