Importance Of Good Mixing Console
The mix process plays a major role in obtaining quality recordings. A great mix begins with a good mixer, and I’m a big fan of digital consoles.
While they might not be as “warm” sounding as an analog console, they’re generally packed with features and deliver high quality audio.
When our church replaced our 10-year-old analog console with a digital console, our audio team immediately noticed an overall improvement in the sound.
This was primarily due to the elimination of several outboard equalizers, compressors, and effect processors, which were all being used in conjunction with the analog console. The digital console, however, has the digital EQ, compressors, and effects built-in.
By eliminating the outboard equipment, we eliminated the inherent signal noise these units introduced. However, digital boards nearly always require proper training for effective operation.
Properly Train Audio Crew
Retaining a good, dependable audio crew is a challenge for most churches, however, it’s key to maintaining professional-sounding audio and recordings.
If your church is in the market for a new sound system or even just a new mixing console, make sure to include training sessions as part of the package.
Our church recently purchased a Yamaha DM2000 as our main sanctuary mixing console. The board it replaced was a large 40-input analog console which served our church well for nearly 10 years.
Our director of communications made sure to include audio training classes as part of the package price. As a result, our audio crew made a quick and comfortable transition from the world of analog mixing to digital mixing.