10 Things That Matter More Than Midas Preamps

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1. The confidence instilled in the musicians you’re serving by moving with generosity and speed.
2. Gain structure
3. Doing the math and carefully place, aim, and optimize your PA.
4. Keep an immaculate stage, like your mother’s dining room.
5. Unmarked water bottles on stage for your talent.
6. Knowing audio fundamentals, your show’s IO and stage layout, and your talent’s names so well that you can spend 80% of your energy blowing their minds instead of it on tracing unlabeled cables.
7. Showing up 10 minutes early and getting familiar with the venue.
8. Having your monitor mixes roughed in before talent starts sound check (moving with speed and precision).
9. Choosing an appropriate walk-in playlist.
10. Offering to multitrack the performance and give the stems to the band. It takes a USB cable, Tracks Live (free), and a Dropbox account.

[@AviewFromUnder]

I have been doing this a wee while and I love to say" All mixing systems can sound better then the decisions I make using them".

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

I like that!

[@TimmyP1955]

I am sometimes, if not often, the grumpy sound guy. Room sounds bad, drummer hits too hard, guitar and other rigs are too loud (and pointed at the players' ankles), pedal and keyboard patch levels are all over the place, solos quieter than rhythms, mic cuppers, putzing around between songs, etc.etc. But at least their PAs are usually adequate for the task at hand.

[@danmunns6653]

some really strong points Michael, well done... I just personally have to pump the brakes when it comes to multitrack recording - while it is easy with modern digital consoles and a laptop it's value adding in the extreme. If I book you for 12 hours, can I assume you're good for 24?

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

Thank you very much! I'm a little confused by your last question?

[@danmunns6653]

@@MichaelCurtisAudio why double or triple your workload for the same price?

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

@@danmunns6653 Again, this is just my take - but I think we're defining "work" differently. I'm not assuming this is your posture, but the bare minimum is to show up, make sure everything works, mix a half decent show, then go home. If that's your definition of work, fantastic. Providing more value for the same price is what gets me more gigs. Most clients I work with can tell that I really care and also appreciate my expertise, which gets me called back. Airlines don't HAVE to serve snacks. Restaurants could charge for water. But its these "nice to haves" that stack up and create great experiences. And now at this point in my career most clients are willing to pay more than the industry standard rate to have me come mix. They're not asking for "a mix engineer", they're asking for me by name. I share this not to flex my ego, but to give you my strategy for growing my career. Be really, really good at the craft. Add an extra personal touch. Show that you care. Get more gigs.

[@joshhoevelmann6498]

I have found if I make my stage neat and organized, people (artist) are more likely to ask me before they move something.

[@alohaadane]

Wow, Thanks for sharing. From your list number 2 is what i am straggling right now with the band. and I couldn't find any videos out there talking about it. I need your help: I am a sound engineer at our church and I am having a problem with the band about gain staging. just so you know we are not pros. They want to turn up or down the volume on there keyboards, lead and bass guitar to change the dynamics of the music, but it should be set at one level that is suitable for their monitor and the PA which is - 18 DB so it will be processed correctly. I explained and shows them to change the dynamics of the keyboard press it hard or slow and for the guitar use the strings to change the dynamics but not the gain volume, doing this will messed up my FOH mix and monitor mix . You know when you use like acoustic drum even electric drum, grand piano, box guitar or any other instruments some of them don't even have volume knob but you control the dynamics when you play it. Musicians hear on there monitor what they want to hear, but sound engineers listens everything that makes a sound on the stage, mix it and broadcast it on the right level to the audience. To change the dynamic of the song by using the volume knob of the instrument brings your audio right on our face or lost in the mix. Using compressor is only working right when it is on the right level other wise 4 or 5 DB gain change will make it distorted or use less. So can you please let us know the right way how to set up the volume from the band side? And should they change the dynamic of the music by using volume knob ones it set? Please let us know, Thank you so much for everything.

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

Thanks for the question! Here's the short answer: I coach the bands I work with that play in rock/pop genres to play as consistently as they can. I run sound check with them giving me "full volume" and set my gain accordingly. If a particular musician is all over the place, I'll ask them their INTENTIONS on why they're playing that way. I've mixed a lot of different churches and it's hard to get non-professional musicians to play TOGETHER, not just alongside each other. If I'm working with a classical/jazz group, that genre in and of itself requires more nuance and dynamic range, so I'll have them soundcheck with an upbeat tune, then ask them to play a chill tune and check things out. These groups are more sensitive to how the arrangement changes the mood and feel of the songs.

[@alohaadane]

@@MichaelCurtisAudio Thank you so much for your insight and time.

[@alohaadane]

@@MichaelCurtisAudio Thank you so much for your insights and time.

[@justahobby4]

Nice,,there is a way ,put volumes at the source unchanged ,,,and they can level it by their mobiles like we use in iem Some people have volume pedals to control it at source ,,what we can do is anyhow link it with their mobiles(by any app or something )especially by wires not wireless

[@alohaadane]

@@justahobby4 Thanks for your advice, That is exactly what i start doing with Wing mixer and a lot of workshops to get them comfortable. Now everybody is happy :)

[@Heywoodj1969]

Yeah - I’m comfortable with the sound man stereo type - I am not here to babysit the stupid /unprepared artist. I got asked for guitar strings before... mid-set - do I look like I am a music / guitar store? Asked for batteries, and duct tape waaay to often. I generously point them to the closest local corner store. Water is the promoters responsibility, what are you new? I set the tone before the band shows up to the events I provide for ( after clearing it with my client) - I send the bands the do’s and don’ts... eg - sidewash your backline gear, do not step on my gear (subs or monitor grills), no clamping on my mic stands ( ipads, water holders etc)...be prepared with your own, batteries, strings, sticks, etc... nobody gets on stage other than the band espeically no kids on stage. After they get this, they pretty much know they are dealing with the typical sound guy, and I am okay with that. I am a professional hired to do a job and so are they supposedly, so act like it.

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

I respect your approach and it sounds like its working for you and your career. Adults should act like adults. I'll keep doing my thing, though : )

[@Heywoodj1969]

@@MichaelCurtisAudio it is working for me - coddling artists is not the right way to go - it helps nobody, but fill yer boots.

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

Serving as a host and setting up your own stage to succeed is worlds apart from coddling. I'm not saying that you shouldn't have boundaries as an engineer, but I've found that these moments of service to artists have given me tremendous opportunities in my own career. Multiple bands in my area that I worked with for the first time this summer asked me to mix future shows for them BEFORE I ever touched a fader, simply because of the way I hosted their load-in, cable management, etc. Again, you do you, but I want to make clear that being a good host is far, far apart from coddling.

[@scottfindley1345]

Pres are almost completely irrelevent in the context of live production of any kind. all the console mfgrs in the live console space have preamps that are just fine. Pres matter in recording.. nor do bespoke plugins, analog vs digital (youre better off with digital).. what matters most is experience, familiarity, gain staging as you said, some semblence of professionalism and ability to work with your team and be genersally plesant, a decent mix and ringing out the PA is pretty important. nice vid

[@joeyshuster8569]

people will blow 5k on a neve 1073opx but not treat their room🥲🥲🥲😭

[@MichaelCurtisAudio]

Isn't it a tragedy?!?