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What are all those buttons????

The SOUNDBOARD, A Mackie 32 Channel

http://www.mackie.com/PDFs/8Bus/OM/8Bus_OM_ALL.pdf

Looks imposing with all its buttons and dials, but you only really need to learn one row... as all the rest do pretty much the same thing......WHEW!

If all else fails you can always read the manual!!!! (Recommended)

The “Mute Button”, selects whether the channel is operational, so it is in effect an ON/OFF button. (And on some boards this is what it is called). When it is muted the light is orange, when it is operational the orange light is off. (Just the opposite of other boards, where the green Iight means “ON” and no light means “OFF”..... why do they do that!!!)

The little green light beside the pan control indicates when a mike is live, so you can tell if a channel is active or potentially active.

The little red light above the green one is the clipping or overload (OL) indicator. You don't want this to come on.

By the way, in order to get the Green VU lights to light up on the VU panel, you need to push “CHANNEL” on the right hand side, beside the analog meter. (Meter with the needles). The default is to “Tape” so you always have to push this.

Solo Button

If you need to find a person's mike, and don't know where it is, you hit the “SOLO” button. (OR you could have read the chart!) This action is “Post-fader, Post Mute” on this board and on some boards is called the “PFL” button which is Pre-fader in that case. The little red light solo light comes on, and everything but that channel is eliminated from the control room mix. That way you can isolate one person's mike, and adjust the controls accordingly. (Sometimes you get to hear some pretty bad singing....uh... did I say that??!!!) (It only works when the MUTE button is OFF....i.e. the mike is LIVE). If you push one of these solo buttons and forget about it, the little “RUDE” solo light on the master I/O section blinks at you! Also you will get glares from everyone else in the control room that want to hear the WHOLE THING! By the way, this does not affect the recording...so don't panic! You can adjust the level by the "solo" level on the Master /O section. The control room sound level is adjusted with the "Control Room" level, and also if there is a second set of speakers the "Studio " control.

To Set Up Each Channel

There seems to be various ways to do this. (Everyone develops their own way eventually).

To set up each channel first have the trim/gain all the way down to the left. Mute is OFF (Live). Set faders at Unity. Then hit the “solo” button on that particular channel. The red solo light will come on. Turn the trim/gain up slowly with the drummer hitting the kick drum for instance. Watch for the little red clipping light to come on, back off slightly until the clipping light goes out. Then adjust the fader and watch the LED's, so they just go above the 0 mark. The “faders” should ideally operate in the “GREY AREA” (UNITY). Then you can adjust the EQ till you get the sound you want. So if you are adjusting the bass guitar, you would give it a little more bass, if you are adjusting the cymbals, you would take off some of the bass EQ.....got the picture? You will have to readjust the faders after the EQ is adjusted accordingly.

By the way, you use the Trim/Gain control to adjust the levels on the DA-88 also, (For channels 25-32), as there is no separate control on the DA-88 for this. (Weird)! The cables for this go into the “INSERT” section (first row). It seems weird to have an OUTPUT that comes out of something that says “insert”!

The Pan Control

You can set all the drums etc. to a sub group on the right bank of sliders, by selecting the 1-2, or 3-4 group switch, etc.

Note: if you assign a subgroup say group1-2, then, using the “pan” control, if you pan all the way to the left, you select group 1, then with another you pan all the way to the right you select group 2. So you can have all the drums on say 1, the violins on group 2, singers on group 3 etc.

Note: SHUT OFF the L/R mix if you are using subgroups. If not leave L/R mix on to assign the channel to the mix.

If you use sub 1 and want it to be in the LR mix, you need to have the “Mono” buttons down, and the L/R Mix on the subs “down”.

The “Master fader” on the right controls the level of everything. Note that this control does NOT affect the peaking levels of the DA-88.

Mic/Line

This button is located behind the VU panel, beside the XLR or mike connector.

SPECIAL NOTE: If the guy has been “Mastering” earlier in the week, he may have neglected to change the Mic/line button back to Mic. On channels 1 –8 cause he needs it on LINE to take the output from the DA-88. So just make sure the Mic buttons are “UP” on channels 1-8 otherwise your first 8 channels will not work.

Large Patch Panel

Refer to the CHART that is made up for each session:

So.....they are:

A to H are the plug ins from the stage. (From Your left while facing the stage, it starts at "A". The “E” ones on the top refer to the Extension board on the right, (The small 24 channel sound-board.)

So, say the guitar is plugged into B1 on the stage, and you want it to be controlled by channel 24 on the board...You patch B1 into CH 24 and you are in business.

IMPORTANT: Do NOT move these plugs when the sound system is ON, as you will get severe “POPS” in the system that is damaging to the speakers. If you need to change something while it is "hot", phone upstaris and ask them to mute the channel, or bring the levels down.

Mixing Board Usual Standard Settings

Ch 1-8 are the Drums. Starting with the Kick, Snare, Hi Hat, Floor Tom, Tom1, Tom2, Overhead mics. (Usually Two).

Ch 9 & 10 Are Bass Guitar mics. One is on a DI box the other is on a mic at the AMP. (Or sometimes a standup bass).

Ch 11 & 12 Are usually electric and Acoustic Guitars.

Ch 13-15 Are usually the vocal mics with Ch 13 being the lead vocal.

Ch 20 usually the "Pastor Role" mic for the Pastor doing the prayer for offering etc.

Ch 24 is the VK7 (Small organ).

Ch 25 is the FOH or "Front of House channel. It is patched in using an attenuator (The long skinniy thing on the input cord) because the signal from upstairs is too hot.)In a pinch you can record everything from this channel. Also used to pick up wireless mics or the organ or other mics that you can't find on the regular channels. (Sometimes they surprise you with mics that are not on the stage map).

Ch 26 is the KORG.

Ch 27-28 are Piano Low and High, because that is where the mikes are located on either side of the piano. Recently we have tried something different, we have used two AKG 414 mics in a stereo fashion in the centre of the piano on ONE channel (Ch 28 Piano High) So watch for this setup.

Ch 29-30 are “AUDIENCE MIKES” that are marked on the board. (There are two of them hanging from ceiling). They take "Phantom Power" from a box under the patch panel. (They are condensor mics).

Ch 31 is the pulpit. (Used as a backup if the wireless fails.)

Ch 32 is Henry's ( Main Speaker) wireless mike.

On the extension board: PB 1 & 2 Usually are the video sound channels. (They are routed through mix B)

PB 5 & 6, 7 & 8 are stereo channels that are used to patch things through mix B as well. (See "Wonders of Mix B")

“Choir mikes”, are hanging over the stage. They take Phantom power from a box under the patch panel as well. They are on the Extension board to the Right, and are labeled. For special services that involve the whole orchestra sometimes floor mikes are used (4 of them) and the overhead choir mikes are pulled up out of the way.

If there is a trio, or backup singers, they can be “subbed” to another fader on the sub group panel.

Channels 25-32 on the board, have the inputs to the DA-88 as well, and that is how you monitor the levels on the DA-88. (These are plugged into the “insert” section or the first row of jacks.) You watch the VU on the DA-88, and adjust the “Trim/Gain Control”, to get them peaking properly. (NO RED). I've noticed that with HENRY, the trim/gain is cranked all the way up.

Get ready for “jokes” that are told, so that you can adjust the audience faders up, so laughter is heard, or clapping, as the case may be. You need to be on the ball for this. You pull these faders down otherwise, to get a purer sound.

The board has Mix A and B capabilities. Mix B is used for the video sound.

If you want to hear the talkback mic from the band leader, I suggest you patch it in on the last channel (32) to keep it away from your mix channels. You put a patch cord into the "INSERT" of that channel and run it to the front of the Clearcom. This way the TD can hear it the fader does not make any difference if it is plugged into the "INSERT." It does not get into the mix. You adjust the level with the GAIN control.

Snake

The Snake on stage takes the first 8 channels from the "F" group on Stage Left, the next 8 are from the "A" group on Stage Right. (Stage LEFT and RIGHT are from the performers view, not the audience....you can get this mixed up if you are not careful). These are routed through the monitor sound board before going to the FOH and Video rooms.

The four channels at the bottom of the snake are "RETURNS" that ususally accomodate a wired ear monitor for the drummer and base player etc.

Playing a Video: The Wonders of MIX B!

The Mix B OUTPUT from the board goes into the patch bay H2. Then the signal is picked up upstairs from their patch board, so that they control the volume, and Equalization.

The settings for this strip are:

“Mic/line”- DOWN. (Line)

“Flip” – UP

“Source” on the Mix B monitor – DOWN (Channel)

“EQ Split” is up, (Cancels our EQ) because, the signal goes upstairs, and they EQ it up there.

To Patch your video in, go from the top patch panel DCV PLAYER out.... into the bottom panel, PB1, & PB2. (Again, this is a stereo L & R signal). This takes the video sound output from the “DVC PLAYER” Panasonic DVC Pro 250 (Located above the camera controller, the same player that plays the "JUICE".)

The job of the camera controller is to take out the “VIDEO JUICE” and insert and cue-up the video on the player. The “Time code” is used, so when you put in a tape, rewind and zero it, then cue it up. The numbers will always be the same. (Starts at 10.) Give it a 3 sec pre-roll.

NOTE: IF the remote is plugged into this player and selected (Which it usually is) you have to run everything from the remote. I wondered why it wouldn't play when I pushed it on the machine!!!! AHHHH!

The Mix B dial on the lower left of the upper right panel, (Master I/O section) Is the Master level control for Mix B. (Labeled, and a "normal" position is labeled for optimum output to upstairs.)

To send the signal OUT to upstairs, (This is Marked) the “assign “switch should be in the UP position. (The sound is NOT going to L/R mix, so you don't “accidentally” record video sound onto your AUDIO-tape!) (Unless you want to that is!) To hear it in the control room you can assign the LR mix to the faders, but the fader volume does not have anything to do with the output to upstairs.

The Mix B Monitor Section

Be sure the Source – “Channel” buttons on PB1 and PB2 (For example) are in the down position to use MIX B in this case. (Note: Now the FADER for this channel will not work now, so you have to now use the level control above the split EQ button to set the levels.)

Note: The inputs for the PB'S are LINE level inputs, so the Mic/Line switch has to be on LINE (DOWN). I found that PB1 & 2's line input were switched the other day, noticed when we just plugged in the Left out from DVC into PB1 and it showed up on PB 2. Something else to watch for, not a big deal, but wrong.

The levels we play with on the fader have NOTHING whatever to do with the sound to the house (Thank goodness!)

.So once the Mix B levels are set, leave them alone, so the poor guy upstairs can regulate what's going to the house.

Recording from FOH

Now, if we ignore all the other Mics, (MUTE THEM) we can just use the FOH, but then our sound depends entirely on what is being sent from the board upstairs. (Simpler, but definitely not as much fun!) This can be used if you are trying to do everything yourself and don't have a sound person.

Above the Extension sound board on the RIGHT . is located a “PATCH Bay”, the "TASCAM PB 32 H"(You must have found this already!) With this panel you can patch various devices in the control room, like the tape player, CD player, DVC Player, etc..... into the sound board.

The usual one is to patch the DVC-Pro player, (If a video is to be played) Top panel.... into the bottom, PB1, & PB2. (Didn't I just say that!)

By the way if we play a video and sub it to a subgroup or the LR mix in order to hear it in the soundroom, we need to Pull down the FOH fader or we could get a feedback loop.

If a CD is to be played, to check it's content, etc., you patch CD-OUT from the top bay to say, PB5 & PB6 on the bottom or you can just use headphones into the Marantz PM 320 CD player, (Under the DA-88) (Easiest). (Or you can play from the HHB burner).

You can hook earphones directly to the TAPE player, or you can move the VU (VU stands for Volume Unit... a measure of sound level) meter panel forward, and plug them into one of the “PHONE” jacks on the Right front of the Mackie board panel. (They are labeled and have their own volume control on th I/O section.

Click Track

We have the ability to send a click track via a DVD player out to the monitor board.

We plug in a DIRECT OUT on the board into a DI box then into a channel on the patch panel. So if we use PB 3 for instance...it is the normal playback channel from the DVD player...this enables the musicians on stage to synchronize their playing with the DVD.....COOL!

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