Livestream Audio

Online Training:

Click here to watch a series of YouTube videos from Drew Brashler. Note: the responsibilities and skills of our Livestream Audio tech is essentially the same as our In-House Audio tech, as they both operate the same mixer, just one is using the board and one is using an iPad.

In-Person Training:

You will be given the opportunity to shadow our audio techs for a few Sundays and gradually take more responsibility for the audio mix each week. You must demonstrate your competencies before operating solo.

While it is good to know about all of the equipment on stage, that is not the direct responsibility of the Livestream Audio tech and therefore not a requirement. However, you will need to be very comfortable with operating the Behringer X32 mixer not only physically but also via the Mix32 app on an iPad.

You will also need your own pair of headphones. If you don’t have one, I recommend the Sennheiser HD280PRO.

The livestream tech is responsible for the audio going to two locations. One of the most important things to remember is that you MUST ALWAYS ACTIVATE “SENDS ON FADER” AND CHOOSE THE CORRECT MIX BUS. If you do not do this you may inadvertently take control of the in-house audio.

• livestream output to OBS
  • monitor output via headphone jack on Livestream PC (if the headphone output isn’t working, ask the Livestream tech to right click on the “gear” icon beside the X32 audio input, choose Advanced Audio, and then beside the X32 input change the dropdown from “Monitor and Output” to “Off” and then back to “Monitor and Output”
  • Keep an eye on the audio meter at the bottom of OBS to ensure that the signal is strong enough (should stay around the top of the green and float in the yellow).
• foyer audio output
  • step out to the foyer with the iPad a few times each service to ensure that the audio is not too loud or too quiet. You can also ask an usher to help with this if the service is particularly busy.

Pre-Service

• Mid-week communication: check PCO Services to see what sort of setup will be in place on the upcoming Sunday. If you haven’t mixed a song before, check it out on YouTube and pay attention to how it is mixed.

Pre-Service (Sunday)

• Arrive on time. The schedule is listed in PCO Services and below. If you are going to be late, call the Director of Operations to let him know. Life happens, but try to not make a habit of being late.
• Talk with the in-house audio tech. Check in with him or her to see if any of their band members’ needs have changed or need to be met.
• Review the service schedule. A printed copy will be available at the Production Booth. Feel free to take notes and markup your copy.
• Do a line check: confirm each audio source is working
• Take notes as the band practices each song. Note especially any instrument solos, change in lead vocalist, or spoken word segments (as you will need to turn off any vocal effects for that portion)
• Be at the production booth at least 15 minutes prior to service. Once the livestream starts you should be at your station.

Service Time

• Perform active mixing. Make mix changes that benefit the sound and are noticeable by the congregation. Anticipate what is about to happen on stage (good or bad) and be ready for what the service will throw at you.
• Confirm your audio sends (are you sending to the Hearing Assist devices?)
• Take notes of any issues that arise so they can be dealt with after the service (either with a specific musician/vocalist or with the Director of Operations).

Post-Service

• Check in with the worship leader and musicians. Find out if they had any problems.
• Collect and store Hearing Assist devices
• Resolve any noted issues
• Later in the week, listen to the service on YouTube and note how it sounds compared to how it sounded in your headphones. Keep that in mind as you work on making a better mix each week.