Faderoom room notes · Original practical guide · 9 November 2026
Start with the room, not the volume.
Put personal bags away, place the microphones where they are useful and check the cable routes. Agree how you will stop together if someone needs to adjust a level. A clear start saves a lot of half-heard conversation.
Build the mix one part at a time.
Let each instrument play a short, representative part. Start with a comfortable level, then bring the vocals in. The goal is to hear what the band is doing together, rather than giving every instrument its loudest possible setting.
Choose a familiar song.
Use a song everyone knows for the first pass. Play a verse and a chorus, then stop and listen to each other’s observations. Ask one specific question: could everyone hear the vocal line, the bass movement or the count-in?
Change one thing, then listen again.
If the answer is unclear, adjust one level or position before trying the same section. Changing everything at once makes it hard to know what helped. Keep a quick note of a useful starting setup for next time.
Move on when it is useful.
A rehearsal soundcheck is a starting point, not a finished recording mix. Once everyone can hear and play comfortably, begin the work you came to do. Leave space for a short break and another check later.