Mixing is a sculpting of the mix to make it sound as good as we can. It’s putting our hearts into the process.
Mixing sound for your church’s services is not just about pushing faders and preventing feedback. It’s much more than that.
As church sound techs, we should strive to give our very best for the Glory of God through the services we mix. To achieve this, we need to make sure that we are in the right mindset prior to mixing. Here are some questions we should ask ourselves:
Am I doing this because no one else will? Am I doing it so I can stay hidden? Am I doing it to get recognized?
Whatever our answers to these questions, we need to get our heads clear: We must be mixing because we have a heart for it. We must be doing it because we want to give God the best we can, so others can enter in and worship.
Listen—and practice
Once we get our heads in the right place, how do we give our best for God?
To hone our craft we need to practice, practice, practice.... Listen to each instrument and where they sit in the mix. Listen to the vocals and pay attention to the dynamics of the song.
To hone our craft we need to practice, practice, practice. Before mixing, we need to know the content that we are going to mix. Musicians will listen to a song and play along with it to practice. We also should listen to the songs that we’ll be mixing.
When I say listen to the songs, I am meaning really listen to the songs. Listen to each instrument and where they sit in the mix. Listen to the vocals and pay attention to the dynamics of the song. All this will help when you are mixing the song.
Mix as art
Of course we all need to know what the buttons and knobs do on our consoles and how they affect the mix, but that’s for another article.
Instead let’s think about cultivating an Artistic approach to mixing. In my opinion, mixing is an art. It’s more than standing behind the mixer. When mixing, think of yourself as an artist or a musician--you need to control how it sounds. To achieve this, you need to mix each portion of the song.
... make sure to mind the dynamics for the song and not just mix it all at one level.
For example, make sure to mind the dynamics for the song and not just mix it all at one level. You need to know when the guitar has a solo. You need to know who is leading the song, and so on. You need to make sure the vocals are not just heard--but that they can be clearly heard--so the congregation can understand what’s being said. You’ll need to adjust EQs, compressors, gates and so on to accomplish this.
Remember the element of heart
And most importantly, we make sure the preaching can be heard--so the word of God can be spread.
Mixing is not just setting levels and it’s all good. It’s a sculpting of the mix to make it sound as good as we can. It’s putting our hearts into the process. We sound techs set the mood for the church, from the level of the walk-in music to the mix of the worship music. And most importantly, we make sure the preaching can be heard--so the word of God can be spread.
In closing, be an artist. Mix with your heart. Let God give you the guidance to hone your craft and achieve the mood and sound your church needs. Act as much more than a button-pusher—instead, be a creative channel for God’s message.
