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Strange Kevin wrote: ↑Wed Nov 13, 2019 4:59 pm I've always wanted to set one of these up at FOH or somewhere in the crowd to see if it actually sounds like I remember... https://3diosound.com/products/free-spa ... microphone

It's not exactly what they are marketed for, but if it worked, It would be a pretty easy way to capture the show.

Looked into this one time. You can use your own head for binaural recording, and a small diaphragm condenser microphone at each pinna. Never done it, but many have done it discreetly at concerts. It's a head-fi thing though unfortunately. https://sound.stackexchange.com/questio ... -situation They say earbuds are best to listen on, but I can never get the frequency response just right with them - probably due to proximity always changing and sealing issues - infernal things.
You can listen with a stereo speaker set-up but crosstalk has to be eliminated, by attenuating, inverting and delaying the opposite channel signal so it cancels out the signal that arrives in the wrong ear (which is the same effect as your head in-between your ears for sound direction sensation).

NEW X32/M32 FIRMWARE!!!!!!!!!!

I'm so excited about the new firmware for my Midas M32C!!! It was good before, but one of the issues I had with it's usability was that I could add a bunch of remote stage boxes for inputs and outputs at different locations at a venue, which is good. However, the inputs could only be assigned in blocks of 8. So, if for instance, I had my main 32 I/O box on stage yet wanted to add one or two inputs or outputs at a different location, either on or off the stage, I would have to assign at least 8 inputs or outputs to the remote location, removing all 8 usable inputs at the main box even though I may only need one or two remotely.

Not the end of the world, but the new firmware allows full custom, each by each, input and output routing to/from all sources... So, I can have 48 inputs on aes50a, 48 inputs on aes50b, and whatever inputs are available via whatever expansion card I have installed, which is either 32 inputs via Dante or 32 inputs via USB. The new firmware allows me to select my 32 channel inputs from any of the available inputs. I love it! Was my main complaint before. No longer an issue.

SethRocksYou wrote: ↑Mon Nov 11, 2019 6:22 pm

CoronaOperator wrote: ↑Fri Nov 01, 2019 1:36 am

Grant Bunter wrote: ↑Thu Oct 31, 2019 2:43 pm "tweak by ear" was in there as well, just as critical...

I would say that is the most critical thing to take from the whole conversation. Pleasing your ears should be the goal of sound, pleasing a graph on a computer screen because a rta mic said so even though the sound is like an icepick to the forehead is just silly. RTA's have done more harm than good since their inception. IMO the only use of an RTA is to quickly find a feedback frequency. For system tuning dual channel FFT's are useful in larger rooms but they take a lot of training to even begin to read the results. Your ears never lie, if it sounds good it is good, if it sounds bad it is bad. Sound is about your ears, not what a graph says.

but it was something along the lines of spending a couple minutes dialing in just the right amount of reverb until they were completely satisfied that it was perfect... then noticing the reverb is muted. I've done similar things. Adjust something, oh yeah much better. Oops, that wasn't the main mix it was an Aux. Musicians will say "hey I need more of this or that" and they see me working behind my laptop and say "oh yeah, that's much better, thanks" before I've even made any changes.

That happens to me every show I work, shhh - don't tell anyone it happened and they will never know. Working on fx or even levels in a mix is a bit different than overall system response. A song can be busy with a lot going on and it keeps changing but too much 2k in your face all night is too much 2k.

Sooo... Random thought... I've tinkered around with the technique of fattening up a kick drum with a side-chain gated oscillator. Sounds pretty good. Really adds some noticeable flavor.

If I ever implemented the technique in a live situation, could it be wise to choose an oscillator frequency that is either, A) in an area of the response chart that has higher efficiency... OR, possibly even smarter-er... B) choose a frequency that's higher on the Impedance Curve?

For instance, would it result in less current demand on the amplifier if I put the oscillator frequency at 55Hz? Where, according to the Delta 12LFA data sheet, the impedance is roughly 100 Ohms (unloaded value of coarse, but for the sake of conversation...) ? Would it help with keeping voice coils and amplifiers cool vs. a frequency that is lower on the Impedance Curve?

Just a random curiosity. Thoughts?


Here's a video explaining the technique if you're unfamiliar with it.

CoronaOperator wrote: ↑Wed Nov 20, 2019 8:26 pm

That happens to me every show I work, shhh - don't tell anyone it happened and they will never know. Working on fx or even levels in a mix is a bit different than overall system response. A song can be busy with a lot going on and it keeps changing but too much 2k in your face all night is too much 2k.

Hahaha. Nice. Well put

I have used this in the analogue world, but had no need to use it on my digital mixer.
It's certainly not new by any means.
I have an analogue ARX six gate, and, years ago, found the info about it here:
http://www.arx.com.au/worldwide/Sixgate_appnotes.htm
Under "kick drum from hell" it suggests 40-60Hz., so play around with it. You might find it works with different frequencies at different places.
I don't think you're going to run a triggered sine wave as an adjunct to kick drum at a level that's going to make your limiters engage, so, that should be fine as far as your amps are concerned, regardless of frequency.

If you get a kit that just sounds terrible at a gig, you've worked out how to sort a decent kick drum sound.
Read the bottom of the link, you can also use the same method , but with pink noise, for snare

Yeah, that's essentially the same technique Grant. Interesting about the pink noise and snare. Gonna have to try that for the fun of it.

Regarding the Impedance Curve and choosing a frequency, it's more of just a casual curiosity. I'm not worried about blowing drivers by augmenting the kick.

Does anyone know... would it really be only 9 watts (thermal or otherwise) at 30 volts operating at a frequency that indicates 100 Ohms on the Impedance Chart?

Hmmm... curiouser and curiouser
http://audiojudgement.com/speaker-imped ... explained/

Starting to make a bit of sense
https://www.audioholics.com/loudspeaker ... ase/page-2

Interesting links Seth, I'll have to check those out later.

In reference to the gated oscillator for Kick. I do that all the time! (Probably too much)
But, it sure can come in handy sometimes.
Like tonight, when the Reggae band's drummer brings this* in as his Kick drum...
As far as frequency, I generally keep it at 50hz although occasionaly I'll shift up or down slightly depending the genre of the song.

That's pretty wild Kevin. I've never seen that before. He gets my vote for smartest drummer ever.

I used to point fingers and giggle at drummers... why on earth would you choose THAT as YOUR instrument? You gotta lug all those big cumbersome cases everywhere. CRAZY

And now, here I am... the sound guy

Strange Kevin wrote: ↑Fri Nov 22, 2019 3:10 am As far as frequency, I generally keep it at 50hz although occasionaly I'll shift up or down slightly depending the genre of the song.

Depending on genre... I can see that.

I wonder if it could be beneficial to the synergy of the mix to choose a frequency that's a sub harmonic of the key the song is being played in... Or maybe, intentionally not a harmonic?

SethRocksYou wrote: ↑Fri Nov 22, 2019 11:40 am I used to point fingers and giggle at drummers... why on earth would you choose THAT as YOUR instrument? You gotta lug all those big cumbersome cases everywhere. CRAZY

And now, here I am... the sound guy

Don't know where that leaves me lol, I do both...

Grant Bunter wrote: ↑Fri Nov 22, 2019 3:57 pm

SethRocksYou wrote: ↑Fri Nov 22, 2019 11:40 am I used to point fingers and giggle at drummers... why on earth would you choose THAT as YOUR instrument? You gotta lug all those big cumbersome cases everywhere. CRAZY

And now, here I am... the sound guy

Don't know where that leaves me lol, I do both...

And you do lighting too, right? That's a lot of baggage. Good thing we love it.

I drive a little VW Golf TDI and am surprised how much I can fit in there. I can get a pair of 18's and the rest of the kit in there too, no problem. But, I'm eyeballing a trailer. There's no way I'll be able to shoehorn 4 Titans in. What do you use to transport all your gear?

Yeah, #TDi club!!

I've been wanting a decent trailer for a while too!
Well, that or a sprinter van. Or both!!

Usually end up stacking it all up in the back of my brothers long-bed truck.