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The Mackie 8.b CONSOLE AudioMixer Essentials-- Ver. Dr. Ted (see P 10 for location of switch and knob names)
BCAT AB PRACTICE SESSION 1: 080808 with Leslie Hayes
BCAT AB PRACTICE SESSION 2: 081508 with Producer Gary Popkin
BCAT AB PRACTICE SESSION 3: 082208 with Producer Wally "Gator"
BCAT AB THREE-HOUR SESSION 4: 101708 with Bernice Brooks
Commonly used switches and control knobs on each Channel of the AB (See Manual P. 10)
Fader/ 1
FLIP/ 10
L/R MIX switch/ 4
MIC/LIN button/ 9
Mute button/ 2 its associated lite display button turns orange when mute is on
TRIM knob/ 8 (right next to the FLIP button)
FIXED CHANNEL (STRIP) ASSIGNMENT AT BCAT CONTROL ROOM:
MISCELLANEOUS;
Channel 1-8 (ALSO CALLED A "STRIP" correspond to the RED ports 1-8 in the WALL box.
Every channel fader has 5 switches just to the right of the FADER knob: The L/R MIX button is placed beneath the top four.
Every channel that is being used must have its L/R MIX switch down
In addition the L/R MIX switch in the Monitor section must also be depressed; it is usually left in the depressed position.
DEVICES ASSIGNED TO THE CHANNELS AT BCAT:
Channel 1 Stage Wireless Mics 1 (L and R)
Channel 2 Stage wireless Mic 2 (L and R)
Channels 3-8 for addition mics (big band productions)
Channel 9L and 10R controls the input to the channel signal from the RECORDER VTR-R, VTR-S (Where you inserted the VHS tape)
Channel 11 (not a mixer) works with AutoMixer 1 deck and AutoMixer 2 deck and allow the addition of many more mics (big band) and are rarely used in BCAT productions.
Misc.:Just below these Automixer boxes is the VTR-Record monitor and VTR-S monitor where you view the output of the VHS film that is playing.
The Automixers are use to create even more mic inputs and correspond to the BLUE ports on the WALL box
Channel 12 the GETTNER for CALL-IN in shows.
Channels 13 and14: 13 for L Tone 14 for R tone ( Put the L/R MIX switch down)
Channels 15 and 16 (L CD player and 16 for R CD player): when in use their L/R MIX switch is down
CALIBRATION OF THE AUDIOBOARD (SOUND-MIXER)
[SPECIAL NOTE]:
ONCE YOU HAVE FINISHED CALIBRATING THE TONES USING FADERS ON CHANNEL 13 AND 14 YOU MUST NOT MOVE THE FADERS AGAIN AND FURTHERMORE SHOULD PUSH THE MUTE BUTTONS ON THESE CHANNELS DOWN WHICH WILL TURN OFF THE TONE BEING HEARD.
On the Monitor section push the L/R MIX button down.
Move MASTER FADER to the “UNITY” mark on on its channel.
Move FADERS 13 and 14 (TONES) to UNITY ("U") press down their L/R MIX BUTTONS. You will now hear the TONE sounding:
Using the Main master fader fine tune its position so that the intensity indicator lights hove around -20 dB and rarely reach the yellow and NEVER reach in to the (RED).
Control volume of the tone with “Control room pot” (pot=potentiometer) You can also control Volume with the TRIM pot just below the three jacks at the top of the channel
See main monitor green bus light showing intensity peaks and make sure the lights do not go excessively high…note the two gauges (for the L and R) and then move the Main fader along the its path until the indicator shows that the volume is such that it reaches but does not exceed the RED part of the gauge (analogue VU meter)
Note that the green -20 dB LED next to the PAN switch is blinking green
And note the top black panel of green channel lights (digital VU meter) showing the intensity of the signal above each channel that is operational.
THE CALIBRATION OF TONES IS NOW COMPLETE AND YOU MUST NOT MOVE FADERS 13 AND 14 AGAIND: YOU MUST NOW press down the MUTE button to CHANNELS 13 and 14…YOU WILL SEE THE ORANGE LED LITE UP.
NOW BEGIN THE CALIBRATION OF THE A. PLAYER; B. RECORDER and C. DV-Cam/SVHS RECORDING DECKS.
A. THE “PLAYER” DECK CHANNELS (9L and 10R) depress their L/R MIX buttons and move their 10 FADERS to UNITY.
B. THE RECORDER DECK (Where you insert the VHS tape)
[NOTE] There a little switch to the lower far right labeled “REMOTE” which when switched to the UP position and control of the VHS tape in the RECORDER from the 8x6 Panasonic sitting on the desk above the three decks. It has PLAY, REW, EJECT, RESET, REC (RED), MINUTE COUNTER and other controls etc. YOU will see TWO BUTTONS, which allow you to choose whether you are working with the PLAYER or the RECORDER The button that is depressed lights ORANGE.
[Note] when your VHS film is playing you see it and hear it on the VTR-R and VTR-S monitors (see above).
[Note] if you have not UPLIFTED the REMOTE switch you are working in “LOCAL” mode and must use the buttons on the console on the front panel of the RECORDER Viz. PLAY, REW, EJECT, RESET, REC (RED), MINUTE COUNTER and other controls etc
C. DV-Cam/SVHS RECORDING DECK where you make DVD’s
[Note for the PLAYER] its gauges are labeled L (“chan 1”) and the R (“chan 2 ) you can use the LEVEL controls just below so that the needle never goes into the RED ( I think the ch 9 and ch 10 faders) work here also) note the GREEN LED meters on the top black panel and note the Main meter lites showing whether the audio peaks are staying in the green and never into the RED so that Peak s must always hover -20 db level”
For the RECORDER the L and R gauges must be adjusted so that the needle never goes into the RED.
For the SVHS and DV Cam recorder the vertical blue-green light must not go beyond -20 dBs
Volume control for the studio? Control? room monitors comes from the Monitor Control pot and/or the TRIM gain pot and/or the 9 and 10 faders (VTR)?
CALIBRATE THE CD-PLAYER DECK: has all the usual buttons: Play, Rew, Pause, Choose track (CUE), door open, door close, etc.
Set Faders 15L and 16 R to unity and depress the 15 and 16 L/R MIX buttons DOWN as usual
Move the fader until Main bus lites and top panel lites have uniform peaks in the green not exceed -20 dB This completes the calibration.
You may now UNMUTE 13 and 14
[Note] never turn off the players or the recorders WHEN YOU FINISH A PRACTICE SESSION.
When you are finished with the AB reset all buttons faders and switches to zero or OFF
You will not that only two green LEDs remain lit on channels 13 and 14.
BCAT AB PRACTICE SESSION 2: 081508 with Producer Gary Popkin
The Mackie 8.b CONSOLE AudioMixer Essentials-- Ver. Dr. Ted (see P 10 for location of switch and knob names)
In the main studio you will find 2 wall boxes:
Equipment signed out for at PE (Public Equipment Room):
3 LXR
1 intercom box (comes with headphones
1 extension cord (orange w snake head for three plug –ins
1 short gray cord to connect to speaker (plugged into extension orange ext cord which plugged in to the A/C outlet
1 Call-in Telephone (718 935 9598)
1 Wireles Mic (small head) connected to cigar shaped tube with battery and on-off switch
Calibrate the AB and the Player and recorder decks:
Calibrate the AB as usual beginning with “TONES” on ch 13 and 14 w L-R MIX down and Main Master fader at UNITY. Use CONTROL room Knob to adjust volume of tone using green monitor lights and and jumping needles gauge.
You have two volumes to control:
The recording level volume (use fader and TRIM)
And the control room speaker volume (use trim button and the control room knob in the OUTPUT section panel DrTed Man. P8.
Setting up the intercom-headphones:
The intercom head phones plug into the COM box and an XLR connects it to the WALL box (the "FM" or "LD" ports). SEE BELOW the Studio-Control room intercom system control (the PL-PRO) box. The Director and Floor manager communicate via this system
Setting up the Wireless MIC:
The host MIC is channel 2 for our practice today
The talent MIC is channel 1 (or vica –versa)
(There are 4 ports fro MICS on the WALL box near the entrance (1234) and FOUR more on the WALL box near the rear wall…5678).
The studio MICS are connect to the WALL box via the “MIXER MIC” ports (RED) on the wall box. (For our practice we plugged into #2)
Gary tested this by going out to the studio and put on the headphones I turned off the intercom box and when he spoke I heard him thru the speaker.
[NOTE] Make sure the tiny button on the part of the mike that has the battery is pushed to the "ON' position.
Here we are going to set up the MIC so that the caller can hear the host using MIC 2 speaking:
On the AB see lower right in the OUTPUT control panel there is a paper label saying “Telephone Studio Feed” It is the Channel 1 output bus and its Fader should be set to UNITY, This fader controls the volume that the caller hears.
NOW go back to channel two (the host MIC) and making sure the L-R MIX button is already down and then press the “1-2” button down and you then assign button The signal goes into the tape and we can hear/monitor in the control room the host talking back to the caller
Setting up studio speaker:
I
Plug in LXR to speaker and wall box (for this practice we used “Send Out” port
in far wall WALL box. (We plugged the LXR cable in to AUX SEND OUT PORT #4 FOR TODAY’S EXERCISE. IT IS MALE
Plug in short gray power cord into speaker and that into thick orange extension cord and into wall outlet
Turn on speaker w I/O switch and put volume control to 9 o’clock (See LED light up green in front of speaker.
Setting up CD player to allow music to be heard in studio via the speakers:
Place CD in.the CD palyer (DENON) We cued the CD to play track 11 (hit button marked 10+ and then the 1 button) (use channel 15 and 16 w L-R MIX buttons down : FLIP up and for The CD MIC/LIN down)
We pressed the “AUX 4” channel buttons on 15 and 16 down (We set the Master AUX 4 control knob (to the far right of all the AUX4 channel control knobs in the output panel) at level 9 o’clock see above (volume control on speaker set to 9) The L-R mix of the in the speaker-monitor section should be pressed down
When we hit the play button on the CD the music was played/heard on the speaker.
We used faders on ch 15 and 16 to set calibrate the volume of the speaker in the studio
Studio-Control room "CLEARCOM" intercom system
We then tested the Studio-Control room intercom system beginning with the “Clearcom” intercom System (the PL-PRO) in the control room with the long-neck MIC sticking out of it:
It has two rows of three large buttons and a row of about 10 small black vol control knobs below it. The 2nd from the left can control the level of the volume between the floor manager (or whoever is wearing the intercom/head phones.
In the studio the intercom head phones plug into the COM box and an XLR connects it to the WALL box (the ”FM” port). [SEE two ports labeled “FM” (floor manger) and LD (lighting director)]
Row 1 Big button 1 labeled “Talk”,,,Big Button 2 Labeled “FM Talk” When it is down (not lit) the Director can talk to the FM when it is up it is lit, 3, Big Button 3 labeled “ Master control Talk”
Row 2.. Big Button 1 labeled “Listen...Big Button 2 Labeled “FM Listen (when it is down (not lit) I can only listen to the the FM.…Big Button 3, Labeled “Master Control Listen”.
NOTE: all buttons are up (lit) is the normal position
NOTE: The bottom row of buttons controls both bottom and top row. So if you press a “listen” button you can both Talk and Listen to the FM (Floor Manager).
NOTE: When both buttons are up (lit) the director and FM can intercommunicate
NOTE: Small switch on the part of the wireless mike that holds the battery is "ON"
NOTE: Control room volume is adjusted by the “control room” switch on output panel
NOTE REGARDING VOLUME CONTROL:
When the director says “Not so loud” he may be referring to the volume in the control room or the volume of the recording:
If he is not clear assume it is the VOLUME OF THE SOUND COMING THRU THE SPEAKERS IN THE CONTROL ROOM SO USE THE “CONTROL ROOM" KNOB IN THE MONITOR/SPEAKER SECTION OF THE “OUTPUT “ SECTION OF THE AB,
If he really meant the sound level of audio being recorded you use the TRIM knob or the fader of the audio source.
For example: if the volume of the host’s voice on MIC 2 was too loud you can lower it by turning the TRIM knob on the at the top of the channel 2.
Connecting telephone:
At the back desk in control room see black power line and
And gray telephone line emerging from desk
Plug both in to telephone (718 935 9598)
When incoming call arrives see green LED on phone panel light up: In-coming phone call monitor presses this button to speak/talk.
Pressing the button marked “AIR” send the incoming call to the AB and the callers voice on the telephone becomes mute and the incoming voice signal is sent to the AB. (Channel 12) the GETTNER , named after the manufacturer and the green lit LED on the phone turns RED. The telephone is a “LINE” device: (FLIP is UP and MIC-LIN is DOWN )
To send the signal/voice to the speaker:
Then we set up the TELEPHONE for incoming calls to go to channel 12 via AUX 4 (button down on channel 12 (L-R Mix down) resulting in telephone voice being heard in the studio thru the speaker. (Gary had called (718 935 9598).
It is to this phone that incoming calls arrive. The host has a fake phone to give the impression he is getting the call on a phone.
In fact he is hearing the caller speak through the studio speaker and everybody in the studio can hear the caller as well.
Striking the Control room and the Studio”
Set all AB buttons knobs and switches back to their original settings.
Leave the L-R MIX buttons down on channels 1 and 2 (the MICS)
When all is done Channel’s 13 and 14 -20db light remains lit (green)
Gather all cords and fold as per BCAT’s requirements.
Place in box received and return to PE : The will inspect for return of all items signed out for and breakage and ask you to rewind all improperly wound cords.
Finally, you will be asked to sing the sheet that you completed when you borrowed the equipment from the PE office,
MISC:
For stereophonic sound:
Given Host is MIC 2 left side
And guest is MIC 1 right side
You can use the PAN knob (P 10 #3) to create a stereo sound effect The Mackie 8.b CONSOLE AudioMixer Essentials-- Ver. Dr. Ted
IF the PAN switches are both set at the center detent you have NO STEREO EFFECT. If you turn the mic 1 (guest MIC on right) PAN pot to the right and the mic 2 host MIC to the left you will achieve a stereophonic effect which you will hear in the control room and will be sent to the recorder as such.
BCAT AB PRACTICE SESSION 3: 082208 with Producer Wally "Gator" see and see
The Mackie 8.b CONSOLE AudioMixer Essentials-- Ver. Dr. Ted (see P 10 for location of switch and knob names)
The essentials of performing a "Mixdown" using the AB in the control room:
Given a CD in the CD player deck and a VHS movie in the " VHS PLAYER assigned to channels (15 and 16) and (9 and 10) AND THE "FLIP" switch depressed, we first adjusted their incoming audio signals to the AB with maximum peaks of "0" as measured on the the green monitoring lights above their channels.
And given the VHS RECORDER is recording, by adjusting the faders of the channel group 15/16 and 9/10 one (or alternatively the TRIM switch) the AB operator control the volume of the audio output from each device going to the recorder.
Consequently, the operator can make what is being recorded from both channels equally loud or equally soft or or the output of the of the CD (15/16) louder than the VHS or the volume of the CD lower than the VHS (9/10) the faders or the TRIM switch control knobs.
We learned that since the CD player and the VHS PLAYER (VTR-R) are "LINE" devices and the " FLIP" switches of their channels (located way on top of the channel must be pressed down) To view this area of the AB you must swing forward the black monitor panel which also exposes other input jacks.
[NOTE] LINE DEVICES INCLUDE: TELEPHONE, WIRELESS MIC, TAPE CASSETTE, B-ROLL and BARS and TONE
[NOTE] BOOM MICS AND LAVALIER (MIC) AND "58" (SHURE SM58) MICS ARE NOT "LINE" DEVICES AND THEREFORE DO NOT REQUIRE THE "FLIP" SWITCH TO BE DEPRESSED INDEED THY MUST BE UP
Learned how numerous musical *.wav files can can be edited just like one would edit films.
Given two wav files one can place them one after one another, dissolve one file in to another. Play them simultaneously and have one segment get louder or softer or fade out completely analogous to cutting and pasting operations in order to create the final opus.
Then we practiced using the "CG" (Character Generator)
This device is what produces the title of the show, author's name, credits (and how fast they roll) and all written material one sees including text that appears at the bottom of the screen like names of guests and telephone numbers. It is very similar to any word processing software.
The CG produces "SLATES". Each slate contains a piece of basic information: (the name of the show is usually Slate 1) In general it might take 4 or 5 slates to begin the show.
The director says to the CG operator "Give me Slate 1" and the CG operator responds by clicking on Slate 1. The director will then say to the "Switcher (also known ad the "Technical Director" or TD) "Preview the CG, and the TD responds by pressing the "PREVIEW CG" button on his console. This allows the director to PREVIEW what is going to appear and be filmed. The director will then say "TAKE" slate I" and the TD responds by hitting the "TAKE CG" button which puts the Name of the on the "PGM" screen which shows what is actually being recorded on the MINI-DV film RECORDER.
BCAT AB THREE-HOUR SESSION 4: 101708
with Bernice Brooks
Email Bernice at:
THEBERNICEBROOKSSHOW@MSN.COM
BCAT Schedule of her shows September 27-December 28
Bernice Brooks Show. Music showcase. Discovering Yourself. Spiritual self- improvement.
Material covered:
See: The Mackie 8.b CONSOLE AudioMixer Essentials-- Ver. Dr. Ted
See: Above
See: The Mackie 8.b CONSOLE AudioMixer Essentials-- Ver. Dr. Ted Items 15,16,17,18, 19, 20 providing detailed description of the EQ (sound equalization /calibration) of the audio signals (music, voices spoken in to microphones) being sent to the recorder. The descriptions are very thorough if not frightening for the uninitiated. Those who are avid and who persist will be rewarded, but most will be frightened away.
Bernice's hands-on demonstration of the EQ controls on the Mackie audioboard console was for me the most illuminating part of her EXCELLENT class coverage (seven students) wherein she demonstrated how each of the seven EQ control knobs controls an aspect of the audio signal (someone speaking, a musical instrument playing, an actor talking) being heard in the control room, and consequently what is being output to the recording devices: the Hi-MID frequency "Voices" (3 controls), LO-MID frequencies (2 controls), and an elementary HI EQ (1 control) and LO EQ (one control). You can think of each knob as different type of surgeon's scalpel, or chisel of an artist who sculpts or a potter working the clay on his wheel. These controls act on some aspect of the characteristics comprising the sound wave: length, amplitude and frequency. When you know how each control can modify the sound you can shape how its final "form" (sound)
Every sound and every musical instrument sound including the human voice can be heard as a function of the waves it produces. A wave has length, amplitude and frequency (cycles/second) measured in "Hertz". A piano for example, can produce a range of sounds varying between as low as 28 Hz and as high as 3951 Hz (3.95 kHz (kilohertz)). The sound of a piccolo may vary etween 587 Hz (cycles per second) and 3.95 kHz. The human voice can produce sounds varying between 82 Hz and 880 Hz.
Just listen to the sound on Low E string on a guitar and compare it to the sound of the High E string. The frequency of the high E string is much higher than the Low string b/c is vibrating at much higher frequency (cycles/second).
The Sound Frequency Chart (download PDF) AND (Sound frequency chart in landscape view PDF) shows you the frequency range of all the common instruments indeed you will see the frequency of each key spanning the eight octaves on the piano keyboard and then showing the frequency range of every other instrument in relation to it including the human voice at the far side of the chart.
The EQ controls are used to modify enhance or even eliminate "sound" (audio signal: a singer's voice...someone speaking in to a mic) from each channel's input to produce a sound whose qualities more pleasant to listen to when played back on some media: Television, CD, etc.
The descriptions of sound include such terms are as follows: as honkiness, nasality, sweet, natural, warmth, quality, character, boxy, boomy, musical, sizzling (vocal), shimmering (acoustic guitar and piano), fatten up or thinning out (a piano), rumble and traffic noises, wind noise and popping.
In the same way that you can adjust the Treble and Bass in a car radio( which is one channel of audio) you can adjust the quality of each and every channel on the audio board that is carrying an audio signal and then unite (MIX/UNITE/COMBINE) the sounds from all the channels on the mixing board in to ONE sound on the recording media (for example the mini-DV you placed in the VTR-R). This is called the "mix down"
Each of the 7 EQ control knobs "operates" on the frequency range of the "voice" that falls under its domain. If for example the voice you want to improve ranges from 500 hz to 18 k Hz (like the piccolo) you would be adjusting the three topmost EQ knobs ( the HI-MID control knobs) on the channel strip that was getting the audio signal from the piccolo mic. If you were adjusting the sound of a bass guitar you might choose to adjust the sound using the lowest positione EQ control knob (the LO) control b/c it works best on frequencies around 80 Hz.
Bernice's advises students to follow three basic tenets in "audio signal engineering" and they are "Listen, Listen Listen". In time if you have listened carefully you will have enough listening experience to be able to filter out, modify and attenuate the "bad" parts of the audio signal leaving only that part of the audio signal that is worthy of being recorded.
It seems to me that like all human endeavors it is fairly easy to rise to the level of 'mediocrity". But expertsmanship in the use of the audioboard requires "developing your ear" and practicing using your "instrument" which for the sound engineering expert in the recording studio is the AudioBoard.
A final important piece of advice for producers is that they should create a "floor plan" and provide it to the director and the floor manger. A floor plan shows things like the type and positioning of all the mics that are going to be used on the set during the shoot; the type and position of all the cameras that will be used in the shoot and and the position of monitors such as loudspeakers ('wedges") for sound (audio) and television monitors to show the floor managers what is actually being filmed in real time (the video signal).
For more go to: Cybercollege.com and read the Section on Audio under The major topic of "Television".
Also see The art of film sound design
Also very interesting: The six qualities of sound perception:
The Mackie 8.b CONSOLE AudioMixer Essentials-- Ver. Dr. Ted (see P 10 for location of switch and knob names)