Assuming that the master section meters on the board are fucked because a previous live audio d00d dumped his beer in the master section of the board:

Providing that you have an input clip indicator on the crossover (I'm assuming that there is one) use that. Barring that, power up your amp rack(s) and slowly push the master fader up until you see the 0db indicators on the amp(s) light up. Your maximum signal at soundcheck should make the +3db lamp(s) on the amp(s) light up. Any higher levels will clip your amps, and possibly smoke your speakers, or turn your HF diaphragms into something resembling shredded tinfoil. --This is a liberal assesment assuming that the amps and speakers have matched power ratings. If the amplifier output exceeds speaker ratings, you may have to settle for ensuring that the +3db indicator doesn't light.

Assuming that you are used to using a meterbridge that has metering for individual channels, and are now faced with running a board that doesn't have them:

With the master faders of the board pulled down, use the channel clip indicators to set your inputs per channel. Trim the channels to the point where the clip lights start to blink, then back off to the point where the clip indicators no longer blink. Pad the trim pots a little bit more to be on the safe side. If you have four assignable busses, assign them as such:

Vocals and bass to one pair, the rest of the stuff the the other pair.

Even better if you have 8 busses to work with:

Vocals get assigned to one Buss
Drums to another Buss
Backline to yet another Buss, or you can split the backline between the two remaining busses.


Use your ears to balance the mix and use the master Buss metering to ensure that nothing clips out.

My main objective for mixing live is as follows, in the order of priority:

Elimination of feedback and the maximisation of headroom whilst concurrently providing a mix that is as flat as possible. If you're mixing a really loud guitar band, bury the vocals under the guitars but keep them audible.

If the band(s) you're running sound for are not really loud guitar bands, you'll probably want to make vocals more prominent.

Hope this helps.

we just got our room dampened significally. i can now hear EVERYTHING that goes on in those awful chun chun haircut beatdown bands. bad times.

dugstar wrote:haircut beatdown

Would not go see this band.

Or maybe I would.