Audio Fundamentals for Mixing Monitors and Broadcast from Front of House
Introduction and Speaker Background
Speaker Profile: Brian Good
Current Role: Brian Good works for Harvest Church, located in Riverside, California. He oversees stage production, audio, and lighting for Harvest Church.
Harvest Crusades: He also manages stage, audio, and lighting for the Harvest Crusades.
Freelance Experience: Brian works as a freelance front-of-house (FOH) and monitor engineer for various companies across the United States.
Past Collaborations: He has worked with organizations such as Spectrum Sounds (based in Nashville) and BCT.
Artists Worked With: His portfolio includes working with artists such as Phil Wickham, Bethel Music, and various other musicians.
Team and Operations
Riverside Campus: Brian manages the production team at the Riverside campus.
Orange County (OC) Campus: He oversees production at the Harvest Orange County campus.
Production Partners: He maintains strong relationships with various vendors who support large-scale events like the Harvest Crusades.
Personal Background and Hobbies
Musical Origins: Brian began his career as a drummer before transitioning into audio engineering. He found that he was more skilled in the production side of music than in performance.
Construction Hobbies: He enjoys building things in his spare time as a way to disconnect from work and production responsibilities.
The Disney Theme Display: Every year, Brian and his family create a massive Disney-themed light and audio display at their home for Halloween.
The display serves as a community outreach and a witness for his faith.
The event has gained significant attention, including drone footage filmed by KTLA.
Brian noted that he often works on this display until in the morning after his professional work day ends.
Audio Fundamental Key Points
The session outlines several core pillars for successful audio management in a church environment:
Identifying common issues at the church.
Cultivating professional relationships.
Knowing the systems in use.
Utilizing the right tools.
Implementing keys to a successful mix.
Mixing with tracks (using a specific Worship Night case study).
Common Issues in Church Audio
Room reverberation and poor acoustics.
Excessive stage volume (loud stage).
Lack of trust from the worship team towards the audio engineers.
Uncertainty regarding how to operate complex equipment.
A sense of not having the necessary tools to achieve a high-quality sound.
Strengthening the Relationship with Worship Leadership
The Foundational Key: A strong relationship with the worship leader or band leader is the primary requirement for a good mix.
Developing a Signature Sound:
Engineers should work with the Musical Director (MD) and Worship Director to define what the church should sound like.
The goal is not to copy other churches but to develop a unique, localized "Harvest sound."
Discord between the engineer and the leader regarding the desired sound leads to poor outcomes and division.
Pre-Service Rituals and Preparation:
Brian advises not touching the mixing console immediately upon arrival on a Sunday morning.
He spends the week programming the desk so that Sunday mornings can be dedicated to personal interaction.
The production and worship teams gather on stage to chat, laugh, and pray as a team before heading to their respective stations.
This builds a positive atmosphere that translates into a better service.
Knowing and Troubleshooting Systems
System Mastery: Engineers must understand their equipment deeply and be able to fix problems as they arise.
Troubleshooting the Signal Chain: When a microphone fails, the engineer must systematically check the chain:
The Microphone The XLR Cable The Preamp The Console.
Training Volunteers: Brian creates intentional problems for his volunteers (e.g., placing a bad cable in the line) to teach them how to troubleshoot under pressure.
Honesty with Leadership: If an engineer does not know how a piece of equipment works, they should be honest with leadership so they can seek the necessary training.
Tools and Resources for Audio Professionals
Value of Existing Gear: High-quality results can be achieved with mid-range gear like the Behringer X32 or Midas M32 if the user understands the tools.
Learning Resources:
YouTube: A primary resource for tutorials and solving specific technical hurdles.
Internal Network: "Phone a friend" by contacting colleagues in the industry who may have more expertise.
Manufacturer Support: Contacting vendors or manufacturers via email for technical questions.
Advocating for Better Gear: If the current tools are insufficient to meet the church's sonic goals, engineers must present the leadership with clear costs and reasons for upgrading.
Keys to a High-Quality Mix
PA Calibration and Tuning: This is the most critical technical step. If the PA is not tuned for the room, the engineer will be forced to "hack" the EQ on every channel, leading to poor monitor and broadcast mixes.
If a room sounds poor, Brian suggests hiring a professional system tech to retune the PA.
Acoustic Management: Use acoustic treatment when possible. At the Harvest OC campus, which lacks treatment, they rely on the crowd to help soak up volume.
Source and Tone: The sound begins with the musician. Engineers should collaborate with musicians on their instrument tone (e.g., guitar pedals, drum tuning) so the engineer doesn't have to work as hard at the console.
Managing Phase: Ensuring signals are in phase, particularly with drums.
Example: For snare top and snare bottom, flipping the phase on one mic should result in the low frequencies "returning." If the sound becomes thin, the mics are out of phase.
Console Programming: Prepare scenes and input lists in advance (using tools like Planning Center) so the engineer isn't scrambling during soundcheck.
Dynamics and Effects:
Use EQ, compression, and gates effectively.
Create presets for different musicians to save time.
Utilize internal console plugins (reverbs, etc.) instead of assuming you need external hardware.
Controlling Stage Volume
Drum Shields: Using a shield can cut drum volume by nearly half, allowing vocals to cut through the mix without requiring excessive overall volume.
Guitar Amp Placement: Brian recommends moving guitar amps into separate rooms or "bunkers" behind the stage.
By removing the physical amp from the stage, the stage volume can be reduced by to .
Communication with Drummers: Engineers should work with drummers to encourage controlled playing or the use of "rods" instead of standard sticks in low-volume environments.
Case Study: Night of Worship "In the Round"
The Scenario: A special event at the Orange County campus (no acoustic treatment) where the band was positioned on the floor, surrounded by the congregation.
Technical Challenges: The band was physically in front of the main PA system.
Solution:
Brian used a separate small PA on sticks to avoid feedback from the main system.
The drummer played with high control to minimize cymbal bleed into the vocal microphones.
No drum shield was used, necessitating a high level of trust and cooperation with the musicians.
The Outcome: The mix remained clear and balanced throughout the dynamic range of the set, even during loud segments, because of the relationship-based preparation.
Advanced Broadcast Mixing and Tools
Loudness Standards: Brian uses a TC Electronic unit to monitor the web mix's volume.
Target: for YouTube.
Going louder than triggers YouTube's internal compression, which degrades audio quality.
SMART Software: Used to measure real-time levels in the room to ensure the mix stays within safe and comfortable limits.
Mixing Environment: Brian often builds his mixes using headphones first, then adjusts them to suit the live room and the webcast.
Questions & Discussion
Q: How do you decide what to include in tracks versus live playing?
A: The team meets on Tuesdays to review the setlist. Brian works with the MD to decide which Ableton tracks to remove based on the live musicians available, ensuring the tracks complement rather than replace the performers.
Q: How do you balance a broadcast mix if it comes from a Front of House matrix?
A: Use "mix minuses" or dedicated aux levels for the broadcast feed. Brian recommends frequently checking the mix with headphones (cans) and briefly turning off the main PA to hear exactly what is going to the stream. Often, drums that sound good in the room are overbearing on the stream and need to be pulled back in the aux level.
Q: What if certain bass notes ring out much louder than others?
A: This is often a PA tuning issue or a room resonance. If the bass player's tone is consistent, the engineer should use the console's EQ to "suck out" the specific offending frequency.
Q: How do you handle musician requests you can't fulfill?
A: This requires a foundation of personal friendship. Brian spends time with musicians in the green room to build equity so that when he has to ask a drummer to play softer or a guitarist to lower their amp, they are more likely to comply.
Q: How do you EQ quickly in a portable campus (gym) environment?
A: Use SMART software with pink noise to identify room resonances immediately. After that, play a familiar reference track (not just any music) that you have listened to in your car to understand how the room is coloring the sound. Finally, do a quick TalkBack mic check.
Q: How do you balance tracks and live players?
A: The live performers on stage are always the priority. The tracks should be tucked just underneath the live band. This ensures that if the tracks fail, the band still sounds full.
Q: How do you help musicians with poor In-Ear Monitor (IEM) mixes?
A: Musicians often take one ear out because they feel isolated. To fix this, place two room mics on the stage pointing toward the audience. This provides a sense of space and atmosphere in their ears without them needing to hear the PA bleed.
Q: What are your standard volume levels?
A: At both campuses, Harvest aims for an average of , with peaks never exceeding .