14 Live Sound Tips That Have Nothing to Do with Gear

To get a fantastic live mix, you need a top-shelf console, a high-quality PA, and great-sounding speakers. Gear is important, no doubt. That said, sometimes it’s the intangibles that get great results. Sweetwater asked a handful of our customers who are experienced live sound experts for non-gear-related advice about being a successful live sound engineer and getting great sound. Here are their informative responses.
Hone Your Interpersonal Skills
Jeff Sandstrom
Chris Tomlin, Steven Curtis Chapman, North Point Community Church
It’s all about building relationships. A key value for me is to teach people how to build a bridge between the booth and the stage. That can’t happen without forging trust between the artist onstage and the techs behind the gear. I can’t ask my guitar player to change his tone or ask my drummer to play softer (or louder). I can’t talk to a singer about proper mic technique — I can’t have a difficult conversation with anyone, if I don’t know their kids’ names.
Rick Naqvi
PreSonus Electronics
The greatest skill most live sound engineers need to improve is their communication skills with their musicians. Focus on your people skills, and the musicians will trust you more. Consequently, they will play better knowing you care. And the end result will be a better mix with a better vibe all around.
Scott Cameron
Greta Van Fleet, Jason Bonham, The Black Angels, Taking Back Sunday
Always speak kindly to others. Stay calm under pressure. Listen to what your artist is saying to you.
Kent Morris
Peavey, First Baptist Church Atlanta
Always address each stage person by name and up close, not from the booth. It’s worth the walk to solve problems together friend to friend.
Doug Gould
WorshipMD.com
The stronger the relationships are with the folks you work with, the better the results of whatever it is you’re working on. Strong relationships build trust, great communication, and dependence on one another to see things through. Relationships can’t be formed on the job; you have to build them outside of the workplace, outside of the church. Hang out, get to know one another, observe what your members’ strengths and weaknesses are, and use their gifts to the team’s advantage.
Shawn Dealey
Counting Crows, Production Manager/FOH Audio at The Clyde Theatre
Take time to start a working relationship with bands or artists so you can gain their trust as an engineer. In the long run this will help you help them sound better through being able to make improvements to their live performance. It helps to make friends in this industry — a good reference goes a long way!
Utilize Your Tools Properly
Steve Wilson
The Kentucky Headhunters
Don’t mix too loud. Use frequency, not volume, to add fullness.
Peter Keppler
David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails, Bonnie Raitt, Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj
The most consistent issue I’ve seen as a FOH guy is when the monitor engineer uses too much compression on the lead vocalist, and they forget (or never learn) good mic technique. Let the singer hear what they’re doing. Don’t try and fix it. Easier said than done sometimes, but do your best — it will ultimately make everyone’s life easier.
Eddie Mapp
Paramore, Stone Temple Pilots, Papa Roach, Evanescence
Pink noise is only the person tuning the system’s favorite song! No one else wants to hear pink noise blasting away at jet engine volume foooooooooorever. When using an FFT measurement system, turn pink noise up to an acceptable level to capture/save the image then turn off the noise. This makes for a more peaceful day for everyone.
Also, take the opportunity to listen to real analog gear. Everyone has access to cartoon versions of so many classic pieces of gear without any knowledge of what the original version’s vibe or sound was made of. Digital is amazing and offers endless possibilities/combinations, but the goal should be the best audio possible. So why not start out with a good-sounding desk before piling on so many plug-ins that your mix sounds like the Beatles PA at Shea Stadium?
Jeff Barnett
Director of House of Worship Sales at Sweetwater, FOH Engineer
Gear is great — but just because you have a tool at your disposal doesn’t mean you always have to use it. For years, I felt like I had to use every EQ knob on my mixer. I felt like I wasn’t really doing my job if I didn’t tweak everything. But the truth is, a great source with a great mic and a talented musician just sounds good, and often doesn’t need any tweaking. In those cases, it’s my job to be smart enough to leave it alone. Sometimes the best thing you can do is just push the fader up and appreciate great sound.
Watch the Audience Closely
Brad Divens
Enrique Iglesias, Kanye West, Mötley Crüe, Bob Seger, OneRepublic, Linkin Park
Watching the audience is just as important as watching the performers onstage. You can tell a lot about how the show is going and sounding by looking around the arena at the audience. If they’re up and dancing in the nosebleed section, then I know that the sound system is doing what it’s supposed to do. It’s also a good indication that, not only are they enjoying the artist, they’re also enjoying the mix of the show too. Mixing with dynamics is important too. No one wants to hear the show at the same level for 90 minutes.
Practice Really Does Make Perfect
Josh Fisher
Jesus Culture
Practice mixing at home and at the venue. Nowadays, you can multitrack everything and mix those files anywhere. I find it hardest to get one method that works and that you can stick to. There are a million options in mixing, but if you can find one that works, it’ll give you a control group or a reference point before you start to explore the million.
Make Good Life Choices
Brian Pomp
Macklemore, Macy Gray, Avenged Sevenfold
Go to law school instead. You’ll actually save money that way. I’m a gear addict, as I’m sure Sweetwater is aware.
Russ Long
Amy Grant, Steven Curtis Chapman, Michael McDonald
Get some exercise while you’re on the road. It’s easy to fall into a routine of never leaving the venue. Go for a walk or a run and see the world!

We hope that these tips elevate your game and that your next show is your best ever. If you have any questions about live sound, give your Sweetwater Sales Engineer a call at (800) 222-4700.
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