Reference material that survives live service.

The Audio Technician runs FOH for rehearsal and service on the Yamaha DM7, managing gain structure, mix balance, and SPL discipline from load-in through the final song.

A compressor automatically turns down a signal when it gets too loud, then lets it come back up. The result is a more consistent, controlled level — peaks get tamed, and the overall signal sits more evenly in the mix. Think of it as an automatic hand on the fader.

EQ lets you adjust the volume of specific frequency ranges within a signal. You're shaping tone, not overall level. The general rule: **cut problems, boost sparingly.** A good mix is usually one where things have been subtracted to make room for each other.

Gain is the first thing your signal hits when it enters the console. It sets the input level before anything else — faders, EQ, compression — touches it. Getting gain right is the foundation of everything. A bad gain structure means you're fighting the console for the entire service.