Introduction
I have been mixing music in church for almost three decades, starting when I was 12. I’ve spent many years behind the console and playing on stage. You will encounter issues in church audio regardless of the size of the church. You would think each church is very different from the next, however there is always a common theme. High volunteer turnover and lack of consistency are the most common problems. Most of the time, there is one person mixing for Front of House (FOH) and Back of House (BOH). Even more rare is there a paid Audio Engineer on staff. Even if you have a team, consistency eludes most churches.
Additionally, during COVID, there was a shift to add online streaming (Broadcast). This was done without additional training and support. For me, I had to find a process that would improve my mixes and get consistently great results no matter the console or platform. The audience at home should feel the same energy as they would if they were in the auditorium. I had to find ways that would build consistency for in people in attendance and for the people online.
I believe I have found 5 proven steps for better mixes. Not only that, but creating consistency will unlock your potential in the world of audio and music production.
Reasons why audio engineers are not successful
There are numerous challenges for audio engineers in churches, whether paid professionals or volunteers. It’s common to think that the mix for the FOH can’t be the same as BOH and the online mix has to be different too. This is true but there is a lot more in common between all three mixes than what you think.
However, these are not the reasons why audio engineers fail. The core issue is the same almost everywhere. Lack of a structured workflow, dedicated time for volunteer training, and everyone decides to mix their own way. Not surprisingly, the results are constantly fixing issues and never being happy with the results. Do these situations resonate with you?
While it may seem daunting, there are effective methods to achieve significant enhancements in audio production right away. By implementing these steps, not only will you have better mixes, you will streamline your workflow, and you will begin to unlock your potential. Now you won’t need to consistently put out fires, but you can be creative and progress in your skills. Let’s explore this concept in more detail.
Change your Mindset
First, start with what you have. Having better gear will not make you a better mix engineer. You have to an expert with the tools you already have. Anyone claiming “better gear won’t help” is not telling the whole truth. Better gear certainly does help, but without knowledge and skills, it becomes irrelevant. Becoming skilled at mixing is what will make you a better engineer.
If you can make the equipment you have sound great, then you will build credibility and justification to expand. If you want to improve as an engineer and your church wants to grow, then use your equipment to its fullest potential. When you show your leaders what you can do, they will want to grow. They will see that there is a need and that you are competent to handle the changes.
Propose the change
If the suggestions I provide below would lead to a change in current processes, please involve your leaders in the discussion. This will go a long way in gaining their respect and trust. The goal for making these changes is to create a distraction-free environment for the people you serve in the congregation, on stage, and online. You want to establish and improve processes to ensure consistent results every week. These processes will help retain volunteers and reduce complications. If there is resistance, ask them to consider implementing changes gradually or ask for the opportunity to try new methods to earn their trust. Not only do you need their support, but the musicians as well.
Now let’s get into the 5 proven steps for better mixes and unlock your potential
The 5 Proven Steps for Better Mixes
Step 1 for Better Mixes: Start with the Layout
Once you’ve adjusted your mindset to improve your skills instead of buying new equipment, the next step is to organize your console’s layout. Everyone has their own method for a console layout, but a general rule I follow is prioritizing instruments that never change at the top of the list. I start with the rhythm section such as Drums and Bass, followed by the melodic and harmonic instruments such as Guitars and Keys, then the vocals, and finally the MCs (speakers).
Drums and Bass were always a constant so having them at the start made more sense, and they are the foundational piece to every song. Guitars and Keys were fairly consistent as far as the number channels that were used, but I was able to have sections on the console dedicated to those instruments. The number of vocalists and MCs was a constant variable, I had to ensure that I had enough space to accommodate them so moving them to the end of the list made more sense to me.
Here I share my preferred Input Channel Layout with you. Whatever layout you choose, replicate it for FOH, BOH, and Broadcast. This is a crucial step to getting better mixes and maintaining consistency not only for yourself but for your team as well.
Step 2 for Better Mixes: Setting Proper Gain Levels
Once you have your layout, the next step is to establish proper gain levels. You can read my blog post Gain Structure Guide to understand why this is important.This may be one of the most important step for getting better mixes.
Apart from the musical performance and the tones you receive from your musicians, proper gain structure the most important aspect of your mix. By establishing proper gain structure, you can set up your channel processing that relies on the input level and you will never have to readjust the settings. All you have to do is mix. How great is that! I genuinely mean it.
Maintain consistent gain levels each time you get behind the console and focus on mixing the music. I consistently apply this approach, regardless of the platform I use. If I’m on a new console, I at least know where my gain levels need to be for each instrument. Get this right, and I assure you, many issues will be resolved.
Step 3 for Better Mixes: Use Bus Processing
Simplifying your mixes leads to better mixes. Most digital mixing consoles and DAWs allow you to route your instrument channels into a bus. The number of available busses determines what you can send to a bus. Use all your available busses for every platform to maintain consistency and reduce complexity. Utilizing busses will improve your mixing efficiency and help glue your mix together.
An example would be, instead of adjusting 8 or more channels for drums, send those to a bus and you only have one fader to worry about not 8. Moreover, have your DCAs control the volume of your bus, not your instruments if they are routed to a bus. Adjusting the faders on the instrument channels will change how the instruments interact with the processing on the bus. adjusting the instrument volumes going into the Bus channel will make you mix sound disjointed.
Step 4 for Better Mixes: Mix with your headphones
“WHAT?! Mix with your headphones for FOH?!” Yes, you heard that right. Using your headphones or IEMs to mix the FOH console might sound counterintuitive, but trust me, it works. Let me tell you why you should give this a try.
- You will have a better understanding of the entire mix and each instrument is actually doing. Knowing the actual mix will lead to better mixes.
- If you are sending a feed from FOH to your Broadcast then they will have a great mix and the same mix.
- If you have a separate Broadcast mix and that goes down, you can still send a great mix from FOH to Broadcast.
- You will also be able to use the same mix sent to BOH
- If your mix sounds amazing in your headphones but not in the room, there may be an issue with the sound reinforcement (speaker arrays and/or room treatment). It’s a harder problem to solve, but at least you’re aware of it.
Just a reminder: It’s important to have good set headphones or IEMs. If you need any recommendations, feel free to ask in the comments below. Once you have your chosen monitors, listen to as many songs as possible. This will help you understand how your monitors sound with a professionally mixed song.
I have used this approach many times when I mix FOH. There have been situations where I could not mix loud in the room (or no volume at all) so I had to mix with my IEM’s. When we got to the end of the rehearsal I was able to push the volume up and make minor adjustments to the PA and the mix sounded amazing.
Step 5 for Better Mixes: Band Bus and Master PA
Make sure to have a Band Bus set up for all of your instruments and vocals before Main Out to the PA. Think of the PA system as the final step in the mastering process. Using a band bus before the PA will help you better control the dynamics of your mix and unify all the elements. Not every console has the same functionality, so I will provide some examples of how to approach this.
- Send all of your instrument busses to a Mix Bus. Process them as a Mix Bus then send them to the Main Out for Mastering before sending them to the PA or anywhere else that needs the mix.
- If you cannot send a signal directly from a bus to another bus, then route your Drum Bus, Instrument Bus (without drums), and Vocal Bus to the Main Out. This will serve as your “Mix Bus” before sending the mix to your Matrix, which will function as the Master Bus for the PA.
Congratulations! Now you are on your journey to becoming a better and more consistent Audio Engineer! Follow these steps for better mixes and you won’t be disappointed. Making all of these changes may seem overwhelming, but by taking small steps, you can reach your ultimate goal. Sign up to the email list and receive exclusive content and resources. You can reach out to me in the comments or fill out the Contact Form for any audio consultation needs.