We just got a new Senior Pastor so I can tell you what I told him.  I introduced myself as the sound guy and told him I was here to help make his worship service whatever he wanted it be.  I told him that I could be trusted to make him sound good and keep his wireless headset muted when not in use and turned on when it was and that I had sense enough to know the difference.  I also told him that the best thing he could say about my work was that he did not even know I was there.  That was Holy Week this year and we get along great and he sounds very good.

Wray Moxley
Head Sound Volunteer
Central Steele Creek Presbyterian Church
Charlotte NC

----

OK, Curt, I'll start.

The first thing I'd like to say is please please please, communicate! If you're talking about something in leadership and/or committee meetings that impacts the tech systems, come ask us questions.  We study, we learn, we prepare ourselves to be of service.  Let Us.  If we have to chase you down to do damage control regarding practices or decisions, please take a step back and look at how well you and your people are communicating.

The second I'd like to say is learn to trust.  You may be walking into a situation where you have one really good guy/gal and a few not so good. Please realize that it takes time and practice to get good, and give both to these people.  Learn to trust them as they get better, don't let memories of that time so-and-so left your mic muted poison your trust in them.  If you don't trust us, WE can tell.  So can a lot of other people.

Thirdly, please develop your people.  When budgets are being discussed, make room to send your people to seminars, to buy instructional books or dvd's, to pay for in-house instruction.  The dividend of competence and self-assurance that you will get in your tech people is worth the price paid.  This doesn't mean you have to send every person to SynAudCon every year-but you could send one, who can come back and train others. You don't have to buy sixteen tickets to NAMM...you can buy one or two, or split the difference.  Look for opportunities to expose your tech folks to people and systems in other facilities.  If you go to some conference and come back raving about how great it sounded, etc, then take someone with you next time!  Then they can experience what excited you, what you liked, and ask appropriate questions of the facility's people to really learn something.  You simply coming back and saying you “loved the sound (there) and how can we get it” doesn't help.

Lastly, thanks for coming.  We're glad you're here.  Don't let us intimidate you, just lead.  We're right behind you.

Regards,

Tony Orchard
WOFCC
Hillsboro, OR

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Being how many different denominations / fellowship do things in "calling" / hiring / transferring staff knowing "how" that person came to be there could change the directions of the questions.

In our case and I'm sure we are an example of many others we extensively vet any new staff member out before a "call" is extended to them so they have already gone through a pretty thorough vetting process and should hopefully understand the vision and direction of the fellowship that are now serving at.  In this scenario there is presumably little that they would or should need to be "told" at least from a "ministry" standpoint.

Also in our case a new worship pastor would be required to meet with the praise band, praise team and all tech team members.  Again during this "vetting" process the strengths and weaknesses of all members of those three groups plus any weakness in the technical support infrastructure would be addressed as well.

Mike Urich, KA5CVH

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For musicians, a few key ideas:

- No musician plays or sings without sound reinforcement - usually a combination of active and passive.

- Audio engineering is a parallel, allied profession to the performance of music.   Mutual respect and cooperation is necessary in order for worship services to succeed in most indoor venues.  Introduce the doctor/patient concept as gently as possible.

- Introduce what sound people do at the operator, technician, and designer levels.

- Explain the role of sound and sight in facility planning, and the fact that facility planning and adaptation is an ongoing process for the life of a public assembly facility.  Sound systems are critical building systems, like air conditioning, not collections of MI gear.

- Perhaps under the heading of "what is good sound?," introduce the fundamentals of the physical behavior and human perception of sound, emphasizing that both are well understood by those who have scientifically studied them, and commonly misunderstood by those who have simply picked up information and opinions "on the street." 

Also, I wanted to pick up on Scott Probst's idea of an article that helps people understand "the differences in speaker designs and how they affect the way sound travels, comb filtering issues, etc."  While the big-picture ideas of roles and processes would be covered in the articles I listed above, I think the best way to sensitize people to "how complex things can get" would be another series of articles from the perspective of "a day in the life of an audio consultant," focusing on different kinds of problems we encounter regularly in our "crime scene investigations."  Topics might include:

- acoustical disasters, including interior acoustics, noise isolation, and mechanical noise (or separate articles for each)

- common loudspeaker design mishaps (really another subtopic of acoustical disasters)

- common safety gaffes

- hums and buzzes

- ridiculous mix positions (you've already got a good start on that one)

- vision gaps (overly deterministic spaces, lack of backstage facilities, lighting access fiascos [catwalkus neglectus], gyms with no room for stages or seating)

By showing examples of errors, but making clear that what's shown is by no means the extent of possible pitfalls, we avoid furthering the misconception that there are cookie-cutter solutions to the vast range of architectural and programmatic situations out there.

I hope this is helpful!

Chip Sams
William Sams Acoustics Inc.
Orlando, FL

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Like everything else, I usually can't think of things all at once. But here's a starter as I have been through a number of WL’s from orchestra directors to essentially self-taught people as well as seminary graduates. At some point, I went through most of the following during the first few weeks of each new tenure before they figured out that they could trust me. Nothing like breaking in a new WL. 8^)

I'll preface this by asking for forgiveness for my sometimes lack of diplomacy. I know Curt is a great writer and can find a way to put this into better words. Thanks Curt. <g>

My job is to make the WL and pastor look (sound) good (among other things). I am not here to just play with fun toys (although they are fun - that's one reason we do this right?).

Please, give me as much respect as you expect to get from me. I may appear as just a knob-turner or cable-fitter, but I really do have a sense for music and what sounds good. I also know this room and this system pretty well and am aware of its limitations and though I am not right all of the time, please consider my suggestions as coming from someone that has your interest in mind. When I say that something can't be done, it's not because I am lazy, it is because we don't have the proper equipment or the time, etc. Conversely, if you think it can't be done, ask anyway, you never know what I am capable of until you ask. You might be surprised and I might be too!

You cannot hear the house from the stage. Please do not try to mix from there.  <g>

I cannot hear your monitors (normally). Please be specific in your requests for monitor mix changes. Does a "thumbs up" mean "louder" or "good"?   sidenote: Me and one WL were scuba divers and we (out of habit) started using the scuba sign for okay, which is touching the top of your head with your hand. It's easy to see from a distance and there is no mistaking that everything is "OK".

If I do something that you do not understand or agree with, please tell me and we can discuss it, do not take it upon yourself to change it. Example: Mic placement - if you do not agree with where I have a mic, please do not move it (or change the mic) without telling me.

Please do not remove any of the sound gear from the room without letting me know. I do not care if you use it, but I need to know where to look for it when it becomes needed for services.

Hmmmm.... let's see...

I only have one set of ears. Please do not ask me to mix a great live recording mix while I running the FOH.

Please ask me about gear upgrades before you go running off to the local music shop and buy some new gizmo because the WL across town said it's the best.

Yes, humidity matters, so do bodies. Doing a hyper-picky sound check with 65% humidity in an empty room when it will be 45% (after the AC has run a while) when the congregation comes in really doesn't help that much.

I know that "so-and-so" uses "x" mic and it sounds great. It might not sound as great with you. Not because you can't sing, but because you don't have his/her voice. But, I am willing to try it if you want to buy the mic.

No, I can not use "Autotune" on the choir. It just doesn't work that way. :^)  And... if you can not hear the choir where you are standing (6 ft in front of them) chances are, I can not turn them up enough to get 70 ft. to the rear of the room.

Yes, the piano really does need to be tuned more often than once a year. Not only does is sound better when it's in tune, it also works much better in the mix.

Please stay in front of the microphone. Singing beside it really does make a difference. If you've never really been taught how to use a mic correctly, I will be more than happy to spend some time with you and not only show you how, but also demonstrate why. With some time, we might even be able to pick a mic that really compliments your voice. Remember, I am here to help you sound better.

Please do not clap into the mic. I appreciate your enthusiasm for worship, but it really makes my job harder, especially if you are singing and clapping at the same time.

(wow, am I really that sarcastic?  Sorry folks)

Again, I really, really am here to work with you, not against you. If it ever feels that I am trying to work against you, call me on it and let's talk. Chances are, it was a misunderstanding. We all make mistakes and I am no different.

Okay.. I'll shut up and give someone else a chance.  :^)

Scott Probst
Probst Audio
Ennis, Texas

----

Good stuff, Scott.  As you yourself have said, sometimes a little candor is in order.  If I may add a few thoughts:

You wrote "I am not here to just play with fun toys."  Yes, sound ops do themselves and their peers no favor by referring to themselves or their tools with self-deprecating terms.  There is a difference between taking one's job seriously and taking oneself too seriously.

Your wrote "Please, give me as much respect as you expect to get from me." Bravo!  Another thought for this paragraph is "Don't ask me to promise that nothing will go wrong, because nobody can truthfully make that pledge.  I can only promise that every practical measure has been taken to insure reliability.  Please ask, rather than jump to conclusions, if you think something went wrong.  Don't go gossiping a behind my back about how incompetent I supposedly am.  If something happens during a service that causes people to look back at me in disgust, it is the duty of whomever is on platform to redirect their attention and speak words of confidence and encouragement, or to apologize for the evident mishap without pointing fingers.  This is part of the price of admission to the platform – please do not abuse your position of trust or fame."

You also wrote "You can not hear the house from the stage. Please do not try to mix from  there."  Two more aspects to this: 1) "Either I am mixing or you are," and 2) "I'm sorry, but the position of A1 at this church is not open.  Should it become open in the future, you are welcome to take the written test and audition for the gig."  Depending on the denomination involved, and the WL's organizational memberships, she or he may have pledged to uphold a code of ethics which, among other things, requires the musicians respect incumbents at a given church, as well as to "strive to promote good working relationships" within the church and with peers outside.  For example, the Presbyterian Association of Musicians' Code of Ethics has several such provisions, which although intended to protect incumbent musical performers, also logically and morally apply to interference with the job status of an incumbent audio engineer or "mix musician."

http://www.presbymusic.org/Job_Listing_Guidelines.htm#CodeofEthics 

There may also be denominational conduct standards that are relevant to getting the working relationship started off on the right foot, and help you paint a picture of positive collaboration.  For that matter, nearly every provision in the PC_USA's "Standards of Ethical Conduct" are directly relevant to our collaborations with musicians and ministers, and most situations of disharmony I've witnessed involve violations of these principles.

http://www.pcusa.org/oga/publications/ethical-conduct.pdf

If you notice, there are three sections to this document - one for church members, one for employees and volunteers, and one for ordained ministers.  I could see some benefit in establishing a "church production guild" of some sort, with both individual and organizational members, all of whom pledge to uphold their relevant sections of a code of ethics.  In addition to a common section that applies to all, there could be other sections with additional items relevant to church techs, musicians, administrators, committee members, and ministers, plus perhaps even contractors and design professionals.  Any thoughts?

Your scuba diving example reminded me of a funny story of the singer for the heavy metal band Slipnot wearing a metal diving helmet during a rehearsal, and at one point walking over to monitor beach to unscrew and unhinge the glass faceplate of the helmet, request some more highs in his wedges, and then reclose the faceplate and clang his way back to DSC. The church version of this is when musos place music stands between floor monitors and their ears, and then ask for the wedges to be turned up.

About not moving mics without asking the A1: "Please treat all "my" audio equipment (i.e. mine in that I am responsible for it) the way you want your own musical instrument treated.  In exchange, I'll refrain from re-tuning or otherwise re-adjusting your instruments." 

You mentioned "Please do not remove any of the sound gear from the room without letting  me know."  Yep - this applies to my tools and consumables, like batteries, tape, etc, also.  Smooth operations rely on every one of the audio crew's tools being in the exact place and condition they are expected to be in, ready for use on an instant's notice.  This is not a matter of personal preference or "anal retentiveness" - it is a practical requirement.

You mentioned "Please ask me about gear upgrades before you go running off to the local music shop and buy some new gizmo because the WL across town said it's the best."  The WL is welcome to purchase anything in the signal path up to but NOT including the microphone, DI box, or wireless system.  Anything downstream is the exclusive province of the audio profession.  Of course, any changes in instrumentation require advance notice and possibly the scheduling of a sound check.

You wrote "And... if you can not hear the choir where you are standing (6 ft in front of them) chances are, I can not turn them up enough to get 70 ft. to the rear of the room."  Especially with "acoustic" music like choir, organ, orchestra, the music director should balance the ensemble on the platform, so that the audio folks can then "take a picture of it" and reinforce it to the degree required by the room's acoustical deficiencies, with as little alteration as possible.  A competent conductor will reduce the level of whatever is masking the choir or soloist, such as an organ played on the "belchfire" stop, or a John Bonham-eqsue drum kit played with hickory axe handles.

Scott, you have definitely captured the "amateur night" ethos of those churches that are the hardest on sound techs and consultants alike.  The more proactive and diplomatic we can be up front, the more likely such situations can be righted early on.  Of course, with certain incorrigible personalities, in an atmosphere of absent or nonfunctional leadership, the A1 can try the whole continuum of approaches from Ghandi to Dirty Harry without success.

Chip Sams
William Sams Acoustics Inc.
Orlando, FL

-----

Chip wrote:

<< Scott, you have definitely captured the "amateur night" ethos of those churches that are the hardest on sound techs and consultants alike.  The more proactive and diplomatic we can be up front, the more likely such situations can be righted early on. >>

Unfortunately, as I said, these are just some of the things I've had to deal with personally from people that are supposed to be professionals and I know from talking with other techs and reading this list that I am not alone in my experiences. If it were truly an "amateur night", the lack of knowledge would be much more understandable. Maybe the next article Curt writes could be how techs can deal with the stress of training new WL’s.   :^)

Scott Probst
Probst Audio
Ennis, Texas

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William Sams wrote:

<< vision gaps (overly deterministic spaces, lack of backstage facilities >>  

My pet peeve - Multipurpose rooms without multiple storage rooms, one for each purpose.

Dale Shirk
Shirk Audio & Acoustics
Terre Hill, Pa.

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Scott Probst wrote a great list, including:

<< Please do not clap into the mic. >>

Or worse yet, clap with the mic. We taught people to clap with cupped hands that the fingertips of one hand hit the fingers of the other, and the heels hit the heels, but the palms never hit. With a little practice it looks just like clapping, feels rhythmic, but doesn't make much sound.

Dale Shirk
Shirk Audio & Acoustics
Terre Hill, Pa.

----

<< We taught people to clap with cupped hands >>

Hi Y'all!

Yes, indeed.  I've always called that the "faith clap". <g>

Be Blessed!
Taipale Media Systems, Inc.

-----

Dear Curt and Friends,

Regarding your new topic, I would have only one general sub-topic to add and that would be:

"Understanding the Difference between Fantasy and Reality"

We are so bombarded in our culture with "perfection", which is not real. Our CD's are nearly perfect musically and performance wise, but that is fundamentally the results of extensive post-production and editing out or correcting all the mistakes.  No human can play every show, every time, perfectly and consistently, it's just not real.

Our Cinema and DVD's show a mixture of reality and computer generated graphics, and I have trouble know where reality ends and CGI starts. Really fun and entertaining to watch, but again, not real. 

Our favorite artist's live performances are half or more playback from a notebook computer on stage.  Within limits, this technical capability enhances the presentation, but all too often, it becomes a crutch, used to cover up what is or is not really happening on the platform.

I have new favorite saying. It states that "live music isn't supposed to be perfect, it's supposed to be better than perfect". 

Many of the leaders that I deal with, don't really have any idea how much real effort and hard work would need to go into a really excellent live presentation.  They want perfection, and they want an easy, inexpensive, path to near perfection, somehow thinking that the perception of perfection is what it's all about.  That is a fantasy, and it will ultimately send the message that fantasy is more desirable than reality, and I for one, don't believe that this is the message that we all want to presenting.

Bill Thrasher, Sr.
Thrasher Design Group, Inc.
Kennesaw, GA

----

My input:

What I'd say to a new pastor:

"Your job is to be an expert on worship.  I would never assume to know more on the subject of faith than you.   My job is to be an expert on sound.   I know that you will never be able to always know more on this subject than me.   So, anytime a question or discussion or event comes up that may ever so remotely impact or utilize our sound system or impact our room's physical surfaces, please contact me.   I can help.   That is my job.   To ensure that our system can be its best and is protected from impacts which would cause it to do otherwise."

"Trust. That's the key. Trust me to know what I know, and know when I need to seek expert advice.   Trust me to protect you, the committees, the leadership, the congregation from making decisions without understanding of the impact to sound.  Involve me to ensure that I can give you the best I can give."

Regards,

Todd

----

I guess my response would lean closer to the relationship side - especially as it relates to the tech crew. But I would just point someone to my current worship pastor as a model.

He came to our church in a time of great turmoil in the worship ministry. We had used up and spit out no less than 4 "semi-pro" worship pastors in as many years. He was almost fresh out of school, having worked for a small church for a year or so. He stepped up to fill the gap after the last guy had left for a "real" worship job (since our church wasn't giving him one). I cautioned him about giving too much of himself in a place where he was likely to be used up. Thankfully, the leaders of our church saw what was happening and decided to keep him around.

Within a year God had used him to bring stability and peace to our ministry. Rehearsals were regular, on schedule, and helpful. Schedules were as well. The tech team was not abused by sudden unreasonable changes to our routine or sudden, last minute additions to the service. In short, he gave us the freedom to say "no" to unreasonable requests and made us feel very appreciated for what we do.

More than that, though, he reads my multipage emails and gives thoughtful responses. He even acts like he enjoys the communication. At least once a quarter we have lunch together with no particular agenda. He listens to me complain about what's broken about the church and doesn't respond with canned ministerial-sounding responses. He's real.

When we went through our building project he trusted me and relied on me to provide good advice on how to go about acquiring and installing the tech. Even after I told him I might not make the right decisions he supported my opinions and gave me the grace to have room to fail. In fact, maybe that's what I appreciate the most. He understands our humanity and gives us room to grow and grace when we fail. We really are partners in ministry.

In more recent times when my schedule has been difficult he's learned how to mix and operate our equipment. He shows up off-hours to make sure things are turned on and off and non-Sunday users can get what they need. Since worship pastors are almost always musicians, I think they should learn at least a rudimentary understanding of how to mix. It goes a long way toward building partnerships with the tech crew and understanding from the stage.

To top it all off, he's sending three of us to SynAudCon in November :-)

I hope that wasn't too much gushing, but God really impressed upon me how blessed I am when I saw this thread.

Greg

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I know this isn't where you were going with this, but it did remind me of something else, and I do not know the correct phrasing other than to simply mention the issue.

Several times I have heard a WL say "I want it to sound exactly like the CD." Obviously there's no way that is going to happen, very few churches have the equipment that was used to make the sounds that were on the CD (even with vocal sources aside) and there is hardly a way to duplicate that type of "finished" product in a live church environment.

<< Our CD's are nearly perfect musically and performance wise, but that is fundamentally the results of extensive post-production and editing out or correcting all the mistakes. >>

Editing is a great way to make a buck though! :^)  I charge hourly for that and have done a number of projects where there were numerous days of editing, and that doesn't include the mix. A friend told me about a recent editing project that took 6-8 hrs having finished all of 5 minutes of music. In fact, I know of CDs of top tier orchestras with 3600+ edits in them. That's about 1 edit per second of performance. Talk about your lack of reality.

Now, don't get me wrong, it's like Bill says, it enhances the performance dramatically and I understand the reasoning in doing it, but people sometimes have to be informed about what is reality and what is not.

Scott Probst
Probst Audio
Ennis, Texas

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Scott -

<< "In fact, I know of CDs of top tier orchestras with 3600+ edits in them. That's about 1 edit per second of performance. Talk about your lack of reality." >>

Yes, that sort of thing happens, but I would submit it rarely happens with better musicians.

<< "I want it to sound exactly like the CD." >>

Even _if_ the musicians were capable of performing live to the level of performance found on a better CD, and even _if_ you had all the mics and outboard gear used in a studio, and could do a "perfect" mixing job live, then it would still not sound like the CD in his living room, because you are in a big space with a likely less than absolutely optimum sound system.

<< "people sometimes have to be informed about what is reality and what is not." >>

Exactly!

Ray A. Rayburn

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Something from the long discussions on consultants: How to tell if someone selling you a sound system has a clue about the subject. I have absolutely no idea how you would approach this, other than to see if they have Syn-Aud-Con classes under their belt, or the NSCA equivalent. Maybe this would provide a defense against the well meaning person who wants to "help" by buying or selling inappropriate stuff.

I never cease to be amazed that theology training doesn't include more on the technology used today to present the teachings.

Robby Wright
Unity Way Church
Vista, CA

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Ray A. Rayburn wrote:

Scott -

<< "In fact, I know of CDs of top tier orchestras with 3600+ edits in them. That's about 1 edit per second of performance. Talk about your lack of reality."

<< Yes, that sort of thing happens, but I would submit it rarely happens with better musicians. >>

Ray,

I wouldn't say rarely, but I agree, it's not the norm. I know that you have done this kind of work and know that every day clients get more picky when finding how surgical digital editing can be. It's not so much about the quality of the musicians at times so much as it is the perception of the conductor and what he may decide needs to be fixed. The more clients learn what can be done, the more they want done. I have literally done edits to correct one note of a very fast 16th note run because it was ever so slightly out of tune. Only one of the  performers could even hear it (and I'm not betting he actually did - but it doesn't matter, he wanted it fixed), the other two people in the room just shrugged as I fixed it with another take. Also, groups are choosing to record harder music that they would never have recorded before, knowing that there would be too many mistakes to publish for the world to hear. There are also edits that are now planned purposely, knowing that a certain passage is near impossible to perform live without a mistake. Now they record those really difficult works, knowing that it can be fixed later in editing.

My example of 3600+ edits is not the norm, but it a good example of how nit-picky a person can be and that one best not trust that what they hear on a recording as what a group will sound like in reality. I suppose that is why I truly enjoy recording live events. The performers only get one chance (and so do I) to get it right. Even with multitracking a good deal of things, I can't fix a bad note or wrong word when I don't have another take to extract from.  :^)

<<"I want it to sound exactly like the CD." … Even _if_ the musicians were capable of performing live to the level of performance found on a better CD, and even _if_ you had all the mics and outboard gear used in a studio, and could do a "perfect" mixing job live, then it would still not sound like the CD in his living room, because you are in a big space with a likely less than absolutely optimum sound system. >>

Thanks Ray, I was looking for a way to say that, but couldn't verbalize it at the time, so I just skipped it.

Scott Probst
Probst Audio
Ennis, Texas

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Robby Wright wrote:

<< I never cease to be amazed that theology training doesn't include more on the technology used today to present the teachings. >>

I understand that only so much can be taught in schools in the time allotted for the degree, but I agree. I work with a lot of different types of organizations and I have stopped being surprised about the things that are not required learning, or at least heavily encouraged learning by the higher institutions.

For example, I know of few schools that require a class on mic technique for their performance majors, knowing that a good deal of these people will need to use one sooner or later. Further, few music ed. majors are required a decent course in acoustics, though it would benefit them greatly.

Scott Probst
Probst Audio
Ennis, Texas

----

Curt:

My first thought - It depends. It depends to some extent on where the newbie is coming from. Someone coming from an education that includes a strong formal musical training will need to understand that they may now be working with a team of musicians who are volunteers and who don't have the same passion for musical perfection.  On the other hand, someone whom God has called from a career or a lot of experience in rock bands may not understand the extent of his own hearing loss and the importance of getting the level of the lyrics above the instrumentals.

I'm probably not staying as close to the technical aspects are you are asking, but I have experienced more contention in churches over musical style and interpretation than disagreement over the technology.

There was a thread in the last week or so in which somebody (I'm sorry, I don't remember who) proposed that our goal should not be to please everyone, it should be to please the 80% or so that represent the average listener. That is good advice for a Worship Pastor as well.  If his / her musical style preference is significantly different than what has been done in the past in that church then perhaps it is not the right church for that WL, or else they should expect some difficult times ahead.  If a church has a search committee that is tasked with selecting the new WL, there may be a strong personality on that committee who has an agenda to make changes in musical style that the majority of the congregation may not accept.  Even before accepting the position the candidate should make certain to find out by talking with people outside the search committee.

Next:  Communicate.  Get to know the FOH engineers.  Discuss what sound you want, don't assume that everyone will know.  Listen to music together and discuss what you want the end product to sound like. How much effects? What instruments should be more prominent in the mix? Compared to the vocals? What should the guitars sound like?  What kind of drum sound do you want, etc.

Take time to do a good sound check. Make sure that the monitor mix person knows how to conduct a good sound check. Make sure that everyone on stage can hear what they need.  Help them understand that they don't need a CD mix, they need pitch, tempo, and maybe solos and harmonies.  The relationship between musicians and audio people can turn into an us vs. them battle quickly if the musicians complain amongst themselves about the monitor mix rather than working through getting the mix set as a team.  Once you have settled into a routine the sound check may not change much unless you have changes of instruments or musicians. 

BTW, don't confuse practice and sound check.  Practice is all about the musicians.  Sound check is owned by and is for the FOH and monitor mix. Don't let the band practice, noodle, tune, etc.  Let the engineer be in control during sound check.  Everybody pays attention to the engineer and only plays when asked.

IMPORTANT:  Pay close attention to the spiritual life of the Praise Team and Technical Team.  I have had the opportunity to mix at over 2 dozen churches in the Tampa Bay area (for a group called Desert Rain Band) and as I meet the technical people at those churches I have seen what has almost become in my mind a caricature of church audio people.  Technical skills more than people and relationship skills, frustrated with demands on their time to cover every service, event, wedding, funeral, pageants, etc., too busy doing technology to participate in corporate worship, to concentrate on the sermon, covering both services so they can't attend a Sunday small group. Find a way to ensure that there is spiritual ministry for the people who serve on Sunday mornings, maybe with a Bible study and prayer time on practice night as well as one on one discipleship. 

Steve Fuller