Chapter 17: Sir Mix-A-Lot
Talking the Sound Guy’s Language
Sound people are an interesting breed. Usually they are very technically-minded, adept
to cause and effect, and are able to diagnose and fix problems on the fly. They are an
invaluable part of our modern worship teams. But not all sound people are artists and
not all artists are tech people - and an interesting dynamic can present itself when those
two universes collide. Here are some tips to building a happy bridge.
Educate Yourself
Learn the technical side of things: how to run sound, how to diagnose technical issues,
how to properly mic instruments, how to setup and teardown the stage. If you don’t
know where to start, ask for help. Your sound person will respect you if you know what
you’re talking about. You will be the credible glue that bonds the technical team and the
music team together.
Educate Your Team
Because your technical people so easily understand the inter-workings of sound systems
and cause and effect, they may too easily label some concepts as ‘common sense’ - such
as, ‘if you point your mic at the monitor - it will feed back’. It seems like common sense
to them - but to your brand new vocalists who have never held a mic before - it is new
information. Educating your team to be aware of the following items will keep things
sailing smoothly in addition to maximizing the quality of the sound.
Microphones
Hold the mic close to your mouth when you sing. Sing at a consistent volume or move
the mic closer (when you’re singing quieter) or further away (when you’re screaming) to
compensate accordingly. Sing the same volume on every song (unless you’re switching
from solo to background vocals). When you check the mic, use the actual volume that
you are going to sing. If you forget the lyrics or harmony part - don’t sing (singing the
wrong thing quieter doesn’t help anyone). Don’t clap the mic - if you want to clap, put
the mic in a stand or clap one handed on your hip. Don’t drop the mic. Don’t dangle it
from the cord (if there is one). When you’re not singing, hold the mic in front of your
stomach perpendicular to your body. Do not point it at any monitors/speakers.
Instruments
Normalize your sound. Play at consistent volume - allowing for appropriate song
dynamics - but don’t exaggerate them. When 5 instruments make a 5db swell, that can
compound to a 25db swell in the house which is drastic and can potentially damage
people’s hearing.
Electric Guitars
Because of the number of combination of effects pedals that may be involved - dynamic
fluctuation can be an issue. Know your volume baseline and manage it with a volume
pedal if necessary. Don’t exaggerate the volume increase between clean, gain, and boost
channels.
Acoustic Guitars
If you’re switching between fingerpicking and strumming, keep the volumes of the two
methods consistent. In band scenarios, acoustics should have very little dynamic range.
Bass
Use a compressor. It will normalize your volume, suppress harsh frequencies, and
increase your sustain. Adding a quality preamp will also warm up your sound and keep
it buttery-smooth.
Drums
Do whatever the sound person asks and don’t forget.
A band that can play with decent dynamics will sound better because the sound person
can actually focus on mixing - rather than chasing dynamic fluctuations.
Etiquette
Most of your team is focusing on one thing at a time. Your sound person is focusing on
48 things - which can be stressful. Being a decent human being will go a long way in
building a fruitful relationship between the front and the back of house.
Know your sound person’s name - and use it.
Instead of saying, “could I have more of my mic in this monitor?”, try, “Bill, could I have
more of my mic in this monitor?” Using their name, allows them to make eye contact
with the person speaking and gives them an immediate context in which to operate.
Without it, it becomes a game of connecting-the-request-with-the-individual-with-the-
channel - which takes more time, and when multiplied by multiple requests can be
stressful.
Pose requests in the form of a question.
Instead of, “I need more _________ in _____”, try, “Bill, could I get more ______ in
_______?” People respond more positively to questions than demands.
Say “please” and “thank you” .
Old-fashioned manners are never over the top or out of style in a production
environment.
Be patient.
Some changes may take a while. Watch and wait.
Smile.
Also, as with all of you worship team members - be intentional about connecting with
and investing in your technical team outside of their ministry context. When people
know that they are more important to you than the services they provide - you will gain
their trust and loyalty.