FRONT OF HOUSE
GOOD RHYTHM ISN’ T JUST FOR DRUMMERS | Kent Morris
Watching a solid drummer is a fascinating view into how the disciplined mind and body coordinate into a seamless flow of thought, initiation, transmittal, movement, and preparation for subsequent action. Drummers of the caliber of our own amazing Carl Albrecht( WM Columnist for 20 years now) have created these sequences so many thousands of times, it becomes not second nature, but first. From expertly curated fills to a flash of old-school paradiddle, Carl’ s four extremities carry out his mind’ s instructions instantly and perfectly. In the same way, an accomplished FOH audio engineer executes a myriad of quick, yet precise, movements turning channels on and off, adjusting Q on a midband EQ control, dialing in a quick leveling compressor, and adjusting DCA balances with a fluidity normally reserved for billiards professionals. Achieving such flow requires attention to detail, forward thinking, and near endless repetition.
For a novice or sophomoric live audio engineer, or anyone coming from a studio and DAW background, live things come fast and furiously at events. There is no time to lay in the parameters while sipping coffee. The key is to think two steps ahead and mentally walk through the execution during lulls in the proceedings. What has to happen on the console for the next thing to happen? For example, while the stage announcements are being made, step through the actions needed for the upcoming solo. Go ahead and“ select” the soloist’ s channel and look at EQ, dynamics, effects sends, and DCA assignments. Hover over the mute groups that will need to be released just before the song begins. Think about how to bring in the choir as the final bar of the first verse expires. Of course, these actions likely took place during rehearsal, but it helps to cement the functions moments before they happen in the service.
Additionally, building a muscle memory of proper actions requires intentionality. It is not acceptable to“ phone in” the mix, even if it’ s the same mix as the past seven Sundays. Each mix deserves our full attention, meaning phones are put away, the beverage is out of reach, the intercom and headphone cables are untangled, and the thoughts of post-service activities are put on ice.
Muscle memory requires repetition and the easiest way to bring it about is to practice. Use virtual soundcheck to rinse-and-repeat transitions during quiet times in the week, especially those transitions involving a change of music or the entrance of the senior pastor. Yes, it may be as simple as fading out the bumper music and unmuting the pastor’ s mic, but it is in the simple tasks that mistakes are made. Complacency is the enemy of excellence and familiarity is the bane of quality work.
Once the muscles and mind are in sync, the next step is to experiment on different consoles and set-ups. While the Allen & Heath Avantis shares many attributes and workflows with the d-Live, there are significant differences which must be learned and memorized if the mix is to stay aligned with the performance. Intra-modal learning of a brand is one thing, but inter-modal is quite another as a DiGiCo Quantum 338 is vastly different than a Yamaha Rivage PM7. Knowing how to perform the same task on these two differing platforms means spending time in person or virtually walking through patching, assigning, routing, mixing, and storing within each ecosystem.
Once rhythm for mixing is mastered, maintaining it requires practice and patience, especially as new versions are released with new features and old features moved to new areas. Fortunately, manufacturers offer free online training and grant free licensing for the online editors of their offerings. All the work to develop mix rhythm will pay off each Sunday in the form of smoother operations, a better flow, and more confidence.
Kent Morris Kent Morris is a 47-year veteran of the AVL arena driven by passion for excellence tempered by the knowledge all technology is in a temporal state.
90 January 2026 Subscribe for Free...