A sound tech posed the question "what you think of guitarists putting reverb and delay on, rather than us doing the processing?" I don't have a problem when a guitarist uses reverb or delay for a particular service or song as long as it sounds good. That being said, there are several factors to consider; 1. Does the guitarist have any idea what they are doing? They might think an effect with tons of reverb sounds really cool (and it might) but it might not work for [keep reading]
Using Reverb On Vocals
August 28, 2009 Mixed by
I was discussing reverb on vocals with a local musician whose mastered a few of his bands CD's. He said that another musician told him the amount of reverb changes with the times. "Sometimes, popular music uses a lot of reverb. But today, very little is used." If you apply it to a genre like pop or CCM, I might see a little of that. It does seem the farther apart the years, the easier to see the difference. The topic I see that needs to be raised [keep reading]
Part III: The Art of Mixing Sound (Why It’s Not As Easy As You Think)
August 5, 2009 Mixed by
The quality of sound you hear in church is dependent on the quality of the person mixing the music. The question I have received a lot lately is "how do you teach someone the art of mixing sound?" Enter Michelangelo. Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in four years. I've painted the exterior of a two-story home in two weeks. As far as square feet of paint-able surface, the two are about the same. BUT LOOK AT THE DIFFERENCE! Michelangelo sculpted Pietà and [keep reading]
Part II: Recognizing How Much Work Is Required
July 13, 2009 Mixed by
"Time to make the doughnuts." In 1983, Michael Vale uttered those famous words that placed the commercial for Dunkin' Donuts into the advertising history books. Michael's role was "Fred the baker." If memory serves me (and I refuse to use youtube to check), he woke up at three in the morning, walked into the bathroom and looking as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders, said to the mirror, "time to make the doughnuts." He knew that [keep reading]
Does The Acoustic Guitarist Know How to EQ?
June 17, 2009 Mixed by
I picked up the guitar of one of our musicians recently and noticed the on-board EQ was set flat. No bass boost, no mid boost, no treble boost, no cuts, just flat. I have always EQ'd his guitar from the mixer but had never been thrilled with the sound. That was about to change. As a guitarist myself, and the sanctuary empty so early in the morning, I cranked up the guitar's channel in the mains and grabbed my pick (plectrum to you UK folks). I played the guitar [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.
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