Audio Info & Education

The engineer and I had just spent several hours balancing rhythm tracks but the bass guitar was still not out front enough. I asked for more bass, but he turned to me and said, "That's as loud as we can get it." He reached up and hit the solo button on the mixer for the bass channel and pointed to the meters. Sure enough, all on its own the bass guitar was right on the verge of overdriving the board. But when those other instruments were turned back on you couldn't hear it. It was the first time I'd ever seen a visual demonstration of the limits of ever-increasing volume in the mix. The bass was as loud as we could get it without distortion, but the other instruments were masking the sound. And I had just learned a lesson that was useful far beyond the recording studio.

In Part 1 of this series, we discussed the basic concept of side-chaining along with a couple of the most common applications. In this segment we'll learn about more specialized uses of side-chaining and how to set up your system for side-chaining.

The concept of side-chaining is nothing new; studio engineers and mastering specialists discovered long ago how to use one track to control others in the mix with this method. But what is side-chaining and how can it be utilized to get a better mix? Sometimes it is desirable to create a powerful mix without forcing the vocals or more subtle instruments to compete for sonic space. By using the solo tracks to control a compressor on other or the rest of the tracks, the engineer seeks to maintain a relatively uncompressed mix that automatically "steps out of the way of the solos." Subtle side-chain applications are intended to enhance the separation of instruments in the mix without drawing the listener's attention. More dramatic applications can significantly alter the feel of the song and these often become part of the sounds themselves. 

If you read parts 1 and 2 of this series, you should have a better idea of which format your church's PA system needs to be for your present needs. You should also have a plan for investing in equipment today that can grow and meet your needs tomorrow. What other factors do you want to keep in mind when planning a sound system? In this article we'll explore some other systems and accessories you'll want to incorporate into designing your system.

A true staple of rock and roll is a good old fashioned house show. The house show or house party can be enjoyed by high school garage bands and adult bands alike. Compared to more traditional venues, house shows provide a more intimate and inclusive atmosphere for both bands and audience members. While they may not always be as glorious as they are portrayed in movies, a well-run house show is a thing of beauty and actually takes a lot of organization to get right.

In the Part 1 of this series, we learned how choosing the right format for your church sound system is crucial to keeping your message easily understood. The wrong setup can literally create reflections that clutter your listeners' aural field and make it harder for them to hear the message. We also discussed how a very large system calls for some professional design and installation advice. Now what if your church is a new startup, or a mobile outreach that might become a brick-and-mortar church one day? Is your mobile church towing a trailer and setting up a system for each service? Maybe your budget only allows for a small investment in sound reinforcement, but you don't want to invest in equipment you'll have to replace later? In each of these cases you'll want to take a creative approach to building your system incrementally. Let's look at some options for building a modular system over time and become familiar with the design considerations.

Selecting a sound system for your church can be a lot more challenging than it might seem at first glance. In the past, most houses of worship were either small enough not to need a sound system, or equipped with minimal systems just so you could hear the pastor or the choir a little better. But as the size of the average church has steadily increased over time, even modest presentations often need a sound system to be effective. With the increasing popularity of contemporary worship music which requires more robust sound reproduction, most ministries will find themselves investing in sound equipment at some point.

In Part 1 of this series we discussed how you can use the PFL system to listen in on different parts of the mix individually. In Part 2 we'll learn how your PFL system can also help you see what is happening too.

A high-performance sports car can be exciting to drive even if you don't know anything about auto mechanics. But if you are having performance issues or you want to tune the motor to perfection, you're going to have to look under the hood. With all the great features that the latest generation of mixers have to offer it is easy to get distracted by bells and whistles and overlook how useful the simple tools can be in helping you to achieve a great sound. One of those important tools is PFL (which is an abbreviation for 'pre-fader listen'). If the Digital Signal Processor on your mixer is like the sports car's turbo boost, then the PFL would be like the headlights. Sometimes you need to be able to focus your ears on individual sounds in order to make sure you're going in the right direction with your mix. But to get there you need to learn the techniques which make PFL the Sound Tech's Secret Weapon.

Part 3: Putting the Final Polish on Your Mix

This is a continuation of our first two articles, Mixing Live- 10 Steps to Pull Your Mix Together Quickly: Part 1 and 2

This is a continuation of our first article, Mixing Live- 10 Steps to Pull Your Mix Together Quickly: Part 1. 

Part 2: Perfect is the Enemy of the Good- Just Try to Get a Good Mix!