So we've covered how to set up a PA system, here's a few useful tips on how to mix a live band. Let's assume it's a rock band, so you would have guitars, bass, drums and vocals. First of all you'll need to figure out what the band want in their monitors. A bad monitor mix can turn a good show into an awful one, and sadly you'll be the first to be blamed for the band not being able to hear each other. The easiest way to get a good monitor mix is to set the levels of the instruments first, so whilst you're setting the kick drum level ask the band who wants to hear the kick drum through their monitors. Do the same with the bass, guitar and vocals. You can fine tune how much of each instrument goes through the monitors later.
Below is a list of what musicians usually like in their monitors, use this as a guideline. If someone wants more or less of something, they'll ask for it.
Vocalist: Expectedly, vocalists like to hear themselves. ALOT. Usually the vocalist will also want to hear some guitar and maybe some drums too. Remember, if you're using compression on the vocals make sure you don't include it on the monitor mix as this can promote bad microphone technique.
Guitarist: The guitarist will want to hear any other guitarists on stage, it's also very useful for them to be able to hear the singer. They may also want the bass in there too.
Bassist: It's important for a tight bassist to be able to clearly hear the drums, the bass drum in particular is very important.
Drummer: Drummers will want everything in their mix. Usually with a little more guitar and vocals.
It's important in any live situation that everyone can hear the vocals. They should be paramount in your mix, especially in a small club. It's often the case that the guitar amp will be too loud and you'll only be able to hear the band. If possible try to get the whole band to turn down allowing the vocals to come through clearly. Guitarists in particular can be quite touchy about their sound and volume. Just remind the band that if they want to ruin their sound they're more than welcome!
A common enemy when mixing a live band is feedback. Feedback occurs when a loop forms between an input and output source, commonly it can be a microphone and a monitor/speaker. Whilst it can be tricky to get rid of feedback completely, there are a few things that can be done. If experiencing high feedback, cut the high frequencies on the input and output source. You don't need to cut it too much as this will leave the sound lifeless and the band will loose it's dynamic. The same goes for low feedback, cut the bottom end off the input and output source to help reduce the problem. When sound checking the band, experiment to see how high you can turn up the fader until you hear feedback.
Play around with the equalizer and find a happy medium. This is important to achieve the best sound possible and you'll notice the difference that a little tweaking can make! It's important to keep it simple and use these tips to try to bring what you can't naturally hear through the mix. This will most often be the vocals. Use the equalizer for the rest of the band till you're happy with the sound.
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