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Churchfront Podcast | Michael Keith Lewis

By Luke Jackson, Church Front

As someone deeply involved in the church production world, I’m always looking to learn from professionals who are pushing the boundaries of live audio engineering. Recently, I had the privilege of sitting down with Michael Keith Lewis, a touring front-of-house engineer who has worked with artists like Colony House, Matt Carney, and Jeremy Zucker.

What struck me most about my conversation with Michael wasn’t just his technical expertise, but his philosophy toward audio engineering and his commitment to continuous growth. I’m excited to share some key insights from our discussion that can benefit church tech teams of all sizes.

From Church Keys to Touring Engineer

Michael’s journey began like many of ours—in a church youth group, playing keys and eventually finding himself behind the console when no one else knew how to adjust the monitor mix. A simple question about “finding the aux and turning it up” sparked what would become a lifelong passion.

His early experiences mirror what many of us have encountered in church tech: learning on the fly, figuring out how to terminate ethernet cables, and gradually piecing together an understanding of audio systems through hands-on experience.

What set Michael’s path apart was his willingness to continually step outside his comfort zone. From working small Craigslist gigs to production managing venues like Granada Theater in Dallas, his journey eventually led him to touring with his favorite band—an opportunity that caused him to drop everything else when it came his way.

Thinking Beyond the Console

One concept that particularly resonated with me was what Michael called “thinking beyond the console.” As he explained:

“I’m always trying to figure out ways, little things that I can integrate in my workflow that go beyond just mixing or beyond just pushing a fader… What can I do to make my workflows quicker where I might spend two or three days figuring out this process, but in the long run it’s going to save me two or three days or weeks at a time.”

This approach—looking at the bigger picture beyond just the mix itself—creates opportunities for efficiency and consistency that many church tech volunteers don’t consider. Whether it’s implementing time code, creating macros, or building systems that almost “mix themselves,” these workflow optimizations allow engineers to focus more on creativity and less on repetitive tasks.

Building a Foundation First

When I asked Michael about what church techs should learn first, his answer surprised me. Rather than focusing on the console itself, he emphasized understanding the infrastructure that makes everything work:

“I would love to see more a deeper understanding of what happens before the console, between the console and the speakers, or the full extent of the production.”

He noted that many church volunteers can talk at length about EQ techniques and snare processing, but might not understand fundamental concepts like three-phase power, Soca connections, or how to configure Optocore. This insight reminded me that we often put the cart before the horse in training church volunteers, focusing on the creative aspects before the foundational elements are solid.

Practical Mixing Insights for Church Engineers

Michael shared several practical tips that church tech teams can implement immediately:

1. Start with overheads, not close mics

Rather than spending excessive time soloing and EQing individual drum mics, Michael recommends starting with the overheads to get the overall picture of the kit, then making minimal adjustments to individual mics while keeping the full context in mind.

2. Use subtle saturation instead of heavy compression

Michael prefers adding small amounts of saturation throughout the mix rather than over-compressing everything. This approach maintains dynamics while adding warmth and controlling occasional peaks.

3. Use vocal rider for consistency

For church environments with rotating worship leaders and volunteers at front-of-house, Michael recommends Waves Vocal Rider at the top of the chain to help maintain consistent levels even when gain staging isn’t perfect.

4. Keep it simple with bass

While some engineers create multiple bass channels, Michael finds this overly complex for volunteer environments. Instead, he recommends using well-conceived multi-band compression and saturation to achieve a full bass sound from a single channel.

5. Reference professional recordings

Perhaps his most important advice was to constantly reference professional recordings of similar music. The ability to identify differences between your mix and reference tracks—and understanding how to bridge that gap—is crucial to improving as an engineer.

On Broadcast Mixing

As someone who’s worked extensively in church broadcast environments, I was particularly interested in Michael’s approach to live streaming mixes. He emphasized creating a sense of space through thoughtful reverb choices:

“I tend to really jump between [different reverbs]… I have a bunch of different presets or different AEs that I can throw into really quickly to just try things. I usually like to find a room that matches what the room sounds like.”

This approach of having multiple reverb options readily available allows him to quickly create different vibes for different moments in worship—from intimate acoustic sections to full-band climaxes.

One technique I found fascinating was his approach to stereo imaging in DiGiCo consoles:

“By default, all my effects sends now are always stereo and they’re always reverse linked. So if you hard pan your lead vocal here or one of your vocals here, you get that kind of doubling over here and vice versa.”

These kinds of creative approaches to the broadcast mix can elevate the online worship experience significantly.

Final Thoughts

What I appreciate most about Michael’s perspective is his balance of technical excellence and practical application. He doesn’t get lost in endless tweaking or chasing perfect sounds in isolation. Instead, he focuses on what makes the biggest difference to the overall experience—whether that’s workflow efficiency, appropriate reverb choices, or simply making sure the vocals are clear and consistent.

For church tech teams, the lesson is clear: build a solid foundation of technical knowledge, focus on practical workflows that serve your volunteers well, and remember that the ultimate goal is supporting worship, not creating the perfect snare sound.

I’m grateful for professionals like Michael who freely share their knowledge with the church production community. You can follow him on Instagram at @michaelkeithlewis where he regularly hosts Q&A sessions and shares insights from the road.

Looking to level up your church’s audio production? Visit churchfront.com to access our training resources and consulting services.