Here is something you can try at your next service for monitor mixing…I’ve just read about this so take it for what it’s worth…it’s from a worship teams old blog. Everything seems theoretically sound…and it seems easy.
1. Have one person liasing the sound from the Stage with the Sound guy from the Desk
2. Line Check Instruments in this order : Vocals, then Instruments and then drums last
3. Once Drum levels are set, get drummer to play a groove as if he was playing a loud song
4. Get the one person liasing to stand at the monitors and ask each members what parts of the kit do they want in their monitors one member at a time, don’t let the drummer stop playing.
5. Once each members has a drum mix, get the Bass person to ADD a one note groove on top of the Drumming, again ask each person how much they want in their monitor
6. After this move on to Rhythm instruments starting with the Acoustic, again keep the bass and the drums going all the time.. add in the acoustic.. ask each person how much they want…
7. Then move on to keyboard.. All the while keeping the drummer, bass and acoustic going, ask each member how much of the keyboard they want in the mix.
8. Next move on to the Electric Guitar have chords played.. same again on top of what everyone else is still playing
9. Move on to things like Flutes and Trumpet.
10. Keeping thinking.. ADDING LAYERS to the same One Chord Groove – Dont change the groove!
11. Lastly bring in Lead vocals and after that Backup vocals.. again On top of the one chord groove.Do not do the Back ground vocals first as they need to know the level of the lead so they can know where they sit..
Thought? Questions? Comments?