Live sound mixing is process of optimising the sound sent to the front of house (audience), foldback (performers) or broadcast (such as live radio coverage of a concert) feeds. The sound engineer balances the various audio sources (such as vocals, instruments and pre-recorded audio) in a way that provides the best sound for the event.
Effects such as equalisation, delay, reverb and compression are often used in live sound mixing. During the performance, live sound mixing typically focusses on the mixing console (also known as mixing board or audio desk).
Equipment[]
Sound systems used in live mixing can consist of:
- mixing board
- loudspeakers with either internal or external amplifiers
- audio processing and effect devices (such as delay, reverb, compression)
In addition, cabling, rigging, and power system are required to support these components.
Types of live sound mixing[]
Front of house mixing[]
The front of house engineer controls the mix for the audience, and most often operates from the middle of the audience or at the last few rows of the audience.
Other crew members, such as the lighting console operator, might also work from the FOH position, since they need to be able to see the show from the audience's perspective.
Foldback mixing[]
The Monitor engineer mixes the sound that the performers hear on stage (also known as the foldback system).
The monitor engineer's role is important where the stage area is amplified. Sometimes all the performers receive the same "feed" (ie they hear the same sounds). Sometimes individual performers receive different feeds. At shows with a separate monitor mix position, that mixer is typically located just off-stage, to provide easier communication between the performers and the monitor engineer.
For smaller shows such as bar and smaller club gigs, it is common for the monitors to be mixed from the Front of House position, and the number of individual monitor mixes could be limited by the capabilities of the Front of House mixer.
Sound checks and technical rehearsals[]
For small events, often a "sound check" is conducted a few hours before the show. This allows the sound to be fine-tuned prior to the audience hearing the first song.
On a larger scale, technical rehearsals may be held in the days or weeks leading up to a concert. These rehearsals are used to fine-tune the many technical aspects (such as lighting, sound, video) associated with a live performance.
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