Plans for Venue in a church/install market

[Lowdbrent]

1. I am looking for a system that will integrate a 1:3 splitter into the digital snake system, so that I will not have to use a third party's products, do format conversion, add copper, hardware, noise, etc. Is Digi going to offer something like this as part of the stage box? As it stands now, I don't think that I could buy enough stage boxes and configure them. I would need two stage boxes for inputs as it is now.

2. Maybe I have not read throroughly, but just what exactly is being used to connect the PQ controllers? What is the max distance allowed between the distributor and the console, and the PQs and the distributor. Too bad that Digi didn't incorporate an Aviom like solution into the console. It may be that I would now have to run twice as much cable to accommodate the PQ and a headphone amp/mixer.

3. What about the possibility of Euroblock type connectors, multipins, etc for the stage box in an install application, so that floor pocket box lines do not have to be terminated to XLRs?

Thanks for the help Digi.

Brent Handy
Worship Audio Engineer,
Church of the Resurrection,
Leawood, KS

[mattpete]

Hi Brent,

1. If you can describe your application of the splitter in more detail, there might be a workable solution within a single VENUE system.

2. The PQ Controllers are connected through a 1U PQ Rack (distributor) that itself connects to a Stage Rack. The PQ Rack must be fairly close to the Stage Rack, it ships with a 10 foot cable, while the PQ Controllers can be 100 feet from the distributor. The cable used for PQ connections is a 4-pin XLR. It carries power as well as control signals. The PQ Controllers don't handle any audio themselves, they are remote controls for stereo matrix mixes in VENUE. Typically, the audio output for a PQ mix would come from the Stage Rack and then run into an IEM transmitter or to a wedge amplifier. It sounds like your monitor mixes are listened to on headphones, in which case you'd need to run an audio line to the headphone amplifier.

3. Alternate connector types are certainly a valid consideration. I will forward your comments to the appropriate parties.

-Matt

[Sheldon Radford]

(mattpete beat me to this. Here's my reply as well, since i'm one of the "appropriate parties" he mentions).

Hi Brent,

1. I am looking for a system that will integrate a 1:3 splitter into the digital snake system

There is no provision to split signals digitally using the stage rack / digital snake system within VENUE. Depending on the application an analog mic split upstream of the stage rack is the way to go.

what exactly is being used to connect the PQ controllers?

The PQ system uses a 4-pin XLR cable to carry power and data.

What is the max distance allowed between the distributor and the console, and the PQs and the distributor.

Stage Rack to PQ Rack (distributor) = 10 feet.
PQ Rack to PQ Controller = 100 feet

These are very conservative distances. You can likely run much further (especially from PQ Rack to Controller) with a good quality cable.

What about the possibility of Euroblock type connectors, multipins, etc for the stage box

This is something we'll look at and we certainly understand the convenience (even for touring applications), but there are no immediate plans.

Regards,

Sheldon

[mattpete]

These are very conservative distances. You can likely run much further (especially from PQ Rack to Controller) with a good quality cable.

Since Sheldon makes mention of this I'll add that using the standard 100' cables that come with the PQ Controller, we've successfully run one at 600' from the PQ Rack in the test lab.

-Matt

[Lowdbrent]

Thanks for the replies fellas.

My current system needs are (using a Midas and associated analog and digital gear):

L/R mixing
85+ inputs, split to FOH, MON (for large productions) and studio
8 discrete MON mixes sent from FOH: IEM's, headphones (musician "controlled")
4 discrete MON mixes sent from FOH: Wedges
Multiple Matrix sends to recorders, Cassettes, Video Control, Narthex (lobby), CCTV, etc via DAs
All of my FOH and MON system processing occurs in Media Matrix.

This is the generalized operation.

What I have done in the past when mixing on tour and recording as well, was actually mix FOH and MONs through PT HD. It was spooky my first couple of times, but man It made sense to me. Also coming from the recording sector, everything about the Venue makes much more sense to me operationally than the other digital desks. Well, I haven't mixed on the Soundtracs/DigiCo desk. But I have mixed everything else.

I also considered living with a 1:2 split, if I could get all channels routed to PT HD from Venue. I would just have to work out the distance in networking issues with my IT guy.

[mattpete]

Well, with the upcoming HDx option you'll be able to digitally split up to 128 channels directly to Pro Tools HD on DigiLink cables up to 200' long. 96 of those channels will be directly sourced post the analog mic pre and A/D stage. The other 32 are assignable in the VENUE Patchbay from any direct out or bus output. (You can also send audio from Pro Tools into VENUE via the same links.)

-Matt