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Thursday, November 27, 2025
The Right Formula: A Veteran Engineer's Strategies For Better House Mixes
ProSoundWeb: My first question: How can FOH engineers develop a reliable formula for mixing success? I was curious to learn about his standard process when he walks into any gig, irrespective of size or circumstance.”
2 comments:
Maxwell Hamilton
said...
This was a great article to read. Honestly it was so refreshing to actually find a proper source on how to actually mix for a live event. Live sound lives in this weird world, where everything is so incredibly gate kept. Like tell me why it takes so many google searches to find a proper video guide on how to live mix? It's because sound engineers are some of the most pretentious people you'll ever meet. They consistently believe that they are better than everyone else at their jobs, and refuse to put out information that will better the mixes for other people. I'm super glad that this information was put out there. Finding a sound engineering that is both renown for being a good engineer, and is willing to explain his or her process is so hard. I'm currently in love with the videos by Dave Rat super informative, I just wish more people were as willing to educate as he was.
A mix sounding good or bad seriously makes or breaks anything that has amplified sound. I really think anyone who ever needs to mix a live event would benefit from having this quick formula ready at hand. Obviously, it’s not all you need, and being able to critically listen and discern what sounds good and what doesn’t is a very important skill to develop as well, but this at least gives people a place to start and a methodology to follow. I really and truly hate when I know a performer sounds great but the mix is just off and not doing them justice, or when the mix is unbalanced and you can’t hear certain people. I also really hate when mixes sound good from certain places in the audience and bad from other places, so I’m happy to see that this person recommends walking around and getting a feel for the sound of the whole space.
2 comments:
This was a great article to read. Honestly it was so refreshing to actually find a proper source on how to actually mix for a live event. Live sound lives in this weird world, where everything is so incredibly gate kept. Like tell me why it takes so many google searches to find a proper video guide on how to live mix? It's because sound engineers are some of the most pretentious people you'll ever meet. They consistently believe that they are better than everyone else at their jobs, and refuse to put out information that will better the mixes for other people. I'm super glad that this information was put out there. Finding a sound engineering that is both renown for being a good engineer, and is willing to explain his or her process is so hard. I'm currently in love with the videos by Dave Rat super informative, I just wish more people were as willing to educate as he was.
A mix sounding good or bad seriously makes or breaks anything that has amplified sound. I really think anyone who ever needs to mix a live event would benefit from having this quick formula ready at hand. Obviously, it’s not all you need, and being able to critically listen and discern what sounds good and what doesn’t is a very important skill to develop as well, but this at least gives people a place to start and a methodology to follow. I really and truly hate when I know a performer sounds great but the mix is just off and not doing them justice, or when the mix is unbalanced and you can’t hear certain people. I also really hate when mixes sound good from certain places in the audience and bad from other places, so I’m happy to see that this person recommends walking around and getting a feel for the sound of the whole space.
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