Worship Musician June 2018 | Page 58

FRONT OF HOUSE
HOW TO WALK THROUGH THE MIX | Kent Morris
Creating a pleasing mix for a plurality of listeners is the essential duty of the FOH engineer . What that mix entails , though , is far more complex than it may appear and harder to achieve than generally accepted . Each listener hears from a unique perspective through a unique ear / brain filter set and with a fixed set of expectations . For the FOH engineer to reach a point where the levels , content , timbre , and intelligibility merge into a seamless whole , she must be comfortable with self-critique in harmony with self-confidence . Here are some ways to make it happen :
DOES WHAT YOU SEE MATCH WHAT YOU HEAR ? If you look across the stage , can you hear each instrument and voice you see in action ? Is the keyboardist pounding away without being heard ? Is your ear drawn to the hi-hat over the lead vocal ? If the electric guitarist steps forward , it is logical to increase the level during that time . Learning how your band ebbs and flows is critical to getting the mix right . With Paul Baloche , when he stepped back from the mic , it meant he wanted to let the congregation own the song , so reduced vocal reinforcement followed immediately .
MENTALLY WALK THROUGH THE ENTIRE MIX , STARTING WITH THE LEAD VOCAL Look at the vocals and instrument in succession from WL to BGV to keys to guitar to bass to drums . Focus your ears to that input . Does it sit well in the mix ? Can you discern it among similar signals ? Is there something about it causing stress ? What needs to change about it to make it more part of the whole ?
THINK IN TERMS OF REDUCTION One way techs get in trouble is by doing too much . Most of the time , with a good band , it is best to start by doing no harm . Once levels are set , just listen . Let the music organically progress . Don ' t try to create a scene bigger than the song . Some songs are meant to be simple and pure , without excessive reverb and compression . It ’ s OK to streamline the mix of certain songs . Remember ; just because we can doesn ’ t mean we should .
DYNAMICS ARE YOUR FRIEND With compressors on every input and output , digital consoles present a false economy of level adjustment . Initially , the idea was to strap down every signal so it can ’ t get away , but this method generally creates lifeless mixes . Let the songs breathe . Even highly compressed signals , like kick drum , benefit from slowing down the initial attack on the compressor to let the raw component shine through . Mixing is an active process . It is hands-on and continually moving . Faders are there for a reason . Bring levels down coming into the bridge and let them loose coming back out .
FIND WAYS , OTHER THAN LOW-END , TO CREATE ENERGY AND POWER Anyone can crank the subs and beat people into submission . A better approach is to use that power wisely and only when necessary . It is easy to mix loud , much harder to mix well . Base level is important : what people initially hear . Sometimes , it makes sense to start a song softer than normal just to grab people ’ s attention and force them to focus . Then , after the second verse , bring the sub levels up going into the chorus , back down for the bridge , and then let it all hang out for the final chorus and tag . Then , immediately pull everything back ( mains and subs ), even if the next song is a four-on-the-floor driver , just to re-establish a lower baseline .
Mixing is as much art as science . It can be termed science in the service of art , since the science must be in place and functional for the art to occur . Every FOH engineer should strive to make this mix better than the last , for there are always areas needing improvement . However , do not allow others to crush your spirit . Seek the greater good of the song and service , and stay focused on the task at hand .
Kent Morris 35 year veteran of the worship technology arena with a passion for excellence balanced by the knowledge digital is a temporary state .
58 June 2018 WorshipMusician . com