Author: Daniel Quick

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Tips and Tricks: Automation Part 1

Welcome to a new tips and tricks series. This time around, as the title suggests, we will be discussing using automation to enhance live mixing. Since the advent of motorized faders and eventually digital mixers, engineers have been automating settings for years. Some analog consoles even allow you to setup scenes and mutes for channels or VCAs that can be controlled automatically based on what scene you are on. But there are some drawbacks and challenges to be overcome if you start automating even in its simplest form. In the coming weeks we will be talking about all of that. This week will just be a broad overview of automation, in the weeks after that we will be talking about the pros and cons, getting automation setup and process to step through that, and lastly some tips and tricks to think about as you walk through your first few weeks automating your audio console. My goal in this series is to expose you to automation if you’ve never heard of it or to perhaps help you better understand and use automation if you are familiar with it already.

For some of us older guys (in terms of sound I’m in this group) automation used to be a guy standing next to you, with a script or plan, reminding you what is coming up and you frantically getting ready for that event. I can remember Christmas shows at school or church, running what seemed like a million wireless channels (likely just 16 or so), with people swapping packs, running several monitor mixes for the bands and speakers, and just realizing as we plan for those shows that I’d need some help keeping it all straight. Those were the days when an A2 was a really important position to have at every show. Many times, because there were so many shows happening, you’d find that A2 mixing and the A1 running the notebook helping hit all the cues. The idea of automation was limited to studios with really high end consoles with those cool motorized faders. But these days the landscape looks quite a bit different. The tools of the studio have made their way to the FOH consoles in use today in many, if not most, of the active venues around the world. We can makes scenes to change just about every function your console can control. Depending on your console, you can automate patch changes, bus mixing assignments, compression settings, gates, and even manage outboard gear through the use of transport protocols like midi.

Sure, you can go on without automation and mix the way men and women have been mixing for decades. There is nothing wrong with that, but what if using that new tool, though it might be hard to learn and you may make a few mistakes, helps your mix get to the next level. I’ve just mentioned the biggest hurdle to automation is learning curve of starting to use it and the inherent risk of using it, but, I would argue that if you truly use your automation to its’ fullest potential you can bring a new level of consistency and truly begin to mix smarter and more proficiently. Transitions between music and speech with be smoother and PA noise from things like electric guitar amps and open microphones will be reduced. That crazy transition during the Christmas show just needs to be programmed and with the hit of one button, it all can happen, instantly. That A2 could be a trainee that you’ll actually have time to train during the rehearsals/shows instead of handing them a run down sheet and asking them to help you through the transitions.

Most importantly, your mix will improve. How do I know? Because of the universal principle I’ve come to understand about mixing audio. If you take away my sound check, I can get to a good mix before the song is done. If I get a soundcheck and a run-through before the show starts I can get there much faster. If you give me multiple runs, I can guarantee it will sound great from the first note. That applies to automation because by the time the process is done, you have scene created for each song that you’ve been refining since it was made. For me, even for our first service on Saturday evening, I’ve heard that song 3-4 times after the cue was made so I have arrived at a great mix. I know that for each service, I have a great starting point to mix from, every single time. On top of that during the final rehearsal I usually have time to walk around the room real quick and make sure things sound good everywhere in the room, not just at the soundboard. Without a scene created I would have to recreate that scene from memory which is a lot of information to have to remember and implement each time. If I remember all those little things I had planned I’m often through a good portion if not all of that first verse. Before I automated I often found myself sitting on my laurels mixing and just going with what I had instead of pushing my mix to new levels each time I stand behind the console. If I’d automated, I’d hit go, and it would all happen instantly. and I can build on each mix before the one I’m currently mixing.

Most consoles can automate all the main settings like bussing assignments and fader levels and there are few that automate everything you can think of under the sun (patching, matrixes, FX settings, inserts, etc). If the console has a midi output it can likely send signals to an outboard rig like waves multirack or a slate rig. Automation can make what would be a difficult transition to make, instantaneous and pain free. The key is to spend some time behind your console and experiment. If you have some multi-track recordings you can load up this is a great tool to use as you figure out how best to automate with your console. One of the best ways to learn is just to dig in and see how things work. However, if you are a manual reader, I hear those work pretty well too. Lastly, one of the benefits I love about automation is the built in reminder of what is coming next in the show. Personally, I create a scene for just about every change in the show and try to include in the name of the scene who/what needs to be emphasized so that anyone can step up and mix just in case something happens. Once again the key is to figure out what works best for you, whether that means complex automation or a simple system. Over the next few weeks we will talk more about how we do things here at CCC and hopefully you can pick out a few principles to make your own.

That’s all for this week. If you have a few minutes, follow this link and answer a few questions for me about how you see automation. My hope is to do these every now and again to help guide a series that I’m not exactly sure what to do with. This way, with your input, I can make sure these posts end up being useful to those who read it. As always if you have any questions or just want to talk about automation with your system please feel free to hit me up on facebook, leave a comment here, or email me at daniel@studiostagelive.com. If you’d like to get email reminders when new posts are posted just head over to this link and sign up! See you next week!

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Back to the Basics: Building Your Mix Part 3

In this third and final week of our Back to the Basics series discussing an overview of the steps I take to build a mix every week. These last two weeks we’ve talked about proper preparation before you mix and a process to go through rehearsal this week I’m going to share my pre-game habits, the changes I make to my mix when I hear it for the first time with people in it, and what I do throughout the event to help keep my mixes dynamic. While I am putting this process in the context of a live show, this process can be used when you are doing your final mix through a recording. Whether in the studio or mixing a live show, there are a few things we all need to keep in mind.

The first thing I wanted to talk about was to make sure you have rested ears going into your long recording session or live show. Because our eardrums are muscles they need to be rested. They also need to warm up. When I mix on sunday mornings I often find myself turning on some light music on the way in and do a little multi-track playback when I get in to get adjusted to the room before rehearsal starts. If it’s an evening show I’ll be very careful what I’m doing during the day so the my ears are fresh even at the end of the day. Sometimes that means not listening to a whole lot of music during the day and certainly, if it can be avoided, any full volume mixing. Secondly, as the show approaches I’m always sure to be thinking through the show. I am a firm believer in internalizing the order of the show so that you never rely on a program or list to know what is coming next. I also be sure to walk around the room when I’m warming up my ears and make sure there aren’t any issues that have shown up that I didn’t hear during rehearsal. If I’m doing a recording session, I’ll hop in the studio and put on my ears and check the monitoring system and make sure everything is working.

Next, If I’m running a live show and have automation available, before the doors open, I’ll do a quick walk through my scenes and make sure everything is set correctly. This also provides another opportunity to walk through the show in my head and think through the mix details I’ve been practicing (i.e. solos, who is leading each song, etc). I like to also use this time to check any outboard gear and make sure everything is linked up and working. If I have any wireless in play, I’ll check and make sure they are on and have more than enough battery left to make it through the show. In the studio I find myself soloing through inputs and making sure that I’m getting a good clean signal everywhere so the recordings end up clean as well as well as checking disk drive space, restarting computers, etc.

Than as the show starts, I need to quickly account for the one variable I can’t practice with live, the people in the room. Over the years I’ve learned to compensate for that as you mix in the room but it can change. For instance, the main room that I mix in has a 1200 seat floor and two balconies, if the floor fills, I can expect to see ~1-2 dbA drop in my one minute SPL averages. But if the floor doesnt fill enough, sometimes I don’t see that drop at all and I’ll need to make a mix change. This is where my “everything fader” comes into play. This is a vca that controls all my band vcas and my sub send master as well. It’s basically my true master fader. When I pull it down I’m turning down, in proportion, everything together, preserving as best as possible my mix (I know there are variances that need to be accounted for but these are usually minor for such a small change). Typically I’ll pull at least a decibel out and perhaps more if needed depending on the room response at the start of each service. Often during the first song I’ll find myself watching the meter to make sure SPL levels will land in the intended range and make a change if necessary. My everything fader doesn’t automate so I can make changes as needed although I don’t typically ride this up and down unless I need increased dynamics so my mix relationships are maintained through the whole event. I’ll make the change in the first song and then leave it for the rest of the event. 

The last thing I want to talk about is being an active mixer when it comes to live events. Sometimes it’s really easy to lock in the mix, even automate each song, hit go and let the board take over. But the reality is that you need to be actively mixing all the time, not just during rehearsals when you are programming and tweaking. Now I’m not saying that you ride a speaker’s channel up and down, I’m talking about the rest of the inputs, like the bands, quartets, etc. There are four things that I try to remind people to be listening for and mixing with, here they are: solos, hooks, movers, and primaries. Solos are obvious. Is there an instrumental section in a song? Who is carrying the melody that should be pushed a bit in your mix so it rises to the top? Hooks are the things you find yourself humming when the song isn’t playing, they are the melodic lines that carry the tune. Sometimes this is in the vocals, sometimes it’s in the guitars, sometimes it’s even in the bass guitar, but most times it moves around in the song. Follow it and make sure you can hear it, clearly. Movers are those times when an instrument is doing more than it usually does. For instance, piano players are often playing chords through verses but then switch to playing something more melodic during the chorus. Same goes for the guitars. If you have an acoustic just strumming chords that’s not a mover, but if that same players starts picking or you start seeing their fingering hand move furiously, it started moving and you should ride it up a bit to add color to the song. Primaries are usually a combination of the above. These are the sounds that are basic to the song. The sounds that without them the song would be less dynamic and far less memorable. If you have a singer, their voice automatically becomes a primary. Same goes for a soloist during an instrumental part of the song. In larger bands, it’s important to think about turning non-primaries down to make more room for what is really important in the mix. The solution isn’t always turning things up, sometimes it’s about turning other things down. So if you find yourself not know how to keep a mix dynamic, take those four things in to account and start listening. At the very least, make sure you are actively asking yourself what is missing or too loud and respond with your mix changes. What is catching you ear? Is there something happening that you are curious about? Odds are the audience is as well so highlight it for them!

That’s it for this week and this series. Hopefully you’ve been able to see my process, learn a few things, and be able to personalize a few of these points to a few of your situations or setups. If you have any questions about anything you’ve seen posted this week or in the last few weeks please don’t hesitate to comment or ask below, on facebook, or by emailing me at daniel@studiostagelive.com. In addition, these kinds of posts happen regularly and if you’d like to be notified each time a new post is up follow this link, fill out the form, and you’ll be subscribed. See you all next week!

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Back to the Basics: Building Your Mix Part 2

Welcome back to week two of our Back to the Basics series on building a mix. Last week we talked about the stuff we should do before we even start mixing to help our mix start out on the right foot. Things like knowing your console, having a template that you start from each week with all the basics ready to go, and making sure your gear is up to date and fully functional. I know these seemed trite and simplistic but I can promise you that these things will catch up to you if you don’t make sure to check them off the list each week. This week I’m going to talk through what I’m doing during rehearsal to build my mix each week. I am trying to stick with universal principles so that everyone can relate so if you have any more specific questions please don’t hesitate to comment below and I’ll answer as soon as possible. Keep in mind, all of this post is working under the assumption that you did a line check before rehearsal because it is my personal belief that line checks should be done before rehearsal starts, preferably before the band even arrives.  

Where I work we have a monitor technician who is taking care of monitoring for our band but before I go and get to work, the very first thing I do is stop back there and make sure everything is set and ready to go. All the inputs are patched correctly and each band member has the correct packs and mics. One thing I’ve learned over the nearly 20 years mixing I’ve had the pleasure of being a part of is that if the artists aren’t comfortable and dialed in, they won’t play like the kinds of musicians we all love to see and hear.

When that’s done we move on to soundcheck. If you don’t have a tech or your mixing a few sets of ears from FOH just take your time as you go through the process and fix issues as they come up, not pushing them off until later as well as splitting your time as a monitor tech and an FOH tech. Because we have a quite refined template, gains are close, EQs are set in a basic setting for each input, and mixes are already filled with a standard mix without any panning. This allows us to get right to good stuff. If you have a digital console, I would highly suggest taking the time and getting some basic settings setup for your band so you don’t start with a blank slate (i.e. empty monitor mixes, etc) every week and will end up making mostly small changes to mixes. Nothing drastic but just all the basics dialed in so that you can skip past the basic stuff. There are two methods of soundcheck that I would consider when going through this part of the rehearsal. The first is the typical input by input method where you check everything by itself and go mix by mix getting each set by themselves. A little while ago however I experimented with a different method to get through the sound check in response to a common problem I experienced with the first method described above. The problem is this: you get to the end of soundcheck, do a song, and then everyone wants a bunch of changes. I think the biggest downside with this method is that you aren’t making decisions on inputs with the rest of the mix. You are simply guessing what you like. So to combat that, we started doing additive soundchecks. To put it simply, instead of going one by one, we are starting with an input, than adding another and another and another and so on. That way, each musician is making informed decisions on their mix instead of guessing. We start by having our worship leader pick a part of song to repeat so there is a clear chord progression and then have the drums start. When everyone likes the drums than we add the bass guitar to it, than the guitars (one at a time), and piano, than whatever is left (one at at time). For the vocals, I usually have the acoustic guitar play with the voices and have them all sing together as well. What this does is to actually let you build that mix in your bands ears as well. Than when you get to the end of that first song, you’ll like only have a few small changes rather than lots of changes from everyone. This method works well in the studio as well though some bands might just prefer to get started and play a complete song instead of doing it in an additive manner.

From an FOH perspective, we run the PA full tilt during soundcheck so that the artist hears their mix but also feels how the room feels. That also lets your FOH operator go input by input, additively, and begin to dial in gains and compressors. If you’re doing both, just stop after the monitors are set and quickly dial a few things in. So right there in sound check I’m bringing inputs up one by one and building a basic mix really quickly. Don’t forget though, our ears are muscles just like our legs and arms, after extended heavy use they will get tired and start fatiguing. So during rehearsal I’m spending the first part focusing on EQ settings and compressors so my ears aren’t tired when I need them to work accurately. Than later in the rehearsal I’m focusing on macro concerns like VCA settings, FX, etc. I also wouldn’t be afraid to take a quick break for a bathroom trip in the midst of rehearsal if you are doing well in terms of putting a mix together. Sometimes I’ll step out for a few minutes and let my ears rest if the mix just came together really fast. Lastly, because we do two run-throughs for rehearsal, I always ask for a few minutes break for a few reasons. Primarily I ask so that our vocalists can rest and I can setup some automation but I also ask for that break so my ears can get another quick break. The vocalists come back rested and hydrated, I’m ready for the run-through, and my ears are reset a bit for some more content. In the studio because sometimes recording sessions can run really long, it’s better to run your monitors at a lower level during recordings and if the band wants to come listen, turn them back up, and mix it at full volume for them at that time. Whatever the circumstance, never forget that if your ears are tired, they might be lying to you!

During that second run through the set because my ears probably aren’t reliable sources for EQ information, I find myself paying attention to the relationships that need to exist in my mix. I did a series earlier this year (check out this page) about important relationships that should be held in balance so I won’t dig too deep on that now but the biggest ones I’m listening for than walking around my room checking on are the kick and snare (they need to sound balanced), vocals vs. band (mix of intelligibility and energy), and checking to make sure the tracks are properly supplementing not just taking over the mix. If I’m in the studio I’m just getting a quick mix setup for the band so they can make informed decisions over which take they’d like to use and making sure recordings are clean and smooth so that if we need to mix and match we can later. The other thing I like to do during those final runs in the studio or our second pass on songs during a live rehearsal is to start dialing in my FX setup. This is setting up the needed bussing, fine tuning any changes I’d like to do to any of my verbs, etc. Since FX can really glue things together I try to prioritize getting at least something started through those first few runs so I can make mix decisions with those included. 

Lastly, during rehearsal, as I’m walking around the room I’m checking in with my monitor engineer and producers if needed to get opinions on the mix. At the very least I’m hitting go for the next song and jumping right out of the booth to make sure the mix I’m shooting for is being recreated well no matter anyone sits in the room. If I’m in the studio, even though it’s just a basic mix for reference, I love to just slip on my headphones or pull up a different set of speakers to make sure everything is translating well. No matter how great your speakers or your PA is, it’s always good to check your mix either with a different output or with others around you. The way I see it, while mixing is an art and a science, it’s also a game of information. In order to mix the best that you can, you need the most information in front of you to make decisions. It’s important that you leave the booth or stand up out of your studio chair if only to get a different perspective on things.

So the keys from this week are to make sure soundcheck is productive for both the band and the audio team by building a basic mix for the house while setting up monitor mixes, be aware of ear fatigue, and get other perspectives on your mix and outside opinions when able. While these seem like simple ideas, I see these basic principles overlooked week after week and the weeks I don’t fully respect rehearsal time and prepare well are the weeks when my mix suffers a bit or takes longer to fully develop. Next week we’ll wrap the series talking about pre-show prep, setting show volumes so your mix adjusts well to the bodies that just entered the room, and the little things that I do to keep my mixes dynamic during the show. As always if you have any questions please comment below or email me at daniel@studiostagelive.com. If you’re new to the blog and would like to be notified when new content is posted sign up at this link and you’ll get an email each when the new post is up. See you all next week!