This happened to me not long ago: I’m at FOH, service is about to start, and during soundcheck the worship leader is telling me, “Push the mix—make it big, make it feel alive. We want energy in the room.” Five minutes later, the pastor walks up and says, “Hey, let’s keep it lower today. People have been saying it’s too loud.” So there I am. One side says LOUD, the other says QUIET. And guess who’s in the middle? Me. And in that moment, I had to remind myself something: - The band hears stage energy—they want to feel it. - The pastor hears the congregation’s concerns—they want to protect them. - The sound tech has to take both, filter it, and decide what serves the room and the mission of the church. Here's the hard truth... you can't make everybody happy :') If you try, you’ll end up with a flat, lifeless mix that pleases no one. What I did that Sunday was this: I leaned toward the pastor’s request, because at the end of the day, the pastor is responsible for shepherding the flock. But I also gave the band more of what they wanted in their monitors, so they still had the energy they needed on stage. Was it perfect? No. Did everybody get what they wanted? Definitely not. Did it serve the church? Yeah, I think it did. And that’s the tension we live in as church sound guys. We’re not just “mixing audio,” we’re managing expectations, emotions, and authority all at once. 💬 So I want to hear your take:When the band is begging for more and the pastor is telling you to pull it back… who do YOU listen to? — Nate

I’ll never forget the first time I mixed in a church where the kick drum sounded like someone bouncing a basketball on the stage. Every time the drummer hit, instead of a punch that anchored the band, it was just this hollow “thud-thud-thud.” And the worst part? No matter how much EQ or compression I threw at it, it still sounded terrible. 👉 That’s when I realized something that changed the way I approach drums: the problem wasn’t the console—it was the mic placement. Why Mic Placement Matters More Than EQ Here’s the thing most people don’t realize: - If the mic isn’t in the right spot, you’re EQ’ing garbage. - Move the mic just 2 inches, and the whole tone changes. - Placement can give you body, attack, or mud—before you even touch the board. Let me break it down: - Mic too far inside the kick → You’ll get lots of attack (clicky sound), but almost no low-end body. It can cut through the mix but sound thin. - Mic too far outside the kick → You’ll get all the boom and rumble, but no definition. Great for reggae, not so much for worship. - Mic halfway in, pointed at the beater → This is usually the sweet spot. You’ll capture both the “thump” of the low end and the “snap” of the beater. The EQ Problem Now, if the mic is in the wrong place, you’ll start boosting lows or highs to compensate. But here’s the issue: - Boosting lows just makes the basketball sound louder. - Boosting highs just makes the click harsh. - And no matter what you do, the mix won’t feel solid. The Fix 1️⃣ Start at the SourceBefore touching EQ, move the mic. If possible, experiment with depth and angle. Just a few inches can make a massive difference. 2️⃣ Dial in EQ After PlacementOnce the mic is in a good spot: - Roll off the sub-rumble under 40Hz. - Boost a touch around 60–80Hz for thump. - Cut around 250–400Hz to remove boxiness. - Add a little 2–4kHz for definition (if needed). 3️⃣ Check PhaseIf you’re using multiple mics (kick in + kick out), make sure they’re in phase. Otherwise, you’ll cancel out low end instead of building it.