FRONT OF HOUSE
AUDIO FOR LIVESTREAM REVIEW | Kent Morris
Photo by Ivan Jermakov on Unsplash
What works for audio in a live setting generally doesn ’ t work for livestream . The live audience listening experience in the venue is immediate and identical to that of the mix engineer while the livestream is typically heard delayed by up to a minute via small speakers after a long journey through a social media platform ’ s rather arcane algorithm . In essence , the listening situations are vastly different . As a result , to achieve anything resembling useful audio , the mixes must be separate entities . It is unacceptable to simply send the house main mix to the livestream because the online audience will then be subjected to a mix consisting of what was missing in the room . Typically , the vocals will be pronounced , the drums will sound distant , and the effects will be at a minimum , making the online mix sound sterile . Instead , the proper answer is to separate the house and livestream mixes into two functions , each with its own console , processing and location .
To mitigate costs , the livestream console can be simplified relative to the house mixer since only one output is needed as opposed to a dozen or more at FOH for house , monitors , delays , frontfills , subs , etc . Assuming a digital ecosystem , shared stage boxes reduce the costs further and monitor requirements can be met with reasonably priced offerings from a number of manufacturers with expertise in this area . The console needs to be situated away from low frequency energy transferal from the house rig while being close to the video switching room as communication there is quite useful . A simple video feed of the program feed will work , but a better solution is to provide a composite feed of each camera on one screen and the program on another .
The livestream mix engineer needs to focus on the capability of the device the audience will use to engage in the service , namely cell phones , iPads and laptops . Rarely will a livestream recipient have a full range hi-fi at their disposal during the event . Since almost every viewer will connect via half-inch speakers , the mix should reflect this fact , with extreme lowend bypassed , dynamic range kept in check and a consistent -12 on the output relative to full scale . Vocals should be prominent but not overbearing and reverb should be more present than not . Speech levels should be at or near music levels and cues must be hit accurately and without hesitation .
It is easy to miss an open mic on the livestream , so having a second person on hand to scour the
console for open channels is a wise investment , as is someone nearby listening via headphones to the result coming off the social media platform in use . It is amazing how Facebook Live , You Tube , and Vimeo can drastically alter what left the console as a good mix . Having a person on monitor duty can make a good mix better and a better mix great since changes are made in response to what is actually happening on the stream , not just what is in the control room .
A livestream audio mix should also convey the congregation ’ s participation and , as such , requires audience mics tied back into the mix . Only real time listening to the end result will serve as judge and jury to the verdict of the mix . Sometimes , a little is too much while other times , a great deal is not enough .
Livestream is truly radio with pictures , meaning the audio is the key driver of communication . As such , it is up to the livestream audio engineer to deliver the right balance of tone , timbre and level to maximize the impact of the online service .
Kent Morris Kent Morris is a 44-year veteran of the AVL arena driven by passion for excellence tempered by the knowledge all technology is in a temporal state .