Lou's Quick Guide to Sound at the Laurel - revised 7/03 This is a guide to the Mackie SR 24x4 VLZ Pro system installed at the Laurel Theatre, the home of Jubilee Community Arts, in Knoxville, TN (www.jubileearts.org). It is compiled by Lou Gross (www.tiem.utk.edu/~gross). Copyright 2003 - L. J. Gross Caveat: This is not meant to replace the Manuals - READ THEM Remember: This system was paid for by member's donations - treat it kindly. The amps can blow out the speakers, including the monitors. Be careful about levels - always turn main and monitor levels off when powering up the amp, or connecting speakers. Turn on power to the mixers and graphics first, then turn on the amps. When turning off the system, do this in reverse - lower all output levels on the mixer, power down the amps, then power down the mixers and graphics. Set the sound as the artist requests. If you're not sure how an instrument is supposed to sound, take it out of the mix, go listen to it acoustically, then solo it in the mix and try to make it sound the same. The phantom switch is next to the main power switch - watch what you turn on - only turn on phantom if you have condenser mics that require it. Below are the basic setups, which should cover most situations. For my general guide see A BASIC INTRODUCTION TO CONCERT SOUND ENGINEERING, posted at http://www.tiem.utk.edu/~gross/sounden2.txt Setting Channel Levels You want to keep everything at unity gain. To do this, mute all channels, set the Mode button for Solo (far right of the mixer) in AFL, assign all channels you will need to L-R, keep all faders down, and working with one channel at a time do: 1. Set EQ for the channel (approximate it if you know the instrument or vocal requirements, otherwise just leave it flat with all EQ knobs straight up) 2. Turn Trim sensitivity (e.g. input gain) completely counterclockwise 3. Solo the channel (push in the Solo button on the channel) 4. Have artist sing/play in channel as they would in performance 5. Adjust Trim til channel input peaks at 0dB on LED meter 6. Raise channel Fader to the center (U) position for unity gain 7. De-Solo the channel and set pan pot as appropriate. When all chanels are done, un-Mute each channel, raise the main fader to get sound in the hall. Setting Amp Levels The Crown amp has level controls for each side (small screws at the back of the amp). The Yamaha amp has level controls for each side on the front. Ideally these should be set so that when the Master fader for the hall sound and the Master levels for the monitor sends are at center detent (Unity gain - U), the volume in the hall (or monitor) is about right. This will generally mean that the side of the Crown amp being used to drive the monitor will have a lower level that the side being used for the house. Setting the Graphic EQ There is a somewhat standard setting for the side used for the House (typically the upper Yahama graphic). This is a slight W-pattern, or start with the graphic essentially flat. I find it necessary usually to slightly cut the 4K-6K range and slightly cut the lower mids in the 120-400 range. The monitor graphic is another story - setting this varies with each show, and will be affected by mic and monitor placement. It is also affected by how exact the artist is about the monitor mix or mixes. You will probably have to make a number of trips back and forth to the stage to get this set correctly. Mono House Mix - Single Monitor Mix We use one side of the Crown amp to drive the main speakers, and one side to drive the monitors, with the Yamaha graphic used for the House mix and the upper DOD graphic used for the monitor mix. Thus the Mono XLR output on the Mackie is routed to the Yamaha graphic, the output of that graphic is routed to one side of the Crown amp, and the amp output is sent down the main snake along one of the powered send lines. The stage box then has two outputs for connecting the two main speakers (these are the left-hand 1/4" plugs at the stage box). The Mono XLR output of the Mackie has a gain knob - set this at about 3:00 position, where there is a mark - this is unity gain. The Monitor Send takes the Aux 1 output of the Mackie (this Aux send is pre-fader but post-channel EQ and post Low-cut filter) and routes it to the upper DOD graphic, then to the other side of the Crown ampo, then down the main snake to the stage box. The stage box then has two outputs for connecting two monitor wedges (these are the right-hand 1/4" plugs at the stage box). The overall monitor gain level is controlled by the Aux 1 Send Master knob to the right of the row of Aux 1 knobs. Be careful about moving the overall gain to quickly - it is very sensitive. You can hear the monitor mix in the Headphones by pressing in the Solo button to the right of the Aux 1 Send Master knob. This setup assumes the artist wants a monitor mix separate from the house, that is affected by the channel EQ, but not affected by the channel fader (e.g. the artist wants a pre-fader, post-EQ monitor mix). If the artist wants to hear the house mix in the monitors (e.g. the artist wants a post-fader, post-EQ monitor mix), patch the Aux 5 output, rather than the Aux 1 output, to the upper DOD graphic. Set all levels on Aux 5 to center or unity gain (these can then be adjusted as per the artists request, but the channel fader WILL AFFECT the monitors too - so as you change the mix in the house, the monitors will reflect this as well). The overall monitor gain level is controlled by the Aux 5 Send Master knob to the right of the row of Aux 5 knobs. If the artist wants a monitor mix that is not affected at all by the channel EQ (e.g. the artist wants a pre-fader, pre-EQ monitor mix), this will require some additional patching. To do this, insert a 1/4" line inserted ONLY TO THE FIRST CLICK into the Insert port at the back of each channel being used. Take the other end of this patch cord into an unused channel and insert it FULLY to the second click into that channel's Insert port. Do this for all channels being used that they want in the monitor mix. For each of the previously unused channels that you have inserted to, push in the 1-2 assign button and makes sure the L-R assign button is NOT pushed in. This then allows you to use the channel faders and channel EQ for these previously unused channels however the artist wants it set to do their monitor mix, and doesn't affect the main house mix. Take the Sub 1 out on the patch panel to the upper DOD graphic, and the overall monitor level is then set by the Sub 1 fader (make sure the L-R assign button is NOT pushed in on this fader). Mono House Mix - Two Monitor Mixes Setup is the same as above, except you need to use another AUX send (say Aux 2) for the second monitor mix (this will then be pre-fader, post-EQ). Then take the Aux 2 Output, patch it into the lower DOD graphic, and the output from the lower DOD graphic goes into the Yamaha amp (on the bridged side - be sure the switch at the back of the Yamaha amp is set to Bridged not Stereo). The output from the Yamaha amp is then sent down the second snake to the small stage box. Use the two 1/4" plugs on the stage box marked "1" to connect the monitor wedges for this monitor mix to. You can hear this monitor mix in the Headphones by pressing in the Solo button to the right of the Aux 2 Send Master knob. If the artist wants a second monitor mix that is not affected at all by the channel EQ (e.g. the artist wants a pre-fader, pre-EQ monitor mix), follow the above directions for this under the One Monitor Mix directions. Use the Aux 1 knobs on the channels you are now using for the monitor mix to make a second monitor mix (this will be pre-fader for those channels since you are using those for the first monitor mix, but post-EQ for those channels). Take the Aux 1 out on the patch panel to the lower DOD graphic, into the Yamaha amp (on the bridged side - be sure the switch at the back of the Yamaha amp is set to Bridged not Stereo). The output from the Yamaha amp is then sent down the second snake to the small stage box. Use the two 1/4" plugs on the stage box marked "1" to connect the monitor wedges for this monitor mix to. You can hear this monitor mix in the Headphones by pressing in the Solo button to the right of the Aux 1 Send Master knob. Mono House Mix - Three Monitor Mixes This is the same as the two monitor case, except that now we use must use another AUX send (say Aux 3) for the second monitor mix (this will then be pre-fader, post-EQ). Then take the Aux 3 Output, patch it into one side of the cheap Realistic 9-band graphic we have, and the output from the Realistic graphic into the second side of the Yamaha amp (be sure the switch at the back of the Yamaha amp is set to Stereo, not Bridged). Be sure there are two dual banana jacks plugged into the two sides of the Yamaha amp, the outputs from which go to the second snake to the small stage box. Use the two 1/4" plugs on the stage box marked "1" to connect the second monitor mix wedges (from Aux 2 send) and use the two 1/4" plugs on the stage box marked "2" to connect the third monitor mix wedges (from Aux 3 send). You can hear the third monitor mix in the Headphones by pressing in the Solo button to the right of the Aux 3 Send Master knob. Stereo House Mix - One Monitor Mix Here we use both sides of the Crown amp for the house, and then use the Yamaha amp to drive the monitors. Use Main Left and Right 1/4" outputs from the Mackie into each side of the DOD graphic, then patch the DOD outputs to the two sides of the Crown amp, and down the two powered send lines in the snake. At the stage box, use one of the left 1/4" plugs for one house speaker and use one of the right 1/4" plugs for the other house speaker. Use the Aux 1 send for the monitor by taking the Aux 1 output to the Yamaha graphic input, take the output of the Yamaha graphic into the Yamaha amp (on the bridged side - be sure the switch at the back of the Yamaha amp is set to Bridged not Stereo). The output from the Yamaha amp is then sent down the second snake to the small stage box. Use the two 1/4" plugs on the stage box marked "1" to connect the monitor wedges for this monitor mix to. You can hear this monitor mix in the Headphones by pressing in the Solo button to the right of the Aux 1 Send Master knob. Taping for Live at Laurel and Mountain Jubilee using the DAT There are several options for how to do this, but I will describe only two of these. First be sure the ambient mic (cord above the sound board) is plugged into an unused channel and phantom power is turned on. Option 1 (Easiest): Assign all channels used to both L-R and 1-2. For the channel you have the ambient mic plugged into, assign it ONLY to 1-2. Take the house mix out via the 1-2 Sub Outs at the back of the Mackie, which gives the house mix post the channel EQ and faders, and plug these into the DAT. To make it stereo, pan the various channels (this does not affect the house mix, but does allow you to make the tape mix a stereo one). Ride the fader for the ambient mic to add it to the tape mix. Note that since this mix is the same as the house mix, it generally won't give very good tape results - often you have something lower or higher in the house than you would like on the tape due to room acoustics. Option 2 (A bit more difficult): Here we use two Aux sends (say Aux 3 and 4) for the left and right sides of the tape mix. The advantage is having some control over the levels of separate channels in the tape mix, independent of the house mix. This will still be post-EQ and post Low cut for each channel though, so it will still be affected by the EQ set for the house mix. To do this, center all Aux 3 and Aux 4 levels, take Aux 3 and 4 outputs from the back of the Mackie to the left and right sides of one of the stereo channels (say channels 23-24), assign channel 23-24 to 1-2 (not L-R). For whatever channel you have the ambient mic in, assign it to only 1-2. Ride the fader for the ambient mic to add it to the tape mix. Take the tape mix out via the 1-2 Sub Outs at the back of the Mackie, which gives the mix you are doing on Aux 3 and Aux 4 post the channel EQ and faders, and plug these into the DAT. You can then increase or decrease the level of any channel in the tape mix by adjusting the Aux 3 and 4 chann Live Broadcast Do this just as you do for the taping, if the broadcast is stereo. If it is a mono broadcast, as we do typically for WDVX, just take an Aux send you are not using for monitors and use that for the broadcast send. Processors and other junk Connecting a processor to a single channel is easy, if you use a Hybrid 1/4" plug set to set up an effects loop by plugging it all the way into (2nd click) the channel insert for the channel you want the effect in. For example, to use a graphic on a single channel, plug the Hybrid into the channel insert, connect the output side of the plug into the graphic input and the input side of the plug into the graphic output. This inserts the graphic into that channel. For other more exotic effects, like reverb, which you want in several channels, assign the channels to 1-2 (as well as L-R), insert the effects unit into the Sub 1 out) and use the Sub 1 fader to control the signal from the effects processor added to the main mix (be sure to assign the Sub 1 mix to L-R by pressing the Assign L-R button for Sub 1. If it gets more exotic than this, the group is probably carrying their own sound person, so why should you worry? Best of luck - if you have questions call me at 974-4295 or 584-2049. Last revised: July 13, 2003 Louis J. Gross Departments of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Mathematics University of Tennessee Knoxville, TN 37996-1610 865-974-4295 865-974-3067 (FAX) 865-974-3065 (Secretary) http://www.tiem.utk.edu/~gross/