Brian Petersen

Brian Petersen
FOH, Recording & Mixing Engineer

What projects are you currently working on?

I’m currently working with Walt Harrah and the Songs of Grace community in Los Angeles. I also run sound and recording for Biola concerts and conferences with groups like the King’s Men.

What console do you use?

I currently use a Yamaha M7Cl 48 with the Waves Sound Grid Compact System. At Grace EV Free, I use the M7 console to simultaneously send 32 channels to Pro Tools for live recording in addition to mixing video for web distribution.

What are your favorite Waves plugins?

The SSL Channel Strips and the Renaissance Compressor sound great on anything. They are so musical and yet surgically precise to get exactly the sound I need.
I use the Kramer PIE Compressor and the API 2500 on guitars and the C4 Multiband Compressor on drums.
The blacky CLA-76 is my go-to for kicks, along with the Kramer PIE Compressor for snare.
I use the H-Delay for vocal delays and effects.
DeEsser works great on vocals along with the CLA-2A, and CLA-3A.
My bass has a Kramer HLS Channel to add depth and warmth on the low end.
I love using the PuigChild on my vocal or choir mics and EQ with my SSL E-Channel. It sounds epic on my master buss and really pulls the mix together, adding great punch and smooth top end.

What are some advantages of using Waves plugins?

Waves plugins are a great help since I am constantly moving back and forth from live sound to the studio, and I really benefit from using the same tools in both areas. Waves also provide better quality sound processing than the standard dynamics and sounds in a stock console, by offering modeling and signature sounds of some of my favorite vintage gear which I can now use on a digital live sound console. I grew up engineering on tape and vintage gear, so getting great sounds in the digital realm is a great help in making great music.

What do you see as your main goal for the audience?

I’ve mixed in every venue from a reggae dance club to a church, so it changes with each genre and location. I always hope to ensure that the lyrics can be heard while maintaining a great mix. Of course, that changes for every venue and genre, so it’s important to have the appropriate bass, highs, and energy in a mix for each style of music you are mixing. Engineering in a live worship setting is a unique experience because you have to make room in your mix for thousands of people to sing along to.