FRONT OF HOUSE
NAVIGATION SKILLS FOR CONSOLES | Kent Morris
Digital consoles are essential to any live sound event . Aside from a tiny six-input show , the default is digital . Analog is simply no longer an option , due to lack of analog parts in sufficient quantities at reasonable prices and to the overwhelming market acceptance of digital ’ s conveniences despite its drawbacks . Since practically everything is on a digital platform , it pays to operate your chosen ecosystem in the most effective and efficient manner possible . To that end , here are some thoughts .
Digital is one glitch away from death at all times . An analog control is set to its position and remains there whether the power is on or off . For digital consoles , each control is a temporary value adjuster . If the power goes off , that control has no function and is likely to be adjusting something different when the power returns , unless there are internal back-ups . As a result , it pays to standardize settings across users , so everyone is on the same page , literally , when an issue arises . As a corollary , since most AC power is dirty , a true power conditioner , not just a glorified power strip , is a wise investment and , if possible , adding a true sine wave battery back-up system is worth every cent in stability and continuous operation .
Speaking of standardization , the mixing process can be made more accessible and comprehensible once all the mix engineers agree on how to name and save files . There should be a base template for each type of service , and it should never be overwritten . Any changes for personal flavor need to be stored in that user ’ s section apart from the master group . And snapshots should be considered expendable and no substitute for scenes . Scenes are capable of complete writing while snapshots are modded subsets with limited write capacity .
Routing matters . With any console other than a DiGiCo , the processor is set to provide delay compensation , meaning the longest signal path becomes the default signal path length for everything . Typically , heavily processed vocals force straight line channels to be overly delayed to meet the latent arrival of the voice . If the desired vocal sound can be achieved without resorting to five plug-ins or going out of the console with a DAC and then back in with an ADC , it will result in less overall delay and a tighter sonic product for the listeners . On a DiGiCo , routing has to be seriously considered , for each input has a set latency . One path I to O can be 14 samples . If a channel is routed
both to the O and to another buss , the first version will arrive at the O 14 samples earlier than the dual processed one and the sound will be smeared . It comes down to this : you can have delay compensation ( AVID S6L ) or you can have flexibility ( DiGiCo Q225 ) but you can ’ t have both .
Just because you can doesn ’ t mean you should . 64 compressors sounds impressive , but on a decent live mix , no more than 12 should be employed . Every process writes a signature on the signal and sometimes those signatures conflict . It is better to fix the signal at the source , use a different mic or EQ for the final product rather than throw another device onto the path .
Finally , remember the mix is happening on stage , not on the screens . Force yourself to mix heads-up since that ’ s where the band and pastors are located . Watch for impending issues and develop muscle memory to activate the mix via touch .
Kent Morris Kent Morris is a 44-year veteran of the AVL arena driven by passion for excellence tempered by the knowledge all technology is in a temporal state .
110 February 2024 Subscribe for Free ...