Your Mixing Console Settings: Tips To Unlock Its Full Potential

Introduction to Mixing Console Settings

A mixing console is an essential tool in sound production; it acts as the engine that drives the process to its desired outcome. Mixing consoles vary from simple models to complex setups designed for professional studios. When checking your mixing console settings, each console and DAW have their own unique designs, layout, and features. While you don’t necessarily need a top-of-the-line console or digital audio workstation (DAW) to create impressive mixes, understanding the layout and features is crucial for maximizing its potential.

Each DAW and console has its unique design and features, but they all share common basics. You will typically have access to Gain, Noise Gate, Equalization (EQ), and Compression, which allow for precise adjustments to sound levels and tones. Many consoles and DAWs also include built-in effects, such as reverb or delay, which enhance audio quality.

Whether for live events or studio work, a mixing console simplifies the sound production process, making it easier to achieve the desired results. Later, I will explain what to look for in a console or DAW so you can work more efficiently.

Understanding Your Mixing Console Settings

Understanding what your console can do is crucial. You will encounter two types of consoles: Analog and Digital. Most churches and venues today use digital consoles due to their streamlined design, ability to recall presets, easy setup, and typically cleaner audio. More advanced digital consoles offer a wider range of features and options compared to budget consoles, which often have limited Digital Signal Processing (DSP) capabilities. The newer budget consoles are pretty efficient so your mixing console settings should not be affected too much by the limitations.

A Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) is essentially a computerized version of a physical console. The only real limitation is your computer’s processing power. High-end DAWs like ProTools and Logic Pro X provide many features, while Reaper offers a more basic experience.

If you are working with a budget console or DAW, you may face some limitations, but achieving a great mix is still possible. You can check out my posts on “Gain Structure: 6 Steps To Get The Best Results” and “5 Reasons Why You Need To Use Bus Processing” to learn about my process for consistently obtaining great mixes.

Mixing Console Settings: Setup and Configuration

I will assume that you already know how to connect your stageboxes to your console and the PA system, as well as how to route your input channels to the Back of House and for online broadcast. Additionally, I will assume that audio is being sent to your PA system. The following steps can apply to your home studio or church broadcast room as well.

Once these connections are established, many people seem unsure about what to do next when setting up the console. There are three key steps you should follow when setting up your console.

1. PA System is in Stereo

In my opinion, setting up your PA in mono is a missed opportunity for sonic potential. Spreading your instruments across the stereo field helps important elements to be heard more clearly, bringing your mix to life. While it’s useful to occasionally check how your mix sounds in mono, your PA should not be configured in mono.

2. Input Channel Layout

When setting up your console or DAW, it’s important to organize your inputs effectively. When you begin a new session with a console or DAW for the first time, focus on laying out your inputs in an orderly manner. Don’t worry about configuring your busses, aux sends, or EQ settings just yet. This systematic approach to setup will prevent mistakes down the line. If you rush ahead, you may end up having to undo much of your work due to errors. I offer a free resource on My Preferred Channel Strip Layout.

3. Check PA dB Output

To determine if your PA speakers are set too loud, follow these steps. I’ll provide a more detailed post on how to check your PA levels soon, but here’s a quick summary.
- First, check the kick drum and lead vocal volume without any channel or bus processing; send audio straight from the channel input to the mains.
- Start by setting the Mains fader all the way to the off position. Next, set the fader’s for the kick drum and lead vocal to 0dB. Then, gradually raise the Mains fader and see how close you can get to 0dB without making the kick drum and vocal too loud.
- If you find that the Mains fader is below -5dB, this is an indicator that your PA system is too loud. Conversely, if you have to push the fader past 0dB, your system is too quiet.
Performing this check helps ensure that all of your channels can be mixed as close to 0dB as possible, allowing for more precise adjustments in your mixes.

Mixing Console Settings: Essential Techniques

When we discuss essential techniques as it relates to your mixing console settings, we’re referring to the foundational elements necessary for creating a great mix, whether in a live setting or the studio. You want to have proper gain levels and a good channel layout. Next, focus on setting up your levels, EQ, and compression, establishing these as your default or baseline for every mix.

I have started a series of posts called the “Baseline Series” where I go over what your starting points should be for processing each instrument. To get started, check out my introduction to the series, titled “The Best Audio Mixing Template: Introduction To Baseline Series“.

Now, let’s discuss effective techniques for balancing levels, EQ, and compression.

Balancing Levels

Ideally, you will want to mix with your fader’s as close to 0 dB as you can. Not because 0 dB is a magical number, but mixing near this level serves two important purposes:

It ensures that your mixing levels are appropriate and that your PA system is not too loud or too quiet.
It allows for more precise volume adjustments.

Use the stereo field to pan your instruments and background vocalists (BGV). This technique creates space in the center of the mix for essential elements like rhythm, melody, and lyrics to be heard clearly.

To properly balance your mix follow these steps. I’ll provide a more detailed post on how to properly balance your mix, but here’s a quick summary.

Adjust the fader for the instrument or BGV until you can clearly hear the audio.
Lower the volume by 3-5 dB or until the audio is barely audible.
Mute the audio channel and listen to see if you can tell when it’s muted. Toggle the mute on and off to determine if you notice a difference.

You should be able to tell that something is missing when the channel is muted, but it shouldn’t be overpowering when you unmute it.

EQ

There is a plethora of resources out there about how to EQ. There is also many misconceptions about EQ. Despite what anyone says, EQ does make your audio source sound better and you cannot fix a bad audio source. EQ is designed to enhance your audio rather than repair it. For example, you can’t add high-end frequencies to a bass guitar if the player has turned the treble knob all the way down. You can use EQ to highlight the best aspects of your audio source and eliminate some undesirable frequencies, but it won’t fix inherently bad audio.

When setting up your EQs as part of your mixing console settings, it’s important to use as many presets as possible, but they should enhance the frequencies of the instruments. The “seek and destroy” method can be very time-consuming and does not consistently yield good results. By simplifying your processes, you will achieve better mixes.

Compression

Compression should be a key component of your mixing console settings. The ability to have preset compressor settings will speed up your processing and mixing. Many people spend too much time trying to perfect their compressors settings, which takes away the ability to focus on other aspects of your mix. Without proper gain structure, you end up having to adjust your settings every time you mix.

To streamline your mixing process and achieve a professional compressor sound consistently, you need to have presets. Start by setting your input gain to line level—refer to my post Gain Structure: 6 Steps To Get The Best Results, to do this. Next, adjust your compressor settings to the amount of compression your want. Doing this will provide you an additional element to ensure you maintain proper gain structure from beginning to the Master Bus.

Don’t worry about about Make-up Gain when applying compression. I would worry more about level matching. In a live situation, you want to have control of volume and not have different plugins in a channel strip changing the input volume too match. For instance, if you are boosting the instrument volume by 10 dB from the compressor, then the volume will be very quiet when you turn the compressor off. Keeping the volumes relatively close will allow for more flexibility and have less distractions if something were to go wrong during the live show.

You can refer to my Baseline Series where I talk about the perfect compressor settings.

Mixing Console Settings: Advanced Features

When talking about advanced features in your mixing console settings, I am mainly referring to Effects processing, Bus processing and routing. Although they are important elements to really enhance your mixes, they are secondary during the initial setup. Once you have everything from the above sections completed, now we can add the these elements.

Bus Processing

It’s important to understand the capabilities of your DAW or console for bus processing. Start by determining how many busses you have and if they are mono or stereo busses. Second, check if you can route one bus to another bus. Understanding what you can do will greatly improve your chances of getting consistently great mixes.

For example, DAW’s typically allow you to route all of your instrument and effects busses to a Mix Bus before sending it to your Main Out. in contrast, most budget consoles only allow you to route busses to your Main Out bus and you have to send the Main Out to a Matrix if you want additional processing. Knowing the functionalities of your console will greatly contribute to your growth as an engineer.

Effects Bus

There is a temptation to a lot of effects haunts us all. We all love to add multiple layers of effects of every instrument to create a lush atmosphere that sweeps us up into the heavens. However, less is more in this case. Not to mention you are using more DSP the more effects you use. I recommend going sticking with no more than 4 effects max. For Drums, use a Plate reverb, and a Hall reverb for vocals. Then a short delay for vocal widening and a long or throw delay. These effects will enhance the sound landscape of your band with minimal footprint.

When blending effects, only add as much as necessary. Overdoing it can make the sound feel artificial and shift the focus from the music itself to the effects. A good rule of thumb is to apply the effects until you start to hear it, then back it down a few dB. Then toggle the mute and see how much of difference it makes.

Audio Routing

You want to have as much of your audio route through your busses as much as possible. This simplifies your mixes as well as keeps consistency in your mixes. There are many methods to using DCA’s, but the best principle is what do you constantly adjust throughout the show. Try to prioritize routing your busses to DCA’s instead of the input channel. Adjusting the input volume will affect the bus processing that channel is going to.

Try to get all of your audio sources to go through a Mix Bus and a Master Bus. The enables you to have additional processing providing additional control over your mix. Having control of your mix is critical to produce consistency.

Concluding Thoughts on Mixing Console Settings

It’s clear that there are many features to consider with your mixing console settings. From the essentials of gain, EQ, and compression to the advanced features like bus processing and effects routing, each component plays a vital role in creating a polished mix. Whether you are working with a console or DAW, the key is to develop a consistent workflow that balances precision with creativity.

By focusing on the basics of proper gain structure, your PA is at optimal levels, using EQ to enhance tone instead of correcting, and applying compression effectively, you can create a strong foundation for your mixes. Applying bus processing and effects not only improves the overall sound but also makes the mixing process more efficient and consistent.

As technology continues to evolve, we need to remember that while advanced features can significantly enhance our capabilities, the fundamental principles of good mixing has never changed. Understanding these core concepts and applying them consistently is crucial for producing high-quality mixes across various genres and applications.

By adopting these principles to mixing console settings, you can fully unleash your creative potential, producing mixes that not only sound fantastic but also clearly convey the artist’s vision. As we continue our journey in sound production, I ask that you join this movement to become the new wave in music production, if you have not done so already. Let these principles serve as a strong foundation for our growth and innovation in our craft.

References

Resources

Affiliated Product

Hear are my recommendations on Mixing Consoles. All of these are affiliated links, but I have used these products and stand by them. If you or your church are looking for a new console then take a look at the products below.