From last week's post - I described how I broke down the cast list and orchestra pit line-up to put together a list of what I would need and the number of input and output channels to mix the show.
Here's what my FOH position looked like:
Center of the position is the SoundCraft MH3. Aside from the huge amount of real estate this console eats, and nearly needing roller skates to mix on it, it's a pretty sexy analog desk with some great features - programmable mutes, mute groups, VCA's, assignable aux/bus faders, and several other bells and whistles.
In the next rack over, the secondary console, a YAMAHA O1V96v2 sits in a slant top case that houses the SFX playback computer, AD/DA converters for both playback and the YAMAHA, effects units, power conditioning, a rack drawer, and CD player for sound check.
The final two racks (more than was needed for the show) house wireless microphone receivers, antenna distribution, and additional power conditioning.
I chose to put the inputs that I would not need to adjust much (or at all) on the O1V - namely the 8 channels of synth from the orchestra, and 6 channels of computer playback. I also wanted to be able to control the monitor level separately from the over all speaker level as I used the same 4 speakers on deck for both monitors and effects playback.
The MH3 took on the rest of the orchestra, effects processing, and the wireless microphone compliment.
The real trick for this configuration, was tying the two consoles together in a way to accommodate the channel needs for the show, but not create problems. Any time you put to pieces of gear in line to both send and receive to one another, you have the potential for some serious ugly. If you've ever accidentally fed an effects processor back to itself (dialing up the send on a return channel, for instance) the loop/feedback noise generated can be epic. The same can happen between consoles. I had to take extra care to check patch and assigns - especially working with a small format digital console where routing and assigns aren't visually obvious.
From the O1V, I mixed down the 8 channels of synth into a left and right, and sent them to two input channels of the MH3 to have an over all level control. The O1V also had all of the main speaker routing. From the MH3, I sent vocals, orchestra for the house, and orchestra for the monitors to the O1V via separate sends. I sent vocals for the pit monitors directly from the MH3.
Once the initial patch and testing was finished, I was ready to mix a musical.
Stay tuned for the next installment - the tech process. Until then... cats and kittens!
Setting Up a Musical - The Mechanics of Spelling Bee Part 2
by Richelle Thompson
Sep 11, 2012
From last week's post - I described how I broke down the cast list and orchestra pit line-up to put together a list of what I would need and the number of input and output channels to mix the show.
Here's what my FOH position looked like:
Center of the position is the SoundCraft MH3. Aside from the huge amount of real estate this console eats, and nearly needing roller skates to mix on it, it's a pretty sexy analog desk with some great features - programmable mutes, mute groups, VCA's, assignable aux/bus faders, and several other bells and whistles.
In the next rack over, the secondary console, a YAMAHA O1V96v2 sits in a slant top case that houses the SFX playback computer, AD/DA converters for both playback and the YAMAHA, effects units, power conditioning, a rack drawer, and CD player for sound check.
The final two racks (more than was needed for the show) house wireless microphone receivers, antenna distribution, and additional power conditioning.
I chose to put the inputs that I would not need to adjust much (or at all) on the O1V - namely the 8 channels of synth from the orchestra, and 6 channels of computer playback. I also wanted to be able to control the monitor level separately from the over all speaker level as I used the same 4 speakers on deck for both monitors and effects playback.
The MH3 took on the rest of the orchestra, effects processing, and the wireless microphone compliment.
The real trick for this configuration, was tying the two consoles together in a way to accommodate the channel needs for the show, but not create problems. Any time you put to pieces of gear in line to both send and receive to one another, you have the potential for some serious ugly. If you've ever accidentally fed an effects processor back to itself (dialing up the send on a return channel, for instance) the loop/feedback noise generated can be epic. The same can happen between consoles. I had to take extra care to check patch and assigns - especially working with a small format digital console where routing and assigns aren't visually obvious.
From the O1V, I mixed down the 8 channels of synth into a left and right, and sent them to two input channels of the MH3 to have an over all level control. The O1V also had all of the main speaker routing. From the MH3, I sent vocals, orchestra for the house, and orchestra for the monitors to the O1V via separate sends. I sent vocals for the pit monitors directly from the MH3.
Once the initial patch and testing was finished, I was ready to mix a musical.
Stay tuned for the next installment - the tech process. Until then... cats and kittens!
Cheers!
R