Best Practices

Gain Staging

Gain staging is the single most important skill. Poor gain structure is the root cause of most noise, distortion, and feedback problems.
Set the preamp gain with the performer playing or singing at their loudest. The channel meter should peak around 0 dBVU — the 0 mark on the strip meter. This equals -18 dBFS internally, leaving 18 dB of digital headroom.
Keep channel faders at or near unity (0 dB, the "U" mark) when setting gain. This gives you an accurate reference for the overall mix level.
If you need more volume in the mix after proper gain staging, raise the fader. If you need less, lower the fader. Never chase volume by cranking the preamp gain.
A red clip indicator at the preamp means the analog signal is clipping before any processing can help. Reduce gain immediately.

Build monitor mixes during soundcheck, not during the service. Have each performer in position and playing before you finalize their mix.
Use Pre-Fader sends for all monitor aux buses. This means the performer's monitor stays consistent even when you adjust their fader in the main house mix.
Always press the correct Mix key before adjusting sends. Double-check the touchscreen header to confirm which mix is in sends-on-faders mode.
Set a reasonable maximum level for monitor sends. If a monitor is already at maximum and the performer wants more, the problem is usually gain (set it higher at the preamp) or HPF (low-end buildup is eating headroom).
The performer's best monitor mix is often different from what sounds good to the engineer. Let them ask for what they need — do not guess.

The touchscreen shows whatever channel is currently selected (Sel key lit). Only one channel or mix is in focus at a time.
Use the encoder to adjust highlighted (yellow) parameters rather than trying to drag on the screen. The encoder is faster and more precise for continuous knob adjustments.
Swipe left and right on the screen to navigate between tabs (Preamp, HPF, Gate, PEQ, Comp, Delay) without taking your hand off the surface.
Double-tap a parameter on the screen to reset it to its default value. This is the fastest way to undo an accidental change.
Use the RTA (real-time analyzer) overlay on the PEQ page to identify which frequencies are dominant in a signal before applying EQ cuts.

Save a numbered scene after every significant change during a service. Use descriptive names: "Pre-Service", "Sermon", "Final State". This gives you rollback points.
Use Recall Filters to prevent scene recalls from overwriting preamp gains. Gain is often set differently each week based on different performers and can take time to re-dial.
Use Channel Safes to protect the channels that are most time-consuming to re-configure (lead vocal, piano, etc.).
Load the baseline Show file at the start of every service — never start from a partially-modified show from a previous week without first confirming its state.
After a service, save a final scene marked with the date so future operators can review a working starting point.

Enable the HPF on every channel by default. Disable it only if the instrument genuinely needs low-frequency content (bass DI, kick drum). HPF removes rumble and feedback buildup.
Mute channels that are not in use. A mic sitting on a stand with no performer generates noise and potential feedback that adds up across many channels.
Use PAFL (headphone monitoring) to diagnose any channel problem before it reaches the house speakers. Press PAFL, put on the headphones, and hear the isolated channel.
Less is more with EQ and effects. Start with a flat EQ and cut problem frequencies rather than boosting. Use reverb subtly — a congregation will not notice a little reverb but will notice too much.
Watch the main LR meters throughout the service. If the mix is consistently hitting the top of the meter, pull back individual channel faders rather than lowering the master.

Power order: amps and powered speakers on LAST, off FIRST. Every time, without exception. This prevents pops and thumps that damage speaker drivers.
Never connect or disconnect XLR cables while phantom power (+48V) is engaged on that channel. Always disable phantom power before plugging or unplugging a microphone.
If you hear an unexpected loud noise, pull the master fader down immediately — then diagnose. Protect the speakers first.
Label everything. Named channels, colored channel strips, and labeled patch panels make troubleshooting faster under pressure.
When in doubt, do not touch it. If you are unsure about a setting, use PAFL to listen to the channel privately and ask your head engineer before making changes to routing or processing.