147. Upgrading Your Console

Key takeaways

Assess whether physical faders or digital control surfaces suit your workflow, considering your need for tactile muscle memory.
Evaluate your input/output needs today and anticipate future expansion, including the ecosystem compatibility of stage boxes, protocols, and personal monitoring systems.
Choose a console that is user-friendly and supported with ample training resources to facilitate volunteer onboarding and troubleshooting.
Prioritize reliability by trusting user experiences and manufacturers with robust support, rather than internet posts alone.
Consider onboard effects and processing for simplicity and stability, especially vocal tuning and live effects for broadcast quality.
Select a control interface that balances digital screens with tactile controls for ease of use and quick adjustments during live situations.
Think about the entire ecosystem and future growth, including integration capabilities, support, and your personal familiarity with the equipment.

Summary

Evolving Landscape of Sound Consoles

This section traces the transition from analog to digital mixing boards, highlighting key innovations such as compact mixers from Mackie and the advent of digital consoles like the Behringer X-32, which significantly changed the field. The hosts discuss the emerging market entries, like Violet, and emphasize the importance of understanding your current needs versus future growth potential in choosing a console.

Choosing the Right Console: Features and Interface Considerations

The discussion centers on selecting a console based on physical features like the necessity of physical faders versus digital controls controlled via iPad apps. The hosts stress the value of tactile controls for muscle memory, which allows operators to remain in their creative and performance fluidity, especially crucial in live church environments where quick adjustments are needed. They also review how modern desks often integrate large touchscreens with physical encoders to combine digital and tactile control.

Input/Output and Ecosystem Compatibility

This part delves into technical requirements, particularly the number of inputs and outputs needed for current and future applications, including stage monitors and broadcasts. The importance of understanding the ecosystem — how consoles connect with stage boxes, personal monitoring systems, and digital protocols like Dante and Madi — is emphasized to ensure smooth expansion and integration.

User Experience, Training, and Support Resources

The hosts highlight the necessity of selecting a mixer that is user-friendly for volunteers and easy to learn. They advocate for systems that have abundant training resources and strong manufacturer support to facilitate onboarding and troubleshooting. The importance of having a trusted expert or resource to assist with setup and learning is also discussed.

Reliability and Support Considerations

Reliability is crucial when investing in a sound console. The hosts advise listeners to look beyond online reviews and forums, emphasizing the need to trust those who use the equipment daily. They mention common issues like firmware updates and network challenges but assure that most problems are fixable and rare, reinforcing the importance of choosing reputable brands with good support.

Plugins, Effects, and Built-in Processing

This section covers the advantages of onboard effects and processing units versus external plugins, noting that onboard solutions often reduce points of failure and simplify workflows. The hosts discuss the benefits of built-in vocal tuning and pitch correction, especially for live streaming and broadcast quality, sharing insights about upcoming hardware with advanced processing features.

Simplicity in Use and Training Volunteers

Focusing on operational ease, the hosts recommend selecting consoles that are straightforward enough for volunteers with limited experience to operate confidently. They discuss the tactile feel of physical controls versus digital interfaces, stressing that familiarity and ease of use influence the quality and consistency of the mix.

Final Considerations: Ecosystem, Support, and Personal Preference

The conversation wraps up with advice on considering the entire ecosystem, including compatibility with other consoles and systems, as well as the need for comprehensive support and training resources. The hosts acknowledge that personal familiarity and comfort with a brand or model play significant roles, suggesting that hands-on trials are invaluable before making a purchase.

Show notes

In Episode 147, the hosts discuss how to determine when and/or if it’s time to upgrade an existing mixing console. What’s needed for your particular worship style and/or space, input counts, anticipating future growth, and a whole host of additional aspects to consider when working through the process. The Church Sound Podcast is sponsored by DiGiCo and Shure.

Check out co-host James Attaway’s worship audio academy at www.attawayaudio.com/academy, and also visit our new Instagram page @churchsoundpodcast. James is the author of the Live Mixing Field Guide, a quick-start guide to EQ, compression and effects. Find more from him on the Attaway Audio YouTube Channel and at AttawayAudio.com. Reach him on IG @attawayaudio or contact him via email here.

Help insure that techs have a clear target for a winning mix with the free guide “How to Lead Your Church Sound Team” by James, and get a walkthrough on setting up virtual sound check on your console with his “Virtual Sound Check Challenge”.

Co-host Gary Zandstra has worked in church production as an AV systems integrator and as a manufacturer’s rep for more than 35 years. Go here to check out Gary’s extensive library of articles on ProSoundWeb.