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If you start a loudness war, no wattage will be enough. Learn to play hard by thinking your stuff is hard. It is not done with volume, and it sounds very different, much better. (Hard to explain, but when you hear the difference, you understand this.) If something is not heard, lower all other channels, do NOT push more volume!

Ive hammered it the last two days. I'm nearly done!

1) Connect mixer to the same outlet as everything else is to avoin ground loops. 2) Connect all cables. 3) Check that the main output ("MAIN MIX") is set to lowest. 4) Turn the units ON starting from the mixer, like the signal is flowing (while turning OFF, do it the opposite way, from speakers towards the microphones). This way you avoid pops that may come from the equipment. If you look at the desk, think the signal goes from top to bottom, and then from left to right. At this point every pot should be set to noon, and sliders to their lowest position. Connect a mic to the Channel 1. Set the slider to 0 dB. Start to talk something to the mic (1,2,3...) and slide the MAIN MIX until you hear something from the PA. If you hear nothing, check cables, slide MAIN MIX down and check that the power amp is ON, and the levels are set to noon. Try the MAIN MIX again. Do it slowly. If you get sound through the system, you should know something about the channel strip. GAIN sets the level of the channel and is dependent on the program (mic, line). You turn that clockwise until you get distortion to the sound, and then slightly back. Set and forget. Keep in mind that now is a good place to name the channels. If 1 is for your vocal mic, name it so. LOW CUT is very feasible for vocals, because feedback starts from the low end. Low frequencies are not needed so much with vocals. You can think that the full bandwidth is divided from the lowest frequencies like this: BD (bass drum), bass, guit/keys, vocals, high stuff like some percussions. If you push lots of stuff to vocal frequencies, the voice will need more power, or then it will be buried under that everything. This is approximate, and you have to make trials to understand this. With equalizer you can free more headroom to vocals. COMP is also useful with vocals, because it amplifies lowest levels and the highest are sort of limited. You get fuller vocals, but this effect needs some testing to get the best out of it. EQ, as I said earlier, feedback starts from low, and vocals don't go very low. Therefore you can cut LOW say 3-9 dB and emphasize HIGH like 3 dB. MIDS you need to test: this board has semi-parametric mids. While singing, test it by turning MID to -15 dB and turn the FREQ back and forth. Then turn MID to +9 dB and do the same. Some complicated spaces may benefit a lot from this MID/FREQ, if the sound is lacking something, or the feedback tries to push through. Use the MID/FREQ like a notch filter (-15 dB), and turn the FREQ to tame the feedback frequency. And if you turn all up, something is wrong. Separate EQ from GAIN. Use EQ to cut any problematic frequency. AUX is most likely not needed here, yet, but it is very usable feat with monitoring etc. You can think it like control of a monitor mixing level. FX is simply commanding the amount of effect you use. I suppose your favourite will be REVERB 01 HALL, because it makes the vocals fuller. See the upper right side of the mixer. Lots of effects may be fun for some time, but usually any effect should be spice, not an ingredient. PAN is a bit like balance in HiFi. With PAN you can adjust the stereo picture. From the hall side the leftmost singer will be panned a little towards to the left side (PAN is viewed from the hall, not stage). If you listen to 1950's up to early 1970's recordings, mixing could have been panned from side to side: "Let's put vocals to right corner along with bass and kazoo, drums should go to left, and so will rhythm guitar". This kind of mixing sounds very strange nowadays. If you need to mix anything past 9 dB, check why? Now you know the very basics, and the rest is using the system a lot. Try to understand the placings of the sources in the mix (PAN), and in the frequency bands (EQ). Then it is easier to make reasonable choices when something doesn't seem to work. Every room is different, and when you go out gigging, you may need to adjust EQ quite some. Remember to use your phone camera to reset the mixer to your basic settings (rehearsal place or similar). Every mixer works more or less like this, although they may look different prima vista. Just think a second, and you are ready to go. While doing everything in a similar way in the beginning, it will give you more self confidence to manage the system well. And it is very good way to learn while asking a seasoned person to help you. Hope this helps.

Do you have a Theremin by chance?

Allow plenty of time to set up so you can chill for a bit before you start, or help out a bandmate who's having issues. Nothing worse than rushing to set up and then having to launch straight into your set without being happy. Nerves are good but don't let them get the better of you, it's supposed to be fun. If you find it particularly difficult then take on the role of a character, then it's your character up there doing it, not you. Play the rock star (to a degree), look confident, have a bit of swagger. Move more than you think you should, movement needs to be exaggerated to be noticed on stage, (a video of you will prove this). If you mess up, keep going. People really don't notice as long as things keep flowing. Try to relax and make a conscious effort to keep to rehearsed tempos. Once the adrenaline kicks in your 45-50 minutes of material will end up as 30-35 minutes. Keep any messing about between songs to a minimum. If the singer is good working a crowd then fair play but band members looking at each other, constantly asking "are you ready?" looks bad. Agree that you will launch into the next song unless someone says they have a problem. Above all, enjoy it. Energy flows both ways. If you (the band) look like you're having fun then so will the audience. If the audience look like they're having fun then that will feed your confidence and make you perform better. The energy continues its circular flow.

Good that you put this, often over looked. My poor memory needs jogging, so I have it 'reverse alphabetically' Mixer > amp Amp > mixer

Have a checklist pinned to the door of your gear cupboard. Use it!

This is the truth 👍

Maybe lock this thread as the other has superceded it?

Ye gods the boost available on the preamp is mad!

Yes of course, now you mention it I’m sure I’ve read this somewhere - quite possibly on “that site across the water”.