So I’m here again lol. This question is to my pro audio engineers. What’s a book or certification or online course would you recommend for a beginner engineer who wants to grow in the audio space. 🙏🙏✌🏼

Hello all, how do I change the inputs (channel 12 and 13 effects) with other channels (mics) in the Behringer x32?

I’ll be honest—when I first started mixing, I thought EQ was about adding. Vocals too dull? "Add highs" Kick not strong enough? "Add lows" Guitar not cutting? "Add mids" And every time I boosted, I felt like I was “fixing” the problem. But here’s what actually happened: my mix just kept getting louder, harsher, and more cluttered. It was like trying to fix a messy room by buying more furniture. One Sunday, I was mixing a vocal that sounded muddy and buried. I kept pushing up 3kHz, then 5kHz, then 8kHz. The vocal got brighter on paper, but in the room it just got painful. Out of frustration, I did something I never really did before—I cut about 4dB at 350Hz. Suddenly the vocal opened up. It wasn’t that it needed “more highs,” it needed “less mud.” That moment flipped my entire approach. Now, instead of asking, “What do I need to add?” I ask, “What can I take AWAY that doesn’t belong?” 👉 Cutting carves space. Boosting stacks clutter. 👉 Subtraction creates clarity. Addition just creates more fighting. 👉 The mix is usually hiding under the junk—you just have to remove it. Don’t get me wrong, I still boost sometimes. But I try to earn the right to boost by cutting first. If a source sounds bad, boosting usually just makes the bad louder. So if your mix feels crowded, here’s my challenge this week: before you add anything, try cutting. Sweep around, find the ugly, pull it down, and listen to how much space shows up. 💬 Curious to hear—are you more of a cutter or a booster when you EQ? And has that ever completely changed a mix for you like it did for me? — Nate

This happened to me not long ago: I’m at FOH, service is about to start, and during soundcheck the worship leader is telling me, “Push the mix—make it big, make it feel alive. We want energy in the room.” Five minutes later, the pastor walks up and says, “Hey, let’s keep it lower today. People have been saying it’s too loud.” So there I am. One side says LOUD, the other says QUIET. And guess who’s in the middle? Me. And in that moment, I had to remind myself something: - The band hears stage energy—they want to feel it. - The pastor hears the congregation’s concerns—they want to protect them. - The sound tech has to take both, filter it, and decide what serves the room and the mission of the church. Here's the hard truth... you can't make everybody happy :') If you try, you’ll end up with a flat, lifeless mix that pleases no one. What I did that Sunday was this: I leaned toward the pastor’s request, because at the end of the day, the pastor is responsible for shepherding the flock. But I also gave the band more of what they wanted in their monitors, so they still had the energy they needed on stage. Was it perfect? No. Did everybody get what they wanted? Definitely not. Did it serve the church? Yeah, I think it did. And that’s the tension we live in as church sound guys. We’re not just “mixing audio,” we’re managing expectations, emotions, and authority all at once. 💬 So I want to hear your take:When the band is begging for more and the pastor is telling you to pull it back… who do YOU listen to? — Nate

You know that moment… the drummer hits the snare, and instead of a nice crack, the whole room gets a hollow “booooiiinnnggg.” 👉 That’s snare ring. And if you don’t deal with it, it’ll ruin your mix every single Sunday. The problem is—it’s not just annoying in the room. It bleeds into the livestream, muddies the vocal mics, and makes the whole mix feel amateur. Here’s how to tame it fast: 1️⃣ Check the Source FirstIf the snare isn’t tuned properly, no EQ will save you. Moongel, tape, or a wallet on the head can kill excessive ring instantly. 2️⃣ Targeted EQ CutSweep around 400–900 Hz and you’ll usually find the “boing.” A narrow cut of 3–6 dB can clean it up without killing the body. 3️⃣ Gate With CareIf the snare is bleeding everywhere, a gate can help—but set it gentle. You want to clean it, not chop it. 4️⃣ Room Mic AwarenessIf you’re using overheads or choir mics, that snare ring might still sneak in. Sometimes a small EQ dip on overheads helps too. ⚡ Pro tip: Don’t overdo it. A little ring gives character to the each snare, it's part of its tone. Too much kills the mix. 💬 Question for you: How does your church deal with snare ring—fix it at the source, or try to fix it at the board? — Nate