New church

[JeffM]

Been having issues with current church we have been attending. Discussion on this later.
Have been searching for a new home. Been to one that is very welcoming and have invited me to help with audio, video, etc. I am curious as to how to handle this. The current person doing the audio, in my opinion, doesn't do a very good job at mixing. The vocals are muddy and some instruments aren't even in the mix. I would love the chance to go in and make the mix a bit better. I don't want to step on anyone's toes. How do I take on a job of running sound and make some changes on the board without causing an issue of a new guy coming in and changing their board?

[Mikey]

If you ask my wife I have neither tact nor compassion, so take anything I say regarding other people with a grain of salt.

Upon being asked to mix for a service I generally mix the same way I always would. Now, keeping that in mind, I do take into account the type of band/service, the attendees, the limitations of the system, and anything else applicable. If you have the great fortune of being able to run the sound check or rehearsal it gives you a chance to mix it "your way" and gives them a chance to respond.
Fortunately for me, our church has a digital desk, so I don't have to worry about "messing" anything up for someone else. If I'm a guest someplace (asked to mix a service) I take as many pics of the desk (analog) as I need to be able to put it back the way it was when I arrived.

[tdangelo]

Originally Posted by JeffM

one that is very welcoming and have invited me to help with audio, video, etc. I am curious as to how to handle this. The current person doing the audio, in my opinion, doesn't do a very good job at mixing. The vocals are muddy and some instruments aren't even in the mix. I would love the chance to go in and make the mix a bit better. I don't want to step on anyone's toes. How do I take on a job of running sound and make some changes on the board without causing an issue of a new guy coming in and changing their board?

In my opinion the only way to do make sweeping changes quickly is for the person in leadership (the Pastor?) to meet with the previous audio lead and tell them clearly that you will be making changes. Unless you have been given that authority by leadership AND it has been clearly communicated by leadership to the previous audio lead then the best you can do is go to the previous lead and ask, "how can I help you" with the full expectation that change will occur at a slower pace. If the previous audio lead is to stay on in the ministry you will want to phrase it as "how can I help you" anyway as only part of your mission will be to improve the sound. The other part of your mission should be to minister to the people already serving, or to be serving in the future in the A/V ministry of the church.

[Brad Weber]

Originally Posted by JeffM

Have been searching for a new home. Been to one that is very welcoming and have invited me to help with audio, video, etc. I am curious as to how to handle this. The current person doing the audio, in my opinion, doesn't do a very good job at mixing. The vocals are muddy and some instruments aren't even in the mix. I would love the chance to go in and make the mix a bit better. I don't want to step on anyone's toes. How do I take on a job of running sound and make some changes on the board without causing an issue of a new guy coming in and changing their board?

What do they know of your background and what do you know of theirs? They have apparently invited you to help but have they actually invited you to "take on a job of running sound and make some changes on the board"? Have they expressed any dissatisfaction with the current situation or an interest in improving the mix? There are so many potential nuances and intangibles in exactly what was said, how it was said, the situation when things were said, who said what and so on that can't be easily expressed in a online forum but that can be critical to interpreting the situation.

Unless they have actually expressed an interest for you to "take on a job of running sound and make some changes on the board" then you might want to first get to know the people involved, the church and their goals and priorities, and any relevant history or issues. Basically getting a feel for the situation before deciding what is the best way to proceed. Who knows, you may find that they have been praying for someone just like you to come along. Or you may find that people who tried to do something similar in the past ended up so disillusioned and/or frustrated that they left. Or somewhere in between those extremes. In any case, it might help to have a more complete perspective of the situation before making any decisions.

[pdc]

I was a pro touring engineer, TD for some mega churches, blah, blah, blah....when I settled down at my church, they knew who I was and what I did. I met with the staff and asked them to give me some time, and let me feel at home. I wanted to be able to fill in, but not work at church for once. The guy they had is a great guy, knows his stuff and he has a good ministry there. So, I have been enjoying church and engaging, instead of working all of the time, and slowly have been doing more and more. Fortunately there is a rotation and brilliant planning. There should not be one person doing the same thing all of the time.

That said, I mix completely different. I store my settings on the console and jump drive. Digital is good for that. So, for me it is no big deal. The mixer is supposed to conform to the music director's needs and musician's abilities, and that is what I do. How you do what you do is all up to you and your abilities. As long as the job gets done in the end, nobody should have an issue.

I know all to well that people get certain articles of clothing in a wad when things break with familiarity or tradition. I do that all the time on my day job, bend people's thought process into reality, by proving my point with results. THAT is what we should do silently. That is the key to a good engineer. Do what you do, however you need to do it, not letting them know you are doing it, while keeping the mouth zipped. All of the greats practice this. Nobody will question what you do, as long as you blow them away with the results. The powers that be will take care of the politics for you...well, they should anyway.