Thoughts from the Field: Mastering Scene Safe & Focus Recall in Digital Mixing Consoles

Spencer Clem, Consultant, CCI Solutions

As a consultant for a church AVL integration company, my job is to continue to refine how I help my clients and partners become more confident and knowledgeable about their AVL systems.  Two of the most powerful yet underutilized features I encounter are “Scene Safe” and “Focus Recall.” These features can make a significant difference in live mixing environments, but a lot of church AVL staff don't use them because they can be complicated or difficult to set up. While you technically can manually achieve what you want without Scene Safes and Focus Recall, you can make your job a lot easier and the outcome a lot more consistent if you learn how to dial these in.

Scene Safes: What You Don’t Want to Recall

Let's start with Scene Safes. Essentially, Scene Safes are the parameters or settings you want to protect when loading the next scene. Imagine you've dialed in the perfect microphone gain or monitor mix. The last thing you want is for those settings to change when you switch scenes. That's where Scene Safes come into play. You can lock in those critical settings, ensuring consistency throughout the service, no matter how many scenes you load.

For example, if your vocal channels are set just right, you can make sure they stay that way even as other aspects of the mix adapt. It's all about preserving what’s essential and letting the rest of the mix work its magic. This is especially useful in live performances where consistency is key, and you don't want to risk messing up something as crucial as microphone levels.

Focus Recall: What You Do Want to Recall

Related, Focus Recall allows you to zero in on specific elements of a scene—just the parts you want to change. Instead of loading every parameter within a scene, you can recall specific parameters of specific channels, like a group of channels, effects, or fader levels. Once you’ve dialed in your Focus Recall settings, it can be a lifesaver when you need to make quick adjustments during live events.

For instance, say you need to fade in and out of pre-service music. Instead of manually adjusting multiple channels, you can simply put it all in a scene that only recalls the fader positions. Everything else remains unaffected. This targeted recall not only simplifies the process but also keeps things running smoothly without interrupting the flow of the service.

Real-Life Applications: Simplifying the Complex

The beauty of Scene Safes and Focus Recall is that they offer flexibility without sacrificing the fundamentals. They allow you to be creative while maintaining a consistent starting point. This is particularly helpful when you’re dealing with different band members or instruments week to week. Take drummers, for example—each one might have their own settings. With Focus Recall, you can easily adjust the necessary parameters without overhauling the entire mix. For example, instead of recalling every channel individually for the drums, you can do it with a scene instead.

But there's a catch—these features can be complicated, and if not used correctly, they can cause more confusion for people who don’t understand how they work. That's why it's important to make things as simple as possible. If your console is already organized, these tools can be a game-changer. However, if you're constantly changing things on the fly, you might want to tread carefully.

One thing I always tell clients is this: before you try anything new, make sure you save your previous work. Before you start, save your show file to a USB drive and upload it to the cloud for future reference. We learn by making mistakes and it is a good safety net to make for yourself!

The Takeaway: Consistency is Key

Ultimately, Scene Safes and Focus Recall are about achieving consistency week after week. Whether you’re working with a rotating group of musicians, navigating dynamic scene changes, or trying to maintain a polished sound throughout a service, these features can help you stay on top of your mix. And if you’re not familiar with these tools, it might be time to explore them—because they can make a large difference.

At CCI, we’re here to help you navigate these complexities. Whether it’s through system tuning or hands-on training, we work with your sound techs to make sure your console is set up in a way that makes sense to your team and your service. After all, the goal is to make your worship team sound great, every time.

So, if you find yourself constantly making manual updates to achieve a consistent mix, Scene Safes and Focus Recall could be your new best friends. And remember, consistency is key—once you’ve got that locked in, everything else will fall into place.

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CCI Solutions is a national church technology integration company. For more than four decades, we have been using technology to empower church leaders to deliver engaging experiences and connect with their congregations. CCI Solutions partners with churches - incorporating industry-leading technologies - to design, engineer and install audio, video, lighting solutions uniquely designed for every congregation. 

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