Article

Friday, March 30, 2012

Live And Studio Engineer Paul Mitchell Chooses Audix

Paul Mitchell has made a career of engineering live and studio performances for jazz artists; most notably with keyboardist Joe Sample, Jazz Crusaders and Jonathan Brooke.

Recently he produced “Hipping the Hop” with Joe Sample - piano, Steve Gadd - drums and Nicklas Sample - bass, which is a perfect case study of how to record and mix live, at the same time.

“I put the focus on the basics and start with a good set of tools,” says Mitchell.  “For me this is a collection of Audix microphones when I’m out on the road.”

“Then, I’m fortunate enough to work with a group of great musicians and well-tuned instruments; especially drums. Finally, I apply very simple miking techniques and the philosophy that a lot less is more.”

For example, Mitchell covers most drum kits with only four mics.

“The basis of my technique is to place a single (mono) Audix SCX1C with a cardioid capsule in front of the drummer’s face;  about 2 feet above the snare, pointing straight down,” he explains. “With this placement, we hear what the drummer hears. I can tip the mic a bit towards the hi-hat to pick up more of that, but in general, it captures the sound of the kit.”

This seems counter-intuitive to the common practice of close-miking everything, but Mitchell responds, “When’s the last time you put your ear two inches from the snare head, where most guys place a mic?”

With the drummer’s point of view established, Mitchell moves on, “I place one Audix SCX1C with a cardioid capsule pointing across the kit from above-left; basically over the high tom. I call it drum high. I then place another Audix SCX1C with a cardioid capsule lower on the right side, pointing across the kit to pick up floor toms and the ride cymbal. That’s drum low.” 

Hard-panning drum high and drum low right & left for the house mix creates a realistic stereo image. A final Audix D6 is placed in front of the kick drum. “With this configuration, I can balance the mics to give a stereo front-of-house feed, enough separation for individual recording tracks and a monitor mix.” 

Mitchell then mikes Joe Sample’s 7’ grand piano with a pair of Audix SCX25A’s. “Whenever I go to a new studio, I always ask the in-house guy to put up his best pair of piano mics,” says Mitchell, Then I put up the Audix SCX25A’s. They always out-perform. They’re my go-to piano miking solution.”   

A DI for upright bass and a pair of Audix SCX1’s for audience and room ambience complete the live miking set-up; only eight mics and a DI to multi-track record and mix a live performance for 5,000 people.

The proof is in the performance. One really can’t tell that “Hipping the Hop” is anything but a tightly-controlled studio recording until hearing the applause from a very large audience. Oh and Mitchell was mixing front-of-house at the same time!

This minimalist approach serves Mitchell well as he travels around the world. “With a selection of Audix mics, a good multi-channel A/D - D/A interface and a Mac Book Pro, I can do my job. Mics go directly into the A/D and split-out to the FOH console. I don’t E.Q. for recording - saving any adjustments and reverse panning of the drum mics for mixdown and mastering. And because I’ve selected good mics, any E.Q. for the house mix is largely done by tuning the house system’s 31-band equalizers. I know that I have good sound coming in, so any adjustments are for the speakers and the room, not the mics.”

With a choice of any microphones to use and a sizable collection of his own classics, Mitchell selects Audix microphones to go on the road with him. ” I choose them because they’re rugged and give me a sound that is often as good as the ‘white-glove’ mics I have at home in my studio. In fact, I like some of the Audix mics better!”

Audix

{extended}

Monday, March 26, 2012

Latin Superstar Cristina Powered By Shure

It was about one year ago that Latin talk show host Cristina rocked the Latin broadcast world with her move to Telemundo to start a new weekly entertainment program, Pa’lante con Cristina. The two-hour show is staged at Miami’s Blue Dolphin Studios before a live studio audience of about 300 people.

The studio design and integration were done by a Miami firm, Acoutech. Because the show mixes traditional talk show format with live entertainment, the selection and deployment of wireless systems was critical. Based on its success with Shure products, Acoutech selected Shure UHF-R wireless for the show.

“Miami can be a difficult place for wireless, but we have been very successful with Shure wireless in similar situations,” says Robert Acito, one of the Acoutech engineers who helped design the studio. “The flexibility of UHF-R, both the hardware and the available frequencies, and the ability to use the Wireless Workbench software to monitor all systems, were important considerations. Plus, we were confident that Telemundo would be happy with the choice of Shure.”

The show uses 28 channels of Shure UHF-R, with 14 dual receivers. Half are combo systems, with a choice of bodypack or handheld mics. The rest are all bodypack systems. In addition, the show uses 12 channels of wireless intercom and, on occasion, eight channels of in-ear monitors for live music. Cristina and her guests typically use Countryman B3 lavalier mics, with the host wearing two for redundancy. Handheld mic options include the full range of Shure premium capsules: KSM9, Beta 87A, Beta 58A®, and SM58®.

As systems tech and front of house engineer for the program, Acito handles much of the frequency coordination himself. “We have been taping since last year, and the wireless has been very stable for us,” says Acito. “We make sure we coordinate with any shows being shot in the other studios, and haven’t had any failures on the show. It’s really just a matter of good system design. All of the Shure wireless runs through two paddle antennas, cascading through four distribution amps.”

Another tool that Acito uses daily is Shure’s Wireless Workbench software, which is included with the UHF-R system. “With so many systems in use, it’s easy to lose track of things like battery life, and we can’t afford any failures. Wireless Workbench shows me all the key information I need for every transmitter, including on/off, RF level, and remaining battery life. I can also lower or mute the output of a receiver. It’s an important tool that I use every day.”

For most tapings, Acito handles the FOH and monitor mixes. “If the artist on the show is simple and only needs two or three mixes, I handle the monitors myself,” he relates. “If it’s a large act with more complex monitor needs, we bring in a full monitor package and music truck.”

Shure hardwired mics are also a big part of the studio design for Cristina. Eight MX202 miniature choir mics are used to capture the audience without intruding visually into the camera shots. In addition, the mic package for live bands includes Shure KSM353 and KSM313 ribbon mics for guitar amps and horns, plus a full complement of Shure drum mics.

For Acoutech, supplying the production techs for tapings of Pa’lante con Cristina gives them the opportunity to test their studio design on a weekly basis. Robert Acito reports, “Using Shure wireless and Shure hardwired microphones on Cristina’s show was really an easy decision for us. You can’t afford a failure in broadcast television, and we’ve had a long and successful relationship with Shure. The products are great, and if there is ever a problem, they are there to support us. Our customer is very happy with the results, and that’s what matters.”

Shure

{extended}

Friday, March 23, 2012

AKG DMS70 Digital Wireless Microphone System Launches At Musikmesse

Highlighting the latest in digital wireless capabilities, AKG DMS70 – a true uncompressed digital wireless system – makes its European debut at Musikmesse 2012. 

The DMS70 operates with 24bit 48 kHz transmission in the 2.4GHz ISM band, a worldwide license-free frequency range, to ensure top-quality audio for every customer.

“Harman’s AKG DMS70 system offers exceptional studio-quality sound thanks to its uncompressed digital audio transmission capability,” said Thomas Umbauer, Product Manager, AKG. “The DMS70 is designed for the most exacting applications where the highest level of wireless audio performance is required. It is especially recommended for guitar and bass because of its ideal frequency response between 20 Hz to 20 kHz.”

DMS70 is ideal for live sound, club sound, conferences, seminars and school and universities – whenever quick and easy setup up is required.

The entire DMS70 package includes: AKG’s DSR70 Quattro or DSR70 Dual Receiver, DPT70 Digital Pocket Transmitter and DHT70 Digital Handheld Transmitter, available with patented D5 acoustics or DHT70 Perception with standard supercardioid capsule.

The DSR70 Quattro includes a rack mount kit, power supply and other accessories. DMS70 systems are fully compatible – able to be customized and combined for any customer’s needs.

All DMS70 devices are available separately or in the following prepared packages: The Vocal Set, Instrumental Set and the mixed version of Vocal/Instrumental Set . The Quattro sets include two digital transmitters and the Dual sets, one digital transmitter.

All DMS70 devices feature bidirectional communication between the transmitter and receiver. The dynamic frequency selection provides “intelligent” operation in the crowded 2,4 GHz band, enabled by digital diversity from receiver and transmitter side. 

Its easy setup functions make the system simple to use, even for less experienced operators, while the AES 128-bit encryption ensures secure 2-way wireless communication.

The DSR70 Quattro receiver can work with up to four channels of audio in parallel, which can be mixed down directly to its balanced XLR sum output. The DHT70 mic employs AKG’s patented dynamic D5 capsule to deliver outstanding sound quality with less feedback and handling noise.

Based on the bidirectional communication DMS70 offers a number of additional new and unique features, including power off from receiver side for all connected transmitters, battery status monitoring, adjustable mic/guitar input level (DPT70), high/low level gain switch (DHT70) and more.

Harman
AKG

{extended}

Thursday, March 22, 2012

iLive And iDR Systems Installed In New Icelandic Venue

Several Allen & Heath iLive and iDR digital mixers were installed in the prestigious new Harpa concert hall and conference centre in Reykjavik, Iceland.

The new venue has four main spaces to manage a busy programm of music and conference events. iLive systems comprising an iDR-16 MixRack and iLive-R72 Control Surface have been installed in the Norourljos recital hall and Kaldalon hall, while a combined FOH and monitor system,comprising iDR-16 MixRacks and an iLive-R72 and iLive-T80 surfaces, has been selected for the Silfurberg conference hall.

All systems use A&H’s proprietary ACE (audio and control over Ethernet) link, and iDR-4 digital matrix mixers are installed in each venue to manage audio distribution.  There is also a portable iLive system, comprising an iDR-48 MixRack and iLive-T80 Control Surface, available for any additional audio requirements around the building.

“The iLive systems were chosen because they provide large scale mixing capabilities in a small footprint, which perfectly match the requirements of the new Harpa building,” explains Sverrir Hreidarsson, marketing director at A&H’s Icelandic distribution company, Exton.
“The full system of live mixing and fixed install audio distribution provided by the iDR series of products provided the ideal solution for the project”

Allen & Heath

{extended}

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

AKG Perception Headphones Expand On Leading Perception Microphone Series

 

AKG’s new Perception Headphone series extends the Perception line, offering an entire range of solutions for enthusiastic musicians and engineers. 

Three new headphone models, the K44 Perception, K77 Perception and K99 Perception, deliver AKG sound quality, a great design and comfort level at an affordable price.

“It is AKG’s continued mission to offer the greatest in professional audio to industry professionals and the Perception line completes our range of affordable, high-quality headphones and microphones,” stated Thomas Stubics, product marketing manager, recording and broadcast, AKG.  “The Perception Headphones Series offers musicians a vast range of opportunities when choosing the perfect head piece for their respective needs. All three over-ear models provide powerful, clear sound for accurate listening experiences in the studio or in live settings.”

The over-ear, semi-closed design of the K44 Perception provides a powerful low end and clean highs for an excellent sound, ranging from project studios to home recording. The K77 Perception is an over-ear, semi-closed headphone with powerful and convincing sound at an amazing value – ready to use for home or project studios. Both products include comfortable leatherette ear pads and a self-adjusting headband for extended wear, without discomfort and a 3-meter fixed, straight cable and convertible jack.

K99’s high-performance, over-ear, semi-open headphones combine excellent sound quality with an astounding price-to-performance ratio.
Its large, 40mm speakers provide a natural, uncoloured sound, ideal for the studio. K99 Perception is lightweight and self-adjusting for a pleasant fit for long sessions.

AKG

 

{extended}

Friday, March 16, 2012

What’s In A Title? An Audio System Engineer By Any Other Name…

In it’s most distilled form, this is work about working diligently to live up to the definition of a true professional

“Audio System Engineer” - has a nice ring to it, eh? Very official sounding.

Not so very long ago there was a controversy about this title. I believe the crux of the argument revolved around the use of the label “engineer” when there was no college degree earned. But like most things, this too did pass.

What’s in a name anyway? The Audio Engineering Society (AES) has accepted me as member since 1978, and if it works for them, it works for me! (Nope – I don’t hold a college degree in engineering, or any other discipline for that matter.)

To me, an engineer is someone who has come to intimately understand the workings of a given technology along with its idiosyncrasies. This knowledge and experience is then used in a practical application of the technology toward a (hopefully) successful outcome.

I guess most of us just call ourselves whatever we want until the “Job Title Police” show up. I kind of like the sound of Audio System Engineer. And after 28 years of hard knocks, maybe I feel like I’m due.

But what, exactly or thereabout, does an Audio System Engineer do? Most folks have their own concept about the nature of my job and think it’s a pretty cool way to earn a living - road trips with rock stars, dining on catered meals and staying in nice hotels. (Hey, that does sound like fun. Sign me up!)

The part that goes overlooked is the tremendous amount of effort and responsibility involved, the too-numerous-to-count 12- to 16-hour days of sweat, grind and problem solving. At the same time, there’s nothing quite as rewarding as working at something you truly enjoy. In this regard, I’m blessed.

Getting back to the job title discussion, I’ve recently formulated a new one: ASE, pronounced “ace” as in spades and short for Audio System Engineer. Acronym titles are very cool and trendy, plus this one makes it sound like maybe I shot down a rogue lighting guy or two along the way.

Now that I’ve defined a new title, on to the important stuff. As in the definition of this lofty profession, at least as I see it.

A good ASE will understand many interrelated entertainment industry technologies, and how to utilize them together. Success is measured in the audible results of a performance, and perhaps the efficiency of the installation and striking of the equipment.

The objective is fairly straightforward: To provide the person mixing sound with the tools needed to excel at that craft. To accomplish this, there must be an audio system appropriate for the application, optimized for performance, installed properly and safely, and delivering the desired outcome. Oh, and without malfunction. 

The caveat: the ASE should never expect to garner praise for these efforts. The person behind the console will be the hero. Mixers with a real understanding and appreciation of the system work will, on occasion, deliver kudos. Regardless, the ASE must be a good team player, taking satisfaction for things vital yet often taken for granted by most.

What about those “interrelated technologies” anyway? Like job titles, this terminology sounds a bit on the high falutin’ side. Yet any ASE worth anything knows exactly what I’m talking about.

Flying Circus
Let’s start with rigging. To understand rigging is to recognize how the arrangement of the individual audio components making up each chain motor point interacts with the stresses placed on those components. It’s very easy to put large loads on the rigging system. even while hanging only moderate weight – if one does not have knowledge about how it works.

The angles between the steel cables making up bridals are a very important variable in the rigging equation of load and tension. As bridal points get farther apart for a given leg length, those legs get flatter and flatter toward horizontal. The tension in those legs goes up exponentially! Any bridals that contain flat bridal legs should raise a red flag.

The key is knowing exactly what the angle of the cable is, and the weight of the load being hung, in order to calculate the tension being created along the steel cable leg (generally the weakest link). This, in comparison to the weight rating of the steel.

There are many ways to skin a cat (or fly a rig), but a good rigger will always find a safe way to hang the load. Or it will not be hung. In my role as ASE, when I see things I perceive as dangerous, I ask the rigger about it. If a satisfactory answer is lacking, you’re probably in trouble and must carefully consider your next move.

Riggers traveling with touring shows are generally very knowledgeable and do a good job of overseeing the local guys at each tour stop. If working on a regional or local level, even more caution should be taken to observe what is happening with the steel during load in.

Rigging hardware must be in good working order and used properly to safely perform its function. There must be awareness of the real world limits of all of the elements involved when hanging thousands of pounds over people’s heads.

Mind you, understanding these concepts doesn’t make me a rigger. They must have a much deeper understanding of their craft and an ability to do solid math in their heads fluidly each morning while running around a venue floor and yelling to their brothers in the ceiling.

But a good ASE will understand the basic concepts, to the point of being able to look up at the rig and recognize if there’s a potential for a problem. Most riggers are human, like the rest of us, and are glad to explain if something is troubling.

Power Play
The AC power provided at the venue is the energy that makes all things electronic happen. Regardless of the power distribution scheme, there will be a number of connections and should be safety devices in place to insure that every piece of gear gets the energy to operate safely and efficiently. All of these elements scale accordingly to the electrical load.

An ASE will always make sure that the connections to the building disconnect are made properly by the local electrician. I always tell the electrician the power configuration I need, and try to get a feel as to whether the electrician knows what I’m talking about.

I also let them know that I’ll be returning to evaluate their work, even tugging on all connections before the system is energized. This approach lets them know I expect everything to be shipshape for my check-up.

I also follow the feeder cables and check the connections. Stagehands sometimes neglect to turn cam-loc connectors completely to lock them, and more than once, I’ve found connector colors crossed up, which is common when working in the shadows under a stage.

Returning to the disconnect I tug on the wires, being sure to check the screw that attaches the ground lug to the panel chassis by pulling sideways a bit. If everything looks good, I’ll energize the system and check the voltage before connecting any gear to it.

While sound systems don’t appear to be power mongers like lighting rigs, there must be ample headroom to allow for dynamics in the music, providing amplifiers the ability to reproduce very high transients without clipping. Ask well in advance for adequate AC capacity. 

A well-designed power distribution system will contain large feeder cables to handle this capacity and the means to distribute and balance the load on the service to achieve efficiency.

All Around Us
Understanding the interaction of a sound system with its surrounding space is one of the most challenging aspects of being the ASE. A bad room can take a well-designed rig and make it sound like… well, you know. 

Most of the newer loudspeaker designs do a pretty good job of evenly distributing mid- and high-frequency energy. Line arrays, with their predictable coverage, have been nothing short of a revolution. Software programs now accurately predict sound pressure levels throughout the audience area.

Bass frequencies can be another thing altogether, however. Particularly in larger rooms, the biggest challenge is often getting a smooth low-end response.

Big rooms often have resonances based on room dimensions - if the ASE can determine the problem frequencies ,and notch two or three of these out of the response, the bottom end tends to clean up, usually leading to everything sounding better.

Reflections can also be a problem. Many times a scoreboard will be in exactly the wrong place for a sound system. The first move of a traveling ASE is often to talk with venue management to get a scoreboard trimmed out of the way as much as possible.

There are various workarounds to this dilemma as well, such as deactivating compression drivers impacted by the scoreboard, along with deploying loudspeakers on delay to bolster coverage to affected regions.

A good alternative is carrying a small curtain truss to mask this object. A couple of chain motors and some 12-inch truss with soft goods is not a high price to pay for successful audio performance. Your clients will appreciate the attention to detail.

Doing Homework
Today’s ASE must be well educated about the various electronic components scattered throughout a sound system. Either acquire and carry manuals for all pieces, or make other arrangements to have access to this information.

Many manuals are now available in PDF format, and an average computer can carry thousands of these files without a problem. Most are also posted on-line at manufacturer web sites. Some manuals are good, some not so hot, but even a little information is always better than none.

An ASE also uses downtime to do homework, being diligent in learning as much about every piece of gear prior to a gig and/or going on tour. The time for questions is as soon as possible, not an hour before show time.

While an ASE should be able to solder and make minor equipment repairs, it’s difficult to become a truly qualified repairperson. In my view, it’s far more important to have a work-around for failing components than it is to diagnose and repair them on site.

Besides, having spare components in the racks is standard operating procedure for all good sound providers. Be sure these spares are indeed included before hitting the road, and further, they should be ready to use by having an assortment of interface options and the necessary tools to circumvent the defective equipment in short order. 

The Point
There you have it. Only there’s so much more to being an ASE that’s of true service and benefit to everyone else involved with a production.

I’ve covered a lot of ground here, in general and rather large swaths. My point is to make a point: this is serious work, there is a lot to know, every show is different and one must be able to adapt to survive.

But the underlying message is that this work goes beyond trivial job titles and patronizing slaps on the back that may or may not even be deserved. In it’s most distilled form, this is work about working diligently to live up to the definition of a true professional.

Dan Laveglia has worked as an ASE for more than 30 years, working with a wide variety of tours, larger and smaller.

 

{extended}

Powersoft Ramps Up DJ Monitor System At Ruby Skye Nightclub

Ruby Skye, one of San Francisco’s premiere nightclubs, recently upgraded its DJ monitor rig with custom EAW loudspeakers powered by Powersoft K Series amplifiers with digital signal processing.

The owners tapped their long-time audio and video vendor JK Sound, also of San Francisco, to design and install the new system. “Ruby Skye is a very high profile DJ/Dance club that hosts famous DJs from all over the world,” explains Brad Katz, lead systems integrator for JK Sound. “It was extremely important that we put together the highest quality system available.”

Michael Lacina, JK Sound president, designed the system with Katz. They were initially drawn to EAWs QX566 loudspeakers but they were too big for the four-corner system planned for the DJ booth. After talking with EAW about smaller alternatives and finding nothing suitable, the EAW team created a scaled down version of the QX566 for the club, aptly named the RS66. The RS66 is loaded with one pair of 12-inch woofers instead of the two specified for the QX566.

“We coupled each pair of RS66s to an EAW SB528 dual 18-inch subwoofer for really driving low end. It sounds and looks fantastic,” adds Katz.“The EAW Focusing was another huge plus. It made the system sound like it consisted of high-end studio monitors – the DJs love it.”

JK Sound designed a four corner stock setup for the DJ monitor rig. The subs are mounted on rolling risers that match the 16-inch DJ riser. Katz designed custom pole mounted yoke brackets for each of the monitors in order to mount them to the top of the subs, which are outfitted with two pole mounts each. The setup is easily reconfigured or taken apart for removal from the stage.

When it came time to power the system, JK Sound turned to their favorite power amplifier company, Powersoft, for the solution.  “Powersoft products are stable at 2 ohms and below,” adds Katz. “The power density they provide is incredible – there is nothing else like it. Using Powersoft was a no-brainer.”

The system was powered with K Series amplifiers equipped with the optional DSP+AESOP boards. The boards enable Powersoft’s state-of-the-art DSP circuitry, which includes Active DampingControlTM, LiveImpedanceTM Measurement, TruePowerTM Limiters and other unique features, in addition to providing Ethernet capability. “The Powersoft DSP also made it very easy to import and use the EAW greybox settings using the plug-in for ArmoniaTM software,” notes Katz. “The system sounded terrific with very little tweaking – it was really fantastic.”

Katz used three two-channel amplifiers with DSP to power the entire system. One K3, providing 2,600 watts per channel at 4 ohms, powers the subwoofers; one K6, with 3,600 watts per channel at 2 ohms, drives the low-end cone drivers; and one K2, supplying 1,950 watts per channel at 4 ohms, powers the mid/hi compression drivers. 

The rack is located on stage left behind the DJ booth. Both the look and size of the rack was a consideration for the system, explains Katz. “Because the Powersoft amplifiers are only one rack unit, it was easy to keep the rack small and locate it discretely on the stage,” adds Katz. “Everything really came together extremely well for the new monitoring system – the clients are very happy and the DJs are extremely delighted with the new set-up.”

The three Powersoft amplifiers were rack mounted along with a Motion Labs two space Rac Pac distribution system loaded with two Edison Duplex 20A connectors on the front panel and four Neutrik 32A Powercon connectors on the back panel.

Powersoft

{extended}

Allen & Heath iLive Delivers Super Entertainment In Indy

When an event like the Super Bowl comes to town, the sheer number of related events means that every major sound company, venue and entertainer will be extremely busy. Sound engineer Randy Wise found himself and his Lil’ Peanut Productions in great demand, and met the challenge of producing high quality audio under trying conditions by using Allen & Heath iLive digital mixing products.

In addition to a constant stream of rentals and productions handled by Lil’ Peanut, Wise was engaged as sound engineer for the Hunter Smith Band, which played in concert at the NFL Experience, Super Bowl Village, and played the NFL Pre-Game concert along with The Fray and Lenny Kravitz.

Wise based his approach around the Allen & Heath iLive digital mixing system. He used the iDR-48 MixRack for all the inputs, outputs and processing power the band would require, handling both house and monitor mixing from one location. “For the actual mixing, I just used my laptop, connected to the MixRack with a wireless router and running the iLive Editor software,” notes Randy Wise. “At bigger shows, I would run a combo of my laptop with the iLive T-112 mixing surface. But it was the wireless connection to the iDR-48 that was the key. I could set up monitors from the stage and actually mix the show from anywhere in the house. It was outstanding.”

Singer/songwriter Hunter Smith, himself a 12-year veteran of the NFL as a punter, was equally impressed. “As a band, we just completed one of the most unique weeks in our history - five shows in eight days in and around the Super Bowl in Indianapolis,” he notes. “For musicians, these shows can be a nightmare, which is why we hired Randy Wise. Thanks to Randy and the Allen & Heath iLive digital console, our shows went off without a hitch. Our in-ear mixes were clear and consistent, and time and again we were approached by people raving about the great sound our shows. The Allen & Heath gear is like nothing we’ve experienced in our history on the road. It’s really cool technologically, and it really rocks musically.”

Randy Wise also used an iLive console to mix monitors for a party hosted by Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay at the Indiana State Museum. An all-star band that included John Mellencamp, Steven Stills, Mike Mills (R.E.M.), Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and Kenny Aranoff entertained. This was a particularly challenging mix, with floor wedges aimed directly at the museum’s glass walls, creating a huge potential for feedback.

“Needless to say, these rockers wanted every usable watt of power I could give them,” recalls Wise, “so I was really glad to have an iLive console. I was able to use a combination of graphic and parametric EQs to gain control over the potential feedback, then engaged a limiter on the output to make sure the transients wouldn’t damage anything. At the end of the night, all of these rockers were happy and the party was a big success. That’s all you can ask.”

Allen & Heath

{extended}

LAB Best Threads: Singers Who Want Their Vocals In The Monitors Too Loud

A range of useful advice capped by an on-target "rant"

Editor’s Note: Here’s a fun and interesting thread from the PSW Live Audio Board (LAB) forums. Enjoy.

Posted by Kurt
I was wondering how you guys deal with singers that want their monitors so loud that you can’t get any gain out of the microphone.

Reply by Mike
Just wanted to add a few LESSER items that affect the singer’s perceived volume, since everyone else discussed the primary ones.

Monitor competition by:

—Placement of guitar amps. Are they still on the floor directed at the players’ legs but directed more towards the vocalist’s ears out front?

—Placement of the singer to the drums. Is the drummer close behind the vocalist bashing away, especially lots of big crash cymbals used frequently? You’re screwed there! Trade out the monitor speakers and amps for the FOH units!

Reply by Timothy
Engineer skills aside, vocal monitor levels are dependent on:

—Size of venue or stage

—Quality of equipment

—Vocalist microphone technique

Probably the most important of these is mic technique. If it ain’t right, ain’t nothin’ gonna be right. Most pop/rock vocalists should practice “lips on the grill.” And don’t cup the ball, dammit! {grin}

A small stage, a FOH-controlled mix without strip EQ (aux “pre” send), a crappy or nonexistent monitor EQ, a piezo-equipped wedge, a Beta 58 and vocalist who holds the mic at chin level are a recipe for disaster.

Reply by Scott
I generally try not to pull anything out of the eq that is not overwhelming. I let some frequencies fly that may not be all that pretty, but there is some credence to giving them a “mid-range” bark that will cut them like a knife, same goes for the high end.

Of course it all starts with a good microphone with superior gain before feedback. Sometimes an SM58 won’t cut it for certain singers—switch to something with more appropriate frequency response for that particular singer.

The other thing is you need monitors that are properly powered. Do you have the available wattage to satisfy the drivers?

I’ve had trouble with a few certain singers that sang so soft nothing could make them happy, and inevitably you end up with egg on your face. This is why sound checks are so important to your reputation and the quality of sound onstage.

Reply by Neal
You can only go so far. If you pull more than 3 dB from a freq on the EQ, something is wrong. I try to pull what I need from the channel strip (providing you’re using a separate monitor desk from FOH), then I go to the mix EQ to pull out more. Most of the time, the mix EQ stays fairly flat, pulling just a little here and there around 600 Hz, 800 Hz, 4 kHz, 5 kHz, 6.3 kHz, and that’s it.

If it’s still not enough… then I tell the band SVTFL. (STAGE VOLUME TOO F’ING LOUD)

SOMETIMES they listen and turn down… The lower the stage volume the better they sound—or they just don’t go into the mix. In-ears are a good choice too, but they (the singers) really have to learn to use them correctly. I recently did a show where all of the vocal mics were Shure Beta 87C`s—their pattern kept feedback to null, and I also didn’t have to ride the gains as high as I do with SM58`s for the same amount of monitors.

Food for thought… If it’s similar to a local club here where its foldback monitors and the FOH channel strip EQ also changes in the monitor, then make it sound good for FOH—and let the band learn to keep the stage volume down. They have to live with it, and find a happy medium between the FOH and stage.

Reply by Scott

Neal, you said: “You can only go so far. If you pull more than 3 dB from a freq on the EQ, something is wrong. I try to pull what I need from the channel strip (providing you’re using a separate monitor desk from FOH), then I go to the mix EQ to pull out more. Most of the time, the mix EQ stays fairly flat, pulling just a little here and there around 600 Hz, 800 Hz, 4 kHz, 5 kHz, 6.3 kHz, and that’s it.”

This is your club, your mics, your monitor system. I wouldn’t even begin to think that this would apply anywhere else except this specific environment, therefore this advice is highly subjective. Environments change, as do systems, microphones, and singers. To suppose this would work for all monitor systems… well, that’s just not true.

Reply by Dave

Okay, time for a pet peeve rant. First of all, you have to realize that EACH monitor mix is a scaled down version of a full-blown FOH rig, and needs to be treated as such! First, you need good sounding cabinets, and keep them matched within each mix. You wouldn’t try to fly an array of KF850 and SP2 all powered off the same amp rack, would you? Next, you need to power the snot out of each mix.

Headroom here is as important as in the FOH system, as is the system gain structure. Next, just like FOH, you need to tune each monitor mix. Twice. First with a baseline to compensate (equalize!!)for the anomolies of the loudspeakers and the box itself, and the second time to compensate for any effect the stage environment may have on your baseline. Now, you’re ready to start dialing in the mixes. Put up a vocal mic, and set up the channel and mix gain to get a nominal level happening, and then slowly increase the mix level until you either A) have enough SPL, or B) begin to have feedback.

If A) push the mix a little harder to see what kind of headroom you have. If you’ve done your baseline and stage tuning properly, the vocal mic should sound completely natural and uncolored. Use the channel strip to adjust the tonality of the mic to suit the performer or source, NOT as feedback elimination. After all, dumping the strip at 2 kHz will also affect that channel in everybody else’s mix as well…and if you’ve done your tuning properly, all the mixes should have essentially similar tonality.

If B) you’re getting feedback,  the first thing to do is to re-check the physical placement of the monitor enclosures vis-a-vis the microphone type. For a cardioid mic (SM58 and it’s clones), the proper wedge location is directly behind of the mic, aiming right up the handle at the mic ball. For a hypercardioid (Audix OM, Shure Beta 58A, etc.) you need to swing the wedge 60 degrees off that axis, to bring the sound in from the sides.

NOW recheck the mic. If it’s still feeding back, you need to start doing some notching. A notch filter is the best tool here, since you can really dial into the EXACT frequency that is trying to run away without hacking huge amounts of the audio spectrum, but failing that, go to a good quality graph, and start cutting until the feedback stops. Applying an arbitrary dB limit to the cuts is counter-productive, as the combination of stage acoustics and microphone choice may require somewhat radical equalization, particularly when the polar pattern of the microphone WILL vary with frequency.

The ONLY time that there is a limit to the amount of EQ cutting occurs when you have fully attenuated a particular frequency, need more level in the overall mix, and are still getting feedback. At that point you need to make some changes outside of the equalization.

If it sounds like a monitor rig that can do the above will cost as much or more than a “real” FOH rig, you’re right, it does. As michael would say: Get over it and deal with it!!

End of rant.

Reply by Tim

Dave, that’s not a rant. That’s a lesson in monitors. To the point, and well written.

Printed a couple of copies for distribution to “those who don’t understand” in the hope that they will understand…..

When’s installment #2? :>)

{extended}

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Church Sound: A Variety Of Methods For Amplifying An Acoustic Guitar

The acoustic guitar is a common component of today’s pop/rock sound – and there are many options and considerations for capturing it's sound

 
There are several different types of pickups and microphones to choose from. Here is a basic overview.

Soundhole Magnetic Pickup

Pros: It’s easy, inexpensive, and can give decent results very quickly.

Cons: Because it is a magnetic pickup (like an electric guitar pickup), its sound is a little more dark and electronic sounding. Also, you have to deal with the annoying cable coming out of your soundhole.

Connection to PA: Direct box, external pre-amp, or acoustic amplifier.

Piezo Under-Saddle Pickups

Pros: The most popular method so everyone generally understands it. A clever way to get a lot of sound without causing a visual distraction. Very good at capturing the dynamics of the instrument. Not that expensive. Many models come with an included preamp.

Cons: The raw unamplified sound from these pickups is harsh, brassy, or banjo-esque. They need quality preamps in order to add the warmth needed to balance the sound out. The better the preamp, the better the resulting sound.

Connection to PA: Direct box, external pre-amp, or acoustic amplifier. You can always tell if the pickup is “active” (includes a preamp) if the instrument requires a battery. A battery always indicates the presence of a preamp.

Contact Transducers

Pros: Cheap and easy.

Cons: Sound quality is noticeably lower, requires adhesives (foam tape) to stay in place.

Connection to PA: Direct box, external pre-amp, or acoustic amplifier.

Taylor “ES” System

Pros: Uses a unique combination of a built-under-fretboard pickup and dynamic “body sensors” (pictured) which attempt to amplify the body characteristics in addition to the string sound. Great for percussive body-slap type players. It does produce a slightly more “natural” sound than piezo systems. Good at rejecting feedback. Balanced output.

Cons: Only included on expensive Taylor guitar models. Many players do not like the sound. Often requires drastic EQ. Uses special cabling for best results, which make it cumbersome to tune on-stage or use effects pedals.

Connection to PA: Because of its balanced output and special cable, it can be plugged directly into a console or snake. Or it can be run with a standard cable to standard connection options, but with a slightly noticeable drop in sound quality.

LR Baggs I-Beam System

Pros: A unique system that is placed inside the guitar, underneath the bridge plate, attaching with adhesive. Gives a very natural acoustic sound which many players prefer over typical under-saddle systems.

Cons: A little more expensive than its piezo under-saddle counterparts. Requires some finesse on installation to find the “sweet spot.”

Connection to PA: Direct box, external pre-amp, or acoustic amplifier

Internal Microphones

Pros: Can give a more natural, high quality sound and image, especially in classical and traditional fingerstyle formats.

Cons: But the quality comes with a price – high feedback probability in loud stage environments (ie: drums or brass). The fact that the microphone is inside the guitar cavity means the mic will be prone to swelling tones and sympathetic resonance.

Connection to PA: Most systems come with an included preamp, which allows the instrument to connect directly with a sound system or guitar amp.

Combo Systems

Pros: Blending the best of both worlds – the articulation and feedback rejection of a piezo system combined with the natural warmth and tone of an internal microphone. These systems usually include the ability to blend the two sources any way you want – giving you the best of both options.

Cons: Can be pretty pricey and can require extensive modification to the guitar (not for vintage instruments!).

Connection to PA: Sometimes requires two connections – a direct box for the pickup and an XLR for the mic.

External Microphones

Pros: Very high sound quality, reproducing the beauty of the instrument.

Cons: Very susceptible to feedback if put in the monitors at a high level. Not enough separation from other instruments (the mic will also pickup drums, bass, brass, monitors, stage noise, etc.).

Connection to PA: Standard microphone cables.

TYPES OF PREAMPS

After we have our pickup system, the next thing to review is the external preamp options (if needed). There are basically three grades of these:

—Music store preamp boxes. These are the most common and can give very good results right out of the box for around $150. Two popular units are the L.R. Baggs Para DI and the Fishman Pro EQ.

—Boutique boxes. These are targeted more at the discerning professional, and can range from $500 and up. A popular choice (among many) is the Avalon U5.

—Special purpose boxes. There are a myriad of other options out there. One pretty common device in the Taylor community is the Taylor K4.

TYPES OF MONITORING

Along with the on-board and external electronics, the next thing to consider is how the guitarist will hear his amplified sound. In a loud stage environment with drums and electric guitar amps, there are three primary options:

Acoustic Guitar Amplifier. There are many good makes and models of acoustic guitar amps now. In a shared-mix environment where the guitarist is sharing a monitor mix with others, this is probably the easiest solution.

The signal chain goes like this – from the guitar’s internal or external preamp into a high-quality direct box, which in turn provides an XLR connection to the mixing console.

But it also has a parallel input or pass-through that you can use to connect to the amplifier. Doing it this way means the guitarist can adjust the volume and EQ setting on his amp without affecting the signal that goes to the board.

NOTE: There is a big difference between a typical electric guitar amp and a nice acoustic amp. The acoustic version is made for full frequency response and often includes a high frequency horn, whereas the electric guitar will roll of high frequencies dramatically.

Floor Monitor Wedge With A Dedicated Mix. The dedicated mix would most likely be an unused aux send from the mixing console. This allows the guitarist to have his own blend of instrument and mic he wishes to hear, along with a healthy dose of himself.

In-Ear Monitors With A Dedicated Mix. This solution ensures that the guitarist can hear as much of himself as he wants, and will be isolated from other loud sounds on stage. It is an elegant approach, but comes with a significant upfront investment.

Jeremy Carter is a veteran of the pro audio industry with extensive experience designing and operating church audio, video, and lighting systems. Learn more at Sound Sessions.

{extended}

Numark Now shipping N4 DJ Controller

Numark announces that N4, a four-channel DJ controller with built-in mixer, is now shipping to stores.

Featuring four decks of software control plus a mixer that can be used with or without a computer, N4 is designed for DJs who want powerful capability in a lightweight, portable package.

This complete four-channel controller has everything DJs need to perform at their highest level: large, touch-sensitive platters, four decks of software control with looping and effects controls, a USB audio interface and a comprehensive mixer section with EQ and gain.

N4 will come with both Serato DJ Intro software and a four-deck version of Virtual DJ LE.

N4 is designed for flexible control of virtually any music source. Its integrated DJ mixer allows DJs to bring music from any external device into their set, including turntables, CD players, MP3 players, even compatible phones. DJs are able to instantly switch from controlling four decks of software to controlling two decks of software plus two channels of external source. N4 employs ultra-high-resolution 14-bit MIDI that virtually eliminates latency, giving DJs the tight response they need.

With its ability to use time code, N4 sets a new standard for four-channel DJ controllers in its class. N4 gives DJs the ability to use their CD player or turntable to control DJ software by using either turntables with time-coded vinyl or CD players with time-coded CDs.* 

“We created this controller with the mobile DJ in mind,” said Chris Roman, Numark Product Manager. “N4 is lightweight, full-featured and just looks incredible — that combination is unheard of at this price.”

N4 is now available from musical instrument retailers with an MSRP of $699 and an estimated street price of $499.

Numark

 

{extended}

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Achieving Ambience With Personal Monitors - Can You Hear Me Now?

The very isolation that makes personal monitors effective can cause problems for performers

In-ear monitors (IEMs) are radically different from the traditional floor wedge method of providing a monitor mix to performers.

For many artists and engineers, they are the ideal monitor solution. But for others, they’re simply a method of trading one set of problems (extreme volume, tiny sweet spot, feedback potential) for another (sense of isolation, can’t hear amps or audience).

Clever engineers and earphone manufacturers have come up with various methods of handling these issues, all of which revolve around how ambient sound is dealt with.

The goal of most professional earphones is isolation. Think of it in terms of signal-to-noise ratio. The intended signal (monitor mix) is pumped directly into the ear, while the undesirable noise (ambient sound) is shut out. The greater the isolation, the higher the S/N ratio.

Isolating earphones can typically achieve about 18-24 dB of isolation (with some custom designs achieving up to 37 dB). Without the competition from ambient noise on stage, the user can hear the monitor mix with exceptional clarity at significantly lower volumes. This is the source of the hearing conservation claims typically mentioned as a selling point for in-ear systems.

But it’s up to the musician to take advantage of this new listening environment by reducing volume settings.

A Good Thing?

The very isolation that makes personal monitors effective can cause problems for performers. By eliminating ambient sound, IEM systems performers can no longer hear the acoustic output of instruments (drums, piano) and amplifiers, and the hopefully rapturous sound of the audience. And on-stage communication becomes impossible without removing an earpiece.

In fact, many artists have taken to performing with one earpiece in and the other out. In terms of hearing protection, this is the worst of all possible worlds. The in-ear mix is now competing with information from the open ear, requiring at least 6 dB of extra level to be as intelligible as it is with both earpieces inserted.

At the same time, the open ear is fully exposed to uncontrolled stage levels. But if onein, one-out is unhealthy (and it is!), what’s an artist to do? There are several ways to approach this issue, ranging from clever and low-tech to sophisticated and high-tech. Let’s take a look.

Mics On The Crowd

To get crowd noise into the mix, many monitor engineers simply mic the audience and add it into the inear mix. Microphones can be set up on lighting trusses, out at the house mix position, or wherever.

Typically, these are turned down during songs and brought up in between, allowing the band to “connect” with the audience. This solution answers the issue of isolation from the fans, but has a couple disadvantages:

1) It puts an extra burden on the monitor engineer, who now has to “mix” the crowd microphones throughout the show, and eats up precious inputs at the monitor desk.

2) It’s impossible to mic an entire audience in a way that mimics what musicians would hear naturally. A stereo pair of microphones only retains natural direction cues if the artist is facing the right way, and even then the distance cues are wrong. In addition, using microphones on a crowd does not help to allow conversation on stage.

The Dave Matthews Band addressed that issue when they went to personal monitors. Monitor engineer Ian Kuhn put lavalier microphones on the performers to enable onstage communication between numbers.

Adding extra wireless channels just for that purpose is very gear-intensive, and certainly not economical. However, it does allow conversation within the band, something that Kuhn notes is critical to the band’s stage show.

Ambient Earphones

Some manufacturers have attempted to solve the ambience issue by offering an ambient earphone option. There are two types: passive and active, generally available in custom fit versions only.

Passive ambient earphones are essentially the same models sold for full isolation, but altered by drilling a “port” into the plastic shell to let a limited amount of ambient sound to enter the ears acoustically. Inside the port is a fixed 12 dB filter to limit the amount of ambience coming through.

Of course, the louder the stage, the more ambience leaks in, competing with the monitor mix, which must then be adjusted (louder) to suit conditions. On very loud stages, such level could prove harmful, so a plug is provided to close the port in situations where the ambience is too loud, or not desired.

While the passive ambient porting approach is effective in terms of allowing artists to hear stage ambience, it essentially eliminates the primary benefit of isolating earphones.

By adding an ambience port, the noise floor of the listening environment is raised (and thus, the S/N ratio is reduced) by the same amount. This means that the in-ear mix needs to be louder in order to be heard as effectively as without ambience.

As a result, artists using passive ambient earphones can hear the crowd, the stage, and each other, but without the control needed for different stage situations, and without the benefits of true isolation.

Active ambient earphones take a more technical approach. Tiny custom microphones are embedded within the earphones themselves, positioned to create a true binaural listening field. The output from these mics is added to the IEM mix in a bodypack. This is a tricky business, requiring special microphones and circuitry to avoid distortion and provide the same natural sound quality one would hear without earphones.

From a performance perspective, this is the best of both worlds. Full isolation is retained, allowing the artist to “dial in” as much or as little ambience as needed. A simple switch on the bodypack allows the performer to choose between “full ambient” and “perform” modes.

Typically used between songs, full ambient mode is, essentially, like listening without earphones, so performers can speak naturally among themselves, hear the crowd reaction, etc. In “perform” mode, ambience is reduced (or eliminated, if desired), so the artist gets the precise combination of monitor mix and stage ambience he prefers.

There’s no need to remove earpieces between songs, and no reason to engage in the (literally) deafening practice of one ear in, one ear out.

Early adopters of active ambient technology included music directors, who need to communicate with band members on the fly, and guitarists, who often need to hear their amplifiers acoustically as they utilize effects and feedback.

The goal is to provide artists with all the benefit of an isolating system, plus the ability to communicate on stage and hear those adoring fans. Which approach to ambient listening is “right” for your situation? Obviously, it depends on the resources at hand.

Using microphones on a crowd is a limited approach, but works with the tools at hand. Adding additional communication microphones to the artists is an improvement, but very complicated to implement.

Passive ambience is an imperfect solution, but may be right for some artists. The clear gold standard in terms of problem solving is an active ambient IEM system. The price may be high, but those who are using them say they are worth every penny.

Jack Kontney is a long-time pro audio guy and president of Kontney Communications, a content creation and marketing consultancy with a client base that includes Sensaphonics Hearing Conservation.

{extended}

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Firehouse Productions Utilizes JBL VRX For Jet Blue Concert Series

Firehouse Productions has supplied JBL VRX Constant Curvature loudspeakers for Jet Blue Airlines Live From T5 Concert Series since its launch in August 2010. The ongoing promotion is held periodically at the Jet Blue T5 terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York.

The Live From T5 Concert Series offers free entertainment for ticketed passengers waiting to board their flights at the new Jet Blue terminal. To date, the concert series has hosted famed performers including Taylor Swift, James Blunt, Robyn, Jason Derulo and Raphael Saadiq, among others.

With limited space and the need for a compact setup to fit through the airport’s security checkpoints, the JBL VRX Series loudspeakers are the perfect fit for the job, said Simon Welch, Head Systems Engineer at Firehouse Productions.

“We are able to stack two VRX932LA-1 loudspeakers on top of two VRX918S powered subwoofers on each side for the main PA.” Welch explained. “Since we need to direct sound to a specific zone in the terminal, we are able to do so by setting the speakers at head level outward from the stage. Another pair of VRX932LA-1 loudspeakers are used as side fill, directing sound to the side areas of the stage.”

The main challenge of the Live From T5 Concert Series is time, Welch explained.

“All the gear has to go through security which takes about two hours, so obviously the less equipment, the better,” he said. “There isn’t a lot of labor, especially with the VRX Series. We are able to get everything set up quickly and taken apart even faster, which is important as we do not want a lot of distractions at the terminal.”

The light weight of the VRX loudspeakers only adds to the quality of the system.

“They are the most efficient boxes we have,” said Welch. “They provide great vocals and the ability to project sound deep with such a small array is perfect. HARMAN and JBL are such highly regarded brands that everyone who has used the system is extremely happy.”

“We are excited at what is left to come of the series and glad to be a part of this unique experience,” Welch summed up.

JBL Professional
Harman

{extended}

Royal Shakespeare Company Invests In Additional DiGiCo Console

In 2011, the Royal Shakespeare Company installed a DiGiCo SD7 console in the refurbished Swan Theatre, Stratford upon Avon. It proved to be such a success that when the Company needed an additional mixer for its touring shows and West End transfers, they chose another DiGiCo board – this time the SD9.

“We have a long relationship with DiGiCo and needed a console to transfer shows that currently exist on an SD7, but would be playing in smaller venues,” says Jeremy Dunn, head of sound at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford. “We looked at all the usual comparable desks, but the audio team were very keen to stick with DiGiCo software and their way of working.”

The smaller footprint and ease of transferring shows programmed on the SD7 were important for Jeremy and his technicians, but he is also impressed with many of its other facilities.

“One of the great features is the MADI I/O. This means we can connect a laptop directly to the SD9, via an RME MADI card, to run all our sound effects using one cable,” he says. “The I/O at the back of the desk is great for the limited amount of radio mics we use and the remote rack will sit between the band and the amp racks - perfect!”

The SD9’s first use will be on a tour of The Taming of the Shrew, which visits Newcastle, Milton Keynes, Nottingham and Richmond in late February and March, before Julius Caesar and Much Ado About Nothing at London’s Noel Coward Theatre in the summer and working with an SD7 (supplied by Autograph) at the RSC’s 2012 Roundhouse Season.

Jeremy concludes, “The amazing thing about the SD9 is that it has great facilities and you can transfer shows designed on the SD7, but it’s much more compact in terms of both the size and price.”

{extended}

Monday, March 12, 2012

Informed Choices: Monitor Mix Approaches At The Console Level

Input from several engineers working in various genres

When it comes to maximizing their mix, streamlining workflow and meeting the needs of their artists, few monitor engineers are willing to say they’re doing anything entirely unique.

Still, every artist has different demands, and that informs choices made in monitor world.

We tracked down several engineers working in various genres to talk about the approaches they’ve developed to meet those demands, quickly and efficiently, at the console level.

Robert Bull, Nashville
Current Gig: Martina McBride
Other Artists: Amy Grant, Michael McDonald

For Bull, meeting the needs of his artist isn’t rocket science. “I try to keep everything as simple as possible and avoid doing anything tricky at the console level unless necessary. If we’re using the right microphone and the right preamp, my approach to the console is, ‘Hopefully, we’ll never have to talk about it.’”

The key to mixing McBride, he says, is to make the arena sound like one big mix: “Almost like using the room for reverb. We’re opening up for George Strait on a diamond shaped stage in the round. I’ve got 16 wedges out there. The main thing is output phasing, making sure everything hitting the right spot at the right time. If something’s feeding back, try moving the wedge, or throw one mix out of phase with another to see if that works.”

Over his 15 years with McBride, Bull typically prefers to use an analog console, currently, the ATI Paragon. “It has output phase reverse right on the console, so even mid-show I’ll pop the outputs out of phase to achieve that level, also, the EQ is great and I can get around it fast in any situation. On the console, having an EQ on the output, and being able to get to that quickly, is important.”

His preference for analog also informs his preferred choice of digital desk, the Yamaha PM5D. “It’s as analog as it is digital in terms of work surface,” he notes. “Any time we’re doing a TV show, or fly gig I’m not taking my rig for, I’ll use that. It’s flexible, and when I select an input, I can see everything I need. If I need to get to something quick, I assign it to a user define button. It allows me to be as quick as I am on an analog console.”

Still, Bull maintains that the most important thing he does has nothing to do with the console. “It’s about the level of trust you have with the musicians. Honestly, getting in their heads is more important than what I do at the console. Once, I was working an orchestral show, an artist said, ‘I just can’t hear the note.’ I went to the conductor and asked, ‘Who has this note?’ He replied that it was the French horns, so we took a stem off that, and I told the artist, ‘four beats before you enter you’ll hear the horns get louder – That’s your note’.”

Michael Prowda, Baltimore
Current Gig: Radiohead
Other Artists: David Bowie, NIN, Soundgarden, John Legend

“There are two approaches to mixing monitors,” Prowda says, “the ‘taking it to a fine art’ approach, and the boxing gloves approach.” Although either method can result in satisfying shows, he prefers the former, particularly for Radiohead. With a dedicated monitor system for the band’s techs and a total of 90 inputs – a mix of in ears and wedges for vocals, bass, two drummers and two guitarists (two of whom play keyboards) – “It’s a wild gig,” he says.

To manage those inputs, Prowda created a bus structure to coincide with the input structure. “On the Avid VENUE Profile, eight of the 24 channels can be variable or fixed, groups or an aux send. Each drummer and guitar player is a bus. I also have a vocal bus, an electronics bus and so on. The inputs assigned to the buses can be post fader, so I’ll create a unity mix of the drums, or electronics, then, as I listen to the bus, I go to the faders to adjust levels rather than paging through four layers of input structure.”

He also applies processing to each group independently. “Instead of looking at my individual compression, I’ll do bus compression to keep it within a dynamic window, then, if I need to do extra work on the snare for example, I will.”

Additionally, Prowda set up the Profile’s Personal Q system so the band’s six techs can control his console via individual mixers. “Essentially, they’re on their own, so I can focus on the band.” With 70-plus potential songs for the show, and only two weeks of rehearsal, speed was of the essence.

“They want the mixes up so they can rehearse, and I wanted to have a structure ASAP to create snapshots. I hadn’t done bus mixing since the analog days, but this was a perfect opportunity. I’m looking at the desk as a mixer within a mixer. I’ve used other consoles, but when you’re starting something new you want to be familiar with your work space, and on this one, everything I need access to is within line of sight to the performers.”

Dave Sinko, Nashville
Current Gig: Punch Brothers
Other Artists: Edgar Meyer, Sam Bush, Bela Fleck, Yo-Yo Ma

During Sinko’s five years with progressive bluegrass band Punch Brothers, he’s been mixing front of house, but uses an APB-DynaSonics ProRack rack-mount monitor board on stage so the band can mix their own in-ear monitors.

Originally, the band toured with only two Neumann U89s microphones for their five vocals, and clip on mics for their instruments – mandolin, guitar, fiddle, banjo and acoustic/electric bass. Since then, though, they’ve moved to individual vocal mics, added pickups to each instrument, and are still re-tooling their system to better reflect the sound of their February 2012 release, Who’s Feeling Young Now?

“Essentially, we took everything that sounds bad on the pickups, frequency range wise, and replaced it with what sounds good from the clip-on mics, minimizing anything that tends to cause feedback,” Sinko says, “particularly for outdoor gigs where the mains are too close to the stage.”

He and the band have also developed their own “tune in place” system. “Each instrument goes to dual channels on the APB console, through an A/B switch on their pedal boards, so when they switch to their B output it mutes their instrument everywhere but their own IEM.”

For mixing IEM, Sinko prefers an analog desk. With eight stereo mixes and a compact footprint, he believes the APB is the best choice, both sonically and for keeping the fly pack lean – in all, just six cases containing monitor rack/desk, house mixer/rack, instruments and IEMs.

Jamie Hickey, Glastonbury, UK
Current Gig: Tindersticks
Other Artists: Patrick Wolf, Reef, Kula Shaker

Tindersticks has always been a demanding gig, says Hickey: “For a start, there’s eight of them on stage, but at one point we had 14 with strings, horns and all manner of quiet instruments. The string players use a combination of IEM and wedges, and, to top it off, band members often change instruments and stage positions.”

Each band member has very specific preferences, but lead singer Stuart Staples’ mix is particularly challenging. “He wants to hear everything. It’s like doing a front of house mix; putting things like overheads and glockenspiel in his wedges.” But Hickey likes a challenge. “I do front of house as well, but I prefer monitors, and high maintenance artists are my preference, really.”

Keeping an ear on exactly what everyone is hearing on stage is his prime concern. To keep Staples sound consistent night after night, Hickey tours with four d&b M2 wedges – one pair for Staples, and one pair for listening wedges. For the remainder of the band, and his additional listening wedge, Hickey uses whatever the house provides.

“I use an Allen & Heath iLive console and assign different wedge mixes to the PFL (pre-fade listen) outputs on the console. I have my center wedges coming out of PFL 1 and the other seven out of PFL 2. Whenever I select a mix, it routes the audio to the PFL output I need. Not a new idea, but the way the iLive auto-switches was something I hadn’t seen before – both PFL master faders remain at 0 dB and mutes the one you don’t need.”

Using his iPad or iPhone to tweak out the system is an advantage of mixing on iLive, although, when he first did so, it caused some confusion. “Almost as soon as the desk was out, Allen & Heath released an app for iPhone. I’d be doing my line checks during changeovers, and the guys thought I was texting my girlfriend, and the tour manager was like, ‘Can’t you wait? We’re in a hurry’.”
Hickey does miss the challenge of “the analog changeover,” adding, “45 inputs, 19 auxiliaries and 20-minute changeovers – that was a real rush. Now it’s like 20 minutes, that’s ages.”

Sean Sturge, New York City
Current Gig: Lil Wayne
Other Artists: Whitney Houston, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Jay-Z, 50 Cent

Sturge’s choice of the DiGiCo SD7 is based on dealing with a performance that includes numerous guest artists, his preference for an all-digital signal chain and big, accurate sound. Lil Wayne’s monitor system itself isn’t incredibly complex, he says. Essentially, there’s a five-piece band on IEM and a variety of wedges and fills for Lil Wayne – 8 d&b B2s, 8 J8s and 14 d&b M2s down front.

“But there’s a lot of different tracks, a lot of changes and guests, and each does a song with Wayne,” Sturge notes. “There’s different EQs, levels and effects. Some people like delay, some want Auto-Tune. I won’t say I do anything different, but I use all the tools the desk gives me as much as I can, and no outboard gear.”

It’s a fully automated and all digital show, from the transmitter for Lil Wayne’s Sennheiser SKM 5000 on out. “All of my outputs are AES. My amps are AES. You couldn’t do that two years ago, and not every desk can do it. And, overall, you can get levels you just couldn’t get in the past.”

Sturge also takes advantage of the Waves 8 software integrated into the DiGiCo. “Everything is on board. I call Wayne’s studio engineer, get his presets for the songs and have the same effects they use in the studio for each song in the show.”

Like Hickey, Sturge prefers the challenge of mixing monitors to font of house: “Because it’s way easier to please 10,000 people than five musicians.” Still, even a show as complex as Lil Wayne’s is far easier to do now than it was in the analog days, he adds, laughing: “I’m always afraid to do interviews because I’m like, ‘Man, they’re gonna start firing us, ‘cause this stuff is so easy now.’”

Karrie Keyes, Los Angeles
Current Gig: Pearl Jam
Other Artists: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sonic Youth, Fugazi

Of all the engineers on our panel, Keyes, who’s worked with Pearl Jam since 1991, is the one who’s spent the longest getting to know her band’s needs.

“I wouldn’t say I’m doing anything that’s unique,” she says. “I am running the console pretty hot in terms of input gain and output level. The band had issues in past with other digital consoles, but when we switched to the Midas PRO6 they took to it immediately.” She’s since moved to a Midas PRO9 and says that the mix outs are pretty much full.

With the exception of drummer, Matt Cameron, the band uses a mixture of IEM, wedges and fills. “Matt relies solely on a drum fill and wears ear plugs,” Keyes explains. “There are extra mixes for guests and strings, and, in arenas, additional mixes behind the band for when they play to the back of the arena.”

In terms of outboard gear, Keyes uses the bare minimum. “No gates, no compressors, just two Lexicon PCM 60 reverbs.”

Her approach depends heavily on setting her console up as much like an analog desk as possible, and says that programming each song and every EQ and volume change simply isn’t viable. “The band has over 150 songs they pull from every night, and the set list changes so much that being able to do my cues manually is the fastest and best option.”

Having mixed the band for 20-plus years, she’s often able to anticipate the band’s needs, and says the PRO9’s POP Groups and VCAs have been helpful in creating a work surface that suits her needs more effectively. “The POP groups are a lifesaver. I set them up for each musician and I can access what they need fast without having to look for it, or taking my eyes of the band.”

Will Doyle, London
Current Gig: Arctic Monkeys

Doing monitors for this U.K.-based, indie-rock, four-piece doesn’t exactly stretch the capabilities of Doyle’s console of choice, the Soundcraft Vi6. As straight up as the band’s monitor system is – d&b M2 wedges, L-Acoustics ARCS and dV-SUBS as side fills, and three IEM mixes – Doyle’s incorporation of the Vi6’s VCAs into his user layer does helps streamline his workflow.

“I’ve only got a few cues during the show – not enough for me to start automating everything – but for the entire kit, for example, I can push one fader up, instead of nine,” he says, adding they he also mixes IEM for the band’s three techs.

The VCAs are ideal for keeping the relationship between the effects and dry vocals the same: “Another case of using one VCA fader instead of having to move two input faders. It means you can hide away channels you don’t change frequently on a different layer of the desk like overheads and reverbs, and group all the important stuff together on one user defined bank of faders. It’s also easier to snap back to normal levels after changing things for a certain song. Going back to 0 is quicker than trying to instantly go back to something a bit more specific like -12.”

Bottom line, like all the engineers we talked with, the prime objective that Doyle really wants to achieve with anything he’s doing at the console level is to free up more time to keep an eye on what the band needs, and it’s another reason he prefers the Vi6. “It feels like an analog console. I don’t like it when your hand’s moving a knob or fader at one side of the desk, and you’re looking at the screen a foot or two away and not at the band.”

Based in Toronto, Kevin Young is a freelance music and tech writer, professional musician and composer.

{extended}