I think it makes a lot of sense to go through each channel in a show and take a detailed look at it during soundcheck.

For monitor world.

In monitor world, I feel that there’s a real call to examine each input in turn, getting a tone that the players prefer on deck and spreading things around as needed. Doing things one at a time is especially helpful when running in high-gain situations, where feedback problems have to be tamed. Step-by-step strategies make those situations much more manageable, because it’s easier to pinpoint what’s ringing.

At FOH, though, I feel that channel-per-channel microscopy is rarely warranted.

It’s not that hearing things in isolation isn’t helpful to determine if a channel is way off in the sonic weeds. That’s quite sensible. What I don’t see, though, is the need to agonize over every single input for minutes at a time, simply as a matter of course. What counts is context, and over the years I’ve come to recognize that the perfect [insert instrument here] sound in isolation is often NOT the perfect sound for the whole band in the room. When checking drumkits, I like to hear the drummer play like they’re going to play, as opposed to “KICK KICK KICK KICK…” for an extended period. I find it rather more productive to slide the kick up over a regular rhythm, hearing how it works when emphasized and then dropped back into position. Maybe I don’t need that much clickiness in the top end…or maybe I need more, but that’s the kind of call that’s easier to make when there are other drums to compare with. Even better – when there’s a whole band to compare with.

It’s the same for guitar/ bass/ keys/ vocals/ whatever. With the musicians running a tune, I can get a sense of what’s going to work in a holistic way. If I gun the channel and something isn’t quite right, I’m still going to hear it if it actually matters.

And, to reiterate, I can always stop and ask to isolate something If I can’t figure out what’s bugging me.

My gentle suggestion, then, is to try an approach where monitor world gets dialed up, and the band can play together. As they do so, take that time to get FOH tones and blends. You may be surprised at how much more fun it is, and how informative it is, when you’re listening to actual music.