Behringer P16 in Worship: Real World Layout Example

Innovative Use of Behringer P16 Monitors at The River Church: A Comprehensive Guide

Introduction

The River Church, with its full band and multiple vocalists, presents a unique challenge in live audio mixing, especially when working with a limited number of channels on the Behringer P16 personal monitors. This article delves into their innovative approach to managing this complexity, ensuring a high-quality audio experience for both vocalists and instrumentalists.

Setup Overview

• Band Composition: The church features six vocalists, acoustic and electric guitars, keys, pads, bass, drums, and playback tracks from multitracks.com.
• Use of Behringer Wing Mixer: The vocalists are mixed via wireless in-ear packs directly from the Behringer Wing, while the backline instruments use Behringer P16 monitors.

Configuring the Behringer P16

• Lead and Background Vocal Channels: The P16 setup includes a lead vocal channel that switches between songs to feature the current lead vocalist, while a separate channel is dedicated to background vocalists.
• Instrument Channels: Direct channels are allocated for acoustic and electric guitars, keys, pads, and bass.
• Drum and Tracks Bus: Drums are mixed into a pre-fader bus, set up by the drummer, while tracks are grouped into a post-fader bus, mirroring the front-of-house mix.
• Click and Guide Channels: The click track and guide (cue) vocals are separated for individual volume control. The guide channel also includes talkback and pastor mics for communication.

Managing Channel Limitations

• Selective Vocal Access: Only the first four vocalists are directly accessible, with the last two generally not leading and therefore not requiring individual control.
• Efficient Grouping: Grouping instruments and tracks into buses allows for more efficient channel usage while providing necessary control over the mix.

Conclusion

The River Church’s approach to using Behringer P16 personal monitors showcases how thoughtful configuration can overcome the limitations of a 16-channel mixer. This setup provides each musician with tailored control over their mix, enhancing both the performance and the overall worship experience.