One of Sweetwater's many forays into the world of audio and recording is to provide remote recording services for Nightshift, a local television comedy/reality show (that happens to be the number one-rated late-night show in the area, winning in it's time slot over Leno and Letterman). Here are 10 tech tips for performing live music on television.

You've managed to get your band booked on a top-rated regional television show (much like the one Sweetwater sponsors), so along with the exposure, you'll have a DVD copy of your performance to help you climb the ladder to national success. The question is: will your performance demonstrate that you have what it takes to move up to the big leagues? Being prepared makes all the difference when it comes to putting your best foot forward. By the way, these tips are valid for any venue, not just television.

1. The first thing to be aware of is that you are performing on television, not in a club &mdash do not play at extreme volumes! Television shows with live audiences have a number of ambience mics set up to record audience response. A backline of stage amps and monitors cranking out at full volume will be picked up by the audience mics. When the show is mixed, the result will be a hollow, boxy, muddy sound due to phase cancellation when the audience mics are put up in the mix. Remember, you're not trying to fill a dance floor; you want the best live sound your band is capable of. Don't worry about audience response &mdash there'll be plenty of whooping and hollering when the applause lights come on.