Looking beyond just a bad mix, there are several reasons for a bad sound. Primarily, it's because modern praise music is just plain wrong. Just kidding. There are a variety of factors that can kill any attempt at creating a beautiful sound for the congregation. Let's ... Read More
Proper Stage Monitor Setup: Meeting the Desires of the Band
"I've always set the monitor levels first, with the mains off, that's how ____ taught me to do it," they said to me. As those words escaped the sound tech's lips, I could tell they had been trained by a musician. A musician wants to hear the right sounds in the monitor. They want to hear ... Read More
Three Signs Your Monitor Settings are Bad
Evaluating your monitor settings is a crucial step during the sound check and during the church service. Consider these three signs your monitor mix is bad or had gone bad. 1. A musician isn't playing in time or looks lost. This will happen if you didn't get the right monitor mix during the ... Read More
How to Win the Stage Volume Battle
You can provide the right house volume as well as the right stage volume. It doesn't have to be a battle of the wills between yourself and the musicians. The key is following three steps during your sound check and looking at three areas when it comes to monitor issues. The Ideal Situation The ... Read More
Three Easy Ways For Preventing Feedback
You might be suffering from all three of these audio feedback problem areas. I've been emailing a sound tech overseas who has had feedback problems. In my initial email, I said it could be caused by one of a few things. As it turned out, he had all three conditions that were causing feedback. ... Read More
Stopping Buzzes, Howls, and Other Audio Problems
It buzzes. It distorts. It howls. Welcome to the down-side of audio production. For all the wonderful ways you can manipulate sound, there are quite a few ways sound can be a royal pain. The good news is it doesn't have to ruin your day. Audio problems can be prevented through proactive means, ... Read More
Mixing in a Different Room? Don’t Make This Assumption
One day it happens. You're asked to mix someplace new. Could you mix our band at another church? Could you mix in the kids venue? Or the big one, are you ready to mix in a new sanctuary...because we are building a new one!?! A definition of sanctuary is a place of refuge and protection. If ... Read More
The Key Properties of a Good Mix – And One Often Missed
Honestly, I just don't get it. I'm at a church or event and the lead vocal is buried or it's over the top loud or the lead instrument is sitting so far back in the mix, the musician could walk off the stage and no one would notice. What's more is these techs think they've got the mix right - I can ... Read More