Teaching Church Audio Artistry | Church Sound Systems
Saving and recalling mix settings is a tremendous benefit with digital mixing consoles. Called "snapshots" or "scenes," these make quick mixer changes (volume, EQ, effects, etc.) at the touch of a button. Are they worth the time to set up? Most definitely. Growing up on an analog mixer, I didn't have the benefit of saving and recalling scenes. At best, I had...nuttin'. It came down to making notes on the service schedule and twisting knobs as fast as I could when we'd go from one [keep reading]
There is a huge advantage of mixing music over mixing speech; you can blend sounds when mixing music. That is to say, if you have one instrument or vocalist you can't quite get right in the mix, you always have the other instruments and vocals to fill in and blend in with that particular problem channel. When it comes to mixing speech, i.e. the pastor's voice, you don't have that benefit. Consider these eight tips for mixing the pastor's voice and improving the clarity of their [keep reading]
Rock music, blues, jazz, you pick the genre and there will be a song with a guitar solo that stands out. In the realm of Christian worship music, a solo is a funny thing. Is it a necessary part of worship? It CAN be part of the worship as long as it's mixed in the right way. Mixing a "worship solo" means weaving in a lead line in a way that supports the worship music. This can be done in two primary ways: Pick the right volume. The volume of the solo instrument needs to be loud enough to [keep reading]
Last week, a sound tech emailed asking for help with an audio problem; their monitor volume was dropping. From the musician's point of view, they would hear their monitor volume just fine and then all of a sudden, it would drop for no reason. The solution to this problem was definitely beyond the normal types of solutions. When I first read their email, I harkened back to a friend's tale of monitor problems. In that case, he was running audio for a major act and on occasion the monitor volume [keep reading]
Critiquing your mix is one of the best ways improving your mix. You'll improve the mix for the next week but you can also immediately improve your mix for the song you are critiquing. Today, I'm kicking out the questions you must ask, concerning your mix, as well as a new method I've been using. The Top Eleven Questions to Ask of Your Mix Can I hear all the musicians and singers? Close your eyes and try identifying each musical instrument and each vocal. If you can't hear something in [keep reading]
I'm Chris Huff and I've been working behind a mixer for over twenty years. Since 2008, I've been helping other sound techs learn all about the art of church audio through behindthemixer.com.
For more about me, read my bio. You can also follow me on twitter or email me. Find BTM on Google+
Everything you need to know from creating a consistently great mix week after week to meeting everyone's expectations. Over 300 pages of the essential information that every church sound tech should know. Audio examples included.
Read Audio Essentials for Church Sound today! 