Do away with “fader fighting.” One of the biggest mistakes sound techs make is what I like to call “fader fighting,” or additive mixing. If you can’t hear a particular instrument, you push that fader up. If that covers another instrument up, you push its fader up, and so on and so on, until we have a muddy roar.
Try subtractive mixing. Listen for the most offending (loudest) instrument and bring it down in the mix. You will have a much cleaner mix and happier musicians. Remember, less is more.
Don’t make adjustments during breaks. Another big no-no is making adjustments while the band is not playing. Musicians tend to make changes to their mix during breaks. Doing so will result in either too much or not enough adjustment. Wait until the band is playing to make the adjustment, and it will be like the baby bear…just right!
What does a band want in their mix? Every musician is different. But my experience has been that the rhythm section will want various parts of …the rhythm section.
For example, drummers will typically want bass, electric, and the lead vocal, and the worship leader’s instrument. Bass will typically want kick, snare (unless they are standing next to the drummer) and the worship leader’s instrument. Electric players will usually want bass, drums and more electric! Keyboard players will generally want more of the worship leader’s instrument and vocal.
Again, these are not hard and fast rules, just typical generic things. The point is that nobody needs every input in their mix, only what they need to enhance their performance. Many times the acoustic level of a particular instrument is enough.
In conclusion, if you’re consistently listening to the wedges that the musicians are listening to, you can help fix the mush in their mix (subtractive mixing), because you know firsthand what you have placed in the mix. Plus you will have built trust with the musicians.
Michael Hill works with Sennheiser USA.