Theatre Surround Sound

[The JC]

I've got a new Allen and Heath QU32 Chrome at our theatre, and the theatre now wishes to do film screenings in 5.1 surround sound. The Bluray player installed can output 5.1 surround sound. What's the cleanest and simplest way to plug this up from desk to amps, and then program it? It will not be the in-house technicians operating the sound for the film screenings so the operation needs to be as straight forward as possible. All of the speakers have amps in their correct pairs, i.e. one amp for Main LR, one amp for centre, one for sub, one for rear LR.

 

I'll just confirm that we will still be doing live theatre performances [When the pandemic allows!] as well as film screenings so we need to be able to switch between 5.1 and 2.1. My initial thought was to have two separate show files on the QU32: 'Show' and 'Film' so we could program differently rather than replugging, just not entirely sure on the best way to program it for the 'Film' 5.1 surround sound file. I'm usually the lighting guy! ?

 

Ideas welcome; we're a small theatre so please avoid any responses that require spending a lot of money! :)

[Dave m]

If you didn't already have the blue ray , I'd buy something like

https://www.thomann.de/gb/denon_dn_500bd_mkii.htm

run the outputs to a normalised patch. Connect the amps to the sockets underneath so that the patch field with nothing connected just works.

(Even if you have to hide the patch leads) Then for a show connect to the desk with the leads.

Even if you accidentally leave the patch in, a phone call can tell the projectionist to simply unplug everything on the patch and it would work

Edited January 19, 2021 by Dave m

[alistermorton]

Essentially that's what we do - snapshots that route either the normal show channels or the blu-ray player's channels to the amp busses.

[Stuart91]

My initial thought was to have two separate show files on the QU32: 'Show' and 'Film' so we could program differently rather than replugging, just not entirely sure on the best way to program it for the 'Film' 5.1 surround sound file.

 

We've done it this way for a couple of installations. It can work OK but quite a bit depends on the volunteers operating. (Novices aren't so much the problem as "tinkerers" I've found...)

 

Just have five input channels for the Blu-Ray outputs, and route each to an individual output on the desk. This is one area where the QU isn't great, as many of the auxes are tied into stereo pairs. It's manageable but if you need to have auxes in play for stage monitors at other times, then things might get a bit messy.

 

Another (cheap-ish) option might be to use something like a BSS Soundweb, eight inputs and eight outputs means that you could bring the Blu Ray inputs into that, but also take the desk output and route them accordingly. Nice thing about that is that there's no physical repatching required, and you get a bunch of extra functionality included.

 

The drawback is that earlier Soundwebs need an old-style serial port to program so can be a bit of a faff.

[Stuart91]

My initial thought was to have two separate show files on the QU32: 'Show' and 'Film' so we could program differently rather than replugging, just not entirely sure on the best way to program it for the 'Film' 5.1 surround sound file.

 

We've done it this way for a couple of installations. It can work OK but quite a bit depends on the volunteers operating. (Novices aren't so much the problem as "tinkerers" I've found...)

 

Just have five input channels for the Blu-Ray outputs, and route each to an individual output on the desk. This is one area where the QU isn't great, as many of the auxes are tied into stereo pairs. It's manageable but if you need to have auxes in play for stage monitors at other times, then things might get a bit messy.

 

Another (cheap-ish) option might be to use something like a BSS Soundweb, eight inputs and eight outputs means that you could bring the Blu Ray inputs into that, but also take the desk output and route them accordingly. Nice thing about that is that there's no physical repatching required, and you get a bunch of extra functionality included.

 

The drawback is that earlier Soundwebs need an old-style serial port to program so can be a bit of a faff.

[J Pearce]

I'd be looking to make this independent of the desk, either via a patchbay if levelling can be done in the blu-ray player or at the amps, or via a soundweb or similar.

 

Once it relies on the desk you risk someone wiping the desk scene/file, and tie up the desk to being on site and functional for those events. Using a separate patchbay or soundweb also opens up flexibility for visiting sound desks or hired in kit for larger shows, or hooking a QLab rig direct in etc.

[Ynot]

We do exactly this sort of thing (when we're in 'normal' mode).

The optical o/p from the BluRay goes into a 5:1 breakout box. The 5 outputs from that box are fed into our (Midas) mixer as analog ins, but due to how we use the PA setup, at least 3 of those have to be simply re-patched physically at the patch bay when running films but that's an easy one to do - and then we have a specific film screening virtual patch on the Midas that routes everything where it's needed.

[ninjadingle]

If it's not going to be operated by technicians then simplicity is the key. As suggested above bypassing the sound desk is going to be your best route to stop the fiddlers. It is a little pricey but Extron do a very nice multi input surround decoder that takes multiple inputs (HDMI, Optical and Balanced), decodes them and gives you all your analogue outputs. User interface on the front is just an input select and volume control. You could in theory have the Blu-Ray attached to any of the multi-channel inputs (HDMI or Optical) and have your desk connected to the balanced inputs, so no physical repatching necessary. Also gives RS232 control so if you want you can just give them a control panel where pressing "On" switches on the projector, switches the input over and sets the volume (also allows you to set a maximum level!), when it's turned off the input switches back to the desk.

[sunray]

We installed a companies auditorium in london. Initially we went soundweb route [16 in/out to account for 15 channels - 5.1 of Blueray and 7.2 from the mixer]to make the Blueray  however our final solution was to constructed a 2U unit and mounted it directly over the Blueray player, with with a 6 channel volume pot for Blueray, a changeover switch and matchbox sized modules to provide EQ [preset], 2 mic inputs from the lecterns and a signal to the AMX to switch projector on and set input.  

 

A large engraved lable on the front with instructions made it totally idiot proof.  

 

The 5.1 was also buffered and routed to the mixer for normal techs use.

Edited January 21, 2021 by sunray

[Alec]

A large engraved lable on the front with instructions made it totally idiot proof.

Are you sure? I've found that there's always someone who can help expand my understanding of idiocy...

[sunray]

<br />

<br />A large engraved lable on the front with instructions made it totally idiot proof.

<br />Are you sure?  I've found that there's always someone who can help expand my understanding of idiocy...<br />

<br /><br /><br />

 

Well sadly I have to agree but most seem to be able to operate a DVD player and after that one switch and one volume control.

[sunray]

So the formatting is back. IIRC it's because I'm in mobile app mode and I don't remember how to change it, can anyone help please?

[sunray]

<br />So the formatting is back.  IIRC it's because I'm in mobile app mode and I don't remember how to change it, can anyone help please?<br />

<br /><br /><br />

 

Found it thanks.

 

<br />

<br />So the formatting is back.  IIRC it's because I'm in mobile app mode and I don't remember how to change it, can anyone help please?<br />

<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Found it thanks.<br />

<br /><br /><br />

 

Checking

 

<br />So the formatting is back. IIRC it's because I'm in mobile app mode and I don't remember how to change it, can anyone help please?<br />

<br /><br /><br />

 

Found it thanks.

 

<br />

<br />So the formatting is back. IIRC it's because I'm in mobile app mode and I don't remember how to change it, can anyone help please?<br />

<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Found it thanks.<br />

<br /><br /><br />

 

Checking

 

still checking