Current Issue

May 2012

By Jim Kumorek

It’s Saturday afternoon. The tech team is already hard at work laying cables, connecting microphones and instruments to the snake. In the booth, the FOH tech is focused on configuring the audio console for the weekend service. The team appears to know their jobs. The band takes their place and launches into the first song.

Hmmm. Something doesn’t sound right. You think, “They’ve just started working on the mix. It’ll get better.” But by the end of the rehearsal, it isn’t much better. Over the course of the services, it still doesn’t improve. The sound tech configured the console logically, instruments were properly mic’d, and the band played well. So what went wrong?

Although audio volunteers receive training on the equipment, they are frequently not trained on the most important piece of equipment they have: their ears. When the average person listens to music, they hear the blend of the musicians. An audio tech, however, must listen more critically. When you listen to a favorite song, can you hum the bass guitar line? Can you tap out the drum patterns on your steering wheel? Can you whistle the solo lines?

Audio techs must learn to hear the nuances of the music. The following exercises will help you to develop listening skills for analyzing a mix. Understanding the components of a great mix will help you improve your own mix.

These songs are graciously provided for our use, free of charge, by the artist Steve Wilmert. Details on acquiring the entire CD can be obtained by e-mailing Steve at stevewilmert@yahoo.com.

When you listen to these recordings, use an audio system which can reproduce the full range of contemporary music - from the chest-thumping bass to the highs of the cymbals. Because the bass in music is felt more than heard, neither “average” headphones nor the typical boom box will suffice (although headphones may be useful later to help you hear the nuances of the mix). A good home stereo system is acceptable. Many car stereos also do an acceptable job. Lastly, listen to it at the same volume you would use in your services.

Listen to “Shout for Joy”, and answer the following questions. What instruments do you hear? What is the loudest instrument in the mix? What is the second loudest? What is the main melody instrument? Does the primary melody move among different instruments? You may need to listen several times for each set of questions, focusing on specific instruments each time.

This is what I hear: the instruments are acoustic guitar, Hammond organ, bass guitar, drum kit, three electric guitars and possibly a synthesizer. The most prominent instrument in the mix is the bass guitar, followed by snare and kick drum. The main melody moves between the acoustic and electric guitar.

Now listen to it again. Where are the instruments panned in the sound field? Are there points when an instrument seems more prominent than at other times?

Here’s what I hear: the primary melody instrument for the verses is acoustic guitar, but during the chorus the electric guitar takes over the melody. The two electric guitars that accent the melody are panned hard left and right, which separates them sonically. There’s also either two acoustic guitars panned hard opposite each other, or one acoustic with a delay effect panned opposite of the “real” guitar. The Hammond plays through most of the song, but in the verses, it seems further in the background. In the chorus, at 1:35, it’s more prominent. During the bridge, at 1:48, it’s brought up closer to a lead instrument level. The song starts with a big band buildup, but as the vocals begin the band is pulled back in the mix so as to not overpower the vocals. Lastly, the Hammond swells in volume at the conclusion of the song.

Listen again, focusing on what is happening vocally. In the opening band buildup, there’s a short vocal augmentation tucked just under the instruments that would be easy to lose in a live mix. The lead vocal is singing at an average volume through the verses, but for the chorus and bridge he’s singing with a great deal more power. Despite this, the lead vocal is kept at a constant volume throughout the song.

Background vocals don’t play a significant role in this song. They stay at the same level, and only come in at two places (1:15 and 2:28). Other than making sure they are balanced with each other and not overtaking the lead vocal, there’s not a lot to worry about there.

So, what does this mean to the FOH tech when mixing this song? You now know what the overall balance between the instruments should be, with bass guitar being out front. Several times in the song, instruments get added incrementally. Watching the overall level of the band is important to make sure the band doesn’t overpower the lead vocal. Running the instruments through a sub-group or VCA group so you can knock the band back a few dB as each instrument joins in might work well. Consider putting a compressor on the lead vocal to help maintain a steady level throughout the song. Be prepared to switch the focus of the mix from acoustic to electric guitar at the chorus. Lastly, bring out the Hammond organ for the lead work being done in the bridge.

Now, let’s do the same exercise with “For You Are Holy”. Listen to this song, and answer the same initial questions.

The instruments I hear are piano, an electronic drum kit, bass guitar, synthesizer, two electric guitars (one playing lead, one playing power chords), acoustic guitar and strings. The loudest instruments in the mix are the bass guitar, kick and snare. Piano is clearly the primary melody instrument during the verses, with the focus moving to electric guitar for the chorus.

Listen again. What dynamic things do you note about the instrumental mix? There’s an interesting little synth thing going on at 1:02, panned hard right. Leading into the chorus at 1:09, there is what sounds like a reverse symbol crash (fades in slow and ends abruptly, instead of starting abruptly and fading out). The melody focus at the chorus switches quickly from piano to electric guitars, with one guitar playing power chords panned center, and another playing a lead augmentation panned left. At 1:20 in the chorus, strings are brought into the mix as a light augmentation, panned hard right. Coming out of the chorus, the electric guitars are gently faded out, and the strings are given a slight swell to bring the chorus to conclusion. Going back into the verse, bass and drum kit are slightly stronger in both style and volume.

Listen again, and focus on the vocals. What’s happening of interest vocally? There’s more use of reverb on the vocals than on the previous song. It sounds to me like two separate reverb effects are being applied. The reverb that adds some high end “sizzle” to the sibilance (hissing sound) in the words is probably a plate reverb effect, with what sounds like a hall reverb to give it that “large room” sound. Also, note the light background vocal between lines of the second verse, acting as a kind of echo. On the last verse, the plate reverb seems slightly more prominent.

When mixing this song, you know what should be most prevalent instrumentally in the mix - bass, snare and kick. Reverb plays a prominent role in the feel of the verses, so I’d spend some time working with effects to get just the right reverb sound. If there isn’t a second vocalist available to add the echo lines in the second verse, a tap delay effect could be used instead. Tap out a one measure delay, and fade in the delay so as to echo the last two words of each line of the verse. This could be a very effective alternative to a second vocalist. Be ready to bring out the strings at the right places, and to swell them in and out at the end of the chorus. The reverse cymbal effect might be simulated by your fading in the drummer playing a roll on a cymbal. Lastly, watch the overall volume of the band as the guitars join in for the chorus.

For the audio tech, a euphoria occurs when you’ve nailed a mix and brought out the nuances of the music. There is also the joy the musicians will have when they know all the hard work they have put into learning those nuances was not wasted. Learning to listen critically to the music you are mixing is the first step on the path to becoming an outstanding FOH audio tech.

Jim Kumorek is managing editor of Church Production Magazine. He can be reached at jkumorek@churchproduction.com.