🎚️ Why your faders are maxed out (and the hiss won't stop)

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We’ve all been there. It’s 10:15 AM. The acoustic guitarist decides to fingerpick a ballad that’s barely audible. You panic. You shove the fader all the way up to the top of the plastic track (+10dB).

You get more guitar, sure. But you also get a sound that resembles a frying pan full of bacon grease. Hiss. Hum. Static.

And then, the moment he strums hard? SCREECH. Feedback city. The worship leader glares at the booth. You shrink into your chair.

You tried to fix it with volume, but you were fighting physics. You were trying to get water out of a pipe with no pressure.

Today, we fix your Gain Structure.

The Technical Truth

Let’s open the "Bible"—the Yamaha Sound Reinforcement Handbook.

The book discusses the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) extensively. Every piece of electronics makes noise (the "noise floor"). If your input signal is weak, it gets buried in the noise. When you amplify it later, you amplify the mud too.

The Handbook states that the goal of gain structure is to "adjust the signal levels... to achieve the best possible signal-to-noise ratio and headroom."

In plain English? You need the signal strong enough to bury the static, but not so strong it distorts.

The Translation: The Water Pressure Analogy

I want you to stop thinking about electricity. Think about plumbing.

1. The Mic Cable is the Pipe. It carries the water (sound) to the console.

2. The Gain Knob (Input) is the Water Pressure. This is the valve out at the street or the pump on your well. It determines how much pressure is in the pipes before it reaches your sink.

3. The Fader (Output) is the Faucet Handle. This just opens the gate to let the water out.

Here is the mistake most volunteers make: They leave the pressure low (Low Gain) and try to rip the faucet handle off the wall (High Fader) to get water.

What happens when you open a faucet wide open with low pressure? You get a weak trickle, and you hear a lot of air sputtering in the pipes. That air is the "Hiss."

The SundayMix Fix: We want high pressure in the pipes.

1. Turn the faucet (Fader) off or set it to "0" (Unity).

2. Go to the pump (Gain Knob).

3. Crank the pressure until the meter shows a solid, strong flow—hitting the green and tickling the yellow.

Now, when you barely touch the faucet (Fader), you get a massive, clean stream of water. No sputtering. No air. Just clean sound.

The Soft Skill: The "10 Seconds of Sunday" Rule

Technically, setting gain is easy. The hard part is the human holding the guitar.

Musicians are notorious "sandbaggers." They play quietly during soundcheck, you set your gain, and then during the service, they play 20% louder and blow out your system (clipping).

Don't yell at them. Don't be the "Angry Sound Guy." Use the "10 Seconds of Sunday" rule.

Say this:

Let them rip. Set your gain so it stays in the yellow (or just below the red/clipping point) during that loud part. I personally like everything to be below unity so I have room for musicians to play.

The goal is to achieve a clear, clean, accurate sound that is pleasant and musical. If you notice distortion, feedback, or anything harsh, reduce the gain. It’s about finding the right balance. Prioritize safety to maintain a stable environment. The last thing you want is unexpected feedback or issues during a service that require quick reflexes to fix.

Now you have "Headroom." You’ve accounted for the excitement of the service.

Proper gain staging assumes your microphones and inputs are set right. No amount of gain can make up for poor microphone placement. Make sure the microphones are close to the sound source so they capture the full body tone and represent the instrument accurately. Too much gain on weak microphone placements will cause feedback and ruin everything.

Your Assignment

Next time you're at the board (probably Thursday night or Sunday morning):

Look at your faders.

• Are they way above the "0" mark? If yes, your "water pressure" (Gain) is too low.

• Fix it: Bring the fader down to 0. Turn the Gain knob up until the volume is right.

When the hiss disappears, and the pastor's voice carries with presence, the room quiets—not from volume, but from the Spirit moving. That's the art we're chasing.

See you in the booth,

Madison Jonas Editor, SundayMix

SundayMix Glossary

• Gain (Input): The sensitivity of the microphone channel. Think of this as "Water Pressure" entering the house. It’s the first thing you set.

• Fader (Output): The volume slider. Think of this as the "Faucet." It controls how much of that pressure you let out into the room.

• Noise Floor: The background buzz and hiss that every electronic device makes. If your gain is too low, your music sounds like it's drowning in this static.

• Unity (0dB): The "sweet spot" on a fader. This is where the fader is passing the signal through exactly as it came in, without boosting or cutting it. This is your target.

About the Author

Madison Jonas is an Eagle Scout and U.S. Navy Reserve veteran with a diverse background in music and business. A multi-instrumentalist with training in piano, voice, violin, percussion, and guitar, he also brings 10 years of automotive sales experience. He volunteered in 2017, which ignited a passion for technical production. He is Pro Tools Certified and has professionally helped elevate the sound for multiple churches. Outside of his media and advertising company, he is a dedicated athlete and passionate about living a life devoted to Christ.