Seeing is believing

Having a comparative audible reference is one useful tool in the bag of tricks but not enough to guarantee that you are on the right track. The next tool is all about using our eyes. Whether it is a conventional RTA or a PC based analyzer, having an accurate visual reference is extremely helpful in preventing your mix from drifting. What you are looking for is an analyzer with at least a 30 db window and 2db or better resolution.

To make the analyzer truly useful in achieving show-to-show tonal consistency, you will need a way to determine and store a desirable curve. With a bit of attention to the RTA, you will notice that your best sounding shows will tend look a certain way (make sure to use a very slow release time on the RTA). Typically this "curve" shows up as an angled line gently sloping downward from left to right at a rate somewhere between 1 to 3 db per octave. If you want a starting point try a straight diagonal line starting at the top of the screen at 20 HZ and ending 20 db down at 20Khz. It does not really matter how you save the curve, some RTA's let you store and show curves and some don't. I found one of the easiest ways is to use the ultra hi-tech method of clear tape stuck to the screen and a thin sharpie to draw a line. Tracing a show that you like the sound of is another way, or as I have done when I don't have my personal Sound Technology RTA 4000 or clear tape, is peel a long thread from a roll of gaff tape and stick it too the screen. Keep in mind, this article is not to tell you what is right or wrong or what your curve should look like, it’s only to give you the tools to recreate the sound you are looking for, consistently.

You should cheat and use the answers from yesterday!

The third reference point is the mechanical position of your console knobs. Assuming the system is tuned so that your reference CD sounds correct in your super accurate headphones and you are using similar mics as you did yesterday and the band gear is somewhat similar then the console EQ knob positions should be in relatively the same spot, regardless of the venue or system type. This may sound like a stretch but think about it. There is no real reason for your console knobs to radically change from day to day if the system/room combinations are similar. I realized this when doing a live recording of a band I have mixed for many years. I noticed that while in the recording truck that the console EQ knobs were nearly identical to the settings I use live. I then noticed over the course of many shows that when my console EQ knobs varied more than slightly from those settings, it was because the system was EQ’ed poorly and that when I played CD’s, they also required EQ to sound balanced. If you find yourself boosting HF on every channel then most likely your system EQ is too dull or you are mixing bright. If you notice 2.5K is cut on more than 1/2 your channels, then most likely you have too much 2.5 K in your system EQ. Use this information of how your knobs are positioned to help refine your system EQ. Over time, refine your curve.

If you think you are getting off course, pop in your reference CD mid show if need be - make sure it’s muted in the PA of course - and listen to it with your headphones. Do a comparison to your mix during the show. Even with different music or songs, you can get a good idea of whether your mix is tonally balanced or drifting. Finally, run a board tape from the L and R mix, pre system EQ. This will tell you if your system EQ method is working. It's a checkpoint, the tapes should sound listenable and tonally somewhat balanced when compared to a CD on headphones and home hi-fi systems. If not, make the adjustments in your system EQ to compensate at the next show and remember a dull tape means your system EQ is too bright and visa-versa.

Using Your Senses

All in all, the key is to use the tools at your disposal to help keep you on track. I have seen many a great engineer just be scrambling for a mix at festivals. I have seen tour after tour come through where you can tell how long they have been on the road by how hard the amps for the HF 2” are clipping. With a bit of thought and self control at every festival or headline show, as a support act, or coming off a plane flight, you can guide each and every mix to sound a certain way, regardless of how honest your ears are that day. Now actually mixing the show, that's a whole different deal.