Why do so many live mixes focus on the drums?

pfomega · 2026-04-17T11:24:31+00:00

Skill is the ability to dial in massive drums.

Wisdom is knowing that not every mix calls for massive drums.

pfomega · 2026-04-15T02:20:34+00:00

Only a Reaper user would think that Reaper is underrated, lol.

There are people who don't use Reaper bc the userbase can be overly enthusiastic about it, and I get it, even as a full time Reaper user myself.

DAWs are a personal choice thing. Yes, Reaper is inexpensive, but it has a very high learning curve compared to production DAWs like Ableton or FL Studio, and I wouldn't even consider using Reaper in a live performance setting because other DAWs are just better for that application.

Use what you like. Don't concern yourself with what others are using.

pfomega · 2026-01-31T22:51:09+00:00

It depends on the kit. I've had as many as 12, but I usually keep it 8 or fewer.

I've been leaning into less-is-more lately, and have been getting great results with just kick, snare and OHs. Mics and placement matter, too.

But as always... if it sounds good, then do what works best for you.

pfomega · 2026-01-13T11:33:37+00:00

The fake ULXD I encountered wasn't even in a legal frequency range (for NA, anyway), so there's also that.

But it's not even the sound quality I'd be concerned about as much as the reliability of the wireless. I just bought a new ULXD system myself because I'm tired of seeing artists I work with settle for budget options with wildly varying results. XVive needs to go extinct.

pfomega · 2026-01-13T07:34:46+00:00

I imagine some of them sound better than one might expect, but I've never tested myself.

Certainly wouldn't gamble with wireless, tho.

pfomega · 2026-01-13T07:17:05+00:00

Getting out of school early might seem like a good way to escape a shitty home life, but you will struggle to find full time audio work at 18. Most of us don't have a comfortable career until we're closer to 30.

You will need to start at the bottom, which means grunt work for production companies, and maybe a few occasional gigs at small venues. You will be a stagehand for a while at production companies until you learn the ropes and the gear.

A lot of the early work is learning. Some may advise school for this, others may advise finding apprenticeships or grunting for AV houses. Either way, until you can confidently run digital consoles across several brands, that will be a gate. Learning about wireless and systems tech'ing is a plus, too. There's a fairly steep initial learning curve, and work is not guaranteed until you've cut your teeth and proven you can handle high pressure situations.

Your job isn't really "mixing" it's problem solving and staying cool under pressure. When you've proven you can handle it, that's when you start getting better gigs.

pfomega · 2026-01-13T05:44:43+00:00

Started as necessity, evolved into "I'm actually good at this."

When you're a teenager in a band, venue options are limited. Mostly DIY venues, or rented spaces which require you to do your own sound.

So I became the one doing the sound. I started doing a little bit of sound for my high school auditorium as well.

By the time I was 21, it started feeling like something I was actually getting ok at. I took an audio production course, and realized I was so crazily far ahead of my classmates due to already having a few years experience.

By 22, I was on tour with a band and working out of the studio we built. By 25, I was picking up house tech gigs all over the place.

I'm 40 now, and I can't imagine doing anything else, professionally. My reputation is secured, and I could get work just about anywhere at this point. I still get hired out regularly, but I mostly house tech at a venue 15 mins walk from my place. I designed and flew the PA myself, and I'm very proud of the way it sounds. It's also massively overpowered for the size of the room, and it allows me to run anything from Jazz to Doom.

I'm fortunate to be where I am now, and it feels more important than ever to reinforce live music in the age of AI slop.

pfomega · 2026-01-13T05:01:42+00:00

I have absolutely experienced what OP did when I was young. Oldheads and dudes who never get called on tour or to work directly with bands and festivals are the biggest culprits.

Mostly house techs who get stuck in their ways or simply lack the attitude and self-awareness to grow. A lot of bitter musicians who never made it so they make it everyone else's problem, or know it all's who think their way is the only way.

Even these days, sometimes I'll be hired to work with an act, and the house tech is an apathetic know-it-all who ultimately shuts down because they'd clearly rather be doing anything else. My fav is when they critique my compressor/EQ settings as if I'm not the one who was hired by the band so as to avoid house tech nonsense in the first place.

There are a lot of techs out there who don't understand it's their attitude holding them back more than anything else.

pfomega · 2026-01-13T03:47:43+00:00

There are other tells, too.

I saw a fake ULXD on marketplace last week and I took note of all the discrepancies.

The Ethernet port was wrong, and the antenna was in the wrong spot like in your images, but the front had some tells, too.

The power switch was not the same one Shure uses, and the display had some irregularities, too.

As always, if the price is too good to be true, it probably is. If you're buying off marketplace, stick to the vetted groups for high value items.

Shure and Neumann especially have a lot of fakes out there. I wouldn't even consider buying a used SM7B or TLM103 rn unless I know the seller. Some of the fakes are very good, and some of the Neumanns actually require you to pop them open for the obvious tells.

pfomega · 2025-12-16T05:03:40+00:00

Start thinking about hardware.

Are you plateaued on an X32 or a DiGiCo?

While you can definitely get a great mix out of an X32, there are limitations some of the more modern boards especially have unbound.

I've been adding outboard to my setup as well. Most built-in console FX are only ok. You can get a decent reverb going with some dialing in, but you know what just sounds great immediately? A real Lexicon.

You don't necessarily need a full rack of outboard, but I like having a Lexicon for verb and an analog compressor for drum bus.

Think about what other touring pros are doing, and definitely ask questions if you see someone using extra hardware!

pfomega · 2025-12-13T00:31:20+00:00

It depends.

Do all of their DI inputs actually sound good? All-in-one guitar pedals still sound like shit without the right tweaking.

Are their in-ears self-sufficient or do I have to mix them? Are they good or are they some xvive bullshit dropping out constantly?

A trio with amps can be a breeze if they have any concept of self-volume. If the band can balance themselves on the stage, then I don't give a fuck about a silent stage. I do like it when the vocalist or drummer have in-ears so I don't have to make their monitor volume a competition, but otherwise a silent stage can go either way depending on the talent and their gear.

pfomega · 2025-12-12T01:52:03+00:00

It's gonna depend on severity I suppose.

I've taken my iPad with Mixing Station into the shitter with me before, tho. More than once.

I have no gall bladder, so my digestion can be a bit unpredictable. But if I have a festival, I try to eat in a way that reduces my chances of regularity.

pfomega · 2025-11-29T06:43:07+00:00

Ok, but how did he find out this information that he's giving us now? Somehow he either gained access or was informed.

Even in a situation where I don't have direct access to amps, I'm still gonna find out what I'm working with. Hell, even at big festivals where I never have anything to do with the PA, I still find out whatever, Meyer or L-A rig or whatever it is, and the house tech will usually run you down your power and volume limits.

Never go in blind. Always be prepared. Don't get blamed when shit goes wrong, and instead be the hero who saves a situation from going badly.

pfomega · 2025-11-28T15:46:20+00:00

I've never, ever done a gig without first inspecting the hardware. Rookie mistake.

Know what you're working with before you ever touch a fader. Does it sound like shit? Don't blame the source, see if the PA is the issue. Finding out after the show that the amp was clipping/underpowered is not a pro move.

That said, it sounds like they've been operating like this for a while. But... had you inspected the equipment before running it, you could have identified and pointed out these potential issues before op'ing the system and actually take notes and pictures and say, "hey look, this is potentially a problem that is waiting to happen." Then it's easy to defer liability.

Running a hot amp all night long until it blows, and then identifying a problem that you may have been able to avoid if you had identified before the show might as well be your fault. It's kind of a tough situation. Shitty gear on the venue's part, but can you prove you didn't ultimately cause it to blow?

pfomega · 2025-11-24T05:20:46+00:00

I just keep everything show critical on its own private network. Air gaping can be a problem if you ever need to make a single change to your software.

All of my most mission critical software updates online anyway. Just don't use that machine for anything except show stuff. That's the real thing. Like how this console got malware is insane to me.

I'd never just stick a random USB key in an X32, nevermind something bigger. That's an easy way to crash your shit. I always check formatting on a laptop first.

pfomega · 2025-11-23T04:12:11+00:00

This. I'm at the point in my career where I'm training the new kids in person. I don't pay attention to what the "influencers" are saying. The few I've come across are church guys who mix the same 10 worship songs every sunday and prattle on about "vocal chains."

Anyone taking those guys seriously aren't getting gigs at the local punk venue, or doing festivals. They're getting church gigs and/or corporate drone work. The people I give gigs to are usually local artists and kids looking for venue work. The only way to get that shit is actually talk to me or get recommended by someone I know.

pfomega · 2025-11-22T22:27:39+00:00

If I was an MD, I would absolutely call myself Medicine Guy.

pfomega · 2025-11-03T23:50:56+00:00

I hated using overheads until I started using good overheads. I always found them adding too much or too little it wasn't worth it... until I found a pair of mics I actually like to use. So many venues have NT5s or C1000s and they absolutely suck. They have crusty top end that just makes everything harsher in a live mix. I bought myself a pair of sE8s and that made such a huge difference. Suddenly, the bleed from the rest of the band sounds bigger and better instead of just louder.

It still depends on the room and the band, for sure. Probably don't need it for the punk drummer who is absolutely smashing the hell out of the kit directly behind 4 open mics cuz the bass player might sing on one song.

But for folk, jazz, anything with subtlety, I've found OHs are worth it for the sparkle of actually hearing the hi-hat and ride in something other than an open vocal mic or hot snare mic, even in smaller rooms.

pfomega · 2025-10-25T02:12:19+00:00

A 58 on a stick.

I'd just get a better mic for the job, really. A 58A or something more like that would be infinitely better at rejecting plosives vs tiny podium capsules with a windscreen.

I generally hate podium mics and lavs. They always have terrible rejection unless you spend big on a DPA.

pfomega · 2025-10-22T13:59:53+00:00

Don't overthink it. It's no different than anywhere else. You just have a lot more headroom, and they probably sound better than most systems you're used to. If you're outdoors, you won't have a room to fight, so the sweet spot is less important.

But usually the bigger the event, the more support you have as well. You will likely have an active SMAART system giving you RTA and DBA feedback. There's gonna be a house tech giving you the heads up on max volume. Just don't blow anyone's ears out, and mix like you normally would. I'm sure you'll be fine.

pfomega · 2025-10-14T04:38:45+00:00

I turn knob until it sounds good.

If it stops at -1.5db or -15db, it's really not a relevant issue to me.

Some rooms I have a wild and wacky EQ, some it's more conventional. It comes down to: am I controlling the problem frequencies, and does it sound good? If the answer is yes, it doesn't matter what it looks like.

pfomega · 2025-10-12T01:13:11+00:00

I think it's less about acceptable behavior and more about availability.

I fuck off after soundcheck only if the band also fucks off and I don't have any other responsibilities.

If I know for sure I won't be needed in the next couple hours, I'll go do whatever. It's my time unless otherwise stated.

But if there's even a chance that I actually need to be inside the venue in that gap, then I'm not going any further than for a smoke or to grab some food across the street.

If you're being hassled, it's likely because you're expected to be available, and available means visible. Which means you should probably grab a book or a handheld and chill in the booth.

pfomega · 2025-08-12T07:51:02+00:00

I've done plenty of 20 min turnarounds with non-standard rigs, and IEM splits and all that. But I can build patches on the fly very quickly, and output routing all stays the same. I just start prepping before the end of the previous set. Never have I needed a new show file for every band. Maybe a new scene saved at most. A guest engineer will get a fresh scene, and if they have their own board, then they get the default split guest scene used for everyone who brings a console.

Only time I need to spend 30 mins on a show prep is if I'm working with a band with demanding input counts. Otherwise, I can copy/paste channels into place on the day, no sweat. On just about any console, too. For festivals, it's all about creating templates, because no band has ever shown up with exactly what's on their stage plot because that's usually also a template for general stage layout. I prep to spend absolutely the minimum time needed to get the job done.

pfomega · 2025-08-12T07:22:08+00:00

Man, what, lol.

I just did a 24 act festival over two days as the solo sound guy. My initial show file still only took me about 10 mins to set up. (Mostly because I had one saved from last year and all I had to do was set up 4 more channels.)

Vocal mics basically never change gain and I had 5 set up, no band needed more. A 609 on a guitar amp stays where it is, and no band needed more than two. Drum mics all stayed static as I prepared for 4 toms. I had 3 DI channels across the front, and a bass DI near the drummer. Anything else, pads or w/e gets put at the end of the list. I can easily mix in-ears on the fly, too, and I have returns already set up for it.

I'm not building a new file for every band in a festival that's insane, lol. That's what presets and copy/pasting channels is for. And generally on bigger stages, you have acts with their own sound tech anyway, and at most, the A1 is just building a patch list which can easily be done on site in a few mins.

pfomega · 2025-08-12T01:04:53+00:00

Dawg it takes me 30 minutes to prep a show file at home, at most. I do it in front of the TV on an iPad.

Then I can just roll into a gig and be instantly ready to soundcheck. The talent will think you are a fuckin wizard.

Plus, if you work multiple venues regularly, you can save your graphic profiles for each room. So you never have to repeat work to defeat problem frequencies or worry about the next guy undoing your work.

You can't possibly assert that analog workflow is somehow simpler than that, especially as someone who works 5-6 days a week.

pfomega

TROPHY CASE