Tech Spec Poser

[Doug Siddons]

Just received this in a tech spec

 

"I will be using a 88key Soundcraft weighted keyboard using an Ipad as sound module.

The audio output is via 3.5mm jack via a bluetooth dongle.( headphone socket damaged on ipad

unfortunately last week) , If latency is an issue with the bluetooth signal I'll just have to give it a miss

on the day and revert to a guitar/ bass arrangement.Dongle will stay on the 88key so an adaptor, 3.5mm male

to XLR l/r , is required. ( I have a bag of other adaptors if you're happy with 3.5mm to line in via 6.5mm jack)"

 

So going with 3.5mm to phono lead into twin LA Audio DBT twin di .

 

Any one had any experience of such a set up?

[J Pearce]

You might be safer to use some form of dock or iPad audio out lead from the docking connector.

[Stuart91]

My experience is that there will be noticeable latency on the Bluetooth output.

[Dave SA]

Tell them your pa is broken so you're just going to broadcast them on one of those fm transmitter doodahs for the car.

[Stuart91]

You might be safer to use some form of dock or iPad audio out lead from the docking connector.

 

It has only just occurred to me that if he is using the iPad as a module, there's presumably some sort of midi adaptor that is already using the docking port?

[J Pearce]

Hmmm. Well spotted. Some docks have a feed through, some don't.

[Dave C]

a stereo 3.5mm jack splitting to 2 mono jacks or RCA phonos going into 2 DIs should be fine.

 

However, should the tech crew really be worrying about how to get signal out of some hacked together setup that the musician is using? Surely it's the musician's responsibility to get the signal to the output connector on their own kit, so that we can then take it and amplify/record/mute it (as required http://www.blue-room.org.uk/public/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)...

 

Dave.

[MarkPAman]

Errrr

headphone socket damaged on ipad unfortunately last week

So

a stereo 3.5mm jack splitting to 2 mono jacks or RCA phonos going into 2 DIs should be fine.

is not going to help.

[Phil Adlam]

If its the old 30pin connector version on the iPad (not lightning). Apple do a neat breakout cable with 2 x RCA (L/R audio) & 1 x RCA (composite video) on it. its about £30 I think, perhaps you could recommend it to him? In my experience the quality has been better than the headphone out as well.

 

This might be a better long term solution for the broken headphone socket.

[paulears]

Provide the 3.5mm to jack (or whatever needed). The musician can't pass this problem to you, because if the latency is too bad to play, then who will get the blame?

 

I know we all like to be helpful, but trying to bodge this is a recipe for endless hassle!

[kerry davies]

Totally agree that the musician needs to provide the signal in normal form. Doing community events where the kids turn up without even a guitar lead has made me fairly inflexible when it comes to anyone other than the hapless amateur.

 

Far too many of these bedroom lash-ups seem to convince their perpetrators it is acceptable behaviour, it isn't. Next thing you know they will be turning up asking us to sing and play while they negotiate their fee.

 

Mind you, with some of my community groups that might have been preferable!

[paulears]

I'd bet it's a CME and he's using mainstage on the iPod - this, seems quite common, and I've become quite used to MDs asking for a moment while the system reboots as it's hung. The 3.5mm sockets also grip the plugs poorly so they fall out/buzz or hum.

[timd]

Perhaps something like this should become part of the standard audio adapter kit - while it shouldn't be the tech's problem everyone looks bad when it goes wrong.

[J Pearce]

That is the sort of lead I was suggesting, I keep one in my fix-it box, but as Stuart pointed out, the dock connector probably already has a midi adaptor in it. Unless you mean the midi adaptor should have that built in, at which point I fully agree!

[Doug Siddons]

Thankyou for all your comments, as it turned out the keyboard didn't turn up ( anyone seen a Soundcraft keyboard?) the player decided that latency was a real issue with the set up as predicted and borrowed another keyboard for the gig. The band was a four piece and the guitarist didn't show up making it three but very entertaining never the less

 

As an apple-o-phobe I didn't know that the adaptor timd linked to existed but guess its one to add to my problem solver case.

 

As to what crew should or shouldn't do to help musicians out, that is a very thorny subject, we do what we can to help. Personally I enjoy the challenge (sometimes) and it is all good experience. I mean who knew that despite the volume being up on the laptop the volume on the external sound card defaults to off when you reboot it?