Set Up Church Livestream Audio on Your Mixer (Using the Gear You Already Own)

Setting up better audio for your church's livestream on a budget can be challenging. Tim talks about a couple of ways to use your existing PA system's audio to improve the sound of your livestream.
Mic: Electro Voice RE-320
Interface: Behringer Xenyx QX2442 USB
Camera: Canon SL2
Proclaim Theme Produced by Michael Lining
/ mjohn911
0:00 - 1:00 - Intro
1:01 - 2:00 - Livestream Mic Considerations
2:01 - 2:33 - Monitor Your Livestream Audio
2:34 - 3:21 - Livestream Audio Problems
3:22 - 4:02 - Connecting Your Livestream
4:03 - 5:03 - Main Mix for Livestream
5:04 - 5:59 - Subgroup Mix for Livestream
6:00 - 11:38 - Using Aux Mix for Livestream
11:39 - 13:34 - Using Submixer or Small Mixer for Livestream
13:35 - 14:15 - Conclusion

[@SpoodleProductions]

I should be making this comment from my church account, but I do the mixing & streaming for my church right now and we have had for almost the last 20 years a "set it and forget it" system, and while we're in construction, this has made it really hard to keep everything working nicely. I appreciate this video a lot. We have a Mackie 1604 VLZ Pro (2 of them actually, and they're both old and one has some dead channels) and I've been using a prefade aux send for our livestreams. And since the worship staff are generally used to the set and forget system where there is no one at the mixer to mute things, they're all very good about what they say around mics and turning off / muting wireless mics when they're not in use (which has always bothered me coming from theatre sound), so we don't really have the issue of me needing to mute things when not in use. My main reason for using prefade is it lets me make adjustments in the room on the main mix without affecting the stream levels. We'll be upgrading everything later this year and hopefully they'll be getting me a Yamaha TF5 along with the system overhaul. Thank you for the video! I think I tried each of the options you mentioned over the last year or so before settling into my current solution.

[@proclaimav4197]

Glad it was helpful. Good luck on the overhaul. I find the TF series to be quite volunteer friendly.

[@andyperrigo5000]

Years ago, we had a Peavey Mark III (I think.) We ran a recording mix off a post-fade aux. The video guy would reach over and adjust the aux on each channel strip. When we got a Soundcraft LX7 24x6 with subgroups, we still did a post-fade aux...plus we sent the piano from the direct out...both aux and piano went into a 2-xlr mixer before it went to audio record and video record, so the video guy could add more piano when necessary. (Plus, we used to pre-record piano accompaniment at times without turning on the entire PA.) When we got large used MH3- basically given to us by a larger church that upgraded to a large D-Show system- we added crowd mics and used a matrix (a group of groups mixed together) to feed lobby and recordings. The post fade aux-or bus- is most effective if you can AFL it for mixing purposes. You should be able to get a solid set/forget mix that requires very little tweaking. Maybe Proclaim AV can cover how to get the audio from the group or aux out to your recording devices- without spending a lot of money.

[@proclaimav4197]

Thanks Andy! I'll add that suggestion to my list.

[@amungguite4112]

We used to use the headphone output plugin to a headphone amp with multiple outs so we can monitor using headphone as well.

[@proclaimav4197]

In broadcasting we call that a "distribution amplifier." 👍

[@dalivingstone256]

Thank you

[@proclaimav4197]

You're welcome

[@marquiseroundy5175]

Thank you sooo much!

[@proclaimav4197]

Glad it helped!

[@mcf-mountsandelchristianfe289]

Hi. Thanks, this is very helpful. We have just got a Beringher x2442usb mixer and we were planning on using the USB output for our livestream. We don’t have any channels we need to add from our usual main mix but do you think it’s too difficult to get one output that will suit the main mix and the livestream mix?

[@proclaimav4197]

You should be able to get a good signal from the USB. (In fact I recorded this video using the USB output of that mixer.) I would start with that and see how it you like the result. Often the main mix is fine for the live stream. :) Happy livestreaming!

[@wendeljackson3344]

We are using mic in back of the room. How do we get feed diirectly through mixer into live stream.

[@proclaimav4197]

Hi Wendel,
I'm using a small mixer in my booth to add the signal from my main mixer and the signal from my congregation mics together to feed my livestream. That way, the congregation mic never accidentally gets sent to the main speakers causing feedback. Thanks for watchin. 😁

[@jeraldevangelista9334]

hi sir nice video for beginners like me. your video is very helpful . can you make a video for proper connecting speakers to a mixer. HOF ,Monitor speaker , etc. thank a lot

[@proclaimav4197]

I'll add that to my list. :)

[@alexanderrosa3723]

what is the best way to monitor your livestream audio?

[@proclaimav4197]

This is an excellent question and I like to monitor it in two ways. First, before it goes to the streaming platform. This will vary depending on how you stream, it may just be headphones so you can hear the OBS mix, or if you are using a mixer, you can solo your Aux mix on the mixer. I also like to monitor the return stream by logging in with a web browser on my PC or using a mobile device to watch the stream. This is called "confidence monitoring" in the broadcast world and it gives a really good idea of what your end user will hear. There will be some delay, so if you are making adjustments based on the confidence audio, give the stream time to catch up. Hope that helps!

[@andyperrigo5000]

Nice RE20.

[@proclaimav4197]

Thanks, RE-320 actually. It's kinda my favorite mic right now. :)

[@andyperrigo5000]

@@proclaimav4197 it fits your voice well