May 2010
3 posts
6 tags
Dynamic Range of Light
Since Seth and I are completely ADD and scatterbrained, I’m writing a post today on what I like to call “dynamic range”- except instead of talking about sound, I’m talking about lighting.
Everybody knows what dynamic range is in the audio world; it’s the difference between the loudest and softest sound. Good bands vary their volume level drastically, dropping to...
4 tags
Music wars - part 2 →
This is part two of an excellent blog post talking about issues that exists between musicians and techs that could be resolved with some respect and understanding.
4 tags
Music wars - part 1 →
This is part one of a two part blog post on another site which is well worth the read. They talk about frustrations which exist between the musicians and tech crews. I know some of these I have seen and I’m sure some are true at your church. Note: this is not to beat someone over the head with but may provide some talking points for you leaders.
April 2010
1 post
4 tags
Making a mix place for everything →
I know I haven’t posted anything for you guys in a while, but I came across this article and with the great stuff posted in it, I figured I would just give you a link and let you be amazed at this guy’s genius. I will be back shortly to actually write some insights of my own…
March 2010
2 posts
5 tags
Consistency in Mixing
Lately I find myself thinking more and more about consistency in mixing. Every time I mix, I strive to bring forth the same quality of sound reinforcement. I want to give each channel the same care as any other channel, and when I run into problems, I want to be able to fix them quickly. I had a conversation about this with another sound guy at my church the other week. We were talking about...
5 tags
While I Mix: Flow
So here we are. The on-screen countdown comes to zero. The band starts, and the people stand. Here’s what I’m thinking: My hand is on the lead vocalist once that counter hits zero. More than anything else, I know that it’s important to get him/her through clearly, and sometimes they don’t start right on their mic. After that, I quickly check through the mix. Can I hear everything properly? ...
February 2010
2 posts
6 tags
EQ vs dB
At a risk of sparking a forest fire, I think that this is a topic which has been widely discussed but rarely understood. I think most sound guys know the idea — they run a set/service/show and someone comes up and complains that the sound is by far too loud, and if they are at all “educated” may have even brought along their own R****S**** dB meter to be able to instruct the...
6 tags
My Pre-service Flow
Today, I’d like to talk about my “flow” for mixing a Sunday morning at MRC. 7:45am - I’m at church(or almost there), starting to set up FOH. 8:05am - I walk up on stage to talk to our “roadies”. They inform me who’s in the band, and I tweak mic positions and help them set up whatever is still needed. 8:20am - By this point, the band should be showing up(the leader should have been there for a...
5 tags
Fun in the digital realm
Last week, we got to try out a new technique for producing choir sound during the main services. The issues that we have (and that most people that I have talked to have with micing a choir) is getting enough gain before feedback when micing a choir with a modern band. We have tried everything from lots of mics, to very few mics, to strategically placed mics spread around the choir, to flown...
January 2010
3 posts
6 tags
thoughts on saving money
Churches like to save money. I was recently working for a local company, doing a service call at a local church to replace some lamps that had blown in some lekos. Easy enough, I thought, I’ll get a good 1/2 day of work out of it. After getting out the lift, and having a fight with their protection cage(it was in a gym), I got to the first leko opened, and I knew something was wrong. The lamp...
5 tags
Teamwork and Humility
Gosh, this week has been blazing by fast- it’s Friday already. It’s been a fantastic week, filled with family and friends and good times. Life’s good when you go through it together. That got me thinking about teamwork- and technical ministry is sure all about teamwork! In the past few months, I’ve heard the words “team player” thrown around quite a bit. Seth probably just spit out his coffee...
4 tags
New year / new beginnings
As I sit here on New Years Eve listening to the music at the venue I am working at, I reflect back on the past year and what a year it has been!
There are several notable things which will be featured in future posts that include various audio/lighting/video topics. We did an installation of some new speakers for some choir monitors, tried some new lighting ideas and came across various issues...
December 2009
3 posts
5 tags
Intergenerational worship, production value,...
My church has a very young style of worship. We play the latest from Steve Fee, Chris Tomlin, David Crowder and Hillsong. And oh yeah, it’s loud too. I used to wonder why anybody over the age of 35 ever comes! However, this weekend Jesus really threw me a curveball, and almost got me to start attending my grandma’s church. Why? Well, because I went to their Christmas eve service and loved it. ...
5 tags
EQ for vocals.
I was recently thrown into a bit of a crazy situation. For 4-5 months now, I’ve been searching around for a church to call my new home, and about 3 months ago I found it. Last weekend was my first weekend helping out with sound there. Now if you know me, you know that sound isn’t my #1 strength, but it’s a skill that I possess and try to grow in as time keeps moving. My old church(where Seth...