The best way to use virtual sound check

[kalunga]

HI All

i am new user venue and whant to know , how i use the virtual sound check , i set the direc out 0 db? how can i do!!??

how can i made my gain structure?

thanks

kalunga

[RScovill]

DUC Post on Virtual Soundcheck –

Hey there --
Thanks for posting -- I'll try to give you the readers digest version of the process here.

In regard to your system, my recommendation is to do this with Pro Tools|HD and an FOH outfitted with HDx cards using Digilink cables as the interface. This will allow for the truest form of Virtual Soundcheck. 1 Core card and 1 Accel card hooked up to a single HDx interface in the VENUE FOH provides for 64 tracks -- 48 direct taps from the pres and 16 assignable tracks from any other source in the console.

So here's how it all works --
When you're in capture/stage mode --(Options>System>Stage 1) you'll be listening to inputs from the Stage rack. The signal comes into the mic pre where gain is set and then into the A>D converter where it is then presented to the D-Show mix engine AND Pro Tools. You'll be setting a level for both Pro Tools and the D-Show mix engineer using the input gain control on the console. No need to patch as the taps are made automatically -- input 1 will automatically patch to track 1 of Pro Tools. You will however have to set your tracks in the Pro Tools session to receive inputs from VENUE. Use the input selection dropdown for every track. Make the tracks output the same number. i.e. in via HD1 - out to HD1 and make sure all Pro Tools faders are set to 0db.

To achieve the best recording levels, I recommend operating your console metering in RMS mode. (Options>System>Interaction>RMS Ballistics) Once done you'll see the RMS portion of the signal and then a few LEDs above it, the peak component of the signal. Try to achieve levels that are around zero (RMS) on the console metering and do not peak into the red. Remember that the console offers an analog scale as opposed to Pro Tools which scales in dbfs. In D-Show metering 0db input meter = -20dbfs in Pro Tools -- keep your levels around 0db in D-Show and your recordings will be golden!

Once you have recorded your rehearsal or performance is when all the fun begins ---

Now that you have it recorded, you can go back to Options>System>Stage 1 and now engage HDx1 instead of stage. Put your Pro Tools session in playback and you will be hearing signals exactly as you did before only from the Pro Tools now as opposed to the Stage Rack. Best of all you can start mixing and storing snapshots and refining everything in the signal path. You can even make adjustments to gain via the pre-amp gain knob in order to refine your gain structure for the mixer or your record level. If you do make changes to this gain -- once you get ready to go back on to the Stage box, the software will ask whether you want to apply those pre-amp gain changes back to the mic pres --- and you give it an emphatic YES!

Now when the band comes back on, you will be hearing the mix exactly as you adjusted it --

THAT is Virtual Soundcheck -- have fun! Be sure and let us know if you have more questions or need more clarification!

Robert Scovill
Market Manager
Live Sound Products
Digidesign

[kalunga]

thanks RScovill

but now i have fwx in FOH and i have 39ch input, it s possible to use ?

[Sheldon Radford]

Hi,

FWx is a bit different. For FWx there are 18 paths between VENUE and Pro Tools. These paths appear in the Pro Tools tab on the patchbay page.

Since a maximum of 18 channels can be assigned to FWx, you'll typically use a combination of Direct Outputs for important individual channels and also some groups/auxes to sub-mix instruments and fit the 39 inputs into 18 tracks.

In addition, switching back and forth between the live stage inputs and Pro Tools tracks is different for FWx. One way to do this is by programming two snapshots that swap the input source patching between Stage and FWx.

Note also that the gain compensation availabe when switching between HDx and stage inputs isn't available to FWx.

Sheldon

[kalunga]

Hi, Sheldon

than,, i dont made virtual soundcheck with FWx,, ?

thanks

kalunga

[Sheldon Radford]

Hi,

As Rob Scovill described he uses the HDx option cards to do "Virtual Soundcheck" and there are some nice benefits to doing so (easy to swap between stage inputs and Pro Tools tracks, gain changes arecompensated for).

You'll still be able to do a lot of useful things w/ FWx that you would normally do as part of a soundcheck - such as set EQs, experiment with different plug-ins and get dynamics and aux sends close to their proper settings - but it is different from using HDx in that it's a more manual process. As an example, you'll likely need to make minor adjustments to gain settings when going between FWx and normal stage inputs. This happens automatically when using HDx.

I recommend recording a few shows w/ FWx and playing them back afterwards, to get a feel for how it works and what its limitations are.

Sheldon