View Single Post
Old 02-13-2011, 07:36 AM   #16
Blechi
Human being with feelings
 
Blechi's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Saarlänner
Posts: 1,141
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by yep View Post
I don't want to go too far down the road of arguing hypotheticals, but I'm kind of surprised to hear this initial optimism specifically for live applications. It's been a awhile since I did live sound for a living, but I keep in touch, and my experience is that flying-fader digital consoles tend to be looked on with something close to horror by FOH sound techs unless you're talking about rarefied, big-budget tours with redundant DAW rackmount systems and dedicated travelling sound engineers.
I don't know about the situation in the USA, but here in Germany you simply can't avoid digital consoles. They are all over the place.
Last year i ran into anything from 01V to M7CL, DiGiCo SD9 etc.
You can find them on the town fair stage, the dedicated 'rock stage' and (although they are usually ~10 years behind the time equipmentwise) even in some clubs.
The horror of the FOH guy may well be a result of the fact that as opposed to analog consoles there is no unified user interface. Every manufacturer does it in it's own way. Know one and you know all doesn't work well here.

Quote:
Originally Posted by yep View Post
If anything this breed of hybrid software-based digital console seems to be primarily a tool for home/budget studios, with the ability to use it in occasional live sound for poorly-supported gigs.
I don't understand this.
Aside from the user interface any digital console is basically the same, be it some 01V or DDX3216 pocket calculator or some DiGiCo, Studer or iLive flagship:
A bunch of hardware controlling/controlled by software.

Quote:
Originally Posted by yep View Post
But I can't imagine choosing such a thing for a primary FOH console when reliable analog mixers from Mackie, Soundcraft (or Behringer, for that matter) are available for the same price. What use does a FOH mixer in a nightclub really have for motorized faders and onboard digital reverb? How is motorized fader recall useful when you have to mix it live anyway?
I think reliability isn't the problem. If i have to choose between jumping through hoops all evening (be it because the desk is too small or partially fucked) or using digital, i go for digital in a blink of an eye.
As far as the motorized faders are concerned, in addition to analogy's post they are simply neccessary, because most digital consoles have less faders than channels, so you have to switch layers, what would be impossible without motorized faders.

Quote:
Originally Posted by yep View Post
If anything I would have thought the opposite: that this was primarily of interest to budget studios who wanted to break away from mouse/keyboard mixing...
... or the other way around. I have done live mixes(+recording) with 26ch from stage using REAPER/FF800 operated with mouse/keyboard. No problem.

Quote:
Originally Posted by yep View Post
Do bands now bring their own mixing consoles to grimy bars with junk equipment? If so, where do they put the existing console? Do they re-route all the snakes at soundcheck and leave it set up for the other bands?
Yes and no. If i know in advance that the system is usable, then there is no need to bring the own stuff. If i know (from the owner or from other bands' tourblogs) that there could be problems then i use my own stuff (given that the PA system itself is usable). As of yet i always have found a place to set my stuff up and plugging some 8ch XLR snakes into the multicore takes 5 minutes and all is good. If there is another band (what is rarely the case with our bar/club gigs) they are free to use my desk or the one of the house, replugging the multicore to the house desk takes again 5 minutes, and is easily done while the bands are changing on stage.

Quote:
Originally Posted by yep View Post
I've done stuff where the band had its own rack and brought its own rackmount mixer and sent stems to the FOH mixer to keep their sound intact, and I have definitely seen the band's tour manager or soundman work the console for their set, but this notion of showing up at the corner bar with your own full-blown console is new to me...
In times where a full blown console (including siderack) takes hardly more space than a small 19" rack this is imho the best way to work.
Especially in the corner bar gig situation:
A halfway decent PA system and some 16ch (or worse: 8ch) mixer.
In situations like this i'm happy to bring my DDX3216 or even REAPER, grab a small table and set up my FOH.
(For my main band i need 26ch from stage + 4ch at the FOH)

Last edited by Blechi; 02-13-2011 at 07:51 AM.
Blechi is offline   Reply With Quote