Sound Mixing Notes

· Here is a short youtube video that has some good information for mixing vocals on a basic mixer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jT_753byV8I

· Human ear frequency response may vary from person to person – The human auditory system is sensitive to frequencies from about 20 Hz to a maximum of around 20,000 Hz, although the upper hearing limit decreases with age. Within this range, the human ear is most sensitive between 2000 and 5000 Hz, largely due to the resonance of the ear canal and the transfer function of the ossicles of the middle ear. The high sensitivity region at 2000 – 5000 Hz is very important for the understanding of speech.

· With this in mind, boosting the 2-5khz frequencies in a mix can cause a sensation of pain for the listener at certain volumes as our ear canal naturally resonates those frequencies further.

· A general rule of thumb for mixing is to just know that the human ear does not perceive different frequencies at the same volume across the spectrum.

· Some additional information re: the Fletcher-Munson Curve and equal-loudness contour can be found here: https://www.izotope.com/en/learn/what-is-fletcher-munson-curve-equal-loudness-curves.html

· There are a myriad of additional tools and effects that can be applied to a mix to add character or mood to a live mix or recording. With live mixing, it is important to take note of what the characteristics of the room are like and in the case of the Bluestone Church, I would say that there is enough natural reverb in the space that you wouldn’t actually need to put any reverb into the mix itself.

· DMX is an acronym for Digital Multiplex. It is the standard communication protocol that is used to remotely control lighting fixtures such as Par Cans and Fresnel lights.

· 3 pin DMX cables and 3 pin XLR cables can be used interchangeably when you are in a pinch, however, it is generally not advised. Using a DMX in place of an XLR cable or vice versa may cause connected light fixtures to flicker, become dim, or not turn on at all. Additionally, using a DMX cable instead of an XLR cable may cause the sound quality to decrease.