Behind The Mixer

Learn Church Audio Artistry | Church Sound

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A very simple and easy way to make your mixing life easier is using an optimal channel assignment strategy.  I’ve been doing this for so long that it wasn’t until this weekend, when someone else set up the mixer channels that I remembered  the big difference it makes.

A simple manner of stage setup is placing the band on stage in the order they like and then plugging them into the closest stage boxes.  Then, you label the channels on the board.

Looking at your channel assignments, it might look like this:

Drums | Lead vocal | Guitar 1 | Vocal 2 | Bass | Vocal 3 | Guitar 2

Not too bad, right?  Seven channels.  They could be spread out if you have any unused channels in between.

Then this happens…

You set your gain structure and start EQ’ing.  Now and then, you are tweaking the faders.  Eventually, you are working out the settings of two different guitars.  They are four channels apart so you are constantly moving your eyes all over the board until finally…you tweak the Vocal 2 mid-range EQ and not the Guitar 1 mid-range EQ.  Oops

Optimize it

You can decrease those mistakes and increase the speed of your mixing when you use an optimal channel assignment.  Imagine your channels laid out like this;

Drums | Guitar 1 | Guitar 2 | Bass | Vocal 1 | Vocal 2

Instruments are all together as are vocals.  Even more important, guitars are together as are the vocals.  Also, no unused channels are located in-between them.

What about the stage arrangement?

Channel assignments can be as easy as pressing buttons if you are in the digital world.  Many digital mixers let you change the channel assignments.
What about the analog world?

There are a few options;

  1. Arrange the band members near the right stage boxes to meet your need.  Personally, I don’t recommend this and only list it in case you consider it.  Don’t.  The band likes how they are set up and they are that way for a reason.  Even with monitors, they still want to be next to the sounds they want to hear.
  2. Develop a stage schematic so you know where similars should be wired.  Then, use enough cabling to get the job done.  Make sure to tape it down with gaffer tape and preferably out of foot traffic areas on stage.
  3. Swap your mixer inputs.  I only recommend doing this if you are comfortable with it and all your mixer inputs are labeled.  Just be sure to patch them back to the original channels when you are done.

Summary

Limiting the range of eye movement over the mixer, you’ll decrease the time it takes to spot the right knob.  It will also decrease the amount of mistakes you make because you grabbed the wrong one.  If you’ve never tried laying out your channels like this, try it for the next four times you are mixing.  After that, you’ll never want it any other way.

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Comments

    • I’ve only heard of a loose standard that had more to use with mixing across different venues. For example, “always put drums in 1-8 no matter what venue/band I’m running FOH.” But from what I’ve seen, it’s been more the “standard” of the individual engineer.

      Reply

    • I’ve seen everything from drums first to vocals first. The ‘standard’ layout is whatever works for you the best. Personally, I set the vocals first, then guitars, keyboards, miscellaneous instruments, and finally drums.

      I almost always leave the miscellaneous instruments (I1 through I5) for those last-minute ‘add-ons’ (congas, rhythm pads, track Ipods, computers, or CD players, extra guitars or keys, etc.). Depending on the overall performer list, I’ll also allow for an extra vocal, guitar, or keyboard, in between there too. If you have the extra channels to spare, it has come in handy.

      If it’s a permanent install situation, I’d put the miscellaneous instruments at the end where you can add or not as needed.

      Just my 2¢….

      Reply

  2. I have always used a left to right setup putting vocals together, instruments the same way and then Bass and drums together in the same setup. Wireless hand held for multiple speakers with color coded mics for that. Works great even if I am not there… and of coarse everything is labeled. Great for a one band event but have used it for a bigger production as well. I am really looking forward to getting a digital mixer for our church… really can’t wait.. I do have one question. We are a small church and our budget is not big .. but we are looking for a in ear solution that will work for us that won’t break the bank.. any suggestions.

    Reply

    • An in-ear solution that won’t break the bank….here is what is available from most expensive to least…
      1. Roland M-48. This system gives you four personal mixers plus the rack components for “just under” $6000.
      2. Aviom (what we use). For a four-mixer system plus components, now it’s down to the $4000 mark.
      3. Hearback. A four-mixer system will run you $1500.
      4. Rolls PM351 Personal Mixing System – A four-unit setup runs $550 but you don’t get the individual control-ability like the previous three.

      I’ve linked to reviews on the aviom and hear back.

      Roland – top of the line but you need to train everyone. I know people that love these.
      Aviom – used to be top of the line until Roland came along. Easy to use.
      Hearback – I’ve heard people for and against them.
      Rolls – I’ve only known one church that has them set up and the sound tech is not a fan of them. But for others, it might be perfect. They’ve been around quite a while.

      If you are really interested in any of the top three, you can probably get demo’s set up to try out. That’s what we did with the Avioms. Of course, I’ve spec’d out the above set’s based on four mixers. Additional mixers for the top three run expensive. Not sure the roland but aviom’s run $600 and hear back $225.

      Reply

  4. I’ve used this method for as long as I’ve been mixing. Usually you should (if you’re a conscientious engineer) have an idea of exactly who will be performing and what their stage plots and input lists are. A little pre-planning (possibly with an Excel spreadsheet) can map out exactly what’s going where and you can pass this along to any other stage crew easily.

    I make a ‘master stripe’ with the signal names and then an individual one for each act or set of performers with their individual assigns. It also helps to put a stripe across the top of the desk (right around the gain trims) to assist in getting to the proper channels when needed.

    I have to agree with doing it like this 4 times to get used to it. Once I started, I’ll NEVER do it any other way….

    Just my $.02

    Reply

  5. We are fortunate to have a patch bay. I have 120 stage connections and 56 board connections. So, whenever something changes, I just go in the back and re-patch it there….which I am always doing because our channel needs are more than we have.

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  7. I have the multicore outputs (to go into the mixer inputs) labelled so I can write down what source is in which stage input and then plug sources into the desk wherever I want them.

    This method is almost essential for me as we have more potential inputs than we have channels on the mixer so I sometimes have a service where I have to unplug something when we’ve finished using it and plug in something else :)

    I am fine with doing it this way but any time I’m not going to be there next week I just plug everything in numerically to make it simple.

    Reply

    • Sounds like you are very busy! I did a conference once with different bands. I set up the board so guitars were always in the same channel, drum mic’s in the same channel, keyboards, and so on. Moved the plugs on the back of the mixer and labeled the ends of the cables on the stage. This would make switching bands on stage pretty simple.

      Then, after the first band finished their set, they unplugged their gear. But for whatever reason, they also unplugged all the cables going into the snake. As most of the cables were taped down to the stage, I had to walk across the stage to check each cable. War story #24.

      Reply