Without any doubts. There are some very good mixers, both monitor and FoH, who don't play or sing with any proficiency, but I submit that those rare folks have both a feel for what it's like to BE a player, and also a connection to music as individual parts and as a whole composition or song. The ability to hear, interpret, and integrate parts as the player wishes to hear them is the heart and soul of mixing, regardless of who the target audience is. You do this, and very well, it would seem.

“I just wish I had some electronics courses under my belt.”

For me, I think physics more than electronics. I'm not *as* concerned about the esoterica of amplifier power supply design as I am getting the array to behave in the room... :-) OTOH, I'm all about low noise floors, no hums and buzzes, and reliability, so where does that leave me...

I don't think a formal education in music is essential to be a mixer, but I don't think it impedes one, either. It didn't hurt you, did it? I think you are not giving yourself credit for the training you had that helped make you the well-rounded music-person you are. I don't think *extensive* technical training is necessary to be a mixer, either... If one's goal is to be a system engineer, then they better have the physics, math, and electronics training to bring to the table, along with a musical ear to let them know when they're getting things right.

Just my narrow-minded, stubborn opinion.. ;-)

Tim Mc


Reply posted by Chris Kathman on August 24, 2002

I have never been a steady-gigging musician. I own some instruments, write some songs, and have appeared onstage a few times, but spent many more hours jamming with my buddies privately.

One night at a club in San Francisco, Clem Burke, the drummer from Blondie, came in with a band called Dramarama. They were an awesome live act, that unfortunately got typecast by their one quasi-novelty radio song, "Last Cigarette." To me, meeting Clem was a really big deal - this guy has laid down the groove on some legendary songs. He was cheerful and friendly and only became frustrated when he asked for bass to be added to his mix, after we had finished putting all the toms in the fill.

I saw that he was really bugging as the band played part of a song, so I walked over to his fill when they stopped.

GET OUT FROM BEHIND THE DESK, Y'ALL!

Because even your idols may not have the vocabulary to express what they are going through. (I know you know this, Teri, I was just "shouting" to the rafters, so to speak.)

I asked Clem to play with just the bass player and stuck my head back by the speaker. The amount of bass he had asked for was monopolizing the available voltage going to the speaker. I could recognize this musically, even though asking me to explain Ohm's Law is a losing proposition. The bass was chewing up everything under 500 Hz in the toms. I explained this to Clem, talking about the full tone of the drums, not mentioning frequencies.

He has been around, and quickly grasped what I was saying. I turned down the bass a little, he and the bass player played together, and his face lit up with a giant grin. That was a great feeling.

Part of me will always wish I had practiced enough to be sitting in his chair. But as long as I "have" to do this other mixing work, it is a good day when you can help someone who is open to it.

CAN I GIT AN AMEN!

- C.K.


Reply posted by Lee Brenkman on August 24, 2002

You preachin' to the choir (even if Grampa's Quaker upbringing makes singing in meeting a little against the grain) but okay, AMEN TO THAT BROTHER!

especially the part about

“GET OUT FROM BEHIND THE DESK, Y'ALL!”

Don't hesitate to get out from behind "control central" y'all. FOH people, walk the room a little, even during the show if you can. Monitor people, spend some time on stage while the band is playing.
Things DO sound different out there.