TomHoward

Does that mean the also tend to run quieter then? Or is that overly hopeful? Is there any advantage of still installing lamp projectors? Is it purely cost driven?

Can you comment on laser vs lamp? Are lasers a given choice these days? Although not a reduction at 4000h, what's the overall life of a projector like? (In same boat but unfortunately very much at the pricing stage only).

I hadn't realised that, but isn't it possible that the degree of level change would have to vary from venue to venue? Dependent on size, acoustics, and other factors? That's why I was imagining live manual adjustment. It might, but overall level might adjust more, and once the overall level is set per venue the hope is that the relative levels between cues (and faded sections) should hopefully be about accurate. Having them on fade cues helps with the timings as well, so they can snap or fade as designed rather than relying on the live programming. Changes are the operator will have the means to make overall adjustments if it's too loud/quiet but with Qlab it would still be conventional to program the major adjustments into the cue list as fade cues. Damage to laptop, time taken to set up, familiarity of kit are all good reasons some venues might use their own Qlab setup if provided file beforehand. Depending on your ongoing involvement in the show it also means that any queries might be directed back to yourself (who programmed the Qlab file) when it is sent out, rather than being directed at the actor when presented with the laptop?

Yes - I didn’t mention that before, you’d have a provide a folder which included both the qlab file and the source materials, but as covered Qlab will create this for you. The source files aren’t kept within the qlab session file, but the file links are relative so if it’s all in the same folder it’ll work when transferred. The patch is essentially only which sound interface is used for the output. It shouldn’t be a problem between venues on your own travelling machine, if a venue downloaded the file from online ahead of time they may need to change some settings to suit their local machines setup but they should be able to cope with that. Also, there’s both the script and there’s a large “notes” section at the top of the qlab window, where you can expand on what’s in the script if you want. Personally I always write the page numbers in the qlab cue names as well, and folder them all so all I have on the main window is one line for each actual Go needed.

One other thought, which might be just me, but if you were a receiving house how many would actually need the MacBook and how many would just need the QLab file and script electronically? If you knew your venues ahead, you could back up with sending a MacBook but a lot of venues might have a Qlab rig already available, and the sound guy could read the script through and check the file / cues beforehand. If the script and the file are electronic it might be worth hosting them on a Google drive or similar and sharing the link ahead of time.. not everyone will prepare it, and have it ready and practiced before you arrive, but some might.

Generally they’re in the text, well highlighted. If it’s at the top of a page, put a note on the bottom of the previous page so it’s not a surprise. Don’t forget to mark fade ups, downs, and ends of tracks if they don’t play right through in the same way, and don’t number them until you’ve added all the fades & stops. If the sound action is to be timed specifically it can be easier to use actions in the middle of sequences rather than exact lines - that way there’s no ambiguity about whether it’s before, during or after if it’s a snap. Eg “Cue 9 the music snaps out when the actor touches their hair” or slams the mug down or soemthing - this way the actor can cue it too if need be, or it can be at the right point in a non-verbal sequence. I find them harder to get wrong if the script deviates slightly. I have a colleague who always capitalises the word the cue should be hit on in the Qlab files notes, eg “who’s that at the DOOR it’s too late for visitors” would give me a better clue where to play the crashing thunder. In case you’re not clear the fades and stops are also programmed in qlab as a “go” cue, so the fade isn’t usually done manually on a fader - qlab will increase or decrease the volume when “go” is pressed. Make sure the laptop doesn’t have any passwords etc or they are stuck on it, if it’s to be operated by the house technician.

We switched from using Duracell / Procell / Industrial to using GP, but only because they’re wrapped. We had two times someone refilled a Procell box with deads after swapping mic packs and put it back with the new ones. Whenever we get the “£10 off £50” voucher from Toolstation we just bulk buy the GPs.

That’s a possibility, it could work a long as inputs are still on the back so it can all be racked up nicely & labelled - then it wouldn’t be overly different to just have two different types of preamp. I’m thinking more about the other idea of hiding an X32 Rack and having some compatible control surface for just the head amp gains, and locking it for everything else. I’ve also considered just an S16 into the AES50-USB box but it’s a bit messy.

The studio has a Presonus Central Station for talkback etc and headphone amp - the template in Logic is what we do, one stereo channel of the F32 is routed to headphones and one stereo channel for monitoring. To be honest this barely needs the desk which is why I’m thinking it’ll be simpler without. The kids tend to move from the studio to own devices / iMacs that all have 2ch Forusrite interfaces on. The Presonus interface looks okay as the connectors are on the back.. but unfortunately the phantom power switches are there too. I’ll have a look for other Adat preamps - to be honest their logic tends to be at 48k so it’s probably enough. It’s certainly cheaper to go ADAT than the Motu... as long as the preamps have ADs too. I’d think about having one nice 8-way pre for most of the tracking and doubling up with cheaper ones for 9-24... very, very rarely is it more than 8ch anyway. The x32 rack would work when controlled over software, if the software were just the pres. If I could find, or write, or even make with an ESP32 and a bank of encoders a remote head amp control with just 24-32 knobs and a Phantom button that might work? On the computers with Scarlet Solos the kids can cope. I just really want to replicate that experience as close as possible.

So having had a look I like the look of the Motu 24Ai, if it works with Big Sur. 24 analogue ins all on Phoenix block. Paired up with a couple of different 8ch pre-amps and some single vocal ones maybe. But there might be some units with preamps - USB interface all in one. I don't think this could be done cheaper than a X32-rack but I'd rather not go that way as control is difficult.

Evening all, I'm looking to replace the audio interface in a school recording studio. So the thing is, I really want it as simple as possible. What I'd really like is a 24-input or so interface, maybe with XLRs or DSub or anything on the back, and head amps on the front. Or a 24-line input interface and 24 separate pres. I could then use a mixture of vocal or cheaper pres into the same interface. It would really help if the inputs weren't on the front and the pres could rack mount. There are 3 different live rooms and the kids can cope with patching, so patching from pres to interface would be okay. It's going into a older style Mac Pro tower so could be USB, firewire or PCI-e. It's a Midas Venice F32 being replaced and although it would be lovely if the students used the desk as anything other than just head amps and interface, they don't. The mix down in software, they do monitor mixing and PFL in software, so the desk causes more routing problems than it solves. Plus it's drivers aren't supported any more with Catalina / Big Sur so it's giving us real headache on all fronts. Any suggestions on combinations of pres / interfaces welcome.

I think this is just the 4K.. not that that would put a dent in a 15K budget but I don't think the rackmount or Pro have it?

Bit off the wall but we have used an iPad, an Artnet node and a Luminair licence. The software is really intuitive I think it's worth a look - colour pickers, scenes on touch buttons, and you could set up more complex and more simple projects for different uses.

Not totally on topic but we've got one of the newer Boss towers where the handrails are fixed in a sideways "H" frame, like the end frames, rather than being loose pieces, so you just lock the whole thing on the side where you want it at the platform height and it takes care of the crossbracing too. Although you need slightly more van space for it, it goes up so quickly and is quicker to carry into the venue being fewer pieces.

I'd like to know the details about quality the ladder. In our dept we'll only buy Youngman Class 1 etc whereas the domestic/cleaning dept have some horrible cheap steps which flex and wobble like anything. You shouldn't stand on the top platform or step of a ladder (or even the rail above) but I think most honest people would say they probably have in a pinch - but I'd have much more confidence in one of those than the other. Even in normal usage a lot of the cheap ladders seem very unstable to me.

We had to do some large scale ones from the opposite side for a temporary event - it was a lecture on the history of the stained glass windows, which helpfully was being held on a winter's evening - we used floods in the end (400W halide) but after a bit of experimentation found silver/chrome barn doors really helped the beam shaping to get maximum light and reflect all the spill forwards from the 180degree (or more) untamed beams of the floods.

I suspected they might be, I guess the back is two layers thick with speakers in the cavity? It might be easier to build something with shelves in the outside corners for two active monitors and fix them in. I don’t really want speakers visible, trying to make something discreet-ish as per a clav with built in speakers.

Here's a weird one that I'm guessing there might not be a lot of experience on, but it's worth a shot... I'm looking at building a keyboard stand with built in speakers. So some of the Clavinovas we have have the speakers in the stand, not in the top, and I'm hoping to recreate this with something built, so it can be used with a Nord etc that doesn't have speakers built in to make a standalone piano. We have a couple clavs but at least 3-4 other pianos that either don't have build in speakers or they do but they are lacking. I'm thinking I only need something like 2x 30W max, and my first thought is maybe a pair of 6x9 car speakers? I might have to baffle the backs of them to get more out of them? For an amp there are lots of Chinese portable stereo amps, and branded stuff like this Monacor: https://www.monacor.com/products/pa-technology/amplifiers/hi-fi-amplifiers/sa-160bt/ I'm guessing this is something I might have to build to see if it's decent or rubbish? Just to confirm I'm looking for something to replicate a Clav for when you'd use a clav without external amplification - eg alongside a vocalist for after dinner etc, and not looking for something like the Nord monitors. Also it could be thrown in a van with the stage piano cased up but the stand likely wouldn't need it - lot of our pianos have cases but the Clavs don't.

Is the Traffic light RCBO to do with showing what caused the trip? One of my bugbears is the old separate RCD & MCB distro would let you know if you were dealing with an overcurrent or earth leakage problem, whereas an RCBO trip can be harder to track down in a muddy catering tent if you didn't see it trip. Is an neutral disconnect MCB in the Rigswitch a two-pole MCB or does that mean a single-pole MCB fitted on the neutral side? Is the relay switching then on the phase side?

Yikes. No better then. I have a feeling my fixtures will soldier on with their flaking mirrors for a while longer yet.

Do you mind if I ask how much a mirror costs you based in NZ, if Selecon still have any connection since Philips bought them out? I have 48 Pacifics and a majority have mirror failure. It must have been a batch issue, most were flaking within 2 years. It's an expensive problem I've been putting off for years.

With an M10 inner thread instead of 3/8, that's very useful. This surely is the neatest & cheapest way.

I think 3/8 UNC should fit microphone, I think it's 3/8 UNC for the small one and 5/8 UNF for the large one. UNC being coarse 3/8-16 and 3/8 UNF 3/8-24 teeth per Inch. 3/8 UNC and Whitworth are both 16TPI but I don't think that's true of all diameters. There's coarse and fine for the metric threads as well. In automotive threads often have the wrong sized head, like an M10 with a 16mm or 15mm across flats head, for reasons I can never understand - there's usually space for a proper one. There's good news and bad news... https://www.supercellaudio.com/supercellaudio/prod_6870426-Thread-adapter-M10-150-to-3816.html and this is a funny thing but also has the right threads on https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/262694922845

A M10 lock nut (as in a half nut, not a nyloc) will fit onto 3/8 mic stand thread. With a full sized nut you get about two turns before it seizes. If you could cut some 3/8 studding, could you get two turns and a bit of Loctite into an M10 connecting nut, and would that be presentable enough for your application? Though if you can get 3/8 studding you could just drop on that. I remember assisting hanging some Meyer UPMs years ago, available with M10 hanging points for EU market and 3/8 for American - asked time and time again and confirmed they were the M10 variant, turned up to hang them and were they bugger.

Thanks, I was thinking about asking Thomann but they don't seem to have a lot of answers yet. I hadn't even thought about the VAT on the replacement item..