Rusty emailed us with a really tricky problem:<\/p>\n
“I have been a live sound engineer for 22 years, I toured for 14 and owned my own sound company for 9 years. With that said I have been going to the same church for about \u00a05 years, in that time I have helped bring the sound system from very poor sound \u00a0to very solid and good sound. I am not the head of the sound dept but just have a heart to serve and years of knowledge.<\/p>\n
It was my Sunday to do the audio and I am getting everything powered up and ready to go when I notice a small Carvin mixer sitting by the snake head which was not there the night before, on closer inspection I see that all of the drum mics have been sent to this mixer. I asked the sound and media guy why he did this and I was told that he needed more channels at the console ( FOH ) which we don’t, I pointed out that we do not need more channels at the console and was told that the drums just sit in 8chs and never really get touched, at least by anybody but me. I know this because no one else knows anything about mixing.<\/p>\n
This matter about sub mixing the drums came up a few days earlier and I told all involved that I was very much against this. The drums are sub mixed to a fixed EQ i.e. low, mid, high in the Carvin and sent to a A&H which has a 5 band variable.<\/p>\n
My fat drum mix has all but been destroyed. \u00a0I have asked to leave the kick and snare in their own ch’s and sub mix the toms and the overheads and I have got no answerer to that. Outside of just walking away how should I deal with this.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Andy replies:<\/p>\n
This seems to me like more of a communication and trust issue than a mixing issue per se.<\/div>\nFrom my standpoint, what you’re saying is, sound engineering is your life’s work and passion, and besides doing that for years you’ve chosen to invest your time as a volunteer in helping your church to get much better sound. Somebody has made changes that you believe is to the detrement of the entire system, taken no regard of your advice and it was probably done by someone who doesnt know what they are doing technically. So although you’re not in charge and happy to serve you dont feel your contribution or knowledge has been valued.<\/div>\nRather than just simply walking away it might well be worth having a heart to heart with the person in charge and try and build some bridges. Meeting like that can be pretty difficult but if you can both properly hear each others viewpoint and genuinely understand how each others viewpoint contributes to the big picture i think that can go along way towards resolution. Try to get across what you care about and why and how the issue makes you feel. As long as its done with humility i think its completely reasonable to say that you basically feel hurt that your opinion was ignored.<\/div>\nIn all these things though, seek to understand first before being understood. Ask why they think they need the channels, can they hear the difference between drum mixes? do they even want a fat drum mix? If not, why not? These desicions may have been made for good reasons that weren’t communicated to you. Alternatively they may have been made by commitee or just someone who hasn’t thought things through. If the latter is the case then perhaps some humble, well asked questions will bring things to light.<\/div>\nIf you can get honest, warm hearted communication flowing thenhopefully the trust could develop to sort out some of the technical issues.<\/div>\nThis seems to me like more of a communication and trust issue than a mixing issue per se.<\/p>\n
From my standpoint, what you’re saying is, sound engineering is your life’s work and passion, and besides doing that for years you’ve chosen to invest your time as a volunteer in helping your church to get much better sound. Somebody has made changes that you believe is to the detrement of the entire system, taken no regard of your advice and it was probably done by someone who doesnt know what they are doing technically. So although you’re not in charge and happy to serve you dont feel your contribution or knowledge has been valued.<\/p>\n
Rather than just simply walking away it might well be worth having a heart to heart with the person in charge and try and build some bridges. Meeting like that can be pretty difficult but if you can both properly hear each others viewpoint and genuinely understand how each others viewpoint contributes to the big picture i think that can go along way towards resolution. Try to get across what you care about and why and how the issue makes you feel. As long as its done with humility i think its completely reasonable to say that you basically feel hurt that your opinion was ignored.<\/p>\n
In all these things though, seek to understand first before being understood. Ask why they think they need the channels, can they hear the difference between drum mixes? do they even want a fat drum mix? If not, why not? These desicions may have been made for good reasons that weren’t communicated to you. Alternatively they may have been made by commitee or just someone who hasn’t thought things through. If the latter is the case then perhaps some humble, well asked questions will bring things to light.<\/p>\n
If you can get honest, warm hearted communication flowing thenhopefully the trust could develop to sort out some of the technical issues.<\/p>\n
Would you have given Rusty different advice? If so, what would you recommend?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Other posts you might like:<\/strong><\/p>\n
A question of balance – tailoring your feedback to your worship team<\/a><\/p>\n
Sustainability \u2013 the reasons we blow it<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n
Ask the Expert \u2013 How do I tell someone in the worship team that we won\u2019t be using her any more?<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
The Conscious Competence Learning Model<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
Worship Administration \u2013 tips to keep everyone happy<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
Worship Team Dynamics \u2013 the phases a new team must go through<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
Worship Leaders, You\u2019re Killing Us \u2013 guest post from Mike Sessler<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
Sound Man. Church hero.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n