FRONT OF HOUSE
WHEN TO STEP IN | Kent Morris
The mix isn ’ t going well , the band is clearly upset and the person standing beside you mixing is having a terribly bad day . When do you step in and fix the mix ? Is it appropriate to reach over someone and turn a knob to stop horrendous feedback ? In environments where the performers change often , like a festival , a tech accustomed to the same worship team every Sunday who suddenly faces rotating artists can be overwhelmed . At a festival or conference , there is little time to sound check , no time to dial in monitors and only fifteen minutes between acts . Let ’ s discuss some guidelines for helping these new techs navigate what can be treacherous waters .
The first question to ask is how did the situation come to this state ? Long before the tech became buried with the proceedings , there should have been opportunities to prepare well enough triage wouldn ’ t be necessary . The first step to helping someone master the wiles of festival sound is to configure the console for success . Usually , this entails placing the most important inputs on the top layer and using them across all artists , keeping routing simple and logical and avoiding any elaborate effects or DCA processing . Simple wins and wins big when the chaos ensues .
Next , consider how the stage can be laid out to function undisturbed for most artists . Time spent before the event emailing the bands about location of stage instruments will go a long way toward solving patching issues on the day of show . If six of the nine acts have the keyboard upstage right , explain to the other three they will need to play with the keyboard in that position . Set expectations as to the permanence of the drum kit , the static nature of floor wedges and what console will be used at FOH . Once written agreement is reached , print copies and post them on the stage entrance steps , FOH and backstage . When someone complains and wants to move things , simply point them to the agreement .
When time compression rears its head as the day progresses thanks to one act that went over their allotted time , explain to the upcoming act the need to cut either some set up time or one song . If the offending act has a second appearance , explain to them their time will be reduced by the amount they went over the first round and given to the act who cut theirs short to compensate .
Once things are rolling , keep clear communication open between FOH and the stage . A second person at each location can speak via intercom or phone and relay vital data to the audio and stage leads .
When the inevitable howling feedback occurs during the opening act , simply roll on with the show . If the feedback rises quickly and jumps to a single frequency immediately , that is monitor feedback . If , instead , it rings with a slow rise and multiple frequencies are present , that is feedback from the mains . For monitors , bring each master down a few dB and then cue each wedge in the headphones to uncover
the culprit . Only pull out what is necessary to stabilize the system . For mains , listen to the tonality of the ring and either turn off unused open mics if possible or remove a slightly broad frequency group in the noted region , say lowmids around 250Hz .
If the tech is struggling to mix , ask permission to assist and then perform the least intrusive step that resolves an immediate issue . As an example , when the tech inadvertently leaves on two unused vocal mics , mute them and then move on to ascertaining the next step . The reverb may have an overly long tail that needs taming or the drummer ’ s wedge mix might contain background vocals which add nothing to the value of the mix , so trim the verb and remove the BGVs from the wedge .
Once things are back under control , serve as a buffer for the beleaguered tech against the wave of people coming to the booth to complain or explain how they could do a better job . Politely listen to the complaints and assure each person things are now under control . Finally , encourage the tech by pointing out you understand the challenges in play , even though others do not , and this nightmare will end soon . Later , debrief and discuss what was learned and how it can be applied in the future to prevent a reoccurrence .
Kent Morris Kent is a 42-year veteran of the AVL arena driven by passion for excellence tempered by the knowledge digital is a temporary state .