The rhythmic rap of voice through microphone, traditionally offered by public address announcers, performers, engineers and others indicates the sound check is underway. In the music industry there is a common misconception that sound check is the time set aside for band rehearsal. Wrong! Sound check is the engineer’s time to properly set levels, eq each instrument and voice, and adjust the mix for the mains and monitors so everyone can hear well. Only after that is accomplished, and the engineer is confident all levels are correctly set, is it time for the band to play a full song. Although this section involves the band playing full songs, it is not yet time to rehearse. Attention should be placed on the needs of the engineer, to insure that nothing is clipping, distorting or causing feedback.

If the sound check is to work properly you should have at least one 31 band 1/3 octave equalizer on each monitor send. Even if you are in a large building with a Sound Web, Media Matrix, or other computer controlled processing it is imperative that you have access to some kind of eq for the monitors. Many recent installs have steered away from giving the engineer access to eq’s. On one hand I can understand this because an eq in the hands of an untrained person can cause more harm than good. On the other hand, it’s like trying to drive a car with access only to the gas pedal and not the brake. You can slow the car by reducing the flow of gas, but access to the brake gives much greater control over your vehicle. A professionally installed system should sound fine without any additional eq; for the most part the eq I am discussing would only be used to cut frequencies for feedback purposes.

First turn off the mains and let’s work with only the monitors. Find your quietest singer and boost the aux send on his/her monitor mix until their wedge barely begins to squeal. Have a volunteer wear earplugs and talk into the mic. You will notice the mic gets hollow sounding just before the feedback starts. That’s also a good indicator, during a performance/service, that something is about to squeal. This is very subtle and requires intense listening, but once you figure out what it sounds like it’s pretty easy to discern. Bump up the send until you hear the first squeal then bump it down just enough to eliminate that squeal. Whether or not you have perfect pitch, a little common sense helps you zero in on the problem frequency. Think of the graphic eq as a piano. Lower notes are on the left, higher notes on the right. If the feedback sounds like a bass guitar, it’s going to be a slider toward the left end of the eq; if it sounds like a flute or soprano singer it’s going to be more toward the middle or right of the unit. Since you’re close to the point of feedback pick a slider that you feel is closest to the feedback note and turn it up 3 to 6 db. If you hear the same feedback pitch then you nailed it. Turn that slider down to about –3d on the eq and you just took out your first notch. If you weren’t so fortunate, return that slider to zero and try the next one up or down from that point until you find the problematic frequency. Once you find it, notch it out a bit. Now turn the mic up a bit more until you hear another frequency, which may be the same one again. If that’s the case, make a little deeper notch. Continue until you hear about two or three notes at the same time. When you arrive at this point you’ve reached the limit of your current setup. Make a mental note of the aux send position; not turning past this spot during the service should prevent feedback.

OK, I know what’s coming. Some will ask “what about these feedback buster units?” They are a very good, if not better way, to accomplish the same thing. However, read the manual and discover they are doing the same thing we’ve accomplished with a lot less brainpower since they are pretty much automatic. Also, they use much narrower notches than you get with the 1/3 octave eq. Translation? They do a much better job of killing feedback without really changing the sound of the wedge. I’m not one of their biggest fans (I’m more of an “old school” guy who wants to control it myself), but they are great tools that most volunteers can learn to operate quickly and with great success.

Instant replay: we’ve rung out each of the monitor sends; noted the aux send position when we heard the last feedback; should have noticed the band’s arrival. Time now for the actual check.

Ask each musician on stage to give you a sample of his/her inputs to the system. Have them choose one of the loudest settings they will likely use in performance. Note this level with the mains and monitors off. At this point you may need to ask them to turn down a bit and allow you to put it in the monitors. If their stage volume from their amp is too loud you can’t effectively blend the sound without having to turn everything else up to the volume of their stage sound. You don’t necessarily need an extensive solo, just a short sample of what they will be playing. Keep in mind they probably won’t play/sing at the level they’ll be using during the service. The singer/musician may not be comfortable hearing him/herself all alone. Minister to them. Encourage them. Most will come to value this time as much as you do. They get a chance to hear how they sound in their monitor and you get your chance to hear them by themselves.

Some engineers start with the vocals but my preference is to start with the drums; it really doesn’t matter. Inform the artists that you’ll be setting some things and the system will be silent for a few moments. Turn down their main fader and aux sends; have them start their signal; hit the solo or pfl button on their channel strip. This will make your main meters reflect the input to that channel. You’ll want to turn up the gain until you get the meter to about zero db. Now you’ve hit another point of disagreement among engineers. Depending on your skill level, and the skill level of your performer, you may want to give them a little more room, in case they get really loud during the service. The last thing you want is for them to distort the input. Once the levels are set, with all the outputs down, you can start turning up the monitor send. Ask them to offer some signal when they think they have enough of themselves in their monitor. When you bring up the house fader, and cover up the sound coming from the stage, that will be your minimum volume setting. As I bring up the fader, I try to listen for the point that the sound doesn’t seem to be coming off the back wall of the platform and for it to enter the main PA.

Keep the goal in sight. Don’t get each instrument to sound as huge as possible, just ensure you can get them all to mix together well. Making the electric guitar sound huge and really full might cause conflict with the bass guitar in the mix. We’ll spend some time next issue discussing how to eq everything so it all fits together. For now, search for a natural sound… imagine you are sitting in front of the instrument/singer without any PA or amplification.

Do this for each instrument, each vocalist. After you have set all the gains individually you may want to have your vocalists give you a sample with all of them. I’d put on my cans (headphones) and cue up the monitor send. Don’t worry about the house sound at this point; just get your singers happy. Listen to what their mix is giving them and blend it like you would the house. Listen for each singer to be clearly heard in the mix. If you do that there won’t be one person overpowering the monitor mix and you’ll alleviate the requests for more of me, and me, and me, and me. You really need to mix their monitors for them; make sure all parts are heard and evenly mixed. Now turn up the house and mix them out there. Work through each section of the band just like this until everyone is happy. Now go for a full song and mix the house so that all parts are clearly heard. After the song, ask each musician to let you know what’s going on in his or her mix. Now that everyone is playing, adjustments may need to be made.

The goal with all of this is not to frustrate anyone, but to give everyone an equal chance to hear him or herself, and hear a full mix. Once you get through this, and you may have to do it a few times, you’ll all be happier and communication should be much better. Remember to work with your platform team; you are a part of that team. Provide what is asked from you and you deepen the bond of trust. If a request is unreasonable, help them understand by explaining why it is unreasonable. Shouting back and forth from the booth to the stage is a big no-no. Talk to them, in a kind and considerate manner, through a mic that goes to the stage monitors. Do not get frustrated; remember to make it fun. If you are stressed out, maybe it’s time to get some fresh blood to give you assistance; often, many college students would love to help. Get them on board; consider making one of them a stage manager. You can talk to them though a com system or walkie-talkie and let them be your voice on the stage.

I originally published this article a few years back, but while thinking about what to write this month, I kept coming back to the thought that a lot of people still miss the most basic thing in the technical arts. So I’ve updated the article and am going to take a slightly different approach to it.

Let’s start with the most famous question that sound people get asked. “Do you really know what all those knobs do?” If you can answer that question you may also know every frequency and their equivalent musical note. You possibly know the exact crossover point of every driver in your system, and you may even know the RT60 of the main sanctuary, youth room, and gymnasium.

Whether you’re the person who actually DOES know what every knob on the soundboard does, or you are just starting out, the real question we should be asking is: “How does it sound?”

Starting out:
When I first started doing sound I went out and bought a great set of headphones. I thought to myself, if I’m going to be expected to make something sound good, I should probably know what I’m shooting for. So I started really listening to CDs like crazy. Not just bands or styles I liked, but anything and everything I could get my hands on. I listened not to the lyrics, chords, melodies, or harmonies, but much deeper. I listened to how it all fit and worked together. I listened to the space that each instrument was taking up. I noticed that most instruments seemed to be sitting in a certain spot. I’m not talking about where they are panned, but more specifically what frequencies they were mostly made up of.

How to get there:
When building a mix we need to think of the song as a flat line. Each instrument makes up part of that line. If we have too many instruments or frequencies trying to take up the same space our line gets bumpy or more specifically our mix gets muddy. Listen to each instrument and think of a space for it on the line. Keep other instruments away from it (EQ wise) and you will have an easier time hearing that instrument. You wouldn’t want to have a really bass heavy electric guitar because it would be taking up a lot of the space the bass guitar really needs. Basically, try to keep each instrument in its place.

I always tell new engineers to never be satisfied or “done” with the mix. You should always be listening for changes, and more importantly listening that everything is in the mix and working together. That doesn’t mean you have to always be turning a knob, but you do want to always be attentive to the mix and what’s going on inside it.

 Knowledge to bridge the gap:
For those practical types, I offer some general eq frequencies to consider when you are trying to find your space.

General frequency tips:
20Hz to 80Hz: This is your sense of power in an instrument or mix. It’s the stuff you feel more then hear. The kick drum and bass guitar are down here in this range.

80Hz to 250Hz: The area where everything comes together. This is where a lot of things can go wrong and too much in here will make a mix sound sloppy.

250Hz to 2kHz: Most of your fundamental harmonics are in this range. These are some of the most critical frequencies to building a solid mix. Learn what instruments are most dominant in these frequencies and clean up around them.

2kHz to 5kHz: Here you will find the clarity to almost everything. But be careful, too much of a good thing can start to sound harsh. This is an area where subtlety is key.

5kHz to 8kHz: Mostly sibilance and “s” sounds. Much of the vocal consonants are defined in this range.

8kHz to 20kHz: Brilliance is the word here, the top end of cymbals.

Instrument frequency tips:

Kick Drum and Toms: Cut 500Hz to get rid of the cardboard box sound. Add 3-5kHz to make them cut through the mix. Add a little 60Hz to 80Hz to make them really thump.

Hi Hat: I generally cut all the lows and a good chunk of low mids. There isn’t anything down there anyway.

Snare: Generally I take out a little around 600Hz and add a little around 4kHz, but that really depends on the drum.

Bass Guitar: So many players and basses are so very different. Usually if it’s muddy I cut 200Hz and possibly add a little 700Hz to 1kHz if I can’t really hear their notes, but be careful because there are a lot of other instruments fighting for that space.

Piano: This is a beast we could probably use a whole article to discuss. It depends mostly on how it’s mic-ed. If it’s boomy then cut 200Hz to 315Hz. If it’s kind of barking then cut more up near 400Hz to 500Hz. Judiciously add a little 2 to 4kHz to make it cut a little more.

Voice: Boomy? Take out 160Hz. Is it too thick? Try cutting 240Hz. Need them to poke out a little more? Add a little 2.5kHz. Having trouble hearing their syllables? Try adding a little between 4 and 10kHz.

The biggest thing to keep in mind is: “Does it sound natural?” What I mean is does it sound like the cds you’ve heard. More specifically, does it sound like you were sitting in front of the real instrument? When mixing I keep this in mind through the whole event. I constantly glance down all the channels and think about each input. Kick, does the kick sound right? Bass, does the bass sound right? Guitar, does the guitar sound right? Piano, does the piano sound right? Vocals, do the vocals sound right? I think you get the picture.

If you have read my bio at the end of this column recently you probably know that I work at Bayside Church. What you may not know is that Lincoln Brewster is the full time worship pastor there. That’s not a line to give you the six degrees of Lincoln to John, but just to connect the dots since I’m going to use a few bayside and Lincoln stories to make in this installment of FOH.

Read the next few scenarios and see which one resounds with you.

1.) Lincoln was once invited to be a guest worship leader at a church and was being backed up by the house band. Having a little trouble with his monitors, he graciously mentioned something to the sound crew up in the booth. One of the band members said, “Hey man, be quiet, you shouldn’t question them, they’ll take your head off.”

2.) Kyle (who is one of our audio guys at Bayside) was running sound for a youth event. He always had the guitar players face their amps off stage so they wouldn’t be too loud in the house. A new guitar player came in one week and asked him to put the amp facing him. Kyle agreed and said “ Ok, let’s see how we can make it happen.” The band member was blown away and told him thanks for being willing to try something different, most sound guys I encounter just say “nope.”

Whichever side of the fence you are on, the musician or the sound person, you may be thinking that I could just end this article right now and say, “bla, bla, bla… I know John, we are supposed to be servants.” And to some level you would be correct. We are to be servants. We are here to support the service, whether we are a musician or tech, and do what ever it takes to create a great worship experience for everyone, including the band, the audience, and ourselves.

But there is more to it than that. The first story is about an elite sound team that the band can’t even talk to because they will get in trouble. The second story is about a guy who just wanted to make the event the best it could be. Guess what the difference was. The latter communicated. So the real point of this article is COMMUNICATE!

Kyle took his time to communicate with the guitar player to understand what he was going for with his amp placement. Guess what? It didn’t really bother Kyle like he thought it might, and actually he learned something. This guitar player needed the amp facing him because he had a few songs where he needed feedback (the cool guitar kind, not the dreaded mic squeal from a PA), which can only be done by facing your guitar right into the front of your amp. If Kyle had been a “typical” sound guy and said no, the guitarist couldn’t have done what he needed to do.

All that to say this: I’m not sure when or where sound persons got the privilege of saying no. (Insert appropriate sarcasm.) I think it has something to do with them being overworked a bunch of the time. (no sarcasm needed.) We all get a little snippy when it is the 79th hour we’ve worked in a week, but that’s a whole other article. But all things considered, shouldn’t we always strive to communicate and serve, even more so when we are tired.

Every worship leader and tech are wired differently so what works for one team may not work for another, but I would suggest both parties strive to really get to know each other and follow some of the following tips for your interactions.

Try this: Sit down together over lunch, throw this statement out there and each person take a turn. Tell me 5 things you wish I knew about your job. You’ll be amazed at the communication that flows. Be careful though and don’t use this as a time to vent. Consider the other party better than yourself and don’t make excuses. You might just find out that the other person does have a heart and values your input.

Lincoln and I have built a great relationship. We’ve gotten to the point where he may come out to the soundboard and say something like, “Hey why don’t you try really sucking 500Hz out of that snare drum.” It’s pretty standard for me to always cut a little, and so I immediately think “Hmm, I think it sounds right.” But I gave it a shot anyway, and low and behold a musician was right about the mix. The snare fit better and I learned to trust another pair of ears.

I heard a great analogy once. Close your eyes and picture a parade. Yeah, the kind with marching bands, giant flower covered floats, and of course a fire truck or two. It’s a hot summer day and we are just sitting on the side of the road watching each piece go by. Now pause for a moment and realize that from our limited viewpoint we can only see the marching band that just passed, the clowns that are directly in front of us, and the drum corps approaching. We can’t see past the one or two things right in front of us, but we know there is more coming. How do we know that? Well simply put, because we’ve been to a parade before.

Now consider a helicopter pilot hovering high above the parade street. He can see from the very beginning of the parade all the way to the end. He can see the traffic jam on 5th avenue that is going to hold things up, he can see the big space between the Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck blimps; and he can radio down to the street and tell them to tighten up the spacing, as to possibly slow down to avoid the traffic on 5th.

We technicians should always be able to focus on the little things that make the event happen, those things should almost be second nature, but we should never loose sight of the “big picture”.

We are often called upon to make fast decisions. The right decision is always the one that reflects the best possible outcome of the entire event. Communication is the key here. If our speakers are going to block the video screens, it’s probably time to talk with the video team and see if they can move a bit… if they can’t, because of the geometry of the room, then maybe it’s time to let go of a little pride and put the speakers on the other side of the screen, but whatever the decision, the thing that separates good techs from great techs (hear good leaders, from great leaders) is the ability to see the bigger picture.

Now just how do I do that John?

Much like the three most important points of buying real estate are location, location, location. Technical would be experience, experience, experience. While there are a few good schools that teach the technical arts… the programs that really stand out are the ones where their students get hands on training. We can spend an entire day talking about how to time-align a system, but until you’ve actually done it for yourself, it’s just theory.

So what’s the answer to the question? Experience. But the trick to experience is to pay attention to your situations. Always try to learn something. After every event I’m a part of, I always take a few minutes to consider the day, and find at least one thing I learned. Most of the time it’s many more than just one thing.

Whether technical, everyday-life, or literally wherever you are, why not adopt the question, “What can I learn from this person?” It’s easy to ask that question when it’s obvious that said person is more “accomplished” than you are… but I’ve honestly learned just as much, if not more, by considering myself less, regardless of where the social, technical, or political ladder puts them. When I consider myself less; opportunities to learn just spring up all over the place.

As I said earlier, in a live production environment it’s best to keep the “big picture” in mind. We are all leaders of our specific areas. When we make mistakes it’s always best to humbly claim that mistake and move on. We should never flaunt our knowledge and/or use it as a wedge to manipulate a decision to our advantage. Obviously, everyone is at a different level, but don’t treat him or her like they are, or try to use your accomplishments to make yourself superior.

Recently a tech at an outdoor concert was arguing with the bandleader about the placement of the audience mics for the in-ear mixes. Trying to prove his knowledge level the tech threw out the line “I’ve been doing ear monitors for over 30 years.” Well not only was the bandleader right, but the tech “proved” himself wrong… ear monitors haven’t been around for 30 years.

I think the old saying “The proof is in the pudding” goes much further than a long list of accomplishments. Humbly and quickly do your job, and people will automatically consider you great at what you do… regardless of your knowledge level.

And the trick to the “Big Picture”…

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves." Philippians 2:3 (NIV)

"Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom." Proverbs 11:2 (NLT)

The FCC has made a mandate the on February 17th 2009 all analog transmission of television signals must be shut off and everything must be broadcast in HD. What does this mean to the local church or organization that has a television ministry? Not much other than the following!

You DO NOT have to have HD content to continue your television broadcast. Your existing standard definition recordings will still be broadcast just as they always have. The only difference is they will be upconverted and sent through the airwaves as an HD signal. The picture quality however will not be any better. Your output can only be as good as your input.

Something to consider... If you are trying to effectively reach the “outside world” with a television ministry and the home viewers are flipping through the channels on Sunday morning on their new 50” HD television and they come across a few different church services and an infomercial. One church service is being broadcast in standard definition (307,200 pixels), the preacher/communicator is grainy and fuzzy and the scripture text overlays are hard to read, the other church service is being broadcast in HD (2,073,600 pixels almost 7 times the resolution of standard definition), in which the preacher/communicator is crystal clear with sharp text overlays, and the infomercial is HD. Which one would they most likely end up watching? Well you can’t guarantee they will watch a church service at all but it would be safe to say the service that is crystal clear has a better chance of keeping the viewers attention than the one that is fuzzy.

If the technology is available... use it! So many times we as the church cut many corners thinking we are being “Good Stewards”. The reality is the local area businesses will spend millions of dollars marketing their products and ensuring the product is represented in the best possible way to make the consumer choose their product over their competitor. The church is in competition as well, but not with each other. We are in competition with golf, sleeping in, brunch, sporting events, and anything else people could be doing other than worshiping our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Therefore when we have an opportunity to share the gospel it needs to be presented with EXCELENCE, cause at the end of the day we are dealing with peoples eternal salvation which is far more valuable than consumer goods and dollars. If the financial resources are available and the technology is already in place and ready to more effectively communicate the Word of God, lets use it! Or should we be good stewards spend that money on a new pulpit or chandelier? Ouch, that stings!