Morning all,
Last night I volunteered to run a district camp meeting, first time I ever had the opportunity.
I had nothing to do with setup or gear rental which I knew was going to be a challenge to an amateur like me.
The board was a brand new Midas M32R that had bad not been set up before. Speaker set up for FOH were yorkville speakers and all I know is the sticker on the back stated they were 1200w peak. Going off memory there were 6 or 8 of them spread out. There were also 2 big long flat style on the floor, looking at the yorkville site they were possibly PSA1. There was 1 aux send that was getting signal but the person who set it up wasn’t sure what speaker it was so we could not adjust. I believe it was foh potentially the 2 big long speakers on the floor.
Monitor setup, there were 4 in one aux send that were yorkville 4400w peak and two others in another aux send, they may have been smaller forgot to check the tag.
Upon arrival we were the first to run the system outside of the setup they did the day before. Monitors were not assigned on the board which meant I did not have overall control on the monitor mixes. If I wanted to bring the overall mix down I had to adjust each individual channel in that aux send. No channels were EQ’d which was fine just took more of our practice to get something set. Had about an hour to figure this out.
Found the stage volume was crazy loud but without a master fader and limited practice time I had no chance to really correct it. Also, drums were not gated and they were picking up everything. I noted that 2 of the 4 drum mics had phantom power but I did not set it up and did not have a chance to fix it and dial in the gates. Because of the gates missing they were picking up people walking across the stage and monitors along with the monitors to a degree.
Keyboard mic wanted to ring in the keyboard monitor. It was a sennheiser mic and I believe it had gain control on the receiver but I did it have manual nor the time to attempt a correction.
For the music part of our service, my church’s band, it went really well. Loud, but no rings, at least that I could hear lol. After that there was a special group to sing and there was a small ring with them but nothing crazy. They used music through an XLR and the first song was very quiet and I could not get anymore volume out of their system, their second song came through perfect.
The preacher held the mic at his nipples so I was trying to pull monitor down and put his gain up and pull his fader up to hear him better. He actually told me there was feedback starting on stage and he would hold the mic up. A little embarrassing but he did not hold the mic up either so it was what it was.
After service our band did not go back up but some random people did. This is where all the struggles occurred, even though it was only 5 to 10 minutes there was ringing left right and centre. Not being used to the board I was struggling to find the culprit but I think it was the keyboard mic. I pulled gained out if it and it seemed to fix it a bit. With it being different people then what I had it set for I think it explains why I had some issues. The keyboard player singing was not coming through and even if I pulled his fader up I got nothing.
So overall, I feel like it was a train wreck but with some good parts. I know not knowing the system, nor the setup, nor enough time to properly gain stage everything worked against me.
Feedback or suggestions for the future?
Am I correct that based on the speaker stickers there was more wattage in monitors then FOH?
My first event. Open for input
Re: My first event. Open for input
Have you used an X32 (the operating system is identical to the M32)?
Could you have been there for the setup? If it were me I would have made sure to be there so I could ask questions.
WRT the monitor master fader, the aux will have gone through a bus and the bus fader is, effectively, the master fader for that aux.
But, above all, make sure you are familiar with, or can become familiar with the desk before agreeing to run the show.
Could you have been there for the setup? If it were me I would have made sure to be there so I could ask questions.
WRT the monitor master fader, the aux will have gone through a bus and the bus fader is, effectively, the master fader for that aux.
But, above all, make sure you are familiar with, or can become familiar with the desk before agreeing to run the show.
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- Sam Spoons
Forum Aficionado - Posts: 22910 Joined: Thu Jan 23, 2003 12:00 am Location: Manchester UK
Still mourning the loss of my 'Jedi Poster" status 
People often mistake me for a grown-up because of my age.
People often mistake me for a grown-up because of my age.
Re: My first event. Open for input
Hey Sam,
I have only ran analog Yamaha and the Yamaha TF3.
I watched some YouTube so I had an idea of the UI functionality before arriving.
Unfortunately do to outside forces I could jot get there to assist with the setup. It was on the list to be apart of, but I just couldn’t make it work.
I agree with knowing the system but this is a volunteer district wide and they like to have the sound man of the church doing music run the sound.
The organizer is a friend and I politely told him that next year either hire it out or hire within and have someone like myself rent gear or bring their own so they have consistent sound all weekend.
I have only ran analog Yamaha and the Yamaha TF3.
I watched some YouTube so I had an idea of the UI functionality before arriving.
Unfortunately do to outside forces I could jot get there to assist with the setup. It was on the list to be apart of, but I just couldn’t make it work.
I agree with knowing the system but this is a volunteer district wide and they like to have the sound man of the church doing music run the sound.
The organizer is a friend and I politely told him that next year either hire it out or hire within and have someone like myself rent gear or bring their own so they have consistent sound all weekend.
Re: My first event. Open for input
I'm not quite sure how the drum mics were picking up people walking on the stage. The close mics should have had low enough gains and be pointing at the drums so they shouldn't be a problem even without gates, and the overheads probably wouldn't work well with gates on as they wouldn't pick up any subtle stuff (if there was any). I've never had any problems with drum overheads picking up people to any noticeable level. If they were shouting on stage whilst walking around, that's something that needs to be addressed.
It's worth noting the speaker type down if you want to research relative power levels. Peak power is often 4x the RMS rating and 2x music power, but that doesn't take into account the speaker sensitivity. I can't see any big dedicated monitors in the Yorkville range (only a basic 200W wedge).
The PSA1 is a line-array speaker and if set up in its natural landscape orientation. only has a very narrow 15° vertical spread, but a 115° horizontal spread, which is great for FOH, but not so good for monitors unless they were angled to be pointing directly at the performers heads. If you've got a tall person next to a short one using the same monitor, you have a problem
In portrait orientation, the reverse is true, so they don't have to be too far away to get good vertical coverage, but they then become a one-person monitor because of the narrow horizontal coverage. It may be that when not used in stacked multiples, the vertical coverage becomes greater than 15°, I don't know.
The preacher probably didn't need anything but the barest of monitor levels (if anything) if they weren't speaking over anything else on stage, which would help with feedback, and obviously all the other stage mics should have been muted.
If you don't know the desk, you really stood little chance. It's the sort of event where you want to be able to set scenes beforehand - like a basic one speaker only setting, and a mute all on the FOH between different acts.
And if the monitors were really loud units, someone should have been setting suitable maximum monitor levels on the units themselves before setting up.
It almost sounds like the FOH speakers should have been used as monitors, and the PAS1 (if that's what they were) should have been flown and used as line arrays for FOH.
Were you there for the set-up? If not, next time I would be, and ask loads of questions about the PA. Once you know how everything is connected, its a lot easier to mentally visualise what's going on when things go wrong.
I'm a bit surprised that the PA hire company didn't provide someone to mix the event, as it was a pretty involved multi-group arrangement - which isn't for the faint-hearted.
And if you do the mixing again, then can they provide an analogue desk rather than a digital one if you aren't at all familiar with an X32 or a M32, if that's what they provide as standard? if you can't drive the provided desk quickly and efficiently, then you aren't getting the benefits that a digital desk can provide. Otherwise, try and find somewhere that has has an X32 or M32 and see if you can help out on it, and get to know it. Download and read the manual.
It would be nice to say it will be easier next time, but it probably won't. All you can really do is know you are going to do it in advance, get involved as early as possible, understand the equipment and have a say in what's used.
It's worth noting the speaker type down if you want to research relative power levels. Peak power is often 4x the RMS rating and 2x music power, but that doesn't take into account the speaker sensitivity. I can't see any big dedicated monitors in the Yorkville range (only a basic 200W wedge).
The PSA1 is a line-array speaker and if set up in its natural landscape orientation. only has a very narrow 15° vertical spread, but a 115° horizontal spread, which is great for FOH, but not so good for monitors unless they were angled to be pointing directly at the performers heads. If you've got a tall person next to a short one using the same monitor, you have a problem
In portrait orientation, the reverse is true, so they don't have to be too far away to get good vertical coverage, but they then become a one-person monitor because of the narrow horizontal coverage. It may be that when not used in stacked multiples, the vertical coverage becomes greater than 15°, I don't know.
The preacher probably didn't need anything but the barest of monitor levels (if anything) if they weren't speaking over anything else on stage, which would help with feedback, and obviously all the other stage mics should have been muted.
If you don't know the desk, you really stood little chance. It's the sort of event where you want to be able to set scenes beforehand - like a basic one speaker only setting, and a mute all on the FOH between different acts.
And if the monitors were really loud units, someone should have been setting suitable maximum monitor levels on the units themselves before setting up.
It almost sounds like the FOH speakers should have been used as monitors, and the PAS1 (if that's what they were) should have been flown and used as line arrays for FOH.
Were you there for the set-up? If not, next time I would be, and ask loads of questions about the PA. Once you know how everything is connected, its a lot easier to mentally visualise what's going on when things go wrong.
I'm a bit surprised that the PA hire company didn't provide someone to mix the event, as it was a pretty involved multi-group arrangement - which isn't for the faint-hearted.
And if you do the mixing again, then can they provide an analogue desk rather than a digital one if you aren't at all familiar with an X32 or a M32, if that's what they provide as standard? if you can't drive the provided desk quickly and efficiently, then you aren't getting the benefits that a digital desk can provide. Otherwise, try and find somewhere that has has an X32 or M32 and see if you can help out on it, and get to know it. Download and read the manual.
It would be nice to say it will be easier next time, but it probably won't. All you can really do is know you are going to do it in advance, get involved as early as possible, understand the equipment and have a say in what's used.
Reliably fallible.
Re: My first event. Open for input
Hey wonks,
That is a good point on the drum mics and I only assumed it was the mics as the rest of the vocal mics were off other then one in a stand at the keyboard. It is possible it was that one mic and not the drums at all. I assumed drums as the drums were central stage while the keys were off to one side. And when walking Center stage you could hear your footsteps. An assumption and possibly the wrong one.
I am heading back there Sunday, not to run sound, and planned on getting pictures of the tags as I am curious to what they were. I am not sure if the monitor sticker was a store sticker or OEM sticker that stated the 4400w peak on it. I know these were not PSA1 units but based on yorkville’s site I think the monitors were PS15P’s. There were 4 in one aux for vocals, and I believe two more for the the keys and drums but those might have been the next series down.
As for the FOH I am pretty sure they were PSA1 units. Based on a photo there were 6 uppers but only two of the lowers were being used. I also remember seeing gear in a corner which did not get hooked up and I believe I saw the other lowers in the mix of gear. Once again I am confirming Sunday.
* I looked up the specs on those speakers, am I correct in saying that the four monitors for the vocals had a combined total of 5600 watts and that the 6 upper FOH 4200 watts. I don’t know if the two lowers were included in the PSA1 breakdown or not, once again I’ll confirm on Sunday.
Preacher - yes I agree, and where he stood it was pointless as he was perfectly between them. I was working to bring down the aux mix while bringing up the gain (mic was way to far away from the source) and the house mix but must have been getting loud up there for him to make the comment. Once again I did not have a master fader for the aux as the board was brand new and bus had not been assigned yet, from what I was told so doing it quickly and efficiently was not easy.
I agree, and I knew I stood little chance, and after the service was over I found out the board was just used for the first time that night, I was literally the Guinea pig.
I did have a friend who is just starting to help with sound in our church who was helping with the stage mix. Unfortunately I did not have access until an hour and a half before the service started to get an understanding of the board, try to gain stage, set monitors, and all the other things I like to do. If I knew it was a never been used board I would have pushed to be there a lot earlier, band or no band, to play around and get some general settings.
I wanted to be there for setup and even though I ran only one of the 7 services I was the first one. Unfortunately due to illnesses and car issues i was unable to get vacay to be there for the setup. The guy doing it could have used it. He spent over 12 hours trying to get what was done finished the day before. He is a good friend and had this thrown into his plate, he knows a little bit about setup and how to use the m32 but it was still limited. All gear was rented from a local Long & McQuade.
Hiring out, was mentioned a couple of times with the organizer. Whether it’s internal (someone like me) or a sound company. Not sure where that will go for next year.
I hope I do get a chance at it again. I know a few local churches use the Yamaha board that I do and if I get asked to either run for a weekend or even one service I will recommend yamaha and if that is a no go request to be there for the setup which I know they will take the help.
Keep the feedback, comments, criticisms coming it forces me to learn. Also the m32 is way better than a yamaha based on what I saw, but the UI is a little less user friendly than the Yamaha that I use every week.
That is a good point on the drum mics and I only assumed it was the mics as the rest of the vocal mics were off other then one in a stand at the keyboard. It is possible it was that one mic and not the drums at all. I assumed drums as the drums were central stage while the keys were off to one side. And when walking Center stage you could hear your footsteps. An assumption and possibly the wrong one.
I am heading back there Sunday, not to run sound, and planned on getting pictures of the tags as I am curious to what they were. I am not sure if the monitor sticker was a store sticker or OEM sticker that stated the 4400w peak on it. I know these were not PSA1 units but based on yorkville’s site I think the monitors were PS15P’s. There were 4 in one aux for vocals, and I believe two more for the the keys and drums but those might have been the next series down.
As for the FOH I am pretty sure they were PSA1 units. Based on a photo there were 6 uppers but only two of the lowers were being used. I also remember seeing gear in a corner which did not get hooked up and I believe I saw the other lowers in the mix of gear. Once again I am confirming Sunday.
* I looked up the specs on those speakers, am I correct in saying that the four monitors for the vocals had a combined total of 5600 watts and that the 6 upper FOH 4200 watts. I don’t know if the two lowers were included in the PSA1 breakdown or not, once again I’ll confirm on Sunday.
Preacher - yes I agree, and where he stood it was pointless as he was perfectly between them. I was working to bring down the aux mix while bringing up the gain (mic was way to far away from the source) and the house mix but must have been getting loud up there for him to make the comment. Once again I did not have a master fader for the aux as the board was brand new and bus had not been assigned yet, from what I was told so doing it quickly and efficiently was not easy.
I agree, and I knew I stood little chance, and after the service was over I found out the board was just used for the first time that night, I was literally the Guinea pig.
I did have a friend who is just starting to help with sound in our church who was helping with the stage mix. Unfortunately I did not have access until an hour and a half before the service started to get an understanding of the board, try to gain stage, set monitors, and all the other things I like to do. If I knew it was a never been used board I would have pushed to be there a lot earlier, band or no band, to play around and get some general settings.
I wanted to be there for setup and even though I ran only one of the 7 services I was the first one. Unfortunately due to illnesses and car issues i was unable to get vacay to be there for the setup. The guy doing it could have used it. He spent over 12 hours trying to get what was done finished the day before. He is a good friend and had this thrown into his plate, he knows a little bit about setup and how to use the m32 but it was still limited. All gear was rented from a local Long & McQuade.
Hiring out, was mentioned a couple of times with the organizer. Whether it’s internal (someone like me) or a sound company. Not sure where that will go for next year.
I hope I do get a chance at it again. I know a few local churches use the Yamaha board that I do and if I get asked to either run for a weekend or even one service I will recommend yamaha and if that is a no go request to be there for the setup which I know they will take the help.
Keep the feedback, comments, criticisms coming it forces me to learn. Also the m32 is way better than a yamaha based on what I saw, but the UI is a little less user friendly than the Yamaha that I use every week.
Re: My first event. Open for input
I have an X32 Compact* and I'm pretty sure it is impossible to route channels directly to an output (at least I can't think of a way), they have to pass through a group or the mains so you will always have a 'master fader' for the group.
FWIW The X/M32 has become so ubiquitous that it is well worth learning how to run one**. They are no more complicated than the other digital desks I've used (Allen & Heath iLive, QU and SQ, I haven't used any of the Yamahas or more esoteric stuff).
If you find yourself using that desk in future the best place for specific advice is the unofficial M/X32 forums (hope the mods are ok with me linking to 'another place') https://behringer.world/viewforum.php?f ... 70c4a30249 or come back here with specific questions, there are two or three X32 users on the forum.
* The same operating system as the M32 apart from the Midas logo at the top, you can actually load and run Midas firmware on an X32 and vice versa.
** You could even to carry a USB stick with a standard basic setup which you could load into the M/X32 desk of the day.
FWIW The X/M32 has become so ubiquitous that it is well worth learning how to run one**. They are no more complicated than the other digital desks I've used (Allen & Heath iLive, QU and SQ, I haven't used any of the Yamahas or more esoteric stuff).
If you find yourself using that desk in future the best place for specific advice is the unofficial M/X32 forums (hope the mods are ok with me linking to 'another place') https://behringer.world/viewforum.php?f ... 70c4a30249 or come back here with specific questions, there are two or three X32 users on the forum.
* The same operating system as the M32 apart from the Midas logo at the top, you can actually load and run Midas firmware on an X32 and vice versa.
** You could even to carry a USB stick with a standard basic setup which you could load into the M/X32 desk of the day.
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- Sam Spoons
Forum Aficionado - Posts: 22910 Joined: Thu Jan 23, 2003 12:00 am Location: Manchester UK
Still mourning the loss of my 'Jedi Poster" status
People often mistake me for a grown-up because of my age.
People often mistake me for a grown-up because of my age.
Re: My first event. Open for input
Thanks Sam. I never thought about a direct user forum. I know Yamaha has a fb group that is very helpful.
I am going to ensure for the future, if I have a chance to run it, that I am there for setup and have a few extra hours of time going through settings. Even if it’s a Yamaha.
I am going to ensure for the future, if I have a chance to run it, that I am there for setup and have a few extra hours of time going through settings. Even if it’s a Yamaha.
Re: My first event. Open for input
I seem to remember that you can run the X32 gui app in stand alone mode to learn how to use that desk.
That would allow some level of familiarity with routing, etc without being in front of the desk itself.
That would allow some level of familiarity with routing, etc without being in front of the desk itself.
Re: My first event. Open for input
Sounds like the OP bit off more event than he was prepared for. Doing this helps no-one.
There's no excuse for not being prepared - with today's digital desks and social media, there's a wealth of online videos and documentation, along with offline editors that give a good feel of how the desk works. Skills with one digital desk transfer pretty easily to another, but just need a refresh of how the interface works.
Also, for a sizeable event like this, while it sounds like the kit should have been better set up, you should be capable of some quick debugging of what speaker is where and what does what. Including knowing how to reconfigure mixbuses if they're set up wrongly, and how to route I/O.
Forget worrying about what wattage speakers are, and use your ears. Turn it up until it sounds right, or you hear that the kit is running out of steam, or (if active) the limit light is on too much.
Better to get a tolerable mix at low levels than run hotter but be on the verge of feedback at all times.
And, with any digital kit - *always* make sure you have a tablet, bringing a router in case there isn't one provided, along with the appropriate remote control software. Makes it a ton easier to work out what's going on on stage.
There's no excuse for not being prepared - with today's digital desks and social media, there's a wealth of online videos and documentation, along with offline editors that give a good feel of how the desk works. Skills with one digital desk transfer pretty easily to another, but just need a refresh of how the interface works.
Also, for a sizeable event like this, while it sounds like the kit should have been better set up, you should be capable of some quick debugging of what speaker is where and what does what. Including knowing how to reconfigure mixbuses if they're set up wrongly, and how to route I/O.
Forget worrying about what wattage speakers are, and use your ears. Turn it up until it sounds right, or you hear that the kit is running out of steam, or (if active) the limit light is on too much.
Better to get a tolerable mix at low levels than run hotter but be on the verge of feedback at all times.
And, with any digital kit - *always* make sure you have a tablet, bringing a router in case there isn't one provided, along with the appropriate remote control software. Makes it a ton easier to work out what's going on on stage.
Re: My first event. Open for input
Yes, the X32 Edit software runs without being connected to the desk and allows you to both prepare and save scenes to USB to load onto the desk and to sync the mixer to a scene you've prepared on the computer when connecting (or vice versa). The Mix app demo is a little more limited in functionality and doesn't allow you to make a scene on the iPad in demo mode and then load it to the desk though you can do that when connected to the desk.
If you get chance to have a play with the M32 or an X32 I would be happy to share a scene which would give you basic functions without you needing to set them up from scratch.
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- Sam Spoons
Forum Aficionado - Posts: 22910 Joined: Thu Jan 23, 2003 12:00 am Location: Manchester UK
Still mourning the loss of my 'Jedi Poster" status
People often mistake me for a grown-up because of my age.
People often mistake me for a grown-up because of my age.
Re: My first event. Open for input
Hey Sam,
I plan on trying to get some more time on the Midas board. It seems in our area either Yamaha digital boards or Midas boards are popular. Not sure when that practice time will be but it will definitely happen.
Who ever they got to run it Sunday was struggling with volume and ringing. Sounded like stage was maxed while the FOH were off. So lots of ringing on the stage. I felt bad for the guy as I know he was like myself, a volunteer, who might not understand the Midas board. I got to listen to a cell phone clip in instagram and it wasn’t bad for what it was. After listening to that video and being there for another volunteer’s mix it boosted my confidence a bit.
So they had 6 PSA1’s and 2 PSA1S for FOH. From what I know now, the PSA1S were most likely in another aux as there was an aux send getting signal but was turned off. I didn’t want to venture down that road with the little prep time I had.
Alec - feel free to send me a link to a digital desk that would help me practice for this type of situation. Also I had read up on the board I was told we were using, allen&heath, but the board changed less then 24hrs before the event and with schedules my time to prep was greatly reduced. I did watch some videos but once again I was unable to make it for setup therefore I was behind the 8 ball. Any event in the future I plan on being involved in the setupt so I better understand the setup.
I plan on trying to get some more time on the Midas board. It seems in our area either Yamaha digital boards or Midas boards are popular. Not sure when that practice time will be but it will definitely happen.
Who ever they got to run it Sunday was struggling with volume and ringing. Sounded like stage was maxed while the FOH were off. So lots of ringing on the stage. I felt bad for the guy as I know he was like myself, a volunteer, who might not understand the Midas board. I got to listen to a cell phone clip in instagram and it wasn’t bad for what it was. After listening to that video and being there for another volunteer’s mix it boosted my confidence a bit.
So they had 6 PSA1’s and 2 PSA1S for FOH. From what I know now, the PSA1S were most likely in another aux as there was an aux send getting signal but was turned off. I didn’t want to venture down that road with the little prep time I had.
Alec - feel free to send me a link to a digital desk that would help me practice for this type of situation. Also I had read up on the board I was told we were using, allen&heath, but the board changed less then 24hrs before the event and with schedules my time to prep was greatly reduced. I did watch some videos but once again I was unable to make it for setup therefore I was behind the 8 ball. Any event in the future I plan on being involved in the setupt so I better understand the setup.
Re: My first event. Open for input
Crash006 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 04, 2023 12:14 pm Alec - feel free to send me a link to a digital desk that would help me practice for this type of situation. Also I had read up on the board I was told we were using, allen&heath, but the board changed less then 24hrs before the event and with schedules my time to prep was greatly reduced. I did watch some videos but once again I was unable to make it for setup therefore I was behind the 8 ball. Any event in the future I plan on being involved in the setupt so I better understand the setup.
The fact you're having to ask where to go to download mixer software does raise a bit of a flag - it's really not that difficult to find them.
X32 Edit for all variants X/M3232
SQ Mixpad for all SQ
and, similarly, any other manufacturers,
Re: My first event. Open for input
We would also need to know the rest of the system, specifically what stageboxes were being used or if it was an analogue snake?
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- Sam Spoons
Forum Aficionado - Posts: 22910 Joined: Thu Jan 23, 2003 12:00 am Location: Manchester UK
Still mourning the loss of my 'Jedi Poster" status
People often mistake me for a grown-up because of my age.
People often mistake me for a grown-up because of my age.
Re: My first event. Open for input
Hey Alec -
So the Allen&Heath was an older analog board, not sure if I mentioned that. I was happy they upgraded, even if it was last minute. The YouTube videos I watched helped me but unfortunately they were not same as the M32R so some features were in different locations. Still not a big deal, for the hand that I was dealt it went better then I thought it would, especially after seeing someone else run the same system.
As for those downloads I have a Yamaha equivalent that I use at my local church.
I should note, I am not a sound engineer by trade, I volunteer and have taught myself pretty much everything I know and research or use this forum for help and guidance on the rest. Sorry if me not knowing how other boards work or that they have downloads is setting off flags. The other 98% probably didn’t know that either. I use Yamaha on a weekly basis and this was my first time being asked to volunteer at a district event.
So the Allen&Heath was an older analog board, not sure if I mentioned that. I was happy they upgraded, even if it was last minute. The YouTube videos I watched helped me but unfortunately they were not same as the M32R so some features were in different locations. Still not a big deal, for the hand that I was dealt it went better then I thought it would, especially after seeing someone else run the same system.
As for those downloads I have a Yamaha equivalent that I use at my local church.
I should note, I am not a sound engineer by trade, I volunteer and have taught myself pretty much everything I know and research or use this forum for help and guidance on the rest. Sorry if me not knowing how other boards work or that they have downloads is setting off flags. The other 98% probably didn’t know that either. I use Yamaha on a weekly basis and this was my first time being asked to volunteer at a district event.
Re: My first event. Open for input
Crash006 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 04, 2023 6:33 pm I should note, I am not a sound engineer by trade, I volunteer and have taught myself pretty much everything I know and research or use this forum for help and guidance on the rest. Sorry if me not knowing how other boards work or that they have downloads is setting off flags. The other 98% probably didn’t know that either. I use Yamaha on a weekly basis and this was my first time being asked to volunteer at a district event.
Clearly.
As you've just discovered, there's a big skills gap between being able to operate a familiar well set up system on a day to day basis, and being able to configure/problem solve and configure a less familiar system against time pressure with things not as you'd expect.
Nothing wrong with being the former, as there's a lot of basic mixing needed. Just know your limitataions, and don't risk your stress levels and the show being a shambles.
Re: My first event. Open for input
Alec is right 
But, if you send me a channel list and monitor assignments I may, if I can find the time, be able to send you a scene that will allow you to get up and running with minimum fuss. No promises as I have a busy couple of weeks before I go away for a month and a half but I'm happy to try.
But, if you send me a channel list and monitor assignments I may, if I can find the time, be able to send you a scene that will allow you to get up and running with minimum fuss. No promises as I have a busy couple of weeks before I go away for a month and a half but I'm happy to try.
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- Sam Spoons
Forum Aficionado - Posts: 22910 Joined: Thu Jan 23, 2003 12:00 am Location: Manchester UK
Still mourning the loss of my 'Jedi Poster" status
People often mistake me for a grown-up because of my age.
People often mistake me for a grown-up because of my age.
Re: My first event. Open for input
Lots of good advice and info here.
But what you really need is time on the desk. Ask if you are able to borrow it and a couple of speakers and a mic and cables. Then set it up, and practice speaking through the mic and learning where the sound goes when you move things, and also how the sound changes when you move things. All in the "no pressure" environment of a room by yourself.
Alternatively, ask the hire company if you can have someone train you. I know a lot of hire companies are very happy to do this, as a competent engineer who knows what they are doing will save them thousands in broken gear replacement.
But what you really need is time on the desk. Ask if you are able to borrow it and a couple of speakers and a mic and cables. Then set it up, and practice speaking through the mic and learning where the sound goes when you move things, and also how the sound changes when you move things. All in the "no pressure" environment of a room by yourself.
Alternatively, ask the hire company if you can have someone train you. I know a lot of hire companies are very happy to do this, as a competent engineer who knows what they are doing will save them thousands in broken gear replacement.
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- Dave Rowles
Frequent Poster -
Posts: 1589 Joined: Thu Feb 28, 2008 12:00 am
Location: Isle of Man
Contact:
http://www.manninmusic.com Teacher - Isle of Man
http://www.manninmusic.shop Music Shop - Isle of Man
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http://www.manninmusic.shop Music Shop - Isle of Man
https://www.facebook.com/mannin.sound - PA Hire/Sound Engineer - Isle of Man
Re: My first event. Open for input
Wow... That sounds like a nightmare experience. I've been there and done that, but on a Presonus StudioLive digital mixer. It's a real challenge to do a good job on a digital mixer you are unfamiliar with. You simply don't know how to get to things.
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- Philbo King
Regular - Posts: 383 Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2018 10:07 pm