Powerful Soundcraft Si Impact Groups Guide: Drum Bus, Parallel Compression & IEM Mixing
Soundcraft Si Impact groups: drum bus control, parallel compression, and IEM mixing workflow.
If you’re mixing worship or live sound on a Soundcraft Si Impact, learning Soundcraft Si Impact groups (also called audio subgroups) is one of the fastest ways to get a cleaner, more controlled mix. Groups help you manage multiple channels together, apply bus processing, and keep things consistent—especially when you’re mixing a full band with drums.
This page is a promo and overview for my new video focused on Soundcraft Si Impact groups, including a practical drum bus approach, a simple explanation of parallel compression, and how groups can support IEM mixing in real-world church setups. It’s designed to be easy to follow for volunteers and useful for experienced engineers.
Soundcraft Si Impact Groups Explained (Audio Groups vs VCAs)
On the Si Impact, audio groups are not the same as VCAs. A VCA is mainly for controlling levels across multiple channels, but Soundcraft Si Impact groups actually route audio through a bus. That means you can use a group when you want shared processing like:
- Bus EQ for a set of channels (like drums or vocals)
- Bus compression to “glue” a section together
- One fader control for an entire section of the mix
In many church environments, that’s a big deal. It helps you avoid “fader chasing” and makes your mix more stable when the band gets louder or the room fills up.
Soundcraft Si Impact Drum Bus with Groups
One of the most common ways to use Soundcraft Si Impact groups is creating a drum bus. Instead of trying to control kick, snare, toms, overheads, and other drum channels independently all service long, you route those drum channels into a single group.
A drum bus group gives you:
- One fader to control the entire kit
- Consistent drum tone through shared bus EQ
- Smoother levels using gentle bus compression
This is especially helpful in worship settings where the drums must stay present but not overpower vocals and spoken word.
Parallel Compression on the Soundcraft Si Impact
Parallel compression is one of the best ways to add body and consistency without crushing your transients. In plain English: you keep your normal drum sound, then blend in a heavily compressed copy underneath it.
In the video, I explain parallel compression in a simple way and show how it applies on the Si Impact workflow. The end result can be:
- Fuller drums at lower volume
- Better punch and consistency
- A drum sound that sits in the mix without taking over
This is a great technique for worship mixes where you want drums to feel big and controlled—without sounding “squashed.”
IEM Mixing Tips Using Soundcraft Si Impact Groups
While mix buses feed your in-ears, Soundcraft Si Impact groups can still make IEM mixing faster and easier. A practical approach is using groups as “stems,” so you can send a controlled drum group or vocal group into multiple IEM mixes.
This can help when:
- You need quick changes during a live service
- You want consistent “more drums / more vocals” control for multiple musicians
- You’re training volunteers and want a simpler monitor workflow
In the video, I keep it practical: what to do, why it helps, and how to think about it in a real church environment.
Watch the Video: Soundcraft Si Impact Groups (Drum Bus, Parallel Compression & IEM Mixing)
Here’s the full video tutorial. If you’re using the Si Impact and want better control over drums and monitor workflow, this is for you:
Internal Links: Start Here if You’re New to the Si Impact
If you haven’t seen my overview yet, start with the Si Impact layout and basics here:
This groups video builds on that foundation and is part of an ongoing Soundcraft Si Impact series.
External Resource: Purchase or Learn More
If you’re looking to buy gear or browse professional audio equipment, you can purchase from: First Street Music & Sound .
Final Thoughts
Once you understand Soundcraft Si Impact groups, your mixes get easier to manage—especially drums, bus processing, and consistent control during worship sets. If you want a clean, repeatable workflow for church audio, this video will help you put the pieces together.
If the video helps you, leave a comment on YouTube and tell me what you’re mixing: drums, vocals, or IEMs. That helps me plan the next tutorials.