Saturday, August 21, 2010

Top 6 Free Tutorials on Mixing Sound

View and Add Comments

One of the biggest issues I've seen in music ministry lies in operating the sound system and mixing board.  At many churches, there just aren't the people that are comfortable, much less knowledgeable of such technical things.

That is where this post should come in handy.
 
I've talked with numerous leaders in music ministry.  Together we have amassed the best tutorials and resources to explain the sound board and how to run it.

But before we get started, let's cover the first and biggest concern most folks have in this area.  Are you concerned that you are not a tech geek?  Don't be.  These are the simplest, easiest, and best resources I have been able to find on the web to date.  Oh, all these are also all free and freely available.



(By the way, if you need help in getting volunteers to operate the sound system and mixing board read this helpful post.)

1) Video Tutorials
What quicker way to learn than by video tutorials?   Soundcraft is a mixing board manufacturing company that has compiled several introductory videos to mixing sound and the sound board.  I have found these videos are useful even for beginners. 

They are free and freely available on YouTube for quick, easy, (and frequent!) reference.

2) Guide to Mixing
Next is the tutorial that accompanies the video tutorials above.  It is called the Soundcraft Guide to Mixing.  If you found the video tutorials helpful this guide is perfect if you would like to take the information with you in church for reference.  It is a free download.

3) Introduction to the Mixing Board
For those that prefer the wiki or encyclopedic layout, this is the Wikipedia entry for "The Mixing Console."
I've found this to be aligned more for the intermediate user.  This would be a handy reference for those who have used the tutorials listed above.

4) The "Church Sound Guy"
This is the blog of the master of church sound himself, the "Church Sound Guy."  David McLain has been mixing and producing sound at his church for years.  His blog has numerous helpful articles from a practical perspective.  Although he posts on a wide array of topics, you can search his blog for your specific area of interest.

At my last count, he has fourteen articles on mixing sound alone.  Here is the link to all fourteen.  I particularly found this article to be helpful: Using EQ On The Church System Mixing Console.  It tackles a few of the most popular questions in sound: “You know, I just started doing sound here at my church, and there are a couple of things that aren’t quite clear to me. First, where’s the bass and treble control? And, what are these knobs for - the ones on the console labeled high, mid and low?”

By the way, David also maintains a very active and helpful Twitter account, ChurchSoundGuy.

5) Tips for Church Sound Mixing
Once you've got a basic understanding of how a sound system works, and what most of the knobs on the mixer do, it is now time for some practical advice.  This next resource is an article written from years of experience focused on mixing sound in church.  It is called Tips for Church Sound Mixing.

6) Overview of the Mixing Board

There is some helpful material as well from a free educational website, MediaCollege.com containing tutorials, reference and other resource material in all areas of electronic media production.  They have a section on the mixing board that isn't too distant from the Soundcraft Guide to Mixing.  Think of this as an online, interactive guide to the mixing board.  Here is the link to their Overview of the Mixing Board.

7) The Best Book
I'll go ahead and add number 7, although this one isn't free.  Now are you ready for the more advanced material?  Once you feel you've started to put it all together, it is now time for the absolute best resource, Yamaha's Guide to Sound Systems for Worship.  This is the link to the Amazon page where it lists for about $25 at my last check.  At that price it is not free, but certainly reasonable.  (The above is the free opinion of the author.  The author in no way gains any kickback through purchases of this book.)

There you have it!  The seven best resources (6 free plus one!) on mixing sound.  We hope that this has been helpful for you and your music ministry.

Let us know if your music ministry sound system people find this information helpful.  Have you found other resources to be helpful?  Please share your thoughts and valuable experiences with the rest of the music ministry community and add a comment to this post.
Related Posts:
The Dreaded Mixing Board!
History of Worship Ministry Sound
Top 4 Tips for Music Ministry Sound System Help
Unfolding "Testing 1-2-3"

Image courtesy My Own Private Tutor

View and Add Comments
Share this:

Twit This Add To Facebook

Comments

0 comments to "Top 6 Free Tutorials on Mixing Sound"

Advertisement

 

Copyright 2010 All Rights Reserved Music Ministry Tips