As a FOH engineer, I need to be prepared for whatever could comes my way. I make sure I have extra channels available for unexpected inputs. We have a full selection of DIs, mics, cables, batteries, wireless and other odds and ends just in case.
We show up early to make sure the stage is fully set and functional before the musicians ever walk through the door. We can accommodate almost any request because we are prepared.
I use down time during the week to prepare for the weekends so they run more smoothly and with less stress. And that makes everyone happier.
Manage Time Well
On the busy days, I would often have 3-4 appointments. Showing up late puts you in a harder position to build trust, and I didn’t want to have to dig out from that hole right off the bat.
The appointments were not always right down the road from each other, so I had to pay very close attention to my time at the first so I wouldn’t be late for the second. That meant being efficient with my measurements, demonstrations and negotiations that would hopefully close a sale so I could move on to the next.
Some people just wanted company, and I had to be very aware of when I could spend time chatting and when I needed to move on.
Starting a rehearsal late can be the kiss of death for a service. If the band doesn’t have sufficient time to run through all the songs, it can really derail the worship.
We have to pay special attention to our time so we’re not the ones holding things up. If we’ve shown up on time, prepared well and are fully ready when the band arrives, we’re a leg up. But things can still go wrong. Sometimes we have to decide not to deal with something right then because we have to keep moving.
If we fail to manage our time well, little things can quickly become big things. And we don’t want that.
As I said, mixing is at least 33 percent people skills, and it is as incumbent on us to get better at that side of the equation as it is to learn more about plug-ins, frequency response and spectral management. While dealing with people may be harder, it’s possibly the biggest element in whether or not we will be successful.
Mike Sessler is the Technical Director at Coast Hills Community Church in Aliso Viejo, CA. He has been involved in live production for over 20 years and is the author of the blog, Church Tech Arts . He also hosts a weekly podcast called Church Tech Weekly on the TechArtsNetwork.