Soundcraft Spirit M12 problem

[Skimble]

We've been trying to sort out levels for a school performance tonight and the PFL buttons that we usually use to set the gain for each channel have developed a mind of their own. We have a keyboard running through the mixer via a DI box and pressing the PFL button on that channel boosts the output rather than indicating levels on the output monitors, and on other channels receiving input from suspended mics the PFL buttons cause the system to feedback, even when the mics are muted. Any ideas? The desk was used last week with no problems, so this is a gremlin that seems to have crawled in very recently.

[dan slv-tech]

Hi

 

Just a thought, you are using the XLR outputs to feed your speakers arn't you? not using the monitor out Jack sockets ???

 

Dan

[Skimble]

Ah. Someone has stuck jacks into the monitor out sockets and then plonked a foldback monitor in front of a mic. I guess that could cause the problem! Thank you.<br><br>Incidentally, what are the monitor out jack sockets for?!<br>

[Bazz339]

Hi

 

Just a thought, you are using the XLR outputs to feed your speakers arn't you? not using the monitor out Jack sockets ???

 

Dan

 

My thoughts as well. I encountered a the same situation where someone had inadvertently used the control room monitor out for a record feed.

 

Don't know your level of experience but if the thinking is Monitor out = feed for on stage monitors or something has simply been plugged into the wrong socket that could be the source of your problem.

 

Let us know if it is, we won't tell, honest! :D

[Skimble]

My level of experience is that I'm a teacher who sometimes gets let out of the classroom! A student had figured that the monitor out was what was required for stage foldback, but I'm guessing that it's actually meant for the engineer to monitor the output rather than the performers. Is that about right?

[timsabre]

My level of experience is that I'm a teacher who sometimes gets let out of the classroom! A student had figured that the monitor out was what was required for stage foldback, but I'm guessing that it's actually meant for the engineer to monitor the output rather than the performers. Is that about right?

Yes, often used if you are shut in a control room - having the PFL'd channel come out of the monitor speakers is useful in that situation.

You would normally use the Aux 1/2/3/4 outputs for stage foldback, then you can adjust what's going there for each channel.

[Bazz339]

My level of experience is that I'm a teacher who sometimes gets let out of the classroom! A student had figured that the monitor out was what was required for stage foldback, but I'm guessing that it's actually meant for the engineer to monitor the output rather than the performers. Is that about right?

 

You have probably guessed correctly although it does depend on the labelling of the desk. Monitor L(eft) and R(ight) would tend to indicate an output intended as a feed to control room loudspeakers (either self powered or via an amplifier). However I am sure I have come across some desks of old where the output intended for stage monitors was labelled Mon(itor).

 

More usually stage monitor feeds (As I believe others have said) are now labelled as Aux sends off a channel, for a band they are usually used pre-fader so the position of the fader does not affect the volume sent to the stage monitors, for a musical, some, particularly for radio mics and vocal mics, may well be used post fader so that the output is killed when the fader is down.

 

No hard and fast rules, just do what works best.

 

Sorry didn't see all previous posts, looks like you have found the problem.

 

Good Luck

[Skimble]

Thanks chaps - always delighted by the speed and helpfulness of responses here. Bazz - your last posting particularly helpful in identifying the best aux sends for foldback along with the reason why. I'd not realised the value of pre-fader outputs until you explained it. I know what I need to do next time!