Ocean's Edge Music

Here’s yet another area that I feel is neglected by many a sound engineer. Back in the dark ages of audio, audio mixing boards generally consisted of a small number of individual channels with a single master output control. As audio consoles grew in size, so did the challenge of mixing. At some point, someone decided that trying to manage the ever-growing number of console channels being added to the mix was becoming a challenge. So some clever innovations were introduced to audio mixer design that helped make the task of mixing large numbers of audio channels a bit easier and more logical to handle.

For one thing, volume pots were replaced with faders, which made it much easier to handle multiple channels at the same time (and easier to see the levels of all the channels). Later it was determined that it would also be advantageous to have more than one “master” channel on the mixer, and voila, the Subgroup was introduced. Eventually, when VCA’s (voltage controlled amplifiers) came along, they allowed for even more control of faders and groups of faders. Also, the introduction of the Mute Group became available on audio consoles (another helpful tool in taming the mixing beast). These ground-breaking improvements have been with us now for many years, but I believe these features are still a very neglected toolset available for all who will take the time to understand how to best use them. We’ll explore some of those uses here.

First, let’s deal with the subgroup feature. These days most analog audio mixers with 24-channels (or more) come equipped with 8 subgroups as a standard, and digital mixers usually have 8 multi-use faders in the master section that can be used as subgroups as well. Assigning an input channel to a subgroup is usually as simple as pushing a button that corresponds to one of the eight subgroups. It’s then possible to assign multiple input channels to any one (or more) of the 8 Subgroups. Most folks understand how to assign channels to subgroups but the real question is… why would I want to do this? Well Bubba, that’s what we’re exploring in this treatise.

For starters, the important thing to remember is that we’re trying to organize the mix into smaller packets or groups that can be controlled without reaching all over the console. The first thing to do in deciding which faders to group is to think about which inputs are the most likely to be changed as a unit. For example, I usually assign all the vocal group channels to one subgroup, all of the drums (and percussion) to another subgroup, the bulk of the band to another subgroup, the choir on another subgroup, and the worship leader’s voice on another subgroup. This way, I can easily raise or lower the level of the overall vocals, drums, band, or choir and using only a few faders to do so. This makes the job of mixing music a much easier and more dynamic process. Now, with just one hand on the subgroup faders, I can manage the overall mix elements with ease. This also allows me to take all (or part) of the band out of the mix altogether, with very little effort. I can also easily listen to different elements of the mix just by raising the individual subgroup(s) I would like to scrutinize.

In addition, if I have a solo instrument or vocal that I want to control separately, I can assign that channel to an extra subgroup, and ride the levels of that channel with a Submaster (without reaching across the console to change it). This confines most of the mixing duties to a spot directly in front of the engineer, with less reaching and searching for individual faders. For consoles equipped with VCA’s, this carries the possibilities even further, by allowing for even more central-control of individual faders (or groups). I usually use Subgroups for “grouping” elements, and VCA’s for remotely-controlling “individual-fader” elements (such as guitar solos, sax solos, or solo vocal parts). Again, this allows me to mix from one area of the console, making it easier to access things quickly and efficiently – very important to a good mix. Likewise, Mute Groups are yet another way to mute individual channels remotely, as well as muting groups of elements simultaneously – another very useful method of managing large fader counts.

Happy mixing!

Michael Grosso, Technical Director/Audio Engineer-Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale

Tags: audio, condenser, dynamic, engineer, Microphone, mix, monitor, sound