Put simply, live sound engineers have the responsibility of making sure that the artist or band they're working with, are sounding as they should and even a bit better. So, they create a well-balanced mix that can be heard by the audience. This is called the “Front of house (FOH)” mix.

There are two primary roles fulfilled by live mix engineers: front of house engineer and monitor mix engineer. The FOH (front of house) engineer, who works at a mixing board located in the audience, controls the sound heard by the audience through the venue's main speakers.The biggest difference between live sound and studio work is the fact that it's a one time only thing. You can't go again. This pressure teaches harsh lessons when things go wrong. If you've never had the feeling of realising you've messed up, just as it's too late, it's excruciating