Last Sunday I showed up at church with some big plans for improving the sound. I was planning to get the "air mix" (without the PA) sounding good, then rough in a PA mix, then tweak the monitor mix, then finalize the PA mix. But I didn't have time for that.
Last Sunday I showed up at church with some big plans for improving the sound.? I was planning to get the “air mix” (without the PA) sounding good, then rough in a PA mix, then tweak the monitor mix, then finalize the PA mix.? But I didn’t have time for that.? There were some connection issues that consumed the time I had planned to use for mixing.?? I was running up and down the stairs from the mixing board on the balcony to the stage several times to fix and verify the mix for the problems I encountered.? I did so much running I had to shed my sweater.? I did so much running that I had less time to mix than during the previous two weeks.? But why did this happen?
Looking back I now see this was the inevitable consequence of me taking over the mixing board responsibilities.???As the former mixing guy switches roles to being more of a drummer a big void opens up in the setup department that I need to fill.? I had assumed that the former mixing guy would still be helping with the setup at his past level.? I now see that was both unrealistic and suboptimal if my goal is to get the band sounding as good as I can.? Of course the drummer needs to spend the time on the drums if the performance quality is going to me maximized.?? So there you have it: a classic case of me not fully understanding the problem I was walking into before creating a solution.? It is time for me to step back and identify the problem I need to solve as the new sound guy.
The core problem I need to solve is how to get the band sounding as good as I possibly can given the time, talent, and equipment constraints I have to deal with.? To make that happen I need to provide the band (and the drummer) with the ability to focus only on their rehearsal for the maximum amount of time I can.? I need to provide the band with a great monitor mix so they can deliver their best performance. I need to set up the mix for the first couple of rows to sound as good as possible, then fill in with the PA.? Now that I have defined the problem (which I am sure will grow as I experience whatever is going to happen next Sunday)? I can revise my plan appropriately.
My big plan for next Sunday is to get the band set up as fast and as completely as possible.? That means creating a checklist of what needs to get set up on the stage before Sunday and making sure everything gets set up.? Once things are set up, I can work on the “air mix”, rough in the PA mix, sweeten up the stage mix, then finalize the PA mix.? I?should attend the Wednesday rehearsal and run some of these ideas by the band just to make sure I understand the problems I need to solve.
I will let you know what happens!
