More MEEEEEE!!!!!

More MEEEEEE!!!!!!

One of the biggest sound problems I see in churches is floor monitors and stage noise.

You have all been there. Warm –up song ends, and the one of the musicians say, “I cant hear myself!” But STOP, back away from the mixer….DO NOT touch that aux send knob!!!!!!!!!!

This can be one of the most frustrating times for both the sound guy and the musician. The musician wants to hear and sometimes “feel” more than the sound guy can give without sacrificing the quality in the house system. What to do? Open a line of communication between your sound guys and your musicians. Put egos aside, we all NEED each other.

1. Demonstrate for your musicians why too much stage volume is bad. Pop in a CD, call the band to the floor and crank the monitors. Ask them how it sounds. You will probably get a few, sounds fine, a few a little muffled. Then turn down the monitors and up the house. Ask if it sounds better? (If it doesn’t sound better, you better call a pro to tune your system up) This usually works, they hear how much better direct sound is compared to reflected.
2. When you do sound checks, bring up the house BEFORE the floor monitor. The idea is that the floor monitor supplement and clarify what they are getting reflected. This is really true of bassists and drummers who like the “feel” of the music.
3. Get your musicians to listen critically. Why cant they hear themselves? Is it because the guitar player has their amp cranked and it is screaming in the vocalist’s ear? Some times it is what can we move, or turn down to allow yourself to hear better.

Work together, work smart.