Controlled Noise

Rock Harbor is loud, but it's supposed to be loud. They like it that way. When I first began audio training in my internship, I had to learn how to embrace volume. From my personal experiences and those of other musician friends I have, this philosophy is definitely not normal for most churches. In fact, a lot of churches interpret volume as a threat and something that needs to be closely monitored and limited. One of the unique advantages I've had by learning audio at Rock Harbor is that I have been constantly pushed to test my reservations about church volume levels and even surpass those limitations. Instead of receiving comments like "The drum set is too loud," I would often hear comments more along the lines of "Try bringing up the acoustic and electric guitars to match the rest of the band." It was honestly a strange process for me because I had been so used to hearing volume critiques in relation to instruments being too loud.

Only recently have I become comfortable with having this kind of mentality when mixing. It's ok to have things loud. It's ok to feel the kick of the drum set in your gut, the rumble of the bass guitar under your feet, and the whaling of the electric guitar in your chest...as long as you're respectful and tasteful in how you create your mix. The audio team at Rock Harbor places a strong emphasis on creating a well-crafted "sonic landscape": the idea that every instrument in the band fits into an appropriate "pocket" in relation to the entire mix. This helps in creating a well-rounded overall sound.

Another important aspect of the sonic landscape, however, is the understanding of "good loud" vs. "bad loud." This philosophy states that it's ok to have a loud mix as long as it is still pleasing to the ear. "Good loud" relies heavily on the appropriate volume and EQ of each instrument. Sometimes instruments are EQ'd in a way that they are fighting to fill the same spaces on the sonic spectrum. As a result, clarity is lost and volume levels will sound loud and/or muddy. Other times an instrument may be simply too loud in the mix and "stick out" sorely among the other instruments. As a result, this can give the false impression that the entire mix is too loud.

Currently in my development as an audio mixer, I've been learning how to reach that level of "good loud" and make the right corrections when it isn't. And what I've learned so far is that this skill develops slowly and requires a lot of room for trial and error. I have thoroughly overcome my timidness of mixing quietly, but now I am learning how to mix loudly and artistically. It is an ongoing process that requires a lot of room for trial and error. The last few times I have mixed (including last night), I found myself struggling to create the wall of noise into a well-rounded sonic landscape all throughout sound check, sometimes even through the services. But after each experience I understand a little more than I did before about what I need to pay attention to in a mix and how to achieve certain "good" sound qualities.

And so it will continue, hopefully for many year to come. But for now, I am happy with knowing what it should sound like and learning how to reach that point.