How to set up a mix for broadcasting: Part 2

Hey there and welcome to part 2!   

In this video we are going to look at three different ways you can operate your broadcast mix.

These options include running your broadcast mix post fader,

running it in Pre fader,

or running entirely from a DAW and not on the console itself.  

Let’s begin with option number one:

Running your broadcast mix in post fader.  

If you’re one person managing FOH and the broadcast mix at the same time,  

then this option is best for you.

On my TouchMix, if I access the set up menu for my broadcast mix,  

there are 4 choices in the middle of the screen; pre fader, post fader, pre dynamics and pre all.  

If you’d like more information on what these options mean, I recommend watching our Aux mix application videos.

You’ll find a link to those in the description.

Right now, we’re going to Choose post fader.

Post fader means that at any time you make a change to a channel fader in your main mix,  

that channel in your dedicated broadcast mix will reflect the change as well.  

For example, in the main mix of my praise band scene right here.  

If I move this guitar fader up in the main mix, the volume will go up in the broadcast mix as well.   

Now, you’ll need to have your broadcast mix cued and ready to listen to in your headphones.  

You will find yourself constantly referring to your broadcast mix through your headphones to make sure that the mix stays intact throughout the service.

Just keep em around your neck and ready to go.

This next part is important.

Before you start working with your broadcast mix, you’ll want to set your house mix.

Why? Well, your post fader broadcast mix is going to be set based on what your house mix is.

When you’re running your broadcast mix in post fader like this,

you’ll also need to implement something I call broadcast compensation. 

Broadcast compensation is compensating in your broadcast mix for the lack of level that is being sent to you from your main mix. 

Take the snare drum for example. My main fader level is quite low because that snare is already putting out enough volume acoustically, 

so this is all the level I needed to make it sit properly in my house mix.  

But when I listen in my headphones to my broadcast mix, I hardly hear any snare at all.  

So, I need to compensate for the lack of level by bringing that snare up in my broadcast mix until it’s sitting properly in that mix. 

You may find yourself applying broadcast compensation to most instruments that use loud amps,

like electric guitars, bass or even keys if they’re using amps.

What if you are in a situation where you can’t reinforce the drums in the house mix at all?  

Here’s the solution for that. We are going to un-assign drums from the house mix.  

This means that we will not reinforce drums at all in the house.

This way, we can leave the main faders for drums up in the main mix in order to feed level to our broadcast mix,  

because remember, we’re running our broadcast mix in post fader

so we need to have channel faders up in the main mix.

To un-assign channels from my main mix select the grey space where my snare channel is.

Then select set up.

This is where I can un-assign that channel from the house.  

While we’re on this subject, let’s also un-assign our audience mics from the main mix.   

You never want those to be heard in the House PA.

Then, since we’re running our broadcast in post fader,  

I will make sure I have level in my main mix to feed those audience mics to my broadcast mix. 

Alright, let’s look at Option 2 for setting up a broadcast mix:  

Running your broadcast mix in pre-fader.  

This option is perfect if you have an additional person dedicated to mixing the broadcast production. 

Pre-fader means any changes you make to the main faders will NOT affect the broadcast mix.   

Because of this you will NOT have to compensate for anything going on in the main mix.

The volume levels in your broadcast mix are running totally free from the main house mix. 

On my TouchMix, if I access the set up menu for my broadcast mix,

remember those 4 choices I showed you, in the middle of the screen;  

choose pre fader.

In the pre fader broadcast scenario, the person mixing can be in an isolated space with studio monitors to reference the service.

This gives a truer sense of what the online listener is experiencing.   

The person mixing is now able to make some fine adjustments to the levels in the mix  

since they are now free from hearing bleed from the main service meeting space.  

By connecting multiple tablets or iPads to your FOH console via Wi-Fi,  

you can create a whole virtual broadcast console. 

In my example here with the TouchMix 30 Pro,  

I will use the monitor outputs to hook up my studio monitors.  

On my mixer, I need to verify that I am in cue mode. So, I will press the monitor button. Then select cue. 

This fader here will control the volume level of your studio monitors.  

When you’re finished, press close. Now, make sure the cue for your broadcast mix is lit green. 

Ok. Let’s look at Option 3 for setting up a broadcast mix:  

Running your broadcast mix from a DAW which stands for digital audio work station, on a computer,  

Using Garage Band, Logic, Pro Tools or Reaper. There’s a bunch of them out there.  

This is fast becoming a popular way to produce a broadcast mix.

Unlike mixing broadcast from the same FOH mixer, where channel EQs and dynamics are shared between the main mix and the broadcast mix,  

mixing from a DAW gives you complete control over every aspect of the broadcast production.  

It’s the equivalent of having a completely dedicated console just for your broadcast mix. 

Many DAW’s are very affordable as well which is super helpful.  

However, with such great flexibility and control comes complexity.   

Not everyone has the chops to create their own great sounding session in their DAW. 

So, there are companies that have created some really excellent DAW templates for church use in broadcast mixing. 

One such company is called WorshipTech.live.

They’ve created some wonderful worship templates for Ableton, Audition, Cubase, GarageBand, Logic, Pro Tools, Reaper and Studio One.

I’m going to use their Logic template to demonstrate interfacing my mixer to my DAW.  

Here is what the WorshipTech.live Logic broadcast template looks like.  

The beautiful thing about these templates is, much of what I’ve already talked about as far as best practices for broadcast mixing, 

are already built into this template.   

All we have to do is connect our mixer channels to these DAW channels.  

Most consumer digital consoles will hook up to the DAW via a simple USB connection like the one on the back of my TouchMix 30 Pro right here.  

Pro level consoles will use an audio networking protocol like Dante.  

Either way the concept of assigning the audio from the channels on your mixer to the channels in the DAW is similar.  

The TouchMix 30 Pro has the capability to multi track record straight to a hard drive and connect to a DAW.

So, I need to set it up to connect to my DAW by pressing the Rec/Play button.   

Then choose "Record mode", and then I will choose multi track DAW.

Now let’s set up the DAW.

We’re working in logic for this example.   

Depending on which DAW you are using, some of the parameters and workflows may be slightly different, but the principles are all the same.

In Logic there are a few preferences we need to check on. 

Up here in the upper left, click Logic Pro X, choose preferences, then choose audio. 

Make sure the output and input device is the mixer that you’re using or a Dante Virtual Sound Card if you’re using that.

In my case it says QSC TM30 Pro and that’s correct.  

FYI. Your Mac is core audio compatible. This means it will automatically see your audio interface when plugged in.

If you’re using a PC, you will need to download and install an ASIO driver first.

Ok,  Next in our Logic set up, click General.   

Right here where it says software monitoring we need to un-check “input monitoring for the focused track.”

Why? Well, we don’t want to monitor a single track. 

We want to monitor our whole worship band mix.

Right here under Group, your DAW template will have one group called “Go Live.” Choose this option.  

Now if you click one of these input monitoring buttons down here,

it will turn on all the DAW channels for input monitoring your entire mix.   

Now, let’s assign our mixer channels to this DAW.

Channel 1 in our DAW is the kick drum. Channel 1 is also the kick on my mixer.  

Right here where it says “input” is where I assign my mixer channels 

and I can see that it is indeed assigned to channel 1.

Channel 2 is my snare top on both the DAW and the mixer, so that’s correct.  

Channel 3 on my DAW is snare bottom. I don’t have a snare bottom mic on my mixer session,   

so I’m just going to choose “no input” on this channel.

Any DAW channels that you are not using on this template,  

you’ll want to make sure that you assign those as “no input.”

Channel 4 on my DAW is Hi-hat.

On my mixer, hi-hat is actually channel 3 so I will assign that to 3.

Let’s jump over to DAW channels 15 and 16 which are my stereo keyboard channels. 

On my mixer those are actually channels 11 and 12,  

so I will assign those to 11 and 12 in my DAW.

So you get the idea on how to assign the channels from your mixer to your DAW template.

You can find more information and view tutorials on the worshiptech.live DAW templates on their website.

Are there other ways to set up a broadcast mix?  Absolutely, and you may want to explore those other options.  

The option 3 that I’ve given you here is a great place to begin especially if your church is just starting out in broadcast mixing  

or, you just want to explore options with resources you may already have. 

Now, go outside your church walls and reach the world with your stellar broadcast stream.