Mixing Lots of Inputs Without Being Too Loud

Mixing lots of inputs can get overwhelming, especially if you have to keep your levels down so you don’t get complaints. I’ll show you how I use the elements of the arrangement to systematically balance my mix, and how to use EQ and compression to make each input find its place in this world (thanks Smitty).
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[@jimpemberton]

I need to show this to our integrator. He hates that I use any kind of compression at all and thinks that I compress the life out of the sound. He's the only one who thinks so. I actually use parallel compression sometimes to add some life back into the compressed signal without increasing the overall signal. If I need to add to the signal, I use the gain makeup on the compressor. He doesn't like that either. He's not the one I have to make happy so I don't listen to him on that anyway. But it is good to hear someone who is knowledgeable justify what I'm doing. Personally, I think he's just deaf in the higher frequencies and likes anything that boosts those. I'm old enough to have some natural hearing loss in those frequencies. That's why I like to keep young people around - to alert me to any squeaks I can't hear very well.

[@gadielarenas8048]

No compression? That’s crazy !

[@devonrdlee]

You need a new integrator

[@jimpemberton]

@@devonrdlee I inherited our relationship with him. He's done a lot of good work for us over the years, so I don't want to dismiss him out of hand, but he's been setting off our IT service people (a company my oldest son works for) and getting under the skin of some of our staff with the most recent project he's been doing for us. I do have other options and I know he'll be retiring in the next year or two, so I'll have to start developing those other relationships anyway.

[@user-xr2dy3rr5r]

Whats an integrator sir?

[@jimpemberton]

@@user-xr2dy3rr5r An integrator is a production engineer who spec's, installs, and can even help maintain an integrated AV system that meets the needs of a particular venue. For churches this may include a sound system (with FOH, monitors, and streaming mixing), multimedia functions (controlling projectors and graphical material including videos with audio that needs to go tot he sound system), a camera system that needs to communicate back and forth with the multimedia functions, and interorganizational feeds for overflow or multisite capacities. This can become a very complex beast to manage and an integrator can develop a comprehensive solution where all systems work together well.

[@geraldwatkins3543]

I have learned so much from you over the years. Thanks for all of the great content.

[@annasoH323]

Thanks James! Also especially interesting going from loud band with instruments, tracks, vocals etc, then back down to just pastor speaking.

[@2kay636]

This has been my challenge.... Thank you for this video... I always wanted to incorporate all inputs without being too loud or having them clash with each other.

[@YannDyangu]

You're a legend! Thank you for this.

[@joemeckley2017]

Great video! A lot of valuable tips. One I learned when we started streaming was getting my kick level and my vocal level set from the start and then mix in the rest of the foundation from there. I find by going back and referencing the relationship between the kick and the vocal as I build out my mix, it makes everything feel like it is in the same room vs that "here is the band mix and then the vocals float on top." This is especially helpful for live streaming mixes when you have a lot of control. I like how it makes the music "hug" the vocals.

[@DbiPro]

It’s cool seeing these videos after watching the ones after years of you sharing knowledge.

[@AttawayAudio]

Thank you so much! That's so good to hear!

[@danielfmyers]

The big challenge for keyboard and acoustic guitar players is learning to pare it back when more people come on as compared to playing/leading solo. If not I turn them down 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@AttawayAudio]

Yes, especially worship leaders who mostly accompany themselves while they're practicing. They need it to feel full, so they'll play big, dense chords. Either pulling them back or making their sound thinner/brighter (pick your word) can help.

[@jimpemberton]

I have a small orchestra with things like strings (synth playing a reduction and a few cellists) and organ doing sustained sounds, and bass instruments (organ, bass guitar, cellos sometimes, bowed contrabass, piano, and of course bass drum). I have choir with mic'ed front vocalists supporting them all behind the worship leader. I have an electric guitar, trumpets, and woodwinds doing various pops and fills. It's easy with all of this to think something like, "I can't hear _____, so I need to turn it up. Oh, now I can't hear _____, so I need to turn it up too." Enough of that kind of thinking and it can get away from you. (Edit: I wrote that about midway into the video and as I'm wrapping up my comment, I hear you saying exactly the same thing. So I must be in my right mind about this.) I run music with a median sustained level at about 82-85 dBa as measured from the console is right for my church to support the congregational singing and still hear the congregation. So I don't want to continually push it up. After a point it can just get to be a muddy mess. I've found that a controlled sound is best to allow each instrument and group to have their own space, then I try to accentuate the harmonic qualities of each instrument. For example, how do you mix a bass guitar AND a contrabass that may or may not be playing the same thing at any given time? First, I draw out the upper frequencies that give each its own character and then I blend the lower frequencies together. But I also keep their faders independent and right next to each other so I can emphasize one or the other given the arrangement. This makes them sound good together while letting them each be heard. Our orchestra leader is also good at pulling in the orchestral parts that work well together. For example, this Sunday, he was playing an electric lead doing a fill dialog with the flute. That was all in the background where it should go so I didn't crank it up, but I let each one of them have their space in the mix and it was beautiful. So you have to pay attention to the arrangement.

[@AttawayAudio]

Fantastic work Jim! Thanks for the comment :)

[@firebhazeuniverse]

I just subscribed 😊

[@MorganWrightTHEBRINK]

This is a great video. Im wondering about all the eq and compression routing because I have an analog board...i.e. with an analog board do ineed to buy multiple compressors and eq to create a similar chain on individual insruments, groups and master busses ?

[@AttawayAudio]

If you have groups (or aux sends that can be routed to the main bus or a matrix), you can put compressors on the groups. Depending on your musicians, you may not need compressors on every input.

[@ibikunledavid8407]

Great video. Is there any way I can achieve similar results with an analog mixing board and an audio interface for my live stream?

[@AttawayAudio]

Yes, if you have enough compressors. That's the challenge with analog - it requires more hardware to do the same thing a computer can do with 1s and 0s.

[@tgsmusic4481]

Everything else sounds good

[@DbiPro]

Ya sounds gross when you unbalance something for the sake of soloing something to only make IT sound good