Colin Pink – Mixing Front of House The World of Hans Zimmer [TUTORIAL]

For the first time, MWTM presents a series about the exciting world of live sound engineering! You’ll be taken on the journey from a warehouse in Germany to the Accor Arena in Paris, led by Hans Zimmer’s “FOH” engineer Colin Pink. These ten parts give comprehensive insights into the preparation and execution of ‘The World of Hans Zimmer’, a dazzling show featuring a blend of orchestra, live band, and playback material. Colin takes you through the equipment used, including the digital console, hardware processing, room correction software, speaker arrays, and much more. You’ll witness the various stages from PA calibration to virtual sound check, live sound check, and what happens in between. Aside from Pink sharing his approach, other skilled personnel shed some light on their areas of expertise as well. Comparisons are drawn between live and studio workflow, with concepts that apply strongly to both environments. Some of Colin’s techniques may be an eye-opener for those mixing records too, so the series is intended for all engineers!

Part 1
15 min Scheduling, speed, microphone choice & placement, noise floor, speaker setup, room correction

Part 2
06 min Virtual sound check, desk recordings, time delay, dynamic control, mastering the band, orchestra, & playback

Part 3
07 min Monitor engineering, binaural audience mix, enhancing player connection, blending live & playback material

Part 4
07 min Gain structure, headroom, countering bass build-up, compression, gating, taming harshness, cohesiveness

Part 5
11 min Console specs, software vs. hardware processing, fibreoptic loop, equipment racks, radio frequency

Part 6
10 min Set design, instrument layout, time & phase alignment, calibration, pre-EQ, venue acoustics, troubleshooting

Part 7
16 min Timecode snapshots, instrument groups, VCAs, multi-band compression, treatment on multi-tracks

Part 8
10 min Soloist presence, percussion detail, channel input delays, Haas effect on panning & timing

Part 9
19 min Full sound check, equalization, automation cues, sound vs. feeling, valve saturation, conductor communication

Part 10
17 min Mix buss, single vs. multi-band compression, IEMs vs. cabinets, monitor mix alterations, performance style