PreSonusphere 2013: Mixing the Church with Doug Gould

Worship audio guru Doug Gould offers his perspectives on the StudioLive solution for houses of worship from PreSonuSphere 2013.
For more on StudioLive mixers, click here: www.presonus.com/products/Stud...
The band is Down up Speed. You can find their music at www.nimbitmusic.com/downupspeed

[@dm900363]

this video is four years old.... and yet timeless. (especially the word!) good Information.

[@ctzeninsane]

Loved your electronic drum story! You get all kinds of moments where you just die a little inside when you do the sound where 99% of people have no idea about the sound reinforcement system. I've been doing the sound for my local church for a bit more than a year, but I've already got plenty of facepalm moments. Here are some of the things our old sound guy said to me: - The 48 volt phantom power button enhances the sound quality - Miking the guitar amps blows up the speakers - Connecting the bass guitar directly to the mixer will break the preamp inside - SM57s are trash and nobody uses them - The HPF is only useful in small rooms - Crank up the amplifier to the maximum, set the faders to -5db and use as little gain on the mixer as possible. As a result all the gain knobs in our mixer are set to zero or near zero but you still hear the sound. - The on-board 7 channel eq on the mixer should all be set to near -12db to get the good sound You're also spot on about the psycho-acoustic stuff. Just last week people were arguing about how they didn't like sound and one of the guys came to the mixer and changed the reverb type and they all loved the sound. Except that none of the aux mixes were actually going to the reverb channel. They were all set to zero. I'm not even kidding.

[@ottokladensky]

Thank you soooo much, guys, for this!!!

[@thomasvictorio]

Loving this. Thank you, Doug

[@jmartinbsu]

This is amazing! We just got our 32.4.2ai this past summer because of its capabilities without the combination of a steep learning curve compared to the prior analog board we had. I love the discussion on the theory of mixing each instrument, the best practices for the person working at the board, and, most important, how you're using the different EQ settings. I also really appreciate that you took time to focus on the relationship between the people involved each Sunday. I just passed this on to everyone who does sound at my church. I'm so excited to keep expanding the capabilities of what we do and can with the board. Thanks PreSonus!

[@presonus]

+Jeremy Martin You're very welcome. Glad to have you!

[@1shannonleggette]

After this video I really don't need much else to get me going..thanks Doug and John for making my job easier...and PreSonus!!!!

[@PERRECTUMpl]

This video is soo great! Thanks for such good knowledge!

[@aaronking770]

Thanks Doug and John. This was helpful

[@cary19642003]

I found the information from the engineer to be fun. He explained a lot of things that people starting out need to hear. The critics I see in the post seem a little short and unforgiving. :(

[@a4g0t3nF1ght3r]

This has helped me so much. I'm going on tour with my school (Valley Forge Christian College) this summer as the teams sound tech. I'm a lighting guy learning sound. This video is top notch and explains a lot. Thanks guys

[@presonus]

Thank you! Glad you've found it helpful.

[@RayManueloficial]

What a great tutorial, a few months back we got our 24.4.2AI and I have found a new love for mixing live sound and don't get me started on the Smaart capabilities..

[@MelsonChon]

What a good lesson and training for Mixing! Very helpful video. Thanks a lot, PreSonus

[@tomeklawreszuk]

Great video and guide!

[@presonus]

+Tom Lawreszuk Awesome. Glad you found it helpful!

[@BrotherIon]

Great piece, very informative. Got to love a company that makes great gear and is all about education. When I dream, I dream of a StudioLive AI console.

[@jesteey]

their voices are so clear and distinct.

[@presonus]

+Toyin O. Sounds awesome, right!?

[@jesteey]

PreSonus Audio Electronics​ super awesome. they sound like they're just next to me. The sounds are very distinct. Gotta get my guys to come watch this.

[@lilromeo200789]

Personally, I don't use Pre-sonus products, but I learned a lot on how to get a good mix. I am honestly ecstatic to try these things I learned at my church :)

[@presonus]

+BicBoi Glad we could help :)

[@JuvilleBeats]

I don't understand it... some people say that this Mixing Console doesn't send midi to the DAW so it can't control the daw with it but as I see he doest it. So my question now: does it control the DAW or not?

[@presonus]

Juville Beats ™ No, the StudioLive mixers are not control surfaces for Studio One, mainly because they don't have transport control like stop, play, record, etc.

[@ToniLeys]

Man I had a great time watching this, awesome advice and you guys are so cool!

[@JoshBoudreaux]

Love it... Thanks for sharing!

[@johnko76]

could you share the mics you would recommend for a 2-drum mic setup? thanks.

[@presonus]

Hey John! If you are only using two mics, you have many options. The most common is a stereo overhead pair of omnidirectional mics, miking the kit from above. If you don't need a stereo drum sound, you may instead choose to mic the kick and use a single overhead in mono for the snare, toms, and cymbals.

[@Microphunktv-jb3kj]

all grandmas in the first row go "it's too much bass!" haha.. :D

[@ChrisPaulslu]

how can I get my musicians to talk with Sound tech without it going out on the mains, I am using a presonus studiolive 24 ai

[@AngelAngelesIII]

A separate mic that you will PFL then use your headphones.

[@kyemurray2150]

Great video! learnt a lot. Whats the band called?

[@PrRafaelRamos]

AMAZING !!! Incredible !!!... Every church audio guy should watch this! Congrats !

[@RGVGeek]

The 1st 11 minutes worth watching alone

[@johnpraise8585]

I do need a mentor and a coach sir can u in all respect......

[@danielbruno2631]

you guys are on the list for my next mixer for the chuch i go to, second chuch i build the sound system, plus ima buy my personal mixer, what an amazing sound!

[@Mattchewhicks]

The sound quality achieved is great. I would have enjoyed hearing this with a full worship band playing a song similar to the praise and worship that is most popular in our day like Hillsong, Bethel, or even the IHOP stuff. The song that was used here with a full band here was just weird honestly. Even so, there was a great quality achieved in this video. The mixing techniques were priceless and I am very grateful for them!

[@INVESTIGATOification]

Why you dont use compressors?

[@warrenroberts1912]

does he ever EQ the vocals in this video? If so when?

[@daresdar36]

please please... could you translate or maybe subtitle this awesome videos.. it will be a very good teaching for us in colombia,,, no all of our musician and enginerr speak english thank you god bless you

[@TheWorshipMD]

That's a great idea..

[@prestonm83]

Hey this was really helpful! We are purchasing this board next month for our church and I feel like we are making a great buy. God Bless!

[@Guikri]

which Overhead Mic is he using?

[@bob76451]

Does anyone know what mic they were using for the drum OH?

[@dm900363]

I need the same info.... that mic is AMAZING!!

[@drummerboy100jh]

dm900363 audio technica 4050

[@mexstrat96]

AT4050 they said it in the video lmao

[@JohnHilman1968]

would like to know which output is being used for recording this... is it a send aux or the record out?

[@dalandser562]

I think they might be using the firewire connection to the computer and using the capture recording program on the computer to record it in separate tracks.

[@MexlycanFilmico]

So with this Presonus mixers you don't need racks anymore ex, compresors, gates, equalizers, powers? Is it only the Mixer directly to the active speakers and that's it? Thanks for the response.

[@presonus]

Mexlycan Filmico Correct! The Fat Channel is the section of a StudioLive mixer that delivers a compressor, limiter, gate/expander, and four-band parametric EQ on every input channel and mix bus. It also provides a highpass filter on every channel and aux bus and polarity invert for each input channel.That said, if you would like to connect your StudioLive to some outboard gear, you're able to do that as well.

[@Michael.C.Duisburg]

the best technology does not help if the singer can not sing

[@compton3c]

That's a given.

[@tcrewsman1447]

any idea on what kind of wedges those are?

[@jaredbost]

What is the name of the song they played?!?

[@mbhughston1]

Is there somewhere I can download just the audio from this video? I spend a lot of time in my car and would love to listen to it while I'm driving. LTE is great but not fast enough to stream a whole video without pauses and hiccups.

[@presonus]

We don't have the Audio Available for download directly, but try this: www.listentoyoutube.com/

[@izarkimaomu]

just download the video and convert to mp3

[@chsturgill]

The presenter said he had some reference material that he would email to us if we emailed him and asked for it. What is his email address?

[@TheWorshipMD]

[e-mail]

[@AngelAngelesIII]

I would like to receive one too!

[@musiquitodc]

nice video

[@paulmiller1746]

That's not Steve Kilbey, I guess it's a different The Church :)

[@TheMattd546]

what kind of computer do they use? is it a laptop. my problem is the only computer I have that works is my studio computer and its a full desktop beast. Does anyone know of a windows laptop with firewire as well??? I cant find any firewire laptops which all my interfaces uses firewire.

[@presonus]

Hey The Mattd546, have you looked into getting a FireWire card for your laptop? They're quite inexpensive. bit.ly/1sHrbfN

[@TheMattd546]

I would need an ExpressCard built in to the laptop which I don't have.

[@stawolf73]

TheMattd546 I second that, Firewire and Express card are almost extinct on most of all laptops. I been trying to find one lately and the only one I found was on Apple MacBook Pro with a Thunderbold firewire adapter or special niche business model. It will be great if PreSonus can put a recommend or certify laptop model on their web site.

[@presonus]

stawolf73 If you get a computer with Thunderbolt, we have tested and recommend the following Thunderbolt/FireWire adapter: www.presonus.com/news/press_releases/PreSonus-FireWire-Interfaces-Compatible-with-Apple-Thunderbolt-Adapter

[@CarlCamp]

absolutely AWESOME info!!!! great job guys!!!!

[@jenantimbal883]

sir how you connect the laptop to your mixer analog..please help me.. i have a mixer 2404 alto

[@patrickrandall6282]

Great vid guys. What speakers were you using and was there a center fill, if so, where do you feed it from? (Stereo mix)

[@avn33]

can anyone explain why or how he was able to set a gain level BEFORE setting the volume level on the drums? was that based on something or just setting them where he felt they should be?

[@anthonyt4065]

I don't know if you have found the answer to your question but it's many ways this could have been done. Most people set the gain using solo or PFL for each channel before adding EQ, and effects. This can be done through headphones instead of the house or monitors being turned on. This is mostly done in bigger venues (such as this one) to either prevent unnecessary feedback if using mics, staying professional and not interrupting the congregation, or just simply doing it because of choice. You don't always need to hear your gain it's mostly used to level your output level at 0 for a clean sound. Hope that makes sense to you.

[@lifekakogbe6012]

Please Bro. Mike. I love what you guys are doing and PreSonus is da bomb, I'm using it in my church here in the Capital City of Nigeria. But please Sir, are there other sound processors apart from the Mixer, Amp and Speakers in this presentation?

[@presonus]

Hey Life, Thanks for asking. All processing in this video for the mix is done from the StudioLive mixer.

[@levihoward4470]

i practice sound at home on Recording and Mixing

[@trunganh6733]

what kind of overhead mic you use

[@TheWorshipMD]

Audio-Technica 4050

[@loverlyrachy]

I loved this, however, my church does not have the luxury of a mixer like this. I am just starting to learn the board, but this was way over where I needed to be... That to say, I did learn what I need to learn more in depth in order to make it better.

[@presonus]

+Rachel Sprague Glad to provide a useful service for you! There's a lot that goes into learning a board and we're available to help out however we can. :)

[@loverlyrachy]

PreSonus Audio Electronics Our church is really just starting with a sound system and worship team. We're a small church in an almost gym-like building and none of the current tech people are really formally trained. Our equipment works, but it's not our ideal setup. I really just wish I knew more of what to do than turn up the gain on things.

[@angelkf87]

thx men this vid its the best love presonus good bless you

[@johnko76]

Thanks thinking about the AT4040.

[@presonus]

That's a GREAT choice!

[@HempstoneOtieno2]

Learned A LOT here. I'm a computer musician and the eq part helped out alot. Thanks.

[@elciclistarigondeaux]

For new sound guys or girls is more confusing to see the universal control on the screen, it would be better to see the mixer on the screen during the teaching.

[@presonus]

+ALBERTO ALBERT Noted. Thanks.

[@rgrabill1981]

Hi, I've been mixing for almost 23 years in the church and it's one of my favorite things to do in life! Would love to have additional resources via email like Doug offered in the video. How can I get Doug's email?

[@presonus]

+Robert Grabill You can reach Doug at his site at www.worshipmd.com!

[@quaad_heavy_sounds]

cool!

[@MannaMan77]

Thanks you guys! You understand sound men struggles in the church and you are right about needing tough skin! I could use some more live audio for dummies type of help if you could point me in the right direction. Thanks!

[@presonus]

Sure thing - here's a great collection of videos for running sound in houses of worship. bit.ly/1cUtRx0

[@MannaMan77]

Thanks alot!

[@brandonmenneke]

What band is that?

[@jubinsebastian1991]

Thank for this Video. This helps me a lot. our Church is planning to upgrade our PA system. Currently we are using Yamaha 16 channel mixer (EMX 5016). we are planning to upgrade it to a better system with 24 channel. Could you please advice me the best 24 channel mixer from PreSonu.

[@presonus]

+Jubin Sebastian I recommend the StudioLive 24.4.2AI!

[@TheNewEntryBand]

+PreSonus Audio Electronics Good Day i have a little problem. i'm using studio one2 and i have the Presonus Studiolive 16.0.2. The studio one2 i was using was a demo version Now that its expired I'm only getting Signal from channel 1 and 2 of the Studiolive 16.0.2 Mixer. can you Help me with that please.

[@doitfilmsUK]

whats the song the band play at 1:04:01?? its awesome

[@mdjahadulhoque]

Thanks you to help......................god bless & rockinggggggggggggg

[@mikemoore1553]

Thanks for the video. Great tips.

[@guijoe77]

It is helping a lot here in Brazil... my church just got an Studiolive 32.4.2 AI

[@rlg222]

I really enjoyed the technical explanation and hands on application. Thanks for sharing! Bobby G Bobby G Entertainment

[@EmmanuelJosueHasbun]

please do this in spanish if yopu need a translator i will do it for you this is a very good material and we need this courses in spanish please think on that and y will help if you need me or consider the idea

[@Tigger82623]

thanks for this video I'm a stagehand and doing sound at my church

[@JStevensdk7]

Question, in terms of what to mix first, FOH or monitor mix, in a small venue where there is allot of stage bleed, I would mix the mains first and then bring up the stage mix, however on a large venue, I heard its typically the stage mix first then bring up the FOH mains? Any thoughts on this process. Second question (maybe another video somewhere) is gain structure from initial system/amp then the process of gaining a clean system. In this video there are gain changes but this vid is more on EQ than gain. God Bless

[@presonus]

Perhaps we should hear from Doug Gould himself on this one! :)

[@EdwardFrebowitz]

PreSonus Audio Electronics Hello, when monitors are being mixed from the FOH it is always a best practice to get the house levels first and then bring up stage monitors. This way the gain structure can remain somewhat consistent and the FOH can mix from the faders. When mixing monitors from a separate console it is important that there is a relationship between FOH and the stage. They each affect each other. I always preferred letting the house get their sound levels first. Then I would dial in monitors. If I had wedges on stage I would ash the FOH engineer to turn on and off the house so I could see how the house mix affected the stage.

[@DarianReyna]

I must Learn English!

[@shadowmixx]

Talent knob! LOL! Priceless. :-) Best lesson between 17:16 and 20:51

[@divadjp09]

This guy just took these sound guys to church! Should of had a organ player in the back. lol

[@j.arredondo]

That electric drum story lol

[@christiankansichi6622]

At some point it was mentioned that using studiolive with studioone basically as an effects rack adding the effects like virtual amp and reverbs? I just want to confirm it is possible? and how? Especially with the 16.4.2 (not the AI version)

[@presonus]

Hey Christian, here's a knowledge base article video on that very topic! support.presonus.com/entries/26259485-StudioLive-XX-4-2-and-AI-Using-Plugins-with-Studio-One-2-Live We also did an episode of PreSonus LIVE on that topic, too: www.livestream.com/presonuslive/video?clipId=pla_b722926b-c8a1-4168-8a4c-1d8012f03a3a

[@praise20088888888]

thx pastor engr Doug!

[@frontprochproduction]

My deep respect and kudos to all you gentleman involved in the making of this instructional video. So much information, both technical AND musical. Fantastic perspective on everything from personal interaction and respect to eq'ing and mixing concepts. Tremendous insights into the importance of using your ears to direct the operation of the gear. Fantastic sound on the video, and wonderfully helpful video shots that really show what's happening from every angle. My only suggestion would be to add a wireless mic to the mix for audience questions so viewers of the video can hear what is being asked, but that is an easy add. You all have created a tremendous treasure trove of information in this video. I hope to start a small business helping churches with their sound systems next year, and I will be telling all of my customers that their sound techs need to watch this video..! I'm heading to your session in NM on Dec 11th to see the SL32AI for the first time, thanks for all the great info sessions you provide for your products..!

[@presonus]

Messages like this make my day. Thanks for it, and we have plenty more videos on the way!

[@frontprochproduction]

PreSonus Audio Electronics AWESOME..! I had a thought for some instructional videos for Studio One. I think a library of 1-2 minute long vids showing an on screen capture of Studio One while someone narrated the short "how to" session would be very helpful to people learning the program. This way, if some one wants to learn about a particular function in the program they can select the appropriate vid from the library and in a couple of minutes they know how to do that. Think of this as similar to the movie The Matrix where the girl needs to be able to fly a helicopter, so her "operator" downloads the appropriate instructions directly into her brain. We could do the same thing for the functions of Studio One. Even people who don't have Studio One, (yet), would get a clear idea of how easy it is to do some really cool things. I put together a pilot video using this idea and focused on the function of "Time Stretching". Let me know if this idea is interesting to you. Have a great day..!

[@NathanFreel]

This video was pretty helpful and entertaining! So easy to relate as a church sound guy. What is this PreSonusphere event? I would definitely love to attend!

[@presonus]

Thanks Nathan! Yes, this was at PreSonusphere 2013. Sign up for our mailinglist for updates on PreSonus events! You can find the sign-up form by visiting our website and rolling your mouse over "community."

[@linardbrooks495]

Great Video and very very helpful......

[@joshjones6802]

Can you control the faders from that Mac application or are there no motorized faders?

[@plowingfork]

Hi guys! We are using presonus in our church and basically I am new to mixing and the technicalities of sound system. I have so many issues like 1. the sound seems somewhere in the cave, 2. or when my pastor shout or raise his voice, it seems his voice cannot break through the ceiling and i felt his struggling, 3. many times his voice had this little "ingk" sound every after he spoke, 4. many time feed backs. I have so many questions on how to use the 1. compressor, 2. threshold, 3 limiter, 4. equalizer 5. Low (when and how to use it. what is the effect?) 6. Mid: Low and Hi (when and how to use it. What is the effect?) 7. Hi (when and how to use it. What is the effect?) etc. If I can get a soft copy, pdf, video anything that would teach me everything that I need to mix it for our church, that would be great. Thanks a lot and God bless everyone.

[@wow10191]

Great vid!! What drum overhead are you using?

[@nmnmnnmm]

some great church jokes in here

[@danielbetancourt2057]

PreSonus Audio Electronics May i ask how do you stream audio to sound so clear? what outputs do you use? or do you run the stream directly from the board via firewire into an application? What application is being used? Thanks

[@hgostos]

brilliant!!

[@davidcumplidodh]

presonus is good on music

[@jairjose150]

hehehehe bass player playing gorillaz love it!

[@rodolfoaguirre5292]

Can Presonus 32.4.2 ai work with Ableton Live ? If yes, can it transfer all the channels separately to Ableton ? I am planning to buy the mixer, use all the capabilities it has and then do the final work with Ableton. Let me know

[@presonus]

Absolutely!

[@shanerushby2682]

Great video. Thank you. BUT, could you PLEASE answer the question that has seemingly been ignored. What is the name of the band (if they have one at all) or at least what church are they linked to? and are there links to there music anywhere? Thanks for taking the time to make this video....

[@enemezhayesbaby6211]

After reading these comments, I see as a striving artist having to mix my own work, that I still have a lot to learn

[@hanacompany7427]

i love StudioLive good test

[@EddyGmadeit]

BOy!!! they need to go to my church!! lol

[@DH4Hobbies]

why?

[@curtislewis2773]

good stuff

[@ProDoucher]

Its funny that they have such an innocent sense of humour and then suddenly they're say stuff like "those people are going to hell!" The jaded nature of sound technicians applies to Churchies as well.

[@UpNorthSound]

i like the studiolive feel, doesn't need to just be in the Church right..

[@presonus]

Correct! The StudioLive mixers are non-denominational, and you can use them wherever you like. :)

[@UpNorthSound]

Do they do this one but maybe a smaller 16 channel?

[@presonus]

UpNorthSound Yes, check out the StudioLive 16.4.2AI: www.presonus.com/products/StudioLive-AI-Series Also, we have the StudioLive 16.0.2: www.presonus.com/products/StudioLive-16.0.2

[@UpNorthSound]

Safe!

[@MV-in8xs]

Hallelujah Preach!

[@denistaaffe7609]

passin the plate paid for all that gear? dammn....

[@alphaomegamusicschool]

Oh My Goodness! That sermon was awesome!

[@Mattchewhicks]

By the way, I just purchased the StudioLive 24.4.2 AI recently for my traveling worship group.

[@WilborArthur]

What more can we ask? Learn how to mix a Church with this excelent product (that I still don't have by the way!) and service with that guys! I've cried and laugh at same time... Congrats Presonus and all people involved... God bless from Brazil

[@presonus]

Thanks Wilbor!

[@SOLOOJESUCRISTO]

Thank's Brothers good teaching, Blessed in Jesus Christ