A live audio mix is very much like the music that is being played, in as much as it is subjectively assessed by whomever is listening. Music that delightfully entices one listener may just be a snorer for others, and music that rocks one soul is an abomination to another. There is no accounting for taste and those who love Maroon 5 are no more passionate about their music than the lovers of Hilary Duff, Walter "Wolfman" Washington or GWAR. For many listeners, a good mix connotes hearing the vocals above the music so that each word can be clearly perceived, while a more discerning audiophile may consider an interwoven blend between music and vocal to be the finer mix. Regardless of one's
individual taste in music or his predilection toward a certain style and sound, there are only a few definitive "do nots" while mixing: Do not bury the lead vocal, do not distort the audio signal, do not allow for extended passages of feedback and do not attempt to roll a joint, drop your papers, fumble around in the dark and inadvertently shut off the power supply to your console. Also, do not allow the little drunken "hottie" that you've been working on all night to put her hands anywhere near the board or your outboard gear.
Other than these few easy "do not" rules, most members of an audience will not consciously be bothered by a 400hz standing wave or an over-compressed audio signal, and it will not deter the hard-core fan from giving his or her favorite star the standing ovation that they so duly deserve if the kick drum EQ is not perfect. Though, for those of us in the know, the difference between a good mix and a great mix can put the show over the top and make for an evening of sublime listening pleasure. The mix definitely does make a difference, although it's difficult to judge the separation line between the music being played and the mix being heard. Remember now, I'm not speaking about questionable mixes, I'm referring to the distinction between a good mix and a great mix.
I have had the good fortune of being involved in quite a few situations where the mix took the ethereal step up from good to great. Whether I was mixing, assisting or just listening, the venue had become energized by a divine essence that lifted everyone out of the average everyday existence and into the resplendent hall of angelic sound. While the music was great, it was truly the mix that created an unmistakable bridge between band and listener, the magical union that can only be described as transcendent.
The lucky engineers who have experienced this type of moment, while mixing, have the experience burned into their memory and most likely will never forget the magical instant that the famed "doors of perception" opened up to reveal the other reality, thereby transforming a good but mundane show into a portal with which to channel and manifest the great unknown. Be aware that while knowledge and technique are prerequisite to attaining this state of audio perfection, it is something else, something totally inexplicable that
elevates the technical to the mystical.
That final, minor adjustment to the EQ, the gate, the compressor or the reverb–and "Wham!" it happens. You have just crossed over to the other side and taken everyone in the venue with you. Now's the time to stop tweaking the gear; all the equipment is performing to the max and doing what it is designed to do, the ship is flying and all you have to do is maintain warp speed. You get on the headset and call your co-pilot in monitor world and he lets you know that everything is humming along smoothly in his part of the ship. There is no discouraging "Scottie" in the back of the ship telling you, "I don't think we can make it, Captain." Everyone is in sync and it's smooth sailing ahead. There will be no "Suck knobs" tonight.
You are fully aware that you're not flying this magical adventure by yourself, and it is the concerted effort between you and the rest of the crew that is making this all possible. For if the monitors are not just right, or any piece of crucial gear should fail at these high speeds, you could be thrown into an irreversible tailspin that would bring the show back from the apex of the heavenly realm and down into the earthly arena. A totally unacceptable situation after achieving such excellence and harmonious perfection, as those in the audience who never knew the difference between a good and a great mix would surely feel the pull of gravity as they entered the "good mix" zone. The band, too, would feel the earthly tug and the sound would once again be relegated to traveling at a sluggish 1,100 feet per second (unless the performance is at Red Rocks). It would be an irrevocable situation that very possibly could not be eradicated despite any copious amounts of emergency system alterations that might be made.
Using all your god-given talent, you have managed to maintain the apogee of flight and have brought the show in for a smooth landing. The transcendent crowd streams out of the venue after having gone where no crowd has gone before. The band is giddy with joy and has not quite recovered from being weightless for such an extended amount of time. They congratulate themselves for playing an amazing set and try to relive a few moments of where they have just been and how they got there. Unfortunately, neither the band nor the audience seem to appreciate or comprehend how it was you, the "John Glenn" of audio exploration, who took them on their inter-dimensional flight. They will never grasp how it was you who took them and the audience through an uncharted landscape or that it was you who navigated the unknown territory between the good mix and the great mix zone. They just don't see it… do they, Brain?
