In my decades of teaching churches to do audio better, I have heard a pretty good collection of misinformed ideas about how sound works, and nothing seems to attract more bad practices, confusion, and sheer guessing than channel EQ. It’s the most misunderstood part of mixing, and yet it’s one of the most vital components of a good mix. It’s also the hardest part of audio to teach because it relies on developing a critical ear that distinguishes between different frequencies and tonalities and understanding what instruments should sound like. That doesn’t happen in one session or overnight.

One of the hot topics at this year’s NAMM show was gain staging. Lots of people want to know what it is and why you need to know how to do it. It’s also the root of some of the more common mistakes I see in many churches and schools. It’s not intuitive, but knowing how to do it makes a world of difference in your signal quality. What is gain staging?

Planning a small event, whether it's a birthday party, a corporate meeting, or a band performance, requires careful consideration of many factors to ensure the best audio experience for your audience. One crucial aspect is determining the size of the PA system you'll need. Too large, and you risk overwhelming your space; too small, and your message won't be heard. In this blog, we'll guide you through the steps to help you decide the ideal PA system size for your small event.

For the 30+ years that I’ve been mixing live shows and church services there is one thing that remains constant: you can’t please everyone. Inevitably, at nearly every show and service, someone will complain that they can’t hear something or that it’s too loud. It wasn’t because I sucked; I get lots of compliments from musicians who like the way I mix. If someone is going to disagree with what you’re doing in church, I guarantee the #1 request will be to turn it down.