Welcome to

Effective Audio
Presented by

Terry Neudorf

Your instructor:
Terry Neudorf
Began mixing in
1982
Turned pro in
1993
Well traveled,
have toured North
America
extensively, as well
as Africa and
Europe.
Have been
fortunate to work
with many well
known artists,
groups,

A very brief bio:

Have worked with Hillsong,
Hillsong United, Robin Mark,
Paul Oakley, Paul Baloche,
Kutlass, Delirious, Newsboys,
Audio-Adrenaline, Tim
Hughes, Parachute Band, Noel
Richards, Vicky Beeching,
Robin Mark, Jars of Clay,
Dakona, Promise Keepers and
many others over the years.
Current sound engineer for
Brian Doerksen, Unite in
Worship Canada as well as
many other groups, festivals
and organizations.
Classified as an A1 technician
in the world of corporate
audio.
Lead audio tech at 2000 seat

Brian Doerksen
Dakona

Promise Keepers Toronto 05

So, whats my point?

I bring up where Ive
been and what Ive been
involved with to simply
assure you of one thing:
I live in your world, I know
personally what your up
against.
I understand the issues,
theyre universal, and
we all deal with them.

Hillsongs Steve
McPherson

Brian Doerksen in Cairo

2007

The Frequency Range

Input Devices
Input devices are items such as
microphones, direct boxes generally
used for connecting various
instruments and playback devices like
CD players and cassette decks.

Microphones
Microphones are extremely common and yet
hardly understood by those who use them.
How do they work and how do we best use
them?
The two most common types you will find are:
The Dynamic Microphone
The Condenser Microphone

How microphones hear...

Microphones come with pick up patterns, they hear in
specific ways depending on the type. Here are some
common types you will encounter:

Microphone patterns and

angles of coverage

Darker shaded areas give prime pick-up areas in

pattern of coverage. Working within these areas will
lead to the best pick-up and the most off-axis rejection.

Feedback
The causeand the cure
Cause: microphones
set too sensitive due
to improper
microphone technique
or placements.
Cure: using
microphone properly,
thus reducing the
need for extra
sensitive
microphones. This will
give you much more

Direct boxes (D.I.s)

Direct boxes are used to convert the audio signal

from a line level (1/4 jack typically, -10dBu) to a
balanced format (XLR, +4dBu) format.
This is done to transfer the signal safely from the
stage to the mixing console.

Let the buttons begin...

Input gain control/amplifier. If an incoming
signal is too weak you can amplify it here or
if a signal is too strong you can turn it down

This is the channel equalizer section. Mixers

range anywhere from 2 band fixed EQ to 4
band fully parametric. Shown here is a 4 band
EQ with two sweepable midrange controls.

Setting the tone

Tone controls are just volume

controls that work on certain
frequencies.
Consoles provide different levels
of equalization control ability.
Some are very basic, others are
very complex and capable.

Visualizing equalization
The following illustration shows a 2 band EQ in action:

Visualizing equalization
This illustrates a 3 band EQ in action:

Multi-channel EQ tips
Tonal boosts or cuts combine to
create a greater sum, or total channel
volume. Remembertone controls
are just restricted volume controls.
Your mix is a summation of all the
individual channel EQ settings as well
as the individual channel volume
settings. It all becomes one mix
output.

Multi-channel EQ tips
Only take what you need from each
input to create the overall mix. This
allows each input to have its own
space
Taking everything offered can quickly
lead to a mix with no definition and
clarity, always remember to not get
greedy.

Tips on Bass management

Because BASS frequencies are much larger than HI
frequencies it is very easy for BASS to become overpowering.
Overpowering BASS tends to cause muddy, boomy sound that
has no clarity or clean sound.
Sound persons need to be constantly aware of this in order to
maintain clean, natural sounding and understandable mixes.
The trick here is to not let unwanted BASS into the system.
This is done by using high pass filters, rolling BASS out of
vocal microphones and instrument inputs that do not produce
BASS to begin with.

Bass Management
Many newer mixing consoles have a
selectable HI PASS Filter available.
This filter, when it is activated cuts out
frequencies below a certain level (75 100Hz) and keeps them from getting into the
channel.
BASS from your speakers or stage
instruments can sneak into vocal
microphones and if you do not manage this
situation you will unwittingly be amplifying the
BASS all over againunintentionally.

The other 85% of the frequencies

With proper bass management the rest of
the mix should flow nicely
Pay attention to articulation, establish
clean, clear intelligible sounds from the
various inputs.
Remember that life is sibilant and alive,
not dull. Keep your mixes in that live
sound space
Try to always find spaces to put things, for
example, leave some low mid out of the
synth and piano to make space for guitars

Why all the attention to bass?

Bass waves are large, much larger than
mid and high frequency sound waves.
Therefore it is easy for these bass
frequencies to overpower ALL other
frequencies
Intelligibility is established in the mid/hi
ranges. Without proper representation of
these frequencies your mix will not be
clearly defined and easy to hear
If you do not pay close attention to your
bass mix the rest of your mix wont matter

The rest of the buttons

Channel strips also offer
AUXILIARY SENDS.
Aux. sends are used to send a
signal to different locations, other
than the main speakers. They are
used to create stage monitor mixes,
recording mixes, effects sends.
They fill other needs you may have
for separate & area specific mixes.
Each channel will have Aux. sends.

Getting it to the audience

Some mixers simply send the individual channels directly
to the main outputs.
Others allow the user to assign them to subgroups first,
allowing the user to control multiple channels with one
subgroup fader.
This is very easily done once understood. Essentially all
subgroup capable mixing consoles operate the same
way.
All you have to do is simply decide which subgroup you
want a channel to go to, push a button, turn a dial and
you are there.

Subgroups
For example, if we wanted to take this channel
and route it to subgroup #3, we would first press
the button that says 3-4. This tells the mixer that
we want the channel to go to these subgroups.
To have the channel only go to subgroup #3,
turn the pan control at the top all the way to the
left. This is known as the odd # side
Going to the right on the pan control is the even
# side which would have sent the channel to
subgroup #4.

On with the mix!

Welcome to the hot seat!
Its rarely the same twice and
always subject to change.
A mix wakes up and comes
alive when the sound person
does!
This is where the fun starts!!!

Controlled Chaos
There is generally not a lot of time
Different techs have different
styles
Equipment is not left in a standard
setup or configurationaltered & not
reset
Musicians sometimes dont
understand the purposes of soundchecks

Putting together a mix

This can be the most frustrating
part trying to put it all together in
the few minutes they give you

It does not have to be hard!

With a few basic guidelines and
house rules set up, sound-check
and the performance can be
creative and fun.

Here we go
How would you like to be able to set
input gain (volume) levels, audience
mix levels, monitor mix levels,
recording mix levels, all within two
songs?
And get it right too?

You can.

Start your mix with the basics.

What will you want to hear?
What will the singers want to hear?
What will the musicians want to hear?

Audience/Soundperson needs
As a soundperson
your goal should
be to achieve a
linear mix
nothing drastically
louder than
something else, so
that everything
can be clearly
heard.

Singer/musician needs
Singers & musicians
generally want the
same thinga nice
even stage mix with
consistent volumes.
Stage monitor mixes
will have different
priorities but the
mix still needs to be
linear and even.

Brian Doerksen in Biel, Switzerland

Preparing the mix

Get the console set up as
much in advance as you can
based on the info you have
A large part of your events
success will depend on preplanning, on advance
technical needs information. If
you dont have infowhy not?

Get an early start on the mix...

Set the stage as you expect it will
be
Connect the input devices
Have a clean stage, cables neatly
run
Label the channels on the console
Test the inputsensure they are
working
Prepare as much stuff as

Get an early start on the mix...

Make some assumptions about whats
going to be needed and start there.
Then
PRE-DIAL.
Watch thissee how easy it can be.

The Pre-dial
You know you
will need some
input gainset
all used
channel gain
controls to 10
o-clock.

EQ pre-dialing
Adjust the channel
EQs as you think they
might be best used
per input type & item
Remember, channel
EQ affects the total
channel gain
structureits best to
pre-dial at this time.

Monitor mix pre-dialing

Set any monitor mixes up as

you would expect them to be
needed
If using Aviom prepare the Aviom
direct sends or auxiliary sends
using the predetermined format
for Aviom mixer channel layouts

Setting up the main mix

Set ALL used
channel faders to
the Unity or 0
position.
Subgroup items as
needed.
Set subgroup
faders to Unity
as well.
Set Masters to -10

What are you doing right now?

Due to the fact that you have predialed a lot of stuff already your next
task is to set the input gain
structure.
As the band plays work your way
across the gainsusing them to
create your main mix. Increase and
decrease volumes as needed with
the volume controls to set up the
mix blend.

Bring on the band!

Sound-check is for the soundperson.
To begin the sound-check the band
needs to just start playing a songand
they need to KEEP playing the song.
The only way a soundperson can set up
the mixes is to have input program
coming in, so the band need to give the
soundperson 2 back to back songs.
This time is strictly for the technician.

The mix key

The input channels GAIN
control is the master
volume control for the
entire channel strip.
This includes the main
channel output and all of
the Auxiliary sends your
console offers.
One master volume per
channel when used wisely.

Remember...
Its not about how much gain you
can take in before you clip the
channel.

Its about only taking what

you need and giving back
what you dont need.

Doing a bunch at once.

Due to the fact that the gain control
is the channel master volume control,
control
and due to the fact that musicians
basically want the same as you do
when you dialed in what you wanted
with the gain controls you also dialed
them in at the same time.
Now you can fine tune the mixes
easily.

After the two songs...

You are now ready to
take requests from
stagefine tuning the
monitor mixes. Ask
each mix how things
are and adjust as
asked
You should find that
the changes are minor
Let the band continue
rehearsing, fine tune
your mix as needed.

MJC (Mennonite Jazz Committee)

Staying in touch
Because you started
off your mix with lots
in common with the
bandyou will be able
to accurately correct a
drastic shift in an
inputs level
If an inputs level
drastically changes
use the gain control to
bring it back in line,
thereby fixing not only
the main mix but also
the monitor mixes on
stage

Dakona

Stage monitor guidelines

Monitors are there to give the

artist direct sound for
accurate monitoring of their
performances.
Monitors should be the first
thing a musician hears, not
the only thing. When this rule
is followed stage monitors will
never be too loud out front.
Physics wont allow it.
Less is more. The more things
in a mix the harder it is to
hear each of those things.
Have artists differentiate
between what they want and
what they need in their
mixes. This will greatly
enhance the mixes clarity.

Monitor console, Today recording. 21 stage

mixes.

One very important thing...

A sound tech should NEVER
compromise the audience for the sake
of a performer.
Especially when mixing in Church!
Musicians & worship leaders please
be sensitive to & respect the techs
foremost responsibilitythe
congregation!

Have the right mind set

Mixing audio is not a power thing
A calm, easy going professional
manner will go miles in easing
performer tension
Remember that the happier the
musicians are the better you ALL
sound
Be in control in such a way that
others think that they are, but

You are the direct link!

Understand that
you are the
centre of the
hour glass.
You represent
the
congregation
first, worship

One very important thing...

Never, ever, for any other
reason than an Act of God
compromise the audience
for the sake of a performer.
Especially when mixing in
Church!