Recently, I’ve been able to work a couple shows, and it has reminded me how much different the church world is from the ‘real’ world when it comes to audio and production. I’ve had a few thoughts stick in my mind that I want to share, and some insight I’d like to impart after a conversation or two with some production company owners, roadies, and musicians. The 1st lesson I want to share is one that I hadn’t planned on mentioning or focusing on when I started this blog. However, this aspect is one of the most important areas you can focus on to become the best possible audio engineer.

For eight years I was the full time audio engineer for The Elms. Touring was fun, but I made the decision to get off the road late last year. The guys were in Columbus last weekend and asked me if I could step behind the board for them again. It was a blast, I have to say, and it was good to see everyone again. There is a lot church bands and audio crews can learn from a show like this. I’m going to give you a peek at the gear that was used, what it’s like to be the opening band, and some insights into the politics of a show this size.

Recently, a friend of mine asked about miking up a kick drum. Currently, their drums are all acoustic and not run through the system. The drummer plays fairly quietly though, so the church tried putting a mic on the kick. According to Mark, there was a rattle in the monitors. My first thought was, “A quiet drummer?? Is there such a thing?!”