Here are some thoughts on doing virtual sound check if you don’t have a DiGiCo or Avid digital console at your disposal.
Disclaimer: This is not going to be exhaustive. There are hundreds of hardware/software combinations that will get you the same result. These are some ideas only.
Also, it should be noted that “cheap” is a relative term. All of these solutions are going to cost money, real money.
However, if you church is serious about raising the level of audio technician performance, it’s money well spent. On we go…
First, let’s define “virtual sound check.” It is simply the ability to record the band with each channel on it’s own track and then being able to play that recording back, in place through the same channels on your console.
To illustrate with a very primitive example, let’s say your “band” is a worship leader with an acoustic guitar. To facilitate virtual sound check, you would need a way to record the vocals and guitar on separate tracks, and you want those sources to come off the board before any EQ or dynamics.
Typically, you’re using direct outputs or the insert outputs. When you get ready to practice, you do a little patching (in software or hardware) and play back that recording through the same channels you use if the worship leader and his guitar were live in the room.
One thing should be immediately apparent here; the bigger your band (and the more sources you have), the more elaborate the system you’re going to need for virtual sound check. If you are running 30-40 inputs every weekend, this post is really not for you as that system is not going to be cheap.
Rather, I’m focusing on those who run fewer than 24 channels per weekend (a number that is not arbitrary, as you’ll see in a minute) and using an analog board. Here are a few ways to get it done.
Audio Interface(s)
The simplest way of doing this job is with a USB or more likely a FireWire interface such as the M-Audio ProFire 2626, a Focusrite Saffire Pro 40 or similar interface with 8 analog inputs and 8 analog outputs.
The first thing you’ll notice when shopping for an interface is that manufacturers get very creative in the way they count I/O. For example, the ProFire 2626 is listed as having 26 inputs and 26 outputs, which it does. But only 8 of them are analog.
M-Audio ProFire 2626
And if you’re using an analog console, that’s all you care about. If you have a digital console with ADAT I/O, you gain you an additional set of 8 useable channels.
Now, the catch here is that there aren’t any interfaces with more than 8 channels of analog I/O (at least I can’t find any). So that means if you’re running 12 channels of audio, 4 get left behind. Unless you get creative. You might ask why you can’t just connect two 8-channel interfaces to your computer and send those inputs to your recording software.
The issue is that most DAW software won’t support multiple I/O devices simultaneously. If your DAW of choice doesn’t support multiple I/O devices, there is a workaround, at least on the Mac.
In Audio/MIDI settings, you can create what’s called an Aggregate Device, which allows you to create a virtual device that is made up of two or more actual devices. You then chose the Aggregate Device as your I/O source in your DAW, and all the inputs and outputs on all devices that make up the Aggregate Device are available to the DAW.
So an example system might be made up of two Focusrite Saffire Pro 40 interfaces combined into an aggregate device and recorded using Reaper on a Mac Mini. That would give you 16 channels of recording and playback for around $1500, give or take. That seems pretty reasonable; at least until you consider the next option.
Focusrite Saffire Pro40
Hard Disk-Based Recorders
There exist on the market a couple of hard drive-based recorders, most notably the Alesis HD24. This little 3-rack-space wonder is capable of recording or playing back 24 tracks of 48 hHz, 24-bit audio.
The HD24 has 24 channels of analog I/O (plus 24 channels of ADAT I/O) and costs about $1600. Really, this is the way to go. It requires no computer, is simple to set up and operate and is rock-solid reliable. Add 24 channels of TRS patch cables and you’re done.
Alesis HD24
Other options include the Tascam X-48, which is a full-blown 24 channel workstation (and almost $5,000) and the excellent, but somewhat pricey JoeCo BlackBox, which will set you back almost $3,000 by the time you add a drive.
JoeCo BlackBox
Caveats
There are a few caveats with any of these solutions. First, if your board has direct outputs, it’s a fairly simple matter to patch those direct outs to the inputs of whatever recording solution you use.
Getting back in, however, will require some re-patching. You’ll want to pull your mic inputs, and patch the outputs from the recorder or interface(s) into the Line Inputs on your console.
If you don’t have direct outs, you’ll need to use the inserts. One cool thing about the JoeCo BlackBox is that the inputs are normaled back out to the outputs during every operation except playback.
That means that for recording (or just sitting there), the insert signal is returned and you can continue to use the board normally. When you hit “Play,” it opens the normal and sends the recorded signal back to the return on the board. From a user interface standpoint, that’s really nice. However, it will cost you twice what an HD24 costs…
When using the inserts, you will likely need to push the cables into the console until the first click. An insert jack is a TRS (tip, ring, sleeve) connector, so it has 3 contact points. Most consoles use the ring as the send, so if you push a TS cable in to the first click, you get the equivalent of a direct out (albeit an unbalanced one). Pushing it in all the way will interrupt the signal, so you’ll only do that on playback.
Using inserts is going to mean a fair amount of patching and some experimenting, so don’t decide to try this out at 8:50 on Sunday morning.
Once you get the system up and running like you want, start recording your services in all their multi-track glory. Then during the week, you can practice and experiment just like the band is there, only they aren’t.
Keep in mind, you won’t have any acoustic energy coming from the stage, so things like drums and vocals will be a little different. But this is still a great tool for training and experimenting with various processor settings.
Like I said, this isn’t exhaustive; I only intended to give a few examples. Hopefully though, it will get you thinking about how you can implement a virtual sound check system in your church.
Mike Sessler is the Technical Director at Coast Hills Community Church in Aliso Viejo, CA. He has been involved in live production for over 20 years and is the author of the blog, Church Tech Arts . He also hosts a weekly podcast called Church Tech Weekly on the TechArtsNetwork.
Unit Audio Announces Affordable New Line Of Passive Summing Mixers
Unit Audio has introduced the Milli-Unit and Micro-Unit, two new 8-input by 2-output compact passive summing mixers for studio/recording applications.
Both units are outfitted with eight balanced line-level inputs and two balanced microphone level outputs, all with Neutrik TRS connectors.
Input impedance is 20 Kohms, while output impedance is 220 ohms. Resistors are hand-selected, metered Xicon 1/4-watt, with 1 percent tolerance.
The units are hand-wired at the company’s headquarters in Nashville, TN, and are housed in rugged aluminum cases.
The Micro-Unit is also outfitted with two pan switches that allow for placing channels 1 and 2 in monaural (center), or hard left (channel 1), or hard right (channel 2).
“Is analog summing going to make your recordings sound like a Nashville studio with a billion dollars worth of equipment? Probably not, but you will notice a difference in your mixes using a Unit Audio summing mixer,” states Terry Auger, Unit Audio design engineer.
“Loosely quoting Shakespeare, one might say ‘To analog sum or not to analog sum?’” Auger continues. “This has been a point of controversy with digital recording for quite some time. With modern DAW software, mixing within the computer has resulted in some great sounding recordings, but I have long been intrigued by the concept of analog summing. I was not prepared to pay $800 or more to test that theory, so I engineered and built my own.
“Then to test the theory, I set out to see if there was any difference in the mixed sound. Much to my amazement and pleasure, I did notice a subtle but very pleasing difference in the stereo separation and placement of the instruments compared to my ‘in the box’ mixes.”
The Milli-Unit is priced at $149, while the Micro-Unit carries a price of $189. Both units can be ordered directly from the company website.
Church Sound Files: The Reason For “Bad Sound” May Not Be The Sound System
Three factors, roughly equal importance, play the key role in good sound - and “two out of three” isn’t good enough
Many things around us are getting better. Computers are faster, televisions have more resolution, and dishwashers are quieter and more powerful than ever.
But with all of our digital wiz-bang processors, technology has been unable to eradicate “bad sound.” Why is this so? This short piece is an attempt to shed some light on three possible causes, two of which have been completely unaffected by the technological revolution.
The goal of most sound reinforcement systems is to deliver high quality sound reproduction to the listener. While we would like to think that a high quality sound system guarantees this, it does not.
The quality of the reproduced sound will only be as good as the weakest link in the reproduction chain. Let’s examine some of the major “links” individually.
The Room
The room is a major factor in the reproduction chain. Most large spaces are hostile environments for sound systems, unless they have received special attention from a professional and a considerable financial investment from their owner. Good acoustics doesn’t just “happen.” It is the by-product of careful planning.
A quality sound system may radiate an exceptionally high-fidelity sound field into the room. Unfortunately, most of the radiated energy will create acoustic events that detract from the listening experience. While small rooms have their share of acoustic problems, these problems pale next to the late reflections, reverberation, and energy build-ups encountered in large spaces.
If your sound system doesn’t sound good, ask yourself the question “What have I done to provide a good acoustic environment?” If the answer is “nothing,” then you got what you paid for.
The Sound System
Of course, a good sound system is a vital link in the reproduction chain. But this doesn’t just mean expensive equipment. It means that equipment that is suitable for the environment has been selected and implemented by someone who understands the compromises involved in large room reinforcement systems. Money can be wasted on “features” that offer no real benefit for the large room environment.
The vast majority of auditoriums that I have visited are not suitable for multi-channel formats such as stereo, surround sound, etc. since each channel must be delivered to all listener seats. Loudspeaker placements that are optimal for stereo reproduction are horrible choices for single-channel systems.
Even with monaural systems, “first choice” loudspeaker placements often create problems with sight lines and aesthetics, and are therefore ruled out by venue owners. Multiple loudspeakers must overlap somewhere, and there will be sound problems in these areas.
A properly designed system will often sound bad in the aisles – the very place where casual onlookers will stand to evaluate it. We all have good sound at home, but the rules change as the listening space grows. Intuition that is not filtered through the proper large-room principles leads to errors.
Sound system designers are often forced to compromise away the performance of the system to make it fit aesthetic concerns, budget limitations, and fashion trends within the industry.
The Operator
I’ve intentionally saved this one until last. The most overlooked link in the chain is the end user of the system. This includes the mixer operator and any supporting staff, such as those who run the monitors and place microphones.
A monitor system that is too loud will dump excessive energy (usually low/mid frequency) into the audience area. This excess energy will upset the spectral balance of house sound system, tempting the front-of-house operator to compensate by over equalizing (usually in the form of high frequency boost). This results in a reduction in gain-before-feedback and an unnatural sounding system. Microphone placement is equally critical, as is an understanding of the shortcomings of various miking techniques.
If a lapel mic could sound like a hand-held, then no one would use hand-helds. The overhead drum mic that captures the cymbals also captures the stage monitors and “spill” from other instruments, as does the vocal mic used at arm’s length. And that “mellow” bass guitar sound that the musician likes in the practice hall turns to “mush” in a large space, where increased definition provided by the use of a pick and brighter strings may be required.
These factors and many more “eat away” at the sound quality of the system as a whole. A good mixer operator will evaluate and optimize the sound of the instruments individually before allowing the band to perform as an ensemble. There’s no room for democracy here – effective mixer operators learn to say “no” and “be quiet.”
A question that I recommend for an interview of prospective mix personnel would be “What will you do if something starts to squeal?” If the answer is anything other than “Turn the offending channel down slightly until I figure out what the problem is” move on to your next applicant. Filters implemented in desperation do nothing to preserve sound quality.
Modern mixing consoles pack a considerable “wow factor.” It’s fashionable to sit behind a large one and move knobs all of the time. But doing so doesn’t make one an engineer. Completing an accredited academic program or piloting a locomotive does. The decision as to which console to purchase is often made with no consideration as to whether anyone at the facility will be able to operate it. The result? Bad sound.
I have personally witnessed the performance of many good sound systems ruined by bad rooms and incompetent operators. I have also seen skilled operators “salvage” the sound reproduction in situations where the room and system were less than optimal.
The performance of a sound system is only as good as its weakest link. Unfortunately, all of the links that I have mentioned are of roughly equal importance, meaning that “two out of three” isn’t good enough. Good sound requires all three.
Experienced, well-trained audio people realize this and are there to help you find your weakest link. Pay for their advice and follow it.
Pat & Brenda Brown lead SynAudCon, conducting audio seminars and workshops around the world. Synergetic Audio Concepts (SynAudCon) has been a leader in audio education since 1973. With nearly 15,000 “graduates” worldwide, SynAudCon is dedicated to teaching the basics of audio and acoustics. For more information, go to http://www.synaudcon.com
The real art of audio, or, I mean the real science of audio, is...
One of my favorite sayings: “Audio is an art that everyone thinks is a science, and audio is a science that everyone thinks is an art.”
There’s no doubt that delivering an accurate (not to mention good-sounding) mix without missed cues is the right blend of both art and science.
Knowing the science helps in setting up the mix and making sure that everything is routed properly and the right things plugged in to the right parts of the system.
Knowing the art helps to creatively bring all of the various sounds from the instruments and singers together to deliver a pleasing sound without any distractions.
If that title were true, I would not be here writing this, and the unfortunate thing is that I would be dead from self-inflicted wounds! Over the years I’ve found that I can usually attribute the reason for the bad sound that I’ve mixed to one word: anticipation.
On the science side, anticipation means:
1) Being generally prepared, having the right tools, and being aware of what is going on at the event.
2) Check over the system to make sure everything is working.
3) Check all the inputs to make sure they are working and patched correctly.
4) Visually reviewing the board, making sure things are routed were they are supposed to be, the channel EQs are on and aren’t set too crazy, etc.
5) Having a backup emergency microphone on stage that everyone knows to go to if his/her particular mic fails.
And on the art side of things:
1) Thinking ahead, planning to boost the levels for solos.
2) Keeping my eyes on the stage to make sure mics are turned on ahead of people speaking.
3) Having my headphones handy so I can pfl channels to check anything, and quickly.
4) Being in tune with that is going on so I can react quickly to any changes that occur.
5) Having my cue sheet or order of service right next to me and then read ahead and mentally prepare for the next event on the sheet.
6) Listening to the worship songs ahead of time to hear what the original recordings sound like.
7) Knowing where the backup emergency mic is patched and being prepared to use it for any surprise events (unplanned testimony) or mic failures.
Obviously anticipation alone doesn’t guarantee a great mix - you still need to have the fundamentals down. But it does greatly increase the potential of having an error-free service or event.
So there you have it. The real art of audio, or, I mean the real science of audio, is… well, in both cases, it’s anticipation.
Cue the Carly Simon…
Gary Zandstra is a professional AV systems integrator with Parkway Electric and has been involved with sound at his church for more than 25 years.
Compact iLive Selected For Stripped Down Rodrigo Y Gabriella Tour
Internationally renowned guitar duo, Rodrigo Y Gabriella, recently embarked on their EU tour, cutting out the big production and stripping back to just two people and two guitars. Performing in a handful of intimate venues across Europe, the tour also carried a compact Allen & Heath iLive digital system, comprising the iDR-16 MixRack and iLive-R72 rackmount Control Surface, with a Dante audio interface card for virtual soundcheck.
“We kept all the gear down to just what we could carry,” comments production manager, Mike Taylor. “You might think that two guitarists can’t need much but we didn’t want to compromise quality just because we had to fly from venue to venue. Both Rodrigo and Gabriella have two set-ups each - a full electric and an acoustic - so in reality we are taking 4 guitar rigs. We are carrying a total of 9 cases of guitars and production equipment, plus luggage, so ‘small’’ was the watch word for this tour. Allen & Heath has nailed it with this iLive system - there is absolutely no compromise, not even slightly!”
As well as being compact, FOH engineer, David Marchant, also wanted a desk that he could call on at a moment’s notice, and supplement what was in-house.
“Rodrigo and Gabriela are extremely high energy and dynamic. We needed a small desk with a big desk capability and we certainly found that in the iLive-R72,” explains Taylor. “We have been turning up at venues and putting our small desk next to these big format analogue consoles and hearing a few sniggers from the local crew but that all stops the second the sound kicks in!”
We managed monitors and FOH from the same console, and also a number of matrix outputs for additional areas. Using inputs and outputs on both the Surface and MixRack we were able to adapt to everything the venues threw at us,” he concludes.
Rodrigo Y Gabriella will return to Europe and on to the US in 2012 with their project “C.U.B.A”, performing all of their hits with a full Cuban band.
New Pivitec e32 Personal Mixer Provides 32-Channel Ethernet AVB Capability
Introduced at the NAMM 2012 Show, the new Pivitec e32 personal mixer is a 32-channel Ethernet AVB “listener” endpoint that can be used to build a stereo mix up to 32 channels of network audio sources that can then be controlled wirelessly from iPhone, iPod touch or iPad using Pivitec’s V2Mix app for iOS.
The e32 features a high-output headphone amp loud enough to work in loud stage environments as well as stereo line outputs for driving other devices, such as wireless IEMs, power amplifiers or powered loudspeakers.
Both are driven by a 24-bit/48-kHz digital to analog converter.
A built-in DSP provides three bands of EQ on each audio channel as well as a stereo three-band EQ and limiter on the master outputs.
The e32 also includes a “local” stereo line level input for connecting an MP3 player or click track for local listening.
Features: —Stereo line level outputs on 1/4-inch TRS connectors —High-output headphone amplifier —Local 3.5mm line level input —Rugged extruded aluminum chassis with black anodized finish —Wireless control from Pivitec’s V2Mix App for iPhone & iPad —Power from external 48VDC supply or PoE (802.11af) —Made in USA
As an integral component in the Pivitec Audio Networking product family, the e32 is an ideal complement for the e16i input module. Multiple e16i and e32 units can be utilized to builde a personal monitor mixing system.
Four e32s can be rack mounted in a single 1U rack, or a microphone stand adapter can be deployed for local mounting.
We’ve all been in a fix from time to time when we needed to sum two audio signals into one.
Much of the time, we need to convert a stereo signal into mono.
The other situation is typically when you need to add the outputs of two mixing boards together, summing the left, right, effects and monitor outputs into common lines so that two boards act as one large mixer.
For a church situation it could be that you need to add a “side-car” console beside your main mixing board so you can plug in another eight mics for the youth Christmas show, or perhaps add a temporary console to handle wireless mic inputs for your Passion Play.
The quick but incorrect fix is to plug everything together with “Y” cords from Radio Shack, jamming two outputs into one with typically disastrous results. If the output drivers of the gear to be summed have build-out resistors, sometimes this will work.
But most semi-pro and pro audio gear is designed around a 600-ohm output stage. If you attempt to combine most pieces of gear this way, bad things can happen, the simplest being a large signal imbalance between the two pieces of equipment.
In some cases severe oscillations and signal distortion will result, with possible circuit failure. Yes, you can blow up the outputs of a mixing board this way, so don’t use simple Y-cables to combine them.
Mackie used to sell a very nice active bus mixer called Mixer Mixer, which did individual buffering and allowed for master volume controls to be added where desired. But that’s been a decade or more so don’t be looking on Craig’s List for Mixer Mixer.
Time to build your own. My original Bus’tr I built back in 1990 isn’t quite so fancy: I designed it into fit in an aluminum project box with 1/4-inch phone jacks and 680-ohm build-out resistors. To use it, you just hook the outputs of anything you want to mix together into two of the jacks, and the signal comes out the third jack, simple as that.
You can modify Bus’tr to sum as many separate channels as you like, from two to dozens of buses are possible. Don’t try to make it something its not. By modifying it to allow more than two signals to be summed into a common output, the losses become too great very quickly.
I usually build my own Bus’tr boxes with eight sets of inputs, allowing me to combine all of the functions of two mixing boards to feed my graphic equalizers and crossovers. There will be a 3 dB insertion loss the two boards because of the passive summing, but normally you’ve got lots of extra signal, so losing a little output won’t hurt you a bit.
Notice that all three jacks have a build-out resistor, allowing any two jacks to act as an input. Also, since this is a purely passive circuit, you can use this box to route a single channel into two outputs, while adding 680 ohms in line. This won’t affect the signal at all, except under some conditions of very long line runs.
You can substitute RCA jacks for the 1/4-inch jacks if desired, just be sure that the equipment you’re hooking together is rated at 600 ohm or less output impedance. Higher impedances can be made to work by substituting a large resistor value, but I’ve never encountered a modern piece of musical gear where this is necessary.
Also, if you want to keep your signal balanced using TRS (Tip Ring Sleeve) or even XLR jacks, all you need to do is duplicate the same resistor trio on the “Ring” circuits for TRS or Cold-minus (pin 3) on XLR circuits.
(click to enlarge)
The actual value of the summing resistors isn’t too critical, with anything from 220 ohms to 1,000 ohms probably working just fine (just keep all three resistors in a stack equal) and even 1/8 watt resistors should work just fine.
You can find resistors like these in five-packs for a buck or two at Radio Shack or Allied Electronics, so even without raiding your junk box,
Bus’tr only costs about $5 a channel in parts to build, so this is a cheap and easy project. A fancy Bus’tr in a nice aluminum case shouldn’t set you back more than a couple of Jacksons.
I always keep Bus’tr handy in my gig box for those times when I’ve got to hook up a second mixing board in an emergency, feed a press mult when I don’t have an extra output on the board, or simply make stereo into mono for a delay stack, and it has never let me down.
There are no batteries to wear out, no possibility of overloading active circuits with excessive signal levels and no induced noise.
Plus it’s cheap to build. What’s not to like?
Mike Sokol works with the HOW-TO ASSIST Tour (Academy of Sound System Integration, Setup & Troubleshooting) which provides sound and electrical contractors and sound system installers with the best possible training on how to setup, integrate and troubleshoot live sound systems of any size. Find out more here.
New Mackie DL1608, A 16-Channel Digital Mixer With iPad Control (Video Added)
At the NAMM 2012 Show, Mackie introduced the DL1608, which combines a full-featured digital mixer with the ease and mobility of an iPad.
The DL 1608 incorporates 16 Onyx mic preamps and 24-bit Cirrus Logic AD/DA converters. Wired to wireless iPad control allows mixing from anywhere in the venue. The DL1608 supports up to 10 iPad devices.
The package also includes plug-ins like EQ, dynamics, effects and more.
DL1608 Features:
• 16 Onyx mic preamps
• High-end Cirrus Logic converters
• Low-noise, high-headroom design
• 6 aux sends for monitor mixes
• Master L/R output for mains
Built-In Processing
• Powerful, touch-sensitive plug-ins
• 4-band EQ, gate and compression on inputs
• 31-band GEQ and comp/limiter on outputs
• Global reverb and delay
Wireless Mixing
• Seamless wired to wireless mixing
• Tune the room from anywhere
• Get on stage to ring out monitors
• Personal monitor mixing
• Use up to 10 iPad devices simultaneously
Control From iPad
• Intuitive Master Fader app
• “Grow and Glow” visual feedback
• Preset and snapshot recall
• Record the mix to the iPad for instant sharing
• Integrate music from any app into the mix
Install Features
• PadLock feature locks down iPad for permanent installs
• Kensington lock secures mixer
• Compact footprint—5.5-in x 11.5-in x 3.9-in, 6.9 pounds
Peavey Debuts New PVi 8500 & PVi 6500 Powered Mixers
At the NAMM 2012 Show, Peavey Electronics introduced the new PVi 8500 and PVi 6500, both 400-watt powered mixers that combine staples of the company’s proprietary technologies with modern amenities such as an input dock for iPhone and iPod.
Eight combination XLR and 1/4-inch inputs (six on the PVi 6500) based on proprietary high-quality, low-noise Silencer mic preamps provide versatility and clear audio reproduction, while proprietary Mid-Morph EQ control improves the tone and clarity of vocals and complements the low and high EQ bands by boosting high-mids or cutting low-mids.
Both models feature a 9-band graphic EQ that is assignable to the main or monitor output as well as the patented FLS Feedback Locating System, which makes accurate feedback elimination simple and intuitive.
Kosmos-C technology provides spectrum enhancement to both the low and high end of the frequency range, while the foot-switchable 24-bit digital effects section includes multiple varieties of rich, highly detailed reverb and delay.
Dual power amplifiers provide 400 watts total, with independent level control and parallel (main and monitor outputs) or stereo (both amps on main output) operation. Users can connect virtually any audio device to this versatile mixer via the onboard 1/4-inch, RCA and 1/8-inch mini jacks.
Features: —400 watts (dual 200W power sections, assignable with independent control) —Eight input channels (PVi 8500) or six input channels (PVi 6500) —Patented FLS Feedback Locating System —Exclusive Mid-Morph EQ —Onboard 24-bit digital effects —Combination XLR and 1/4-inch input jacks —Selectable 9-Band Graphic EQ for Mains or Monitors —Patented Kosmos-C low frequency and spectrum enhancement system —Master Mute —Phantom Power —Foot-switchable effects defeat and Master Mute —Input dock for iPod and iPhone devices —RCA and 1/8-inch media input —RCA record output —LED Meter bridge —Power amp subsonic filtering —25 pounds (11 kg) for both models —U.S. MSRP $399.99 (PVi 8500); $329.99 (PVi 6500)
The Peavey PVi 8500 and PVi 6500 will be available in Q3 2012 from authorized Peavey retailers.
Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the PM200 analog mixer and the 25th anniversary of the launch of the DMP7 digital mixer, Yamaha officially launches a premium mixer series with the debut of the new MGP12X and 16X analog mixers.
They incorporate proprietary DSP that provides Ducker, Leveler, and Stereo Image functions.
The MGP Editor app for iPhone/iPod Touch will allow access to further detailed parameter editing of DSP functions of the Ducker, Leveler, REV-X and SPX effects. The app will be available free of charge on Apple iTunes.
The MGP analog sound starts with a discrete Class-A mic pre-amp with an inverted Darlington circuit design. Utilizing Yamaha’s proprietary X-pressive EQ, the MGP mixer captures the ultimate analog sound by reproducing unique frequency characteristics of sought-after classic EQ circuits.
High resolution Yamaha REV X and SPX EQ effects modules are also integrated for additional processing.
At the heart of the MGP’s configuration, a new and innovative approach has been taken to utilize digital technology within the MGP analog mixer by adding iPod/iPhone integration via onboard USB for direct digital playback and charging. The functionality of the Stereo Hybrid Channel adds warmth and musicality to the mixer’s premium analog sound.
“Our customers who prefer the ultimate in analog sound at the level of the MGP have played an important role in this mixer coming to market,” says Marc Lopez, marketing manager, Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems. “The MG line and our new MGP premium mixer will continue to capitalize on our 40+ years of experience in development of renowned analog mixers combined with the impact we have made over the past 25 years in digital products.”
Each MGP has two FX sends, two AUX sends, four Group Buses and a Stereo output.
The 12-channel MGP12X features six mic inputs and12 Line inputs (four Mono + four Stereo), while the 16-channel MGP16X offers 10 Mic inputs and 16 Line inputs (eight Mono + four Stereo).
All mic inputs have individual phantom power and HPF options and each input channel features the renowned 1-knob compressor and 3–band X-pressive EQ with sweepable mid band.
The MGP mixers are housed in a rugged metal chassis with optimized internal construction for minimal noise, integrated rack ears for rack-mounting for fixed installations, and a multi-voltage, internal power supply that allows for worldwide use in any region using 100V-240V.
The new Yamaha MGP mixers will be available this spring at an MSRP of $829 for the MGP12X and $999 for the MGP16X.
Mackie Increases Mixer Performance With New Op-Amp Design
Mackie has announced a partnership with New Japan Radio Corporation to develop a new op-amp exclusively for Mackie mixers.
The new M-80 op-amp performs exceptionally well, offering low noise, high drive and class-leading channel separation.
Implementation into the existing Onyx, VLZ3 and ProFX series mixers is currently in progress.
“We are exceedingly happy with the design from New Japan Radio,” remarks Nathan O’Neill, VP engineering for LOUD’s MG Group. “The M-80 op-amp improves both channel separation and stereo field clarity, making multi-track recordings and stereo mixdowns more realistic.
“Our mixer designs are never final. If there is a way to improve performance, we will always follow that path.”
The M-80 op-amp is an improved version of the NJM4580, utilizing additional technology derived from NJR’s flagship “MUSES” series sound op-amps.
In Profile: Front Of House Mixer Dave Natale, Presenting Artists As They Are
A look at a career in sound that includes mixing The Rolling Stones, Mötley Crüe, Fleetwood Mac, Van Halen, and many more
Beyond technical expertise and experience, Dave Natale stresses that one of the most important qualities a front of house mixer should possess is knowing how to deal with people.
“Now, anybody who knows me and reads that will say, ‘Yeah. Your people skills… Great,” he laughs, admitting that he can be blunt with co-workers at times, but adding that talking around a problem doesn’t help anyone. “You have to tell people straight up what’s going on.”
Natale’s ability to strip a problem down to basics, and adopt a course of action based on common sense, has been a key driver in his career.
Given that he’s worked for many of the biggest acts in the world in his 30-plus years in pro audio, it’s an approach that appears to work very well, and informs both his preferences for who he works with, as well as his insistence on using analog gear, whenever possible.
“You’re only as good as your crew. It doesn’t matter how well you mix if the system isn’t put up by people who know what they’re doing and have a good work ethic. The guys that fly the system, run cable, mic the stage - they deserve most of the credit. It’s a ‘no recognition, no glory’ existence. It’s also not an easy life. You go to work at 8 am, work through meals, or eat standing up, until the last bit of gear is on the trucks at midnight – if you’re lucky.”
Getting Involved
Natale’s approach to mixing is equally succinct. “People don’t come to hear me mix, they come to hear the act. I want to present artists as they are. Hopefully, I’m just turning up what they’re doing.”
It’s an outlook rooted in his early experience as a teen playing drums in a band from his hometown of Camp Hill, PA. “Basically I’m trying to make it sound like it did when I was sitting in the middle of it.”
When he started losing interest in the material the band was playing, he offered to find them a drummer, but stayed on to mix their sound. “I didn’t know anything about audio, but I still wanted to be involved.”
Eventually, he began working for a Lancaster, PA-based band and relocated to their home base in his early 20s, which ultimately led to his long-time association with Clair Brothers. “Roy and Gene Clair came to see the band and I guess they thought that the mix sounded particularly good, because when I went for a job at Clair Brothers, they remembered me.”
He started out as a warehouse foreman, building cabinets for the company’s S4 system and learning how everything worked from the inside out. It was Roy Clair, Natale says, who brought him out on his first big tour, as a system tech for Yes.
“I owe a lot to Roy. He’s the guy that initially hired me and put his reputation on the line suggesting to people that I mix them. Two or three years on, when Yes became Asia, they asked Roy for a recommendation. He said ‘you should get this guy,’ and now I’m here.”
Immediate Attention
Throughout the 1980s, Natale mixed some of the most successful acts of the time, from pop icon Olivia Newton-John to “southern fried” rock bands like .38 Special. He often did double duty, acting as crew chief and mixing front of house, with the only role he flatly refused to take on was monitors.
“In no way do monitor guys get enough credit,” he states. “You have immediate attention from the band - if you screw up, they know instantaneously, especially now with IEM. And now, monitor guys are doing 12 or more stereo mixes, while I’m out there doing one.”
Natale left Clair Brothers in 1987 to work with Van Halen. “I either needed – or wanted – to work with them. Probably both. Clair didn’t do them, so I called up (the band’s sound company) Audio Analysts.”
After fulfilling that wish, he returned to Clair Brothers in 1990 and continued to serve the acts he’d toured with previously, as well as Prince, Bush and others. He also mixed high profile television events such as The Grammys and the MTV Video Awards.
In 2000, he decided to go the free-lance route, exclusively, having come to a point where he wanted more freedom to choose his gigs. Although it put pressure on him to find work, it also opened up fresh opportunities, including a diverse assortment of tours with Lionel Richie, Fleetwood Mac, Liza Minnelli, Mötley Crüe, and The Rolling Stones.
Telling The Story
Natale believes that agonizing over recreating the sound of a band’s record is far less important than presenting the band as they actually sound, on stage, as accurately and powerfully as possible. And when someone takes issue with that approach?
“You must hear and be able to understand the vocals. They’re telling the story,” he says. “That’s probably the one component of a song everyone knows. They should occupy the top space of the mix. When the vocal isn’t happening, something else needs to occupy that space in the mix, so you figure out what that is and turn it up. When the vocal starts again, you turn down whatever you turned up, so you can hear the vocal again. There’s nothing mind-bending about it.
Mixing Tina Turner at Madison Square Garden in the early 1990s. (click to enlarge)
“In my opinion,” he continues, “trying to recreate the album mix live is a bit redundant. If you’re looking to hear a studio mix, save yourself a couple hundred bucks, sit at home, listen to the CD and have a couple of beers. Live, it has to be punchy, huge and exciting, a bit exaggerated. You have to present the band as if they’re 15 feet tall, especially in a giant venue.” Some bands – The Rolling Stones, for example – make that easier than most. “They don’t need my help,” he adds.
It’s not always basic, of course. During Mötley Crüe’s 2005 tour, he had to mic some out of the ordinary instruments, including a beer keg drum kit and the Harley Davidsons the band rode on stage.
Although the roster of artists Natale has worked with is incredibly diverse, his approach to mixing them doesn’t vary that much. “Again, it’s common sense; obviously, Liza Minnelli wouldn’t sound right with the kick drum punch of Mötley Crüe.” So the sonic choices he makes are based entirely on what’s best for that particular artist, at that particular show.
Level Of Comfort
Natale still equalizes his systems with the same Sheffield Labs direct to disc recording of James Newton Howard and Friends that he’s used for years: “because the drum sounds are great,” he notes.
His take on analog and digital consoles is characteristically straightforward. “An analog console will not do anything until I want it to. If a digital console decides to have brain damage, you can’t do a damn thing about it.”
Further, he’s of the mind that our ears don’t properly convert the sounds we hear from analog to digital. “Our ears have evolved naturally, over time. We’ve got a couple million years of R&D into that.”
His desk of choice is the Yamaha PM4000, which, he adds, he only started using well after its release, when he was certain all the bugs had been worked out.
“I’m not saying (digital technology) is wrong, or that it doesn’t work. I’m coming at it from a reliability standpoint. I’m more comfortable with analog stuff running a system for 20,000 people who are paying high dollars to see a show.”
Natale also prefers to set up his console himself. “I’m not the kind of guy who plays golf, so there’s no reason for me not to be at the venue at eight in the morning being a pain in everybody’s ass.”
More importantly, he wants to make dead certain nothing’s left to chance. “This is serious business. It’s not to be taken lightly. I’ve been very fortunate to have had the pleasure to work with people that take this as seriously as I do. I trust them implicitly. I can be very blunt, but it’s only to impress upon them the importance of the situation. I will not, however, ask anyone on crew to do something I would not, could not, or wasn’t prepared to do – with the exception of doing monitors, of course.”
Inevitably, things do go south from time to time, such as the time his console took a header while being rolled into the venue, and the time his console caught a pitcher of beer during a show, as well as the time a generator died a horrible death moments before The Stones were to take the stage at a sold-out stadium show.
Turning it up on his preferred Yamaha PM4000 console. (click to enlarge)
“You have to stay cool. Losing your head and panicking will only add to the mayhem,” he notes, adding that those moments are balanced out by better memories, like mixing Lionel Richie in Cairo with the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx as a backdrop.
Too Much Fun
Natale also credits manager Roger Davies (Tina Turner, Joe Cocker and Olivia Newton-John) for early opportunities integral to his success. In fact, he’s worked at least 12 tours for Davies’ acts. He doesn’t measure his worth in terms of the high-profile artists he’s mixed, but rather in their opinion of his work.
“More people than not thought I was O.K., so I kept getting work,” he says. “I’ve never thought ‘I’ve got to make myself more marketable.’ I was having too much fun to think of it in those terms.” It’s a fact borne out by the sheer amount of time he’s spent on tour – on average, 10 months a year every year since 1979: “I’m into this full-time, a lifer.”
That said, after The Stones’ Bigger Bang tour ended in 2007, he slowed down some, with the idea of seeing what it might be like to be at home for a while. “I like working around at the house, raking the leaves. When you have to do it for 40 years running. you’d probably hate it, but for me, working outside is a novelty because I’ve made a whole career out of being inside.”
It also gives him more time to hang out with his closest friend, his wife, Birgitta. “We get along great. If you don’t have a spouse that’s cut out for this lifestyle, I can almost guarantee you a miserable existence. In 25 years, she’s never once asked me to get off the road.”
The couple has two grown daughters, Ingrid and Britt, both great sources of enjoyment for their proud papa. While both are pursuing careers of their own outside audio, they both spent some time working at Clair Brothers. “And they can solder like nobody’s business,” he adds.
Unforgettable
Currently Natale splits his time between Lancaster and an apartment in New York City, primarily mixing one-offs for VH-1, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and charities such as The Robin Hood Foundation for his good friend, Dan Parise of Diversified Production Services. He also mixes the Radio City Christmas Spectacular and works regularly as a stagehand at Radio City and Lincoln Center as a member of IATSE Local 1.
However, the 53-year-old “lifer” is starting to feel the pull of the road again. “I’m looking around,” he says. “When you turn the kick up in a large arena with a massive PA, it’s something you never forget. Once you’ve mixed, you always want to mix.”
Based in Toronto, Kevin Young is a freelance music and tech writer, professional musician and composer.
Turntablism is alive and more creative than ever. Rane and Serato are proud to be supporting partners in that creativity with the introduction of the Rane Sixty-One and Sixty-Two mixers for Serato Scratch Live.
For more than a decade, artists have chosen innovative Rane instruments to advance their art, and three generations of TTM series mixers have been the top pick for many of the world’s best performers. These mixers more tightly integrate performer, music, software, and hardware. The artist adds passion, imagination and skills.
The Sixty-Two is a plug-and-play package supporting two computers, 2-deck digital vinyl simulation, SP-6 sample player, software and hardware effects and all the record and playback channels you need. Software controls for Library, Loops, Cues and SP-6 are laid out for fast and intuitive access. Choose the Sixty-Two and join a community of users dedicated to advancement of the art.
Genre-bending musical pioneer Z-Trip co-designed the Limited Edition Sixty-Two Z Mixer, which features a face plate designed by renowned artist, Shepard Fairey and high-quality custom purple cables.
“Every DJ dreams of designing a mixer,” reveals Z-Trip. “The new Rane Sixty-Two Z is my dream realized — it has everything I want in a mixer. Only Rane and Serato could help build such a versatile machine and interface.”
If you are looking for the same bullet-proof construction, pristine audio quality and integrated 20-channel sound card but prefer to use your own MIDI controller with outboard software or hardware effects and a single computer, consider the Rane Sixty-One.
Dean Standing at Rane Corporation says “We have a huge group of dedicated users who have been sharing their thoughts and ideas with us on what the next battle mixer should be. As we were developing this next generation mixer, it turned into two products: a basic high-quality mixer with integrated 20-channel sound card and a second mixer that also includes MIDI mappable controls, internal effects and two USB ports. We appreciate that one model doesn’t fit all users.”
“Rane has nailed it with these two incredible mixers,” explains Sam Gribben, C.E.O. of Serato. “The Sixty-One is perfect for the pure digital turntablist, with its clean and classic interface and, of course, Rane’s amazing magnetic faders. The Sixty-Two is the ultimate party rocking mixer, with all the controls you need at your fingertips.”
Just in time for the 2012 NAMM Show, Behringer unveils three small format premium mixers that directly interface with the ever-popular iPad. Drawing on the power of the most ubiquitous mobile digital device, the XENYX iX Series mixers are designed to handle live performance and provide state-of-the-art tools to create professional recordings. Users can also sync performances to video by utilizing the iPad‘s video out capability.
The new XENYX iX Series, which include the XENYX iX3242USB, iX2442USB and iX1642USB, feature a built-in iPad docking station designed to send signal to and from the iPad with a wide range of routing options.
The innovative feature set included in the new XENYX iX Series USB mixers makes it possible to record and mix on a professional level thanks to the built-in, stereo USB audio interface. Connect these mixers directly to a PC or Mac computer via a single USB cable to record any signal source connected to the mixer.
All iX mixers include the new dual-engine Klark-Teknik FX processor with 32 editable, studio-grade presets such as reverb, chorus, flange, delay, pitch shifter and multi-effects. In addition to literally thousands of apps, the iX mixers use the iPad to control the new Klark-Teknik FX Processor App, enhancing the mix by allowing the user deep control of EQ’s, compressors and reverbs and a full spectrum analyzer.
The iX series mixers also feature high performance XENYX mic pre amps, which represent a major step in the evolution of audio technology.
Comparable to far more expensive, stand-alone mic preamps, XENYX preamps offer a staggering 130 dB of dynamic range, with a bandwidth that extends from below 10 Hz to 200 kHz for transparent, crystal-clear performance.
XENYX mixers’ 3-band channel EQ is based on the same circuitry used in British consoles that allows users to create signals with incredible warmth and detailed musical character. Additionally, “one-knob” compression is available on all mono channels. Dial in the perfect amount of compression for instruments and vocals, creating powerful mixes with punch and clarity.
“The new XENYX iX mixers demonstrate the innovation that stems from our massive investment in Research and Development, says Mark Wilder, VP of Marketing Communications. “These are the first of many more ground-breaking products to be announced at NAMM 2012.”
Kenny Chesney Records & Mixes At Ocean Way St. Barths
Country music legend Kenny Chesney is recording and mixing new material at Ocean Way St. Barths, the recording studio at the famed Eden Rock resort in the heart of the Caribbean. Chesney is working with producer and songwriter Buddy Cannon (Reba McEntire, George Jones, George Strait) on his first album since 2010’s hit “Hemingway’s Whiskey.”
The Ocean Way St. Barths studio is located at The Eden Rock, an exotic resort destination since the 1960s for such celebrities as Greta Garbo, the Rockefellers and the Rothschilds. A new 16,000 sq.ft. beachfront villa includes four bedroom suites, a 20-seat home cinema that doubles as a professional audio recording space, and a new control room installed by Ocean Way. Housing a wealth of vintage gear alongside state-of-the-art digital equipment, at the center is a vintage Neve console that was used by John Lennon to record “Imagine,” among countless other historic hits.
Chesney’s road manager, Malchijah Bailey, remarked, “The time we spent mixing at the studio was great. Anytime you can work all day, walk out of the studio and be greeted by an amazing beach, makes you feel like it’s not work. The vibe was awesome, and kept us all in good musical spirits.”
During his sessions at Ocean Way St. Barths, Chesney presented a framed Platinum record commemorating sales of more than 1 million copies of his album “Hemingway’s Whiskey. ” A signed message reads, “Thanks so much to everyone that was a part of ‘Hemingway’s Whiskey! Your talent, heart, passion, and true love for music made this album very special.”
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