How to mix a church livestream in 2023!
Article by: John Dirks (mix engineer: 7 Hills Worship, Church of The City, Vintage Worship)
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Church online broadcasts are here to stay. Recent polls suggest that a prospect church goer will watch a livestream multiple times before stepping foot in the building.
With this in mind, churches are taking more care then ever to make sure that their livestream mix sounds as good as possible.
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Over the years of mixing records for churches all over the nation I have realized that mixing a broadcast is far more like mixing a studio album then it is like mixing front of house.
Everything is exposed in a livestream, vocals are put on full display, the drummer's pocket is put in the spotlight, and every mistake is painfully obvious.
Unfortunately this is the plight of many churches; their attendees are captivated by the "in house" mix but when watching online...ouch!
The GOOD news is that since we are streaming to the listener in the digital world we can also mix for them in the digital world.
We do not have to settle for out of tune vocals, weak drum tones, and lifeless ambience. WE HAVE THE TOOLS IN 2023!
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My team and I have taken livestream mixing a step further. We have developed a system that takes livestream mixes from sounding like, well, livestreams, to sounding like fully produced albums. Our system is easy to use and quick to operate. Our clients tell us that it takes the average volunteer 10-20 minutes to learn, thats it! Think of how valuable this is for so many churches struggling to get a decent mix every week.
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In this article I will attempt to make the case for mixing your livestream in a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW).
What is a DAW? Well simply put, it is the software that record makers have been using for years to craft the worlds most prestigious musical works of art. Its the software behind every radio hit of the past decade. The best part is, YOU can use it too! Every plugin and every piece of software is at your fingertips for an incredibly low cost.
Maybe you are already familiar with DAWs, and if so, skip this section. I'll see you a little further down. :)
DAWs are pieces of software that resemble a console or desk. See Photo 1.
As you can see, this image depicts faders, inserts, EQ, panning, and all of the other features that you would find on a mixing console. The difference is, it's in a computer.
Popular DAWs include ProTools, Logic, Ableton, and Studio One.
Many audio engineers will assert that mixing on a physical console is faster and easier then mixing in a computer. They may be correct. However, modern technology has given us a work around for almost EVERY potential downside of a DAW.
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For example, it can be slower to use a mouse for adjusting faders as opposed to using all 10 of your fingers to adjust multiple faders at once. The work around?! See Photo 2
What you see here is a PreSonus FaderPort 16. This device is used to control the digital faders in a DAW.
Now you can mix with your 10 fingers while also maintaining the flexibility and power of a DAW.
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I could go on and on but trust me when I say that for 99.999999% of reasons why a physical console is better then a DAW there is a work around available.
Now lets get into why DAWs are so amazing!
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In my mind DAWs have 2 massive benefits over a physical console.
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#1. Processing: DAWs can use a nearly unlimited amount of plugins at very little cost. Sure, consoles can use Sound Grid and other means of running 3rd party plugins but not as quickly, simply, and efficiently as a DAW. Now of course, some churches don't need a TON of plugins. Maybe you have heard that mixing is better when you use the fewest plugins possible.
You also may have seen a Mega Church use a physical console for their broadcast and still sound AMAZING! That is probably because every other piece in their gear chain is immaculate. From the players themselves, to the amps, cables, rooms, and more. You don't need a lot of processing when the raw audio already sounds flawless.
However, for the average church of 100-3K, being able to use a few more tools for processing, vocal tuning, drums replacement, and so on, is NOT a bad idea. ;)
You may not have control over who is on your team, how good they are, or how big your budget is. That is why a DAW can provide a massive amount of heavy lifting to supplement in the places you may be weak.
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#2. Versatility: DAWs can easily be used to mix LIVE and then repurposed for mixing down a sermon clip, worship moment, or live album. When I build DAW templates for churches, I always keep in mind the secondary purpose of the template. They may use the template LIVE and then go back to the recording a few weeks later to tweak for a Social Media clip or YouTube video.
Can you imagine having to do that with a physical console? Recalling the settings exactly as they were on any given week and then setting up "virtual sound check" to adjust anything that may need attention? What a nightmare!
With a DAW it's 2 clicks and your there!
Some of my clients use a DAW for live streaming and then go back and manually tune and edit the service before for posting to YouTube the next day. This allows them to have STELLAR quality on their real time livestream and EVEN BETTER quality in their post uploads.
DAWs for the win!
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Now you may be asking, "how do I get set up for a DAW?", I'm glad you asked!
If you are using a Digital FOH Console you are probably already set up.
MOST of my clients are using one of these desks. The X32, SQ Series, or TF Series.
If you are using any of those desks, good news, your ready to go! All you need to do is plug that desk into a computer. Preferably a Mac with 16GB unified or 32 GB RAM (reach out for exact specs). After you plug your FOH desk into the computer you will open your DAW and select the FOH console as the input device. Then you will go through the process of routing your channels to the DAW faders and BOOM, you are mixing in a DAW!
After this you will need to get sound to come back OUT of the computer to your livestream. This is typically done with a small audio interface like the Scarlet Solo. Two cables are run out of the interface to your video device.
Now you're all set! I have included links and videos below. You are welcome to reach out using the button below. My team and I would love to help you set up your DAW livestream.
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Watch the videos below for more info on mixing in a DAW and feel free to book a call with me and my team. We would love to help you and your church sound amazing online. This has been an overview of DAWs and their up side. However, the topic is very deep and should you want to dive into it further, visit us on YouTube or book a consultation with our team.
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- John