Another in our series of tips on how to best get your band ready to make a television appearance.

Come prepared with a Drum Submix! As we mentioned in the previous tip, if your band has a drummer with an acoustic kit, bring a drum miking kit with mic clips and a small mixer like one of the Mackie Onyx series. Keep in mind that the show's console may have a limited amount of available inputs - you might find your kit miked with one mic on the kick, one overhead, and tons of stage bleed. Under these conditions, if your live sound isn't impeccable, the mix will surely suffer. Also, don't expect the FOH engineer to mix your drums for you - it's very difficult to do from the sound booth. Take the time to establish a good drum submix in your practice space and mark the settings (with tape) on the mixer. Not only will the FOH engineer drop to his/her knees and say "We're not worthy!" but you can be assured that they will give you a great overall mix. Also, a submix that's in the ballpark can be much more easily tweaked in post than a simple two- or three-mic mix.