Sound Check

• Make sure that you have plenty of time for a thorough sound check before the show. Before you even worry about the sound coming through the house PA system, work on getting the best on-stage sound possible for the musicians. Overly loud stage volume often muddies a house mix because much of the sound leaves the stage and competes with the mix. Getting musicians to turn down their on-stage amplifiers can be a tricky task, so try at the outset to get the best possible sound to each of the band members' monitors. If they can all hear themselves clearly, they'll be less likely to resort to turning up their on-stage volume and are more likely to feel comfortable, leading to a better performance.
  
  

Ask for Help

• If you're mixing in a venue with a resident sound engineer, don't be afraid to ask them for tips on mixing in that particular room. Since they're working there on a regular basis, they should be familiar with the sonic peculiarities of the venue and they may be able to give valuable suggestions, such as informing you of any EQ settings they use in order to deal with specific acoustic problems, or general advice about how the room tends to sound when filled with people.
  
  

Be Selective

• Not everything needs to running through the PA system. The PA is intended to be for sound reinforcement, so if certain loud instruments such as electric guitars and cymbals are loud enough on stage to be heard without being in the PA, leave them out of the mix. Doing this will allow you more headroom to work with the other instruments that do need some reinforcement, without unduly muddying the mix.
  
  

Use Sub-Groups

• Using sub-groups on the mixing console is a great time-saver. For example, when you allocate all vocal tracks to a sub-group, it allows you to make a sub-mix of the lead and harmony vocal tracks, enabling you to raise or lower the volume level of all of the vocals by using a single fader. Do the same with a mix of the drums and bass.
  
  

Mono is Good!

• Don't be concerned with crafting a stereo mix. You might enjoy listening to it from your ideal listening position behind the mixing board, but very few audience members are likely to be in an ideal listening position to be able to appreciate a nice wide stereo image. In fact, people on the left side of the room will have a difficult time hearing instruments and voices panned to the right, and vice versa, so stick with a simple mono mix.