We've all been there: same music leader, same band, same songs, same gear... If your mixes are in a rut of mind-numbing sameness, it's time to try something new. Here, in no particular order, are several things you can try to breathe new life into your mixes.
Close Your Eyes
Shutting down one sense can help you focus on another, and your eyes are no exception. If you're looking at the stage constantly, you may not be hearing as well as you could be. You may even think you're hearing an inaudible part in the mix because your eyes register the activity.
Give your ears your full attention by closing your eyes and really listening. Listen first to the overall mix, the broad blend of the instruments and voices. Is anything sticking out, or missing? Then listen to specific instruments to assess their tone. Is the bass warm and full? Are the vocals clear without being harsh? Are the mid-range instruments playing well together?
The only danger is looking like you're not doing your job. If someone catches you with your eyes closed for an extended period of time, don't forget to end with a hearty “amen!”.
Check Your List
It's easy, in the course of a song, to fixate on one or two channels and neglect the rest. One way to avoid this is to run through a checklist in your mind, giving each musician and vocalist your undivided attention for a few seconds. Ask yourself some relevant questions at each stop. Can you hear the part? Is it loud enough to add something compelling to the mix? Is it too loud? Adjust the fader if necessary, and move on to the next voice or instrument. For drums, listen for each section of the kit. It's easy to push the kick and snare too hard, for example, while burying the hi-hat or overhead mics.
Try looking at each person as you audit their place in the mix, then try it with your eyes closed. Run your list at least once near the beginning of each song. If you don't have something else pressing to attend to, repeat the process again and again.
Turn Down Your Volume
Ears get tired, especially when volumes are high. Giving your ears a little break can help with fatigue, but it can also give you a fresh perspective on your mix. One handy trick is to put on a pair of headphones, but turn their volume all the way down. This reduces levels but still lets you hear the mix. Headphones that don't fully block outside sounds work well for this. Some headphones block (and dull) the sound--these may need to be positioned slightly off your ears to get some high-frequency bleed.
Even 20-30 seconds of respite behind headphones can give your ears a “reset”, and it can also reveal problems in your mix. If you hear a problem, take the headphones off to confirm before adjusting a fader. Finally, after your ears have had a break, try bleeding just a bit of the board mix into your headphones to get yet another perspective on your mix.
Take a Walk
Don't forget that your mix position doesn't sound the same as other areas of your venue. To see how your mix is translating to other parts of the room, get up and take a walk. If you have a tablet you can mix from, bring it along. You'll notice differences primarily in the bass, but a poor sound system (or challenging room) will reveal differences in upper frequencies as well. Listen from several spots and achieve a “compromise” mix that sounds as good as possible in the whole room.
While you're mobile, don't forget to check your mix in other areas as well. Step into the lobby and listen to the ceiling speakers, or drop in to the cry room (or restroom). Any place the house mix is being piped is fair game. Have a crew switching video in the next room? Go listen to your mix on their monitors. No other space will give you a perfect representation of the mix in the sanctuary, but each will give you a different perspective. Sometimes, you just need to mix with your feet.
Take it Home
If you've been mixing a long time, you probably have a good feel for how your mixes sound. But when was the last time you actually listened to your mixes after-the-fact? Recording a service to listen back to later may reveal many areas where your mixes could improve.
A direct board mix is better than nothing, as it will be a pristine record of the mix. Preferred is a recording from in the room, where speakers and air and bodies and walls are interacting (for better or worse). A portable digital recorder works great for this, and will set you back less than $100 from the likes of Zoom, Sony or Tascam. Not in the budget? Use a voice recorder app on your smartphone. Record your mix in the room, then listen back at your leisure. Even a grizzled audio veteran will hear things that could use improvement.
Up and Out
Getting out of a mixing rut isn't easy, but it's worth the effort. Try a few of these tricks the next time you're behind your church's mixer. Before you know it, you may have people saying, “It sounded great today. Did you get a new mixer?”